Book details:
Book Title:
THE USURPER KING and THE ACCURSED KING
Series:
The Plantagenet Legacy
Author:
Mercedes Rochelle
Publication Date:
The Usurper King: 4/5/21 The Accursed King: 4/18/22
Publisher:
SergeantPress
Pages:
The UsurperKing : 305 pages The Accursed King: 301 pages
Any Triggers: n/a
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From Outlaw to Usurper, Henry Bolingbroke fought one rebellion after another.
First, he led his own uprising. Then he captured a forsaken king. Henry had no intention of taking the crown for himself; it was given to him by popular acclaim. Alas, it didn't take long to realize that that having the kingship was much less rewarding than striving for it. Only three months after his coronation, Henry IV had to face a rebellion led by Richard's disgruntled favorites. Repressive measures led to more discontent. His own supporters turned against him, demanding more than he could give. The haughty Percies precipitated the Battle of Shrewsbury which nearly cost him the throne—and his life.
To make matters worse, even after Richard II's funeral, the deposed monarch was rumored to be in Scotland, planning his return. The king just wouldn't stay down and malcontents wanted him back.
The Usurper King: https://books2read.com/u/3nkRJ9
What happens when a king loses his prowess?
The day Henry IV could finally declare he had vanquished his enemies, he threw it all away with an infamous deed. No English king had executed an archbishop before. And divine judgment was quick to follow. Many thought he was struck with leprosy—God's greatest punishment for sinners. From that point on, Henry's health was cursed and he fought doggedly on as his body continued to betray him—reducing this once great warrior to an invalid.
Fortunately for England, his heir was ready and eager to take over. But Henry wasn't willing to relinquish what he had worked so hard to preserve. No one was going to take away his royal prerogative—not even Prince Hal. But Henry didn't count on Hal's dauntless nature, which threatened to tear the royal family apart.
The Accursed King: https://books2read.com/u/b5KpnG
All titles in the series are available to read on #KindleUnlimited
EXCERPT FROM THE ACCURSED KING
PRINCE HAL TRIES TO STOP THE BURNING OF HERETIC JOHN BADBY
Just north of the city walls, Smithfield was an open space so large it would take about ten days for a yoke of oxen to plow it. Every August since the time of Henry I, the famous Bartholomew Fair brought people from all over the country. Otherwise, Smithfield was most often used as a horse market, and sometimes it hosted sporting games and tournaments. This was the site where King Richard II met the infamous Wat Tyler and disarmed the great revolt. The Scottish rebel, William Wallace, was hanged, drawn, and quartered under the elms in the far northwest corner. And now it was to witness the only other burning of a heretic in Henry IV’s reign. William Sawtrey, a relapsed priest, was burned nine years before, but that episode was carried out with very little ceremony.
Hal took his place on the stage along with the others, most of whom walked over from St. Pauls. Although not acting in any official capacity, the prince’s attendance was unquestionably accepted due to his rank. Arundel looked askance at Hal but proceeded to ignore him, and Beaufort as well. As they watched, Badby was brought forward and forced to step onto a gridiron, underneath which was piled a heap of faggots. They chained him to a stake and lowered a large barrel open at both ends—its purpose to concentrate the heat and smoke and accelerate the victim’s death more humanely. The barrel reached to his waist.
A dirge was heard rising above the muted muttering of the crowd, and the doors of St. Bartholomew’s church—located on the western edge of Smithfield—flew open. The prior, bearing the Host, was followed by twelve priests, each holding aloft a lighted torch. They made their way to the heretic, hoping to transform him with the Sacrament.
As the priests gathered before the stake, Hal felt a sudden urge to join them. He whispered in Beaufort’s ear, “If I can persuade Badby to recant, no one can find fault with me, could they?” The bishop shook his head, wondering what Hal was up to. That was good enough. The prince jumped down from the stage and made his way forward.
The prior continued in his mission, unaware of Hal’s presence. “We call upon you, John Badby, to renounce your heresy and take the Lord into your heart. God shall forgive you if you recant your erroneous proclamations! Save your soul! There is still time to accept the Church’s teachings.” Even though the prior made his most eloquent pleas, Badby shook his head, unyielding.
Hal couldn’t restrain himself any longer. He stepped forward as the prior was moving aside. The prince was a tall man, and had an aura about him that couldn’t be denied. It was partly because of his rank, but there was something else which drew all eyes. His bearing was that of a soldier and a nobleman, his reputation that of a paladin—the scar on his face a silent testimony to his bravery. Even Badby, covered in chains, stared at him.
“Listen to me,” Hal said to the heretic. “I urge you to uphold the beliefs of the Holy Church. Doing so will ensure your release!”
“I cannot, and save my soul,” said Badby sadly.
“Your words are offensive to pious ears and seductive to simple minds. Because you have confounded the truth of God, today the Lord confounds you. Admit your errors before you are thrown into the fire!” Hal's conviction was poignant. Even the recusant shook his head in distress.
“To my last breath I stand behind my beliefs,” exhorted Badby.
Defeated, Hal stepped back and gestured to the executioners. Two men came forward with their torches and set fire to the faggots. They caught quickly and the flames licked up the outside of the barrel, though more made their way inside. Black smoke rose and encompassed his body. Trying to withstand the pain, Badby leaned his head back against the stake and gritted his teeth, but the heat was too much for him and he shrieked.
Hal was horrified. “Stop!” he cried. “Stop the fire! Remove the wood!”
There wasn’t much time to spare. The executioners rushed forward with their iron bars and raked the wood out from under the gridiron. Still smouldering, the faggots were pushed aside.
“Raise the barrel,” gasped the prince as he paced back in forth before the prisoner. Badby was already half-unconscious and barely noticed as the executioners grunted in their efforts to pull the ropes attached to pulleys. Fortunately, they hadn’t burned away as yet.
Disregarding the heat, Hal leaned toward Badby, grabbing him by the chin. The heretic opened his eyes halfway.
“John Badby, you have suffered the agony of the fire,” the prince said. “Here is your last chance. Save yourself! If you conform to the Church’s teachings, you will receive spiritual salvation. And I offer you more: your life and a pardon. Renounce your heresy and I will give you an annual pension of three pence a day for the rest of your life. Do it now!”
Badby’s eyes had closed again and Hal gave him another shake. “This is your last chance at redemption. Take it!”
The prisoner was conscious enough to respond. Once again, he shook his head. “I stand by my beliefs,” he croaked. “I will not recant.”
Taking his hand away, the prince took a step back. He was glad no one could see his bitter disappointment; he had willed the man to renounce his heresy and been firmly rejected. He was forced to face his own humiliation. He had failed. And now he had two choices: stop the burning altogether, or go ahead with it. There was no time to think about repercussions. Both choices were terrible. But the man was a heretic.
Placing a hand over his eyes, he gestured with the other to the executioners. “Go ahead. Finish the job.”
Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it's coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers.
Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Her new project is called “The Plantagenet Legacy” taking us through the reigns of the last true Plantagenet King, Richard II and his successors, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story.
Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the University of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to "see the world". The search hasn't ended!
Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
Author Links:
Website:https://mercedesrochelle.com/
Twitter:https://x.com/authorrochelle
Amazon Author Page:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mercedes-Rochelle/author/B001KMG5P6
Tour hosted by: The Coffee Pot Book Club
Thanks so much for hosting me!
Thanks so much for hosting Mercedes Rochelle today, with an intriguing excerpt from The Accursed King.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club