"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: twelve lords a-leaping, eleven ladies dancing, ten drummers drumming..."

Set in the magical world of medieval romance—home to as many noble knights as there are tales—this enchanting collection of stories takes the verses of the familiar holiday carol and transforms each one into a tale of fantasy, adventure and love.

Twelve handsome knights are imprisoned by a lady, and eleven ugly ladies are set free by a knight. Brothers are destroyed by love, and love is endangered by brothers. This clever anthology explores love in its many facets and from many different viewpoints; from the young maid-in-waiting who thinks she can secure a knight's love with magical embroidery, to the two devoted lovers fleeing destiny as doves, to the angry husband who becomes embroiled in a never-ending game of chess.

First love, lost love, revelations and misunderstandings, fiery passion and affection grown cold: all can be found here in a kaleidoscope of intertwining narratives, and a story for every season.