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    The Healer's Apprentice
    The Healer's Apprentice
    The Healer's Apprentice
    Ebook367 pages5 hours

    The Healer's Apprentice

    By Melanie Dickerson

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    A realistic, fast-paced reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale full of royalty, romance, and danger. This masterful combination of love and heartbreak—combined with the novel’s surprise ending—is everything fans of fantasy, historical, and medieval fiction yearn for.

    Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter’s daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.

    When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she’s never felt before and wonders if he feels the same.

    But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose’s life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

    The Healer's Apprentice:

    • An award-winning historical romance—a creative retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale—by author Melanie Dickerson
    • Perfect for readers ages 13-18 and adults who enjoy historical romances similar to Eva Ibbotson’s
    • A romantic, fast-paced read—sure to entrance fans of fairytale retellings
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateSep 28, 2010
    ISBN9780310407539
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    Author

    Melanie Dickerson

    Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author and two-time Christy Award winner. Melanie spends her time daydreaming, researching the most fascinating historical time periods, and writing and editing her happily-ever-afters. Visit her online at MelanieDickerson.com; Facebook: @MelanieDickersonBooks; Twitter: @MelanieAuthor; Instagram: @melaniedickerson123.

    Read more from Melanie Dickerson

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    Reviews for The Healer's Apprentice

    3.5/5

    214 ratings34 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a great clean read with a perfectly romantic feel. The book is described as an old Fairytale from Germany. Some readers felt that the religious elements were excessive, but overall, the book is highly praised for its romantic storyline and captivating atmosphere.

    What did you think?

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    • 3/5

      Sep 5, 2021

      perfectly romantic…I had alllll of the butterflies over this couple!
    • 1/5

      Dec 27, 2024

      I saw that book five was coming out so I thought I'd start with book 1. Geez is this written terribly, which is too bad because it's such a nice story idea too. Little did I know that the misspelling on the back cover started me off a fault-finding mission--I really wanted to enjoy the story, but the plot's abrupt changes, weird sequencing, annoying historical inaccuracies, etc. got completely in the way.
    • 4/5

      Apr 9, 2024

      Book uses several common fairytale themes (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White) in a believable medieval setting. It does have a fairly strong Christian line, which was unexpected based on the description of the novel, but its not too overpowering if its not your thing. It just fits in with the period and values its set in.
    • 5/5

      Aug 10, 2015

      this is 1 of my fav books by far!!! never stop writing Melanie!!!!!
    • 2/5

      Dec 18, 2023

      I didn't enjoy this book very much. It cribbed heavily from the film Sabrina, and the final twist was telegraphed much too early. I had it figured out by page 47. I didn't find the characters particularly likeable, and the most interesting aspect of the protagonist (that she is a healer's apprentice) was barely relevant through most of the mid-section of the book. I was dissappointed because I had liked some of Dickerson's other books very much. Skip this one and read "The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest" or "The Beautiful Pretender" instead.
    • 5/5

      Jan 25, 2015

      Another great clean read from Melanie Dickerson!
    • 4/5

      Aug 9, 2014

      The book had an amazing feel like you were reading an old Fairytale from isolated corner of Germany. I felt the book could have done without religion; like it took a wee bit from the story and from the characters. Especially at the end there was too much praise God for my taste (reason for 4 not 5 stars). At the end of the book there is a note to the reader, an interview with the author and discussion questions which explains some of the inspirations behind the book and could be useful if this book was read in a book club setting.
    • 5/5

      Feb 10, 2020

      Wonderful read for 12 year olds and up

      I loved this story! Medieval times. Castles. Knights. And an author that took time to do the research needed to flesh out her story. The story is led by the heart and by the characters faith in God. This certainly goes with the era in which Christianity was a guiding force.
    • 1/5

      Nov 11, 2018

      Quite possibly one of the worst books I've ever read, and I've read quite a few. It's thinly-veiled Christianity propaganda, wrapped inside a poorly-written Historical Fiction. I love HF, it is my favorite genre to read, but if you're trying to get teens to become Christians, most aren't going to like that you feel the need to try to trick them by putting it under the guise of a real book. At least let us know that this book isn't really HF before we waste our time and money on it.
    • 4/5

      Oct 18, 2018

      Rose finds herself the object of romantic interest for the sons of the Duke but as an apprentice to the town healer, she is far below them in rank. There is intrigue regarding her own history, and confusion over who loves who. This story is entertaining but ultimately too predictable and the characters are too shallow to really engage.
    • 1/5

      Jun 3, 2018

      This book is about a girl named Rose that came from a woodcutter’s big family. She is offered an apprenticeship for a healer, a doctor of sorts that sees something in her. The only other option is being married off so that she is no longer a burden for her poor family. One option that she could never have imagined was ever being noticed by the dreamy Prince. But one day he hurts himself and she helps heal him.

