Set against the turbulent backdrop of 12th-century Europe, as two
countries compete for world dominion, one woman will take her destiny,
and the future of a nation, into her own hands.
"Aquitaine is mine. It will never belong to anyone else."
With these words, 15-year-old Eleanor seals her fate. Aquitaine is under
the French king's safekeeping, and Eleanor, the Duke of Aquitaine's
eldest daughter, knows she must wed Prince Louis in order to insure the
future of her beloved duchy. Fiercely independent, filled with untapped
desire, the woman who would be queen must provide Louis VII, her monkish
husband, with heirs. But it is young Henry of Anjou who catches
Eleanor's eye--and sets fire to her heart.
Ruled by a raging drive to succeed, Henry vows that he will not be
cheated of his rightful place on the English throne. Yet the newly
christened Duke of Normandy is thoroughly enraptured by the French
queen. In Eleanor, Henry knows he has found a woman whose hunger for
life and glory matches his own. So begins a passionate love that will
span decades and change the course of history.
