The Briton and the Dane:
Birthright
By Mary Ann Bernal
Two
years have passed since Alfred the Great successfully defeated Guthrum, King of
the Vikings.
The
fair land of England is at peace. That is, until the harmony is threatened by
Guthrum’s angry, vengeful, illegitimate son, Rigr, who is hell-bent on usurping
his father’s throne.
Rigr demands his
Birthright – an acknowledgment that he is the sole heir to the Danelaw, but his
father refuses his claim. Rigr assembles his army, a motley, but formidable,
cohort of disenchanted warriors.
Fearsome Guthrum, ruler
of everything from Kent to Northumbria, is made aware of the threat and
conjures his forces, meeting the rebellious host on the field at Thetford.
Thousands
upon thousands of bloodthirsty warriors confront each other on the sunlit,
windless plains of East Anglia. The victors will rewrite the course of history,
and the fate of England is in the hands of the gods of war.
Excerpt
Helga crossed the inner bailey, walking swiftly
towards her family’s private quarters since the sun would soon set, and the
main gate closed for the night. She was not able to find Inga and the boys
playing with the other children. She kept
praying they were already in their chambers, shouting their names while
searching the empty rooms. She was
frantic, hurrying to the gatehouse just as the guards were about to shut the
gate.
“Inga and the children are not back,” Helga yelled as
she climbed the stairs. “Do you see them
on the main road?”
Helga listened halfheartedly while the soldiers
reminded her that the scouting party had already returned and would not set out
again until first light. She pushed the men aside, leaning over the wall and
suppressing the urge to scream when she saw the deserted countryside.
Helga held back the tears while running to find David,
who would still be in the great hall conferring with his advisors. She hurried
through the open door and was out of breath by the time she came upon her
husband.
“The boys are not in their chambers!” Helga exclaimed,
out of breath.
“You are trembling,” David whispered, “what is wrong?”
“Inga has not returned with the boys,” Helga sobbed.
David shouted for his men to bring the horses and
requested Brother Aidan be found to comfort his wife.
It did not take long for David and his men to reach
the market town where the soldiers searched house-to-house while David spoke
with the local merchants. As dusk became night, the men continued looking for
the missing children, but they were unsuccessful.
Brother Aidan and Helga had been keeping vigil at the
gatehouse, but they watched fearfully as David and his men galloped towards the
main gate.
“David!” Helga yelled, frantic and in tears, by the
time she reached her husband. “I am afraid.”
“There has been treachery,” David told her.
“What do you mean?” Helga asked between sobs.
“Dalla and Loki are not known. Our children have been taken.”
Pick up your copy of
The Briton and the Dane:
Birthright
Mary Ann Bernal
Mary Ann Bernal attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she received a degree in Business Administration. Her literary aspirations were ultimately realized when the first book of The Briton and the Dane novels was published in 2009. In addition to writing historical fiction, Mary Ann has also authored a collection of contemporary short stories in the Scribbler Tales series. Her latest endeavor is a science fiction/fantasy novel entitled Planetary Wars Rise of an Empire. Originally hailing from New York, Mary Ann now resides in Elkhorn, Nebraska.
Connect with Mary Ann: Website • Whispering Legends Press • Twitter.
This book sounds so good.
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