      I’m gonna stop right there because there is no way I can make this book sound remotely interesting. Given the book’s title, I thought Rose was going to find a conflict between wanting to be with the prince and keeping her apprenticeship. Yet right off the bat, we’re told she doesn’t even like her job. Um. What??? That’s right she gets queasy with the sight of blood and she’s not very good at seeing people get hurt. Which made me go “why the flip flap paddy wack did the Healer see in this inept girl? But then the whole mysterious-long-lost-princess trope shows up and it all clicks into place.

      “I’m a silly, insipid, pathetic creature” - Yeah, you kind of are. She’s pretty, well-liked by everyone (except for her mother).

      I’m all for the lost/missing princess stories but please make her compelling. Please make her more than a cliched trope. And for the love of GOD pLeaSE give her a better purpose other than to get married and have the prince’s babies.

      Rose was pretty bland but so was her love interest. What does Wilhelm even do? Isn’t he supposed to be an important person as the heir to the throne? I don’t know but he does have time to leave for weeks at a time to go looking for the guy who made his betrothed go into hiding.

      This book is all show AND tell. It’s absolutely awful. The ending was no better either. Unless you’re into the easy way out and a diabetes inducing sweet happily ever after.
    • 4/5

      Apr 23, 2017

      This was a good book, but I much preferred Melanie's other books.

      Set in the 1300's, the story revolves around a young girl named Rose who works as an apprentice to the town healer. She meets Lord Hamlin, a future duke, and develops feelings for him. Sad thing is, she can never have him because he is destined to marry another woman.

      Lord Hamlin's brother takes an interest in her and she, for awhile, sets her sights on him. After all, if she can't have one, why not the other? But hopes lead to disappointment when she finds out that the brother's intentions are not very honorable. The relationship between them (if you can call it that), comes to a sudden end. She is heartbroken.

      But true love wins in the end...as always. That's the way fairy tales are!
    • 3/5

      Oct 4, 2016

      My third read by Melanie Dickerson (although the first book she wrote) did provide some interesting background, as two of the successive books have as leading characters the children of the protagonists. I confess to being perhaps a little obsessed with the subject of surgery and the medical profession in the middle Ages, so I’m a big fan of Cadfael and have a liking for the mystery series The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton for its details about surgical practice and medical procedures if nothing else.
      In this sense, The Healer’s Apprentice was satisfying, and in some ways a break from the norm, because the female healer was not accused of witchcraft or heresy as is the common misconception and trope in many fictional stories.

      On the simplest level this was a good story, which, aside from the inclusion of the evil magician, stripped away a lot of the fantasy content to create a more historical backdrop for the story of Sleeping Beauty. That may not be according to everyone’s taste, and sometimes the resemblance to the fairy-tale was rather remote, but generally in this story the shifting of the setting to fourteenth century Germany seemed to work.

      The element of Romance is arguably, essential to any good fairy-tale, or fairy-tale adaptation, yet I personally have to say I am rather going off romance stories at the moment, especially those of the fluffy, mushy and clichéd kind.
      This novel did seem to be an offender with its gorgeous heroine and wonderfully handsome, dashing- and of course muscular hero. In other ways Rose and Wilhelm were strong and interesting characters, but in this way far too typical of the genre.
      Perhaps inevitably for the genre, some parts were cliched and some incidents hopelessly convenient or a tad predictable.

      Also, their actions were at times frustratingly inconsistent with Rose being madly infatuated with Wilhelm’s brother one minute, then turning round and considering him the most evil person who ever walked the earth the next. Admittedly, she had a reason, was of that invariably capricious breed of people called a teenager.
      Her attitude towards her parents I found even harder to swallow. Like with her being convinced that her parents could not possibly have loved her because they sent her away as a child. Or might it not have been because they wanted to protect her from the evil magician intent on subjecting her to a lifetime of torture, the central basis of the plot, and all that?

