The Queen's Choice

Who ever lov’d, that lov’d not at first sight?

Christopher Marlowe 1564-1593: Hero and Leander

Forasmuch as I am eager to hear of your good estate…I pray you, my most dear and most honoured lord and cousin, that you would tell me often of the certainty of it, for the great comfort and gladness of my heart. For whenever I am able to hear a good account of you, my heart rejoices exceedingly.

Written at Vannes 15th February 1400: the duchess of Brittany to King Henry IV

(The wives of powerful noblemen) must be highly knowledgeable about government, and wise…

Christine de Pizan: The Book of the City of Ladies c. 1405

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Exodus 22.18

Contents

Cover (#u2ee1088e-b778-5bd5-a518-1cc68f047555)

Title Page (#uee2b6f38-9737-5a68-bf0f-92d255338dea)

Copyright Page (#u9047ef0e-0fe5-503f-940e-c102baafc3d8)

Acclaim for the Author ANNE O’BRIEN (#ulink_86d281f3-cb8a-59bc-ad7d-9ddf02f7cdba)

Dedication (#ub0b4ff26-853f-5fa1-810c-fe6ae180464e)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_48de3ecd-a7b0-50bf-aa87-72af7d8b8e50)

Chapter 2 (#ulink_d50a8820-9e87-520e-a421-d7ea944069b1)

Chapter 3 (#ulink_561b887d-bfe4-5045-8810-0b86861399e0)

Chapter 4 (#ulink_f3680921-61b7-547d-9052-1317c2d5f46a)

Chapter 5 (#ulink_52a26c63-c939-5e7a-9e02-815c41014b2f)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by Anne O'Brien (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (#litres_trial_promo)

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE ABOUT JOANNA OF NAVARRE? (#litres_trial_promo)

AND AFTERWARDS (#litres_trial_promo)

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JOANNA OF NAVARRE (#litres_trial_promo)

QUESTIONS FOR READING GROUPS (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_cba638d7-51e5-5c71-af37-7afaf2a422ab)

October 1396: the town of Ardres, near Calais

It was to be the day, although I did not know it when my women confined my hair to a jewelled caul and coronet, my feet to gilded-toed shoes, and all in between to layers of fine linen, silk damask and fur.

It was to be the day that my life tilted on its even keel; the day that my ordered existence warped, as a tapestry, ill-formed in the hands of a careless Arras weaver, would stretch immoderately in the damp of winter. I had one such in my audience chamber at the Château of Vannes, until I dispatched it, ruined, to some distant storeroom. On this day it was as if some power had disturbed an exact balance that throughout my life had been secure and unquestioned.

It was the day that I met Henry, Earl of Derby.

Not that I had any presentiment of such meddling in what fate, my father and my husband had decreed for me. Nor did I look for such turbulence in my life, for I lived in placid luxury, always predictable, sometimes dull, but never less than harmonious. My life demanded no emotional response from me, rather a practical acceptance of my role as wife, mother, ducal consort. Indeed my whole life had been one of acceptance. I was particularly good at it. I was nobly born, twenty-eight years old, and had been Duchess of Brittany for ten of them. But on that bright morning, my thoughts occupied far from any intrusive dabbling, all was overset.

‘What do you think?’