An Escape

I love, more than almost anything, the opportunity to escape into a good historical fiction story.  If you weave in a bit of romance, and maybe some supernatural powers, I'm in my happy place.  Today I was compelled to finish an historical novel set during the 1400's in England and France. 

After running errands, I pulled out my book and disappeared into the land of political intrigue among a king, his queen and the nobles that make up their court, and the gruesome, bloody war that never ends, especially when cousins are fighting each other for the throne. 

The main character and I watched as the queen made decisions that we knew would create havoc for her (an illicit romance before the birth of the heir means that all of England is questioning the paternity of the prince and the motives of his mother), and the king sinksinto a year-long sleep that no one can explain. 

Because it is historical fiction - there is not always a happy ending.  In this case, the story ends well enough, but the epilogue reveals that the main character watches her husband and son executed and  sees her daughter successfully ascend to the throne (albeit for only a short period of time thanks to Henry VIII!) 

Totally love this escape - the reality of our world, at times, seems so hard to believe.  I can only imagine the historical fiction that will be written hundreds of years from now, looking back on the early 21st Century.