      Even Wilhelm ended up looking down on them as cowardly and selfish for such a thing. I mean seriously, after all they went through, I rather think they ought to have appreciated the reasons for Rose’s parents’ choice to let her go. But no, all they do is whinge and condemn, making their response seem contrived it itself, and them immature.
      Did they learn nothing at all?

      Also, a few historical issues perhaps warrant mention- like the suspiciously out of place presence of the American chipmunk in the forests of Medieval Europe, and some elements of what appeared to be modern clichés and judgements. Such as Rose determined to marry for love, rather than practicality, or looking down on those who saw women only as breeding machines, or her being more ‘enlightened’ than the general populace who supposedly attributed almost every ill circumstance to demons.

      Altogether The Healers Apprentice was a good and generally clean (aside from the odd kissing scene that verged on the inappropriate- or just tiresome) story for young-adults. Perhaps also in could provide a more wholesome alternative to the fairy tales that present an ambiguous picture of magic as something which can be used for ‘good’. I just prefer my medieval stories with a little more substance.
    • 5/5

      May 7, 2016

      This was a great book clean and appropriate for a teen audience. Loved the setting and the characters
    • 5/5

      Aug 2, 2014

      I loved this book, which was kind of unexpected. It reminded me of Ella Enchanted, but a little more serious; I mean when you're dealing with assault, attempted rape, and demons, it's not really a light, humorous read. But somehow Dickerson pulled it off.

      I figured out the twist about halfway through, and the ending was predictable of course, but it was still enjoyable. I loved that the Rose stays faithful in trusting and waiting on God. Such a great story.

      I found the Q and A with Dickerson at the end interesting too. I think she did a much better job of retelling Sleeping Beauty, even though the story only had hints of the original, than Disney did. It stood alone well.
    • 3/5

      Jul 23, 2014

      Being a healer's apprentice affords Rose many benefits. She reads Latin, writes stories, knows how to use herbs to heal, and earns an income that allows her to avoid marriage to a bachelor of her mother's choosing. Rose's problem is that blood makes her squeamish. When she must treat Lord Hamlin, the future duke, it isn't just the blood that makes her unsettled. His handsome features and personal integrity draw Rose's interest, in spite of his high social status and well-known betrothal. Lord Hamlin is committed to fulfilling his duty. Rose is committed to becoming a capable healer. Despite their friendship and attraction, Rose and Lord Hamlin must each learn to walk their own path and follow the One whose plans are greater than their own. Read more in The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson.

      The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson is based loosely on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. The story moved very fast in the beginning and right at the end, but for the majority of the time it was well-paced with intriguing characters and an engrossing story that felt original in spite of its fairy tale basis.

      The Healer's Apprentice is marketed as Young Adult reading and had definite YA overtones that were mixed with Middle Age Catholicism. I was creeped out by the strange pagan rituals and demonic possession scene. Had I known those were in the book, I wouldn't have read it. Given its Sleepy Beauty basis, I suppose this shouldn't have been as surprising to me as it was. With an obvious Catholic/Christian perspective, the name of Jesus prevails over the demons. However, for me, that didn't negate the disturbing scenes. Had that part of the fairy tale been creatively changed somehow, I probably would have given this book a five star rating. The creepiness factor brings it down to three. The Healer's Apprentice is well-written and engaging, but I wouldn't read it again or recommend it to any of my friends.
    • 4/5

      May 31, 2014

      I'm writing this on my tablet so forgive my bad typing skills. :-)

      Well what can I say? She's done it again. I've fallen in love with her writing, her attention to detail, her sickly sweet romance, her historical research and her character developing. Despite the fact it was clear where this would end up, I enjoyed the ride and was constantly rooting for Lord Hamlin and Rose to be together. The fact is, she is an author who likes a happy ending and because this book and the Merchant's daughter are based on fairy tales you know she won't disappoint in making everything fall happily and perfectly in to place. The only difference is she constantly reminds the reader that it is because of God that it all works out great. This will put some people off but not me. I enjoyed it and I liked that she wasn't afraid to express her faith in her writing, though sometimes I found the constant reminder of faith a little grating, it was sometimes unnecessary to put in and didn't work at certain moments.

