the rose and the sword

In all the history of the sun-scorched Holy Land, there's never been a knight like Sir Kenneth, "The Falcon." His sword is swift and true, and in battle he fights with a savage intensity that lifts the spirits of all who fight under the English banner. And these are the women in his life--Elaine, the dusky, beautiful gypsy girl who earns her living dancing and singing for the Christian troops--but would gladly give it all up, if Sir Kenneth would only take her into his tent; the Lady Joan, noblest and most stunning of all the ladies of breeding living in the Christian camp. She is Richard the Lion-Heart's cousin, and loves Sir Kenneth with a full-blooded, boundless passion--but in an effort to make peace, her hand is promised to a Moslem prince, and she must hide her love for her handsome hero. And at the center of it all are the two great hero kings--the English monarch, Richard the Lion-Hearted, and Saladin, the Saracen. A tempestuous, blazing romance that sweeps across the colorful fabric of history!