The Rebels of Cordovia (23 page)

Daniel smiled and thought about her words. Then
he narrowed his eyes as he asked with a bit of mischief in his
voice, “What would you bribe me with as we lay in bed?”

Robin’s eyes widened as she stepped backwards
and slapped his broad chest.

“No, no!” he exclaimed quickly. “I didn’t mean
anything inappropriate. I promise. I meant after we get
married.”

Robin was stunned. She stood with disbelief as
she stared into his face. “What… what did you say?”

Daniel chuckled. “After we get married, what
will you bribe me with? I’m curious.”

Robin’s heart fluttered as she whispered,
“You’re asking me to marry you?”

He nodded.

With a squeal of excitement, she wrapped her
arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

He laughed as he watched Robin’s joy bubble
over.

Then he called out to his men, “We’re getting
married.”

When the music stopped and she heard cheering
from the woods, Robin quickly stepped back away from Daniel. She
had completely forgotten they were not alone.

With a blush, she said meekly, “We’re going to
get married.”

The men came out of the woods and congratulated
her. They hugged Robin and shook Daniel’s hand. The rest of the
night was celebrated with the Freemen as they played their
instruments and danced.

***

Two weeks later Daniel and Robin stood in front
of the minister, vowing to love one another forever. When they
turned around and saw the crowd that had filled the cathedral,
Robin was amazed. She hadn’t expected so many people to show up. As
soon as the people of Cordovia found out about Jonathan’s daughter
getting married, no one could stop them from attending.

As they walked hand in hand down the aisle, she
smiled at them and waved. Robin noticed her rebels, including
Daniel’s Freemen and nodded at them. When they stepped outside,
Robin was shocked, absolutely stunned. She gasped when she saw the
streets and open areas filled with people, waiting to see the newly
married couple. When the people saw them, they cheered and started
clapping.

Daniel squeezed her hand and whispered, “See how
much they love your father?”

When Robin felt her father’s hand on her
shoulder, she turned to him and noticed how touched he was. Robin
knew he loved the people of Cordovia and they were there because
she was Jonathan’s daughter. These people attended her wedding to
show their support for their new leader.

Jonathan put his hand in the air and smiled. As
the crowd settled down, he called out in a loud voice, “Thank you
for your love and support. Thank you, my dear people of
Cordovia!”

When Robin heard his voice crack, she knew the
crowd had affected him greatly. She then waved to the people so
they would know of her appreciation as well.

As the crowd parted for the bride and groom to
walk through, Daniel squeezed her hand lovingly and kissed her
lightly on the cheek. When the crowd cheered, he lifted his brow
curiously. He kissed her cheek again and the crowd cheered once
again.

“Did you hear that?” he asked with a
chuckle.

“Hear what?” said Robin with puzzlement. “The
crowd cheering?”

He laughed and then said with a mischievous tone
in his voice, “Let’s give them something to really cheer
about.”

“What?” asked Robin curiously.

When Daniel looked at her father, Jonathan
nodded and laughed. He knew what the people wanted.

With a roguish grin, Daniel took his beloved
into his arms, dipped her toward the ground, and kissed her
thoroughly. The crowd roared even louder. That was exactly what
they wanted.

Robin’s veil hung away from her face and touched
the ground as he held her in his arms. The crowd continued to cheer
as he gave her a lingering delectable kiss. She gasped when Daniel
finally broke the seal of their lips. Her face was bright red and
her eyes were wide.

Daniel smiled and said, “Listen! They loved
it.”

Then pulling her upright, he took Robin’s hand
in his and led her down the steps and through the crowd, toward his
waiting carriage and a new life together.

Little did the crowd know, as they passed them,
that Daniel and Robin Marie were leaders of a rebel group that had
made their freedom possible!

As a teenager, I remember hearing the stories of
Robin Hood and I was spellbound by each story. I watched every
movie that came out about Robin Hood and how he cared for the
people. I thought about how awesome it would be to live during that
time period just because of Robin Hood. As I thought about it, I
decided to create something similar but centuries after the legend
of Robin Hood…possibly around the 1700s. But this time, I wanted
two major groups of rebels fighting for the rights of the people. A
man and a woman would be their leaders who were expert archers and
swordsmen. I hope you enjoyed my little story of adventure, love,
and bits of humor.

My sweet husband is my love and support. He was
so excited when I told him my idea for this new story. He, too,
loves the legends of Robin Hood.