      I've also noticed with both the novels I've read of hers is that the villain is repulsive and ugly physically as well as mentally. To always view the villain as an ugly person is a bit cliched to me and her representation for the characters a little lacking in substance.

      Overall though the writing is always a delight to read and her description never fails to impress me, creating a clear and beautiful picture of the world she has created.

      It's one of those books you'll read again just because it makes you feel good.

      So for me because of the minor criticisms above mentioned she gets four stars for this.

      Nice one.
    • 3/5

      Mar 5, 2014

      Rose, a woodcutter's daughter, is fortunate enough to have been apprenticed to the town healer, meaning that she won't be forced to marry just to secure her station in life. When she catches the eye of the duke's sons, her life starts to get extremely complicated. Wilhelm, the older son, is betrothed to a woman he has never met, and has spent years hunting the sorcerer who threatens her safety -- but he can't deny his feelings for Rose. Rupert, the younger son, romances Rose with flowers and jewelry and sweet words, but his love for wealth means that he will need to either marry a rich woman, or take a lucrative position in the church. Will Rose find happiness with either of the two?

      I picked this up because I read a favorable review of one of the author's other inspirational fairy tale retellings, and I decided to start with this one because it was the first. The story, very loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, is pleasant enough, and the author ably incorporates her research on life in the middle ages into the book. There are occasionally places where the characters do or say something that seems a bit modern for their time, but those instances are the exception rather than the rule. My main issue with the book was that I found the plot entirely predictable, and not in a good fairy-tale-retelling way. There's a twist at the end, and I saw it coming from a few chapters in. Even the characters saw it coming, but dismissed it for one reason or another. It seemed entirely too obvious, so I kept reading, thinking that perhaps the author would twist it a different way at the last moment and surprise me . . . but she didn't. Also, the main character has a dog named Wolfie, and for some inexplicable reason, that minor detail irked me all the way through. Wolfie. I just can't. (I do give the author credit for not hurting the dog, though -- I always read books where the main character has a close animal companion with a looming sense of dread!) All in all, I think this is the sort of book that I would have enjoyed as a teen, back when I was less picky and read a lot more inspirational fiction. As it was, I found it just okay, and wouldn't recommend it unless the mashup of inspirational fiction and fairy tale really, really appeals to you.
    • 2/5

      Feb 18, 2014

      This was an innocuous and somewhat boring version of Sleeping Beauty. It should be noted that it was very loosely based on the fairytale. The relationships between the characters all felt very contrived, and I mainly finished it to see who had cursed "Sleeping Beauty," since the story was different from the original.
    • 3/5

      Jun 6, 2013

      This was interesting - I was a bit confused about characters' identities in the first few pages, and then I caught on. I knew from the publisher that this would be Christian - and I liked that it wasn't preachy or fundamentalist. I'm a clergy woman, so I read religion pretty much most of the time. But, I felt like I was reading two different stories, especially when the plot twists twisted a bit more. Maybe when I'm not so tired or stressed I'll return to this book with fresh eyes. And for once, a cover with the WHOLE woman/girl in the picture, not a bodice.
    • 2/5

      Apr 15, 2013

      Cute story, a little heavy handed with the Mary Sue plot line. While I read a lot of fantasy novels, the "casting out of demons" parts bothered me a little bit. I'm not a big fan of equating religion with magic.
    • 5/5

      Mar 20, 2013

      A wonderful retelling of Sleeping Beauty. That I loved. I liked it more than the original story.
    • 4/5

      Nov 8, 2012

      I don't usually read books by Christian authors, or even LDS ones (unless they're mainstream like Meyer and Hale), but my daughter highly recommended it, so I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

      Update: I finished and I liked it. It was cheesy, it was fluffy, but sometimes you just need a cheesy, fluffy read. It was fun.
    • 3/5

      Nov 22, 2011

      This is a genre blend of historical YA/Christian/romance/fairy tale fiction, set in the Fourteenth Century. Rose, raised by a poor woodcutter and serving as an apprentice to the village healer, somewhat improbably but providentially draws the favorable attention of the Duke of Hagenheim’s two handsome sons, Wilhelm, Earl of Hamlin and his younger brother, Lord Rupert. Both claim to love her, but neither brother could actually marry a girl of her low station, and in any event, Wilhelm (the better of the two) is betrothed to the mysterious Lady Salomea, who is in hiding because of the threats of an evil conjurer; Wilhelm has never even met her.

