The Dagger and the Cross (A foundation book)

The Dagger and the Cross is the sequel to Alamut, taking place ten years later. At the end of Alamut, Prince Aidan vowed to marry Morgiana in Jerusalem in front of the Patriarch. However, neither will renounce their faith, so a papal dispensation is necessary for the marriage to be sanctioned and

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recognized by Christian authorities, thanks to the cultus disparatus policy. This book opens with the arrival of the Rhiyanan fleet carrying King Gwydion and the papal legate with the necessary paperwork. As the wedding preparations go ahead, so does a conspiracy to foil the marriage. In the midst of this personal turmoil, various political and military incidents lead to the imminent invasion of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by Saladin. Prince Aidan and Morgiana quarrel (because he's an ass) and proceed to serve the Christian and Muslim kings, respectively, during the ensuing battle.

The book goes on from there, involving a few subplots with a host of supporting characters. Judith Tarr loves the romantic storylines. In this one it involves Princess Elen, the mortal grandniece of Gwydion and Aidan, who is mourning the death of her husband. And then there's Aidan's daughter, the product of his brief affair with Joanna during her estrangement from her husband in Alamut. Ysabel takes after her unacknowledged father and is a rebellious ten-year-old who doesn't get along with her older brother Aimery (the reason for that early estrangement), who hero-worships Prince Aidan. Once again, the details of the real historical figures and events and daily life are excellent. It is a charming story that will bear rereading and clearly foreshadows the events in The Hound and Falcon trilogy, most particularly the final book, The Hounds of God. It is also the book that most clearly explores the role of women in both Christian and Muslim medieval society and the expectations placed on them.

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