The Prince and the Page: A Story of the Last Crusade
1866
England, 1271. The last Crusade is failing, and Prince Edward has brought his small band of knights to the Holy Land on a desperate mission to salvage what remains of Christendom's holy war. Into his service comes Aglovale, a young page whose journey from naive aspirant to seasoned warrior forms the beating heart of this tale. But court life in Acre proves treacherous: noble rivals scheme, the Saracen threat mounts with each passing week, and the prince himself is haunted by rumors of treachery back in England. When a poisoning attempt strikes close to home, Aglovale must prove his worth not through empty chivalry but through steadfast loyalty and quiet courage. Yonge, the beloved author of The Little Princess, renders the thirteenth century with meticulous care, populating her narrative with the textures of feudal obligation, the brutal realities of crusade warfare, and the tender growth of a boy becoming a man. This is historical fiction at its Victorian finest: morally serious, richly atmospheric, and utterlytransporting.
