Die For A King — Scott Mariani

How far will his loyalty go?

The year is 1191. Will Bowman, a young knight fighting the Third Crusade in the Holy Land, is worn out by the pressures of war. As a sworn vassal of King Richard III, the only option for him is to become one of the elite military-religious order of the Knights Hospitaller - and soon he's given up his place at the King's side and is pursuing a new life at the Hospitallers' legendary fortress stronghold in the Holy Land, the Krak des Chevaliers.

But then he receives an unexpected visitor: Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Richard's mother, who delivers shocking news: her son has been captured by enemy forces, and is being held for ransom. Convinced of a plot to murder him in prison, Eleanor asks Will - the only person she can trust - to lead a group of mercenaries to get Richard out before it's too late.

If he agrees, he will be rewarded with lands, a castle and a noble title back home in England. If he doesn't, his king might never see freedom again.

Now Will has to decide between living a devotional life in the wilderness, or risk losing it entirely - along with those of his friends and comrades - in a desperate rescue mission almost certainly doomed to failure and bloodshed. Are his bonds to Richard strong enough to die for him?

This is his deadliest mission to date. Will he survive it?