Daring to risk all to forge her own fate
740: Chiltrude, the daughter of Francia’s reigning family, aspires to wed her beloved Odilo, the Duke of Bavaria, and rule by his side. But her dying father forbids the marriage. As her brothers’ rivalry threatens to shatter the realm, she faces imprisonment in an abbey and fears for the baby in her womb.
Defying her kinsmen, she will gamble everything to seize her heart’s desire, protect her child, and secure her new homeland’s future. Amid the shifting loyalties of Bavaria’s influential clans, she must outmaneuver Odilo’s archrival, her hostile in-laws, and most of all, her own brothers.
In Duchess of the New Dawn, Kim Rendfeld brings to life forgotten historical characters and events from the days of Charles Martel and tells the story of one woman’s audacity to choose her own path.
Reviews
“…a romantic adventure and a masterclass in medieval realpolitik.” —Peggy Kurkowski, Foreword Reviews
“Recommended for readers wishing to immerse themselves in the extremely dangerous but very compelling early medieval world…” Karen Bordonaro, Historical Novels Review
Read an Excerpt
“You are fond of Odilo,” my father observed.
“Yes.”
He sighed. “Your affection and womanly humors are clouding your judgment. He is not worthy. You deserve someone who is.”
“Charles,” Swanahild asserted, “it is important we have good relations with the Duke of the Bavarians.”
“You and Grifo are his kin. That should be good enough.”
Despite myself, I raised my voice. “If an Agilolfing duke is not worthy, who is?”
My father stared at me, scandalized by my question. He would have slapped me for this defiance when I was a child. Now, he was too weak. And we both knew it.
“Who is, Father?” I insisted.
Still, he was silent, his nostrils flaring.
“I’m letting my humors cloud my judgment?” I cried. “Your fear of death is clouding yours!”
Too angry to care about my father’s rebuke, I stormed out of the room. I managed to hold back my tears until I got to the archive and slammed the door. Let the guards think what they wanted. My feet crunched against the dried thyme and lemon balm strewn on the floor. In the light from the window, now covered with parchment, and the brazier, I sank onto a stool and wept.
I don’t know how long I sat in the room unable to compose myself, knowing my enraged father awaited me in the apartment. Not marrying Odilo crushed my heart. I had envisioned my future with him—and only him.
Someone tapped on the door. A servant or guard. My father or Swanahild would have pounded with the hilt of a dagger.
A man cleared his throat. “Lady Chiltrude? Duke Odilo is here, and he wants to see you.”
I dried my face with my sleeve and managed to keep the tremor from my voice when I bade Odilo to enter. My tears started anew as soon as he closed the door. He rushed to me and held me in his embrace.
“What is it?” he said softly. “Has your father taken a turn for the worse?”
“His condition is unchanged. He won’t … he won’t …”
“He won’t what?”
“Won’t let us wed.” I knew those words would cut him off from me, but he deserved to hear the truth. Without my father’s consent, there was no alliance between our families and no reason for him to marry me.
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About the Author
A lifelong fascination with fairy tales and legends set Kim Rendfeld on her quest to write fiction, including her fourth novel set in early medieval times, Duchess of the New Dawn.
Kim grew up in New Jersey and earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. A former journalist, she spent almost 20 years in public relations for universities. In retirement, she is spending more time with her family, garden, community, and fiction.
Kim, a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Alliance of Independent Authors, and her husband share their home in Illinois with two spoiled cats. The couple has a daughter and four grandchildren.
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