The Sword and the Rose. V. J. Banis

In all the history of the sun-scorched Holy Land, there's never been a knight like Sir Kenneth, «The Falcon.» His sword is swift and true, and in battle he fights with a savage intensity that lifts the spirits of all who fight under the English banner. And these are the women in his life–Elaine, the dusky, beautiful gypsy girl who earns her living dancing and singing for the Christian troops–but would gladly give it all up, if Sir Kenneth would only take her into his tent; the Lady Joan, noblest and most stunning of all the ladies of breeding living in the Christian camp. She is Richard the Lion-Heart's cousin, and loves Sir Kenneth with a full-blooded, boundless passion–but in an effort to make peace, her hand is promised to a Moslem prince, and she must hide her love for her handsome hero. And at the center of it all are the two great hero kings–the English monarch, Richard the Lion-Hearted, and Saladin, the Saracen. A tempestuous, blazing romance that sweeps across the colorful fabric of history!