She Who Would Be King

Cateline is the seventeen-year-old daughter of a nobleman in fourteenth-century France. It's a time when children aren't seen as those to be loved and cherished, but instead are used as pawns and bargaining chips on the chessboard of control and privilege. She is married off to a prince in the country of Sursha, a Gaelic-speaking island nation near Ireland. Fergus, her betrothed, is next in line to take over once beloved King Carthac dies. Or is he? Fallon, the youngest royal child and only girl, has been raised as one of the king's sons her entire life, for reasons she has never fully understood. A natural fighter, she was raised to be a warrior and head the Crown's Elite Guard assigned to protect her boorish brother Fergus. Forced to fill in for her brother in an unexpected way, an instant attraction between Fallon and Cateline forms. In a game of thrones filled with deception and betrayal, even the most secret love can mean death. She Who Would be King she who would be king kim pritekel Sapphire Books Salinas, california She Who Would be King Copyright © 2023 by Kim Pritekel. All rights reserved. ISBN - 978-1-952270-89-5 This is a work of fiction - names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without written permission of the publisher. Editor - Heather Flournoy Book Design - LJ Reynolds Cover Design - Fineline Cover Design Sapphire Books Publishing, LLC P.O. Box 8142 Salinas, CA 93912 www.sapphirebooks.com Printed in the United States of America First Edition – February 2023 This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This and other Sapphire Books titles can be found at www.sapphirebooks.com by Kim Pritekel Stand Alone1049 ClubAfter ShadowBlinded ConnectionDamagedThe PlanThe GiftShadow BoxShe Who Would be KingWildZero Dance with Me SeriesCurtain CallSwann SongEncore Performace The Traveler SeriesThe Traveler - The HuntedThe Traveler - The Hunter The Wynter SeriesFinding FaithJustice Wonby Kim Pritekel con’t The Wynter SeriesTaking LibertyKeeping Hope Dedication To She. Note to reader: Cateline’s name is pronounced: cat-ay-lene. It’s the French version of the name, Catherine. France, 1365 Cateline was quiet as she and her father roamed around the gardens she had personally planted and taken care of over the last fifteen years. It had begun with her mother teaching her, showing her the beauty in plants, herbs, and the wonder of what her mother had called “shapable nature.” They walked the paths in silence around the Motte Baussay, the small castle bestowed upon her father, the Baron Tumas Aubert, twenty years ago by King Philip VI. Though the property in Les Trois-Moutiers, two hundred or so miles from Paris, had been a hotly contested area during the Edwardian War, that had finally cooled. It had been a scary time for the Auberts and for many in the area. The twenty-one-year-old’s mind raced at the news she was just given. Suddenly, the flowers lost their color, lost their fragrance, the sun stopped shining, and the gentle breeze against her face felt more like a chilled slap. “Is this a punishment for Sophie and I?” she asked softly, reaching up to brush a few curly strands of auburn hair out of her face. “No, of course not,” her father insisted. “Young girls like you and your friend have each other for your silly emotional needs while you’re still so young. But,” he added, directing her toward the path back to the castle with a little nudge to her arm. “When you become a woman, as you have, that’s when you get a husband that can guide you and lead you from the frivolous pursuits. Give you a purpose in taking care of his needs and happiness. His children.” Cateline chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, not liking what he had to say at all. “But, what about my happiness, Papa?” He looked at her, heavy eyebrows drawn. “What of it?” She looked down at her hands, which fidgeted against the front bib of the tunic she wore over her underdress. “Nothing, Papa,” she murmured. He let out a heavy sigh, sounding annoyed as if he knew he’d hurt his daughter with such a blunt assessment. “Listen, Daughter,” he explained. “The mistake I made with you is I allowed you to learn to read and write.” He clasped his hands behind his back as they continued. “You think too much of yourself, Cateline. Perhaps a husband to bring you down to your proper place isn’t a bad thing.” The comment stung, as many a night she and her father had sat by the fire as she read to him, her father not very proficient at it. They both enjoyed Greek and Norse mythology as well as Greek tragedies, particularly Oedipus. “Who is he?” she finally asked, not entirely sure why. Did it matter? “You met him once.” Her father opened a wrought iron gate for them to step through into a small stone courtyard. “He is Prince Fergus, son of King Carthac of Sursha.” She looked at him with wide eyes. “The Gaels?” she asked. “They’re…they’re barbarians!” “They are not,” he exclaimed loudly, voice firmed. “They are a proud and noble people, warriors. If it weren’t for their help, our king wouldn’t have been able to control the routiers,