Julian's Crusade

Julian, younger son of the Duke of Montguyon, against the stern warnings of his famous father, dreams of knighthood and honor. He is knighted at the royal court of Navarre and is chosen to escort his adored mistress Berengaria to Messina, to meet and marry Richard the First of England. This journey will also give Julian the means to escape the ill-will of his angry older brother Armand, whose bitterness puzzles him.
Circumstances draw him ever deeper into the violence and constant set-backs of the third crusade. With his friends and a small group of Templars he escorts Richard homeward. However, the King is kidnapped and when Julian sets out for home, he is shot by a poacher's arrow and is forced to seek refuge at the German castle of Lorach. Here Julian is nursed back to health by the Lady Gudrun, who is waiting the arrival of her betrothed from France. Many machinations of love, war, and betrayals ensnare the hero and his squires before they depart from Lorach.