Every legend has a beginning.

Every crown is won with blood.

Before The Hand of Maud, there was a betrayal that set the legend in motion. Normandy, 1139: Empress Matilda--affectionately referred to as Maud?is heir to England's crown. She holds more than a claim to the throne; she carries the
relic known as the Hand of Maud, a golden, bejeweled treasure said to shape dynasties and seal the fate of kings.

But in the cold chambers of power, loyalty is fragile. Allies shift like shadows, oaths are broken, and a single act of
treachery could alter the course of history. Betrayed at the hour she most needed strength, Maud must cling to faith, courage, and the relic itself as her enemies rise against her.

The First Betrayal is the gripping prequel novelette to The Hand of Maud?a sweeping saga of love, destiny, and treachery where past and present collide. Step into the shadows of history and discover the spark that lit the fire.