by Mary Stewart, 1995
A wonderful book about Prince Alexander, the fatherless, and Alice the motherless in King Arthur’s days. Alexander takes off to avenge his father (Prince Baudouin’s) murder at the hands of his brother, King March. On the way he falls under spell of Morgan LaFey and he goes on a quest for her to find the holy grail. He runs into sweet Alice and her father, Duke Ansirus, at St. Martin’s monastery, and with one look at Alice, falls in love, forgets the evil Morgan, and then learns from Alice that there are many grails – but the real grail that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper would not have been gold with encrusted jewels; it would have been a clay cup that shattered hundreds of years before.
Alice and Alexander fall immediately in love – are married – and go to Castle Rose, her home – and rid it of Evil Count Madoc – who assumed he would marry Alice. Alexander catches him trying to kill the Duke (Alice’s father) and engages him in battle. Alexander kills Madoc. They live happily ever after.
Beautiful story! I love Mary Stewart! Have not read: Madam, Will You Talk?, Wildfire at Midnight, Nine Coaches Waiting, My Brother Michael (?), The Ivy Tree, The Moonspinners, The Wind Off the Small Isles, Thornyhold (?)