Uther and Igraine – The Original ‘Fated Mates’
There are many stories told about King Arthur, The Once and Future King, but the legend surrounding his birth is one of the most fascinating.
Arthur’s father was Uther Pendragon, King of the Britons, and his mother was Igraine, Duchess of Cornwall. At the time of Arthur’s conception, Igraine was married to another man. Her husband, Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, was one of Uther’s allies. Gorlois was a brave soldier, who was loyal to his king.
The two men clashed over Uther’s open desire for Igraine. When Gorlois defied the king by taking Igraine away from London without Uther’s permission, it led to open hostility between the two men.
The story is that Merlin used his magic powers to disguise Uther as Gorlois. While Gorlois was away fighting Uther’s army, Uther entered the iconic Cornish castle of Tintagel and had sex with Igraine. Arthur was conceived and the legend of Camelot was born. Gorlois died that night and Uther and Igraine were free to marry.
My fascination with the Arthurian legends is well known, and I wanted to write an ‘up close’ and personal—okay, erotic—account of some of the characters. Giving them sex lives seemed like a way to get to know them better…and they have VERY exciting sex lives!
Igraine has always fascinated me, even though her character lacks depths in many of the legends. She is described as ‘beautiful’. So what? She must have had more than beauty to drive Uther, and Merlin, to such lengths.
In my story, Igraine is the most beautiful woman in the world. She is the daughter of a fae, and every man she meets desires her. I think this makes it easier to understand how the King of Britain and the Duke of Cornwall would go to war over her.
My writing was constrained by the legend itself, but calling this story as a romance was sometimes difficult. Uther and Igraine do get their happily-ever-after, but their love story begins when she is married to another man, and Uther’s actions are not always heroic.
I do call this a romance, however. Uther and Igraine are the ultimate ‘fated mates’. They are predestined to be together. Their son, Arthur, was the long-awaited man who would be a great king and his birth required mystical intervention. Sadly, Gorlois (a misguided, but not evil, character in my story) had to die for them to be together.
Blurb
Igraine is the most beautiful woman in the world and her destiny is to become the mother of King Arthur. The daughter of a mysterious fae, every man she meets desires her. Married to a man who dominates her body, Igraine is in love with a man she has never met.
Uther Pendragon, the mighty King of Britain is said to be more god than man. When the great sorcerer, Merlin, promises Uther he will marry the beautiful woman who features in his erotic dreams, the consequences threaten to tear his kingdom apart.
Excerpt
Cheshire, Britain 463 AD
Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, was a fine figure of a man. Tall, proud, and strong, he was broad-chested and powerfully built, with a square jaw beneath a black beard and eyes that were ever watchful for the sword of an enemy or the hand of a friend. Gorlois was a soldier. Brave in battle, loud of voice, hard muscled, and tough as a leopard about to spring. His men could count on him to lead them well, and in return, they gave him their undying devotion. The only other man in the country who inspired stronger feelings in his followers was the legendary Welsh king, Uther Pendragon.
Tender feelings did not come easily to a man like Gorlois. Women were to be used, enjoyed, and tossed aside. That was his view of the world. Until one day, while visiting the castle of his good friend Ragnor of Christleton, he took a walk in a rose-bower.
As he strolled along a grassy pathway banked with yews and hemmed with a rich tangle of pink and red blooms, a young woman came into view. She was tall and slender, with red-gold hair hanging loose in shining waves to below her waist. Her skin was like cream and her lips, when they parted in surprise at his unexpected approach, rivaled the surrounding roses in their perfection.
Gorlois had a powerful vision of sliding his cock into the waiting warmth of that perfect mouth. Whoever she was, he was going to have this woman. Silently he cursed the fact that her clothes denoted her status as a lady. If not, he’d have been tempted to throw her down on the grass and take her there and then. Anything to relieve the sudden throbbing ache inside his tight hose.
She dipped a slight curtsy and turned away.
“Lady, tarry awhile, if you will.” Although courtly speeches did not come easily to him, Gorlois spoke quickly, before she could leave. “I am recently returned from battle, and your dainty company will gladden my soldier’s heart.”
She appeared to debate the matter. Then, with a shy smile that struck him in both chest and groin with equal intensity, she came to walk beside him. “I know who you are, sir.” Her voice was low and husky. “My kind hosts have told me much of the bravery of the mighty Gorlois of Cornwall.”
Her eyes were a blue so dark they appeared violet. Their dark lashes swept down over her cheeks, tantalizing Gorlois as he imagined this was how she would look beneath him when he thrust into her. “And your name, lady?”
“I am Igraine.”
Igraine is priced at just $0.99 until February 15.
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