Queen of the North: sumptuous and evocative historical fiction from the Sunday Times bestselling author

To play with mammets and to tilt with lips:

We must have bloody noses and crack’d crowns . . .

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: HENRY IV PART 1 (ELIZABETH IS SHAKESPEARE’S LADY KATE)

Lady Percy:

He was the mark and glass, copy and book,

That fashion’d others. And him, O wondrous him!

O miracle of men!

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: HENRY IV PART 2

Whereas of our special grace we have granted to our cousin, Elizabeth, who was the wife of Henry de Percy, knight, the head and quarters of the same Henry to be buried. We command you that the head aforesaid placed by our command upon the gate of the city (of York) aforesaid you shall deliver to the same Elizabeth to be buried . . .

E. B. DE FONTBLANQUE: ANNALS OF THE HOUSE OF PERCY

Contents

Cover (#u81202eb2-5372-5f55-8368-c29a9ab9cc26)

Booklist (#ulink_2a02ce3b-2578-510f-858e-b6a7f19f6caf)

Title Page (#ue4b45935-5521-52a9-9d8c-0be7d97032b3)

Copyright (#ulink_eb67268c-453e-5f73-b47d-ed2ba6fbb4f6)

Praise (#ulink_41fdbb27-b003-5bba-9f23-71ec9572878f)

Dedication (#u9dd59aa7-828c-5afd-9e0a-408d5f395acc)

Maps (#uf4253f39-6ce6-5c85-a1d0-ca951c3cfd97)

Prologue (#ulink_96b7e973-ed84-5044-9886-4c2cb0a4c16d)

Chapter One (#ulink_51554a43-3bd4-5c8a-88f8-b7adcae5f01d)

Chapter Two (#ulink_ab0ef410-e789-5618-99a9-8b6163c7cceb)

Chapter Three (#ulink_d15db84d-111d-5357-af44-cd50e1ee9e70)

Chapter Four (#ulink_ea3d469d-8064-5574-b4d2-97b5b32a780f)

Chapter Five (#ulink_d4cac387-2326-5a84-8c8c-537051fdc577)

Chapter Six (#ulink_9bbb07c7-d08a-526c-9d38-e1d9def29fdf)

Chapter Seven (#ulink_b20bdb22-b420-5c6e-b3af-1b06eec15a4e)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Three (#litres_trial_promo)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (#litres_trial_promo)

What compelled me to write about Elizabeth Mortimer? (#litres_trial_promo)

And Afterwards... (#litres_trial_promo)

In the Steps Of ... (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue (#ulink_836bdd2b-31ba-5519-8bde-ececd307017f)

Alnwick Castle: Spring 1399