Anais Timbley - A deadly beauty

Prologue

In 1218, Queen Anaivere Plantagenet, better known as "Anaivere the First", was executed by the indirect order of King Henry the Third, a cousin to the Queen, for "high treason to the Crown". At the last moment, she had let all hatred and regrets behind so as she could leave in peace. Her legacy might have also ended along with her life. However, her will was still alive, and the commoner, the peasants and low-ranked nobilities, generally known as the Rebels, still keep on rebelling toward the King, in order to have him reduced the taxes and given the citizens their legal rights. The Rebellion lasted for many years, until it bursted out to be the Second Barons' War.

Ferdinand Timbley, Count of Nottinghamshire, better known as Lord Timbley, the former royal advisor had finally left his familiar chamber in the castle and married the lady whom he always loved, after a complicated and stormy affair. The reason why he left, as he wrote in his diary: "I am also a Rebel, thus I devote my life for the people; that's a quote of my friend, Sir Robin of Loxley. He and I were both the Rebels, or the people who protesting against the Royal, especially King Henry and his right-hand man, and standing in the peasants' side. I have served for the Royal through three reigns - King Richard, King John and Queen Anaivere; I was considered to be the most loyal amongst others, however, now I am known as a betrayer. I have no regret that I had given up the title of royal advisor, as my heart only loyal to one monarch, as people said, 'a servant cannot have two masters'; I am absolutely loyal to Queen Anaivere Plantagenet, who loves her people and her kingdom with all her soul, who is now deceased...". He was popularly known as a lord, nothing more; but had us acknowledged that he was also the Spymaster, the name which the Rebels used to refer him. With Little John as his partner, they were spying on King Henry, and working for the day when England's citizens truly got their own rights of not being imprisoned because they had to hunted the King's deers for their family's growling stomachs. But the young King's later response started blowing up the fire of war which had been lightly lit after the unjustly death of Queen Anaivere, "the great predecessor".

Talking about Lord Timbley, we might all know about the love he devoted for his dearly beloved, Sylvia Walther, the previous queen's lady-in-waiting. They finally had a daughter two years after their marriage. The child was born on a cloudy day of 17 January 1221, in a cottage on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest. That cottage was formerly belonged to Helena LeTourt (formerly known as Helena Wilson, a widow before she re-married), now it was used as a place to protect Lady Timbley and their daughter out of the Guards' sight. Unfortunately, it could not be safe for long...