Princess Of France

Chapter 2

In honor of the tenth anniversary of the release of my first novel, The Queen’s Pawn, I have chosen to publish this sequel as an alternate history. Though Princess Alais of France, first Countess of Berry and later Countess of the Vexin and Ponthieu, is an historical figure, like most women of the twelfth century, vast stretches of the details of her life are unknown. In history, as in this novel, Princess Alais was eventually sent from the protection of King Richard to her brother, Philippe-Auguste of France.

The Queen’s PawnFor the purposes of this novel, Alais was released to her brother’s care after being held in England until the death of Henry II. In history, she was not released until Richard and Philippe Auguste both returned from the Levant and the war they waged as “brother kings” during the Third Crusade. History tells us that she was held not in England, but in Rouen.

The only other two facts that we know for certain about Alais, Princess of France, is that she married William, Count of Ponthieu, at her brother’s bidding and that she bore at least one surviving child, Marie, who later inherited the County of Ponthieu, which went by the old ways and was not confined to the male line by Salic law. She may or may not have given birth to a son named Jean, but if she did, he died as many children did at that time, before he came of age.

By necessity, everything else in this book is a fantasy of mine. I have tried to give Alais, a woman I adore, a full and interesting life. Please forgive any inaccuracies and any oversights on my part. Alais has always held a place in my heart, and I hope you come to love her half as much as I do.