Every legend has a beginning.

Every crown is won with blood.

Before The Hand of Maud, there was a betrayal that set the legend in motion. Normandy, 1139: Empress Matilda--affectionately referred to as Maud-is heir to England's crown. She holds more than a claim to the throne; she carries the
>But in the cold chambers of power, loyalty is fragile. Allies shift like shadows, oaths are broken, and a single act of
>The First Betrayal is the gripping prequel novelette to The Hand of Maud-a sweeping saga of love, destiny, and treachery where past and present collide. Step into the shadows of history and discover the spark that lit the fire.