The Life and Death of Richard Yea-And-Nay

Before he became the Lionheart, Richard was simply a man torn between love and destiny. This vivid 1900 novel follows the young Duke of Aquitaine on a desperate midnight ride through war-torn England to reunite with Jehane Saint-Pol, the woman who holds his heart. Flames flicker on the northern horizon as he rides, symbolizing the civil conflict that will shape his reign. The Abbot Milo accompanies him, offering philosophical counsel about fate and obligation while Richard grapples with impossible choices: his passionate love for Jehane against his sworn duty to his father King Henry, the call of ambition against the bonds of family loyalty. Hewlett's prose conjures the twelfth century with atmospheric richness, rendering medieval politics and warfare as visceral and immediate as any modern adventure. The novel's beating heart lies in its exploration of what it costs to become a king, and whether the price is worth paying.