The Earl is dead! Long live the Countess! Only a few in the de Vieux castle know the headstrong Lady Isabelle's secret, and she now rules an uneasy population that may rise up against her at any moment. The castle is under bitter siege and the young lady is at her wits end trying to defend her people...and her heart. As a lowly knight, Edmund de Montfort watched the lovely lady grow up into a beautiful, vivacious woman and now that she's of marriageable age, he vows to make her his wife. He isn't of noble blood but he's experienced in all the ways of winning a lady's heart. Except one. After making love to him, Isabelle betrays him and he is forced to choose between the lady and her castle. When passion and politics collide, the decision may be a matter of who is the strongest of them all... Reader Advisory: This story was released as part of the Brits in Time Anthology by Total-E-Bound. _x000D_