The Rose of Blacksword

In medieval England, Lady Rosalynde of Stanwood urgently travels home to her father with an armed escort. When thugs attack her party, she flees to a nearby town seeking help. There she finds an escort willing to guide her, though he is known as "Blacksword" and rumored to be a criminal. To ensure safe passage, Rosalynde agrees to a handfasting—a temporary marriage—with Sir Aric of Wycliffe. Aric has his own concerns: he has sworn revenge against those who wronged him. Yet the handfasting binds him to Rosalynde with a sacred vow, and he finds himself drawn to her. When he learns she is her father's sole heir, the possibility of making their marriage permanent enters his mind. Despite his resolve, Aric discovers that love proves to be a force he cannot resist.