      The story is quite predictable, albeit pleasant. The religious sentiments expressed seemed appropriate for the time (during which religion sat cheek by jowl with older superstitious notions) but the constant pleas directly to God for help seemed a little modern - one would have expected prayers by hoi polloi to go to an intercessor, like a patron saint.

      Nevertheless, until the end when a crescendo of religious fervor is reached, the book is appealing, and of course the emphasis on piety (whereby even showing an ankle is considered risqué) assures that it can be read by tweens as well as teens.

      Evaluation: The characters are likeable and reasonably nuanced except for the evil conjurer, who is all bad (but possessed by Satanic demons, so nuance would really not be possible). This sweet fairy tale is appropriate for any level of reader.
    • 3/5

      Sep 27, 2011

      I didn't realise this was a 'Christian' novel so sorry if my comments upset anyone. The story was good and I enjoyed it but...Sometimes there was a little too much swooning and tears whenever she saw either of the brothers. I would have liked a little more backbone from her. I felt that the author overemphasised her feelings. One or two words would have been enough but sentence after sentence, it just dragged on.There was a lot of gazing into eyes but not much dialogue (along with the swooning), I would have preferred a little more.I am now aware that this is a Christian novel but I noticed towards the end that the rate of 'O God and O Lord' almost trebled along with copious amounts of bible quotes and praying. It was a little overkill.The picture setting was great and the author clearly knows her stuff. Gunthur and Hildy were my favourites!A good read and I've given it four stars but I wouldn't read it again.
    • 3/5

      Jul 5, 2011

      Melanie Dickerson’s debut romance has been nominated for the Young Adult Christy Award. It is set in Lower Saxony in the fourteenth century. Young Rose, ostensibly a woodcutter’s daughter, is apprenticed to the court healer of Hagenheim castle. She is not a particularly adept apprentice but soldiers on because she sees this position as the only way to avoid an arranged marriage. Called upon to dress the wounds of Wilhelm, Lord Hamlin, Rose is instantly smitten. Wilhelm returns the feelings but t...moreMelanie Dickerson’s debut romance has been nominated for the Young Adult Christy Award. It is set in Lower Saxony in the fourteenth century. Young Rose, ostensibly a woodcutter’s daughter, is apprenticed to the court healer of Hagenheim castle. She is not a particularly adept apprentice but soldiers on because she sees this position as the only way to avoid an arranged marriage. Called upon to dress the wounds of Wilhelm, Lord Hamlin, Rose is instantly smitten. Wilhelm returns the feelings but the pair is kept apart by Rose’s low social status and Wilhelm’s engagement to the mysterious Lady Salomea, who must remain in hiding until the evil conjurer who threatens her life is captured. In the meantime, Wilhelm’s younger brother, Rupert, is also attracted to Rose although his selfish motives are eventually unmasked.

      Rose and Wilhelm are appealing characters who rely on their Christian faith to help them choose duty above self-interest which in the end enables them to rejoice when it becomes apparent that they are meant for one another after all. The young adult audience for which this book is intended will delight in the circuitous path the young pair must travel before this title reaches its fairy tale ending.
    • 5/5

      May 26, 2011

      I completely fell in love with this book. Very well written, with an enormous amount of description used through out. You will feel as tho you are there in the room with the characters as well as sitting at the table to eat their multi-course dinners. A must read!!!
    • 4/5

      May 6, 2011

      The Healer's Apprentice is a new take on 'Sleeping Beauty' - the "cursed Princess" is hidden away somewhere, while her betrothed is searching for her would-be destroyer. But this is no ordinary 'Sleeping Beauty' story! There's a twist: the Hero, seemingly a failure at finding the evil sorcerer threatening his future bride (whom he has never met, knowing only her name), meets a charming young lady - a peasant girl, the daughter of a woodcutter, working as an apprentice to the healer of his father's court. I think you can see where this is going ... Rose and Wilhelm are engaging main characters - their interactions and conversations are sweet and sincere. Rose knows her mind and is very well educated for a woman (let alone a woodcutter's daughter!) - something she's not afraid to demonstrate. She also reads the Bible, having a knowledge of Scripture that most men in the town do not. She is more careful about revealing this, but does take on Wilhelm in theological matters as their uneven, unexpected friendship develops. As a reader I loved her, she is a great leading lady: