Beloved Daughter

In 589 AD in the kingdom of Kent, seventeen-year-old Ardelle flees men who accuse her of wielding lightning to murder a wealthy thane. The king's daughter, Myrah, imprisons Ardelle in her father's seaside sanctuary and forces her to swear an oath of obedience. In time, Myrah comes to know Ardelle not as another one of those wicked "sisters in red" who steal children from their mothers, but as one who steals Myrah's heart against her will.

With it, Ardelle steals a kingdom.

Their tempestuous relationship must weather the birth of Ardelle's daughter, the intrigues of Frankish usurpers, and a black plague that sweeps across the land. For the crime of fulfilling Myrah's wishes, Ardelle comes face to face with the dark boatman in the realm of the dead who demands a blood-price lest he take from her everyone she loves.

It may be best for Ardelle to submit to him and leave Myrah behind.