For My Lady's Heart

LETTER TO MY READERS

Dear Readers,

Many years ago, I read a medieval poem full of color and adventure about knights and mysterious ladies. It opened up an unknown world to me, a place of wild, dangerous forests and white castles, of mud and glorious spectacle; a time when blackbirds really were baked in pies. Against this rich background, I wrote a story about a powerful, devious woman desperate to reach refuge, and a knight—a true knight who never wavered once he swore his heart, a man who could not comprehend deceit.

To do justice to their world, I wove the music of their own medieval words into the dialogue. My favorite response was from a reader who wrote that at first, she'd been a bit dubious about the Middle English, but by the end of the book, she was wondering why the man on the six o'clock news didn't talk that way!

I was determined to make my characters' words clear and understandable in the text, even though readers might never have come across them before. But I've also added a glossary so that you can be certain of their meanings if you have any doubt. In compiling it, I enjoyed revisiting that world and realizing again how much history and how many shades of meaning stand behind the words we've forgotten and the words we still use.

Now, for this ebook edition, in addition to the original and complete version of the book which was published in 1993, I've included a condensed version of For My Lady's Heart. I've made this 2011 revision for readers who prefer a tighter read and more modern words for dialogue. If you don't know which you'd prefer, I suggest you start out with the original, and if you find yourself too distracted by the Middle English, switch to the revised version. For many readers, it just takes a few chapters to get into the rhythm of another time and place, but for others the unfamiliar words remain problematic. We all have different preferences and I hope you'll enjoy whichever version you choose.

As I wrote about Ruck and Melanthe, a shadow figure appeared in their story: Allegreto, the young assassin who served his father's cruel ambitions. By the time I reached the end, I knew I must eventually give Allegreto his due. Many readers wrote to ask for his story. It took me a long time, but Shadowheart was finally finished. It is dark and beautiful—like Allegreto himself—and I hope you'll be as fascinated by his elusive and compelling character as I was.

Laura Kinsale, 2011