Author Serena Clarke created my book cover. She
is part of the Red Mountain Shadows Publishing Team and is a very
talented Graphic Designer. Serena Clarke has written a
fantasy/romance series that has adventure with a tender love story.
If all fantasy was written like this story…so believable, I believe
I would read more in this genre.

In her first book,
The Treasure of Isian,
Prince Garin is a brave, proud, adventure-seeking prince. Elani is
his most trusted servant. Their quest to find the mystical
Treasure of Isian is immediately interrupted and they find
themselves confronted by angry giants, soul-stealing elves,
bewitched dragons, a vengeful water-witch, battling foes, and a
mysterious kingdom. Elani must face her greatest fears to save
her prince and her kingdom. Garin must decide what the most
important things are in his life. Will they be able to make a
great sacrifice to save the kingdom? And will Elani find true
love? Become lost in the adventure, love, loyalty, and mystery
of
The Treasure of Isian
! 

By Linda Weaver Clarke

Melinda and the Wild West
(ISBN:
978-1481266765)

Awards: A Semi-finalist for “Reviewers Choice
Award”

Melinda Gamble wants to make a difference in the
world. Without hesitation, she accepts a job as a schoolteacher in
the small town of Paris, Idaho. She has many challenges such as
trying to help a rebellious student, coming face-to-face with a
notorious bank robber, a vicious grizzly bear, and finding herself
in a terrible blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life. But
it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for
which she was least prepared—love.

Edith and the Mysterious Stranger
(ISBN: 978-1481266741)

With mysterious letters, cattle rustlers, a
spunky woman, Halloween, and young love, there is always something
happening. Edith, a nurse, moves to Idaho to care for her cousin
Melinda who is having a difficult pregnancy. She has wonderful
qualities but never gives a man a second chance because her
expectations are so high. However, all that changes when a
mysterious stranger starts writing to her. For the first time, she
gets to know a man's inner soul before making any harsh judgments.
Whoever he is, this man is a mystery and the best thing that has
ever happened to her. The question that puzzles her is whether or
not he's as wonderful in person as he is in his letters.

Jenny’s Dream
(ISBN:
978-1481266727)

Jenny Roberts has a dream to escape her small
hometown to become a writer. She develops a friendship with a young
farmer who is new to the area and has secretly fallen in love with
her. After she realizes that her friend means more to her than she
thought, she must now choose between a career and romance. Which
dream should she pursue? The only thing standing in her way is an
unpleasant memory, which has haunted her since childhood. She must
learn to forgive before she can choose which dream to follow.
Meanwhile, a legendary ten-foot grizzly is seen in the area and its
boldness has frightened the community.

Sarah’s Special Gift
(ISBN:
978-1481232548)

Sarah is a beautiful and successful dance
teacher. She is deaf, but this does not stop her from living life
to its fullest. While visiting the Roberts family, David finds
himself entranced with this very special lady and ends up defending
her honor several times. He finds that Sarah has gone through many
trials as she teaches him the importance of not dwelling on the
past and how to love life. Meanwhile, David learns about the legend
of the Bear Lake Monster and wonders why the community believes in
such a thing. He is determined to prove there is no Bear Lake
Monster.

Elena, Woman of Courage
(ISBN:
978-1481266796)

The “Roaring Twenties” was a time of great
change, when women raised their hemlines and bobbed their hair. The
language of the era was also new and different. Watch a young love
blossom in this sweet romance. When Elena Yeates settles into a
small western town as the newest doctor, a few problems arise. The
town is not ready for a female doctor, let alone one so strong and
independent. She must struggle against the prejudice to establish
her new practice. As she fights to prove herself, the town’s most
eligible bachelor finds it a challenge to see if he can win her
heart.

Linda Weaver Clarke travels throughout the
United States, teaching a “Family Legacy Workshop,” encouraging
others to write their family history and autobiography. She is the
mother of six daughters and has several grandchildren.

Clarke is the author of the historical sweet
romance series, “A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho,” which includes
the following novels:
Melinda and the Wild West
(2006) - an
awarding winning novel,
Edith and the Mysterious Stranger
(2008),
Jenny’s Dream
(2009),
Sarah’s Special Gift
(2009), and
Elena, Woman of Courage
(2009). The Adventures
of John and Julia Evans includes
Anasazi Intrigue
(2010),
Mayan Intrigue
(2010),
Montezuma Intrigue
(2011), and
Desert
Intrigue
(2012). She has also written two
non-fiction e-books:
Writing Your Family Legacy
and
Reflections of the Heart
.

To learn more, visit
www.lindaweaverclarke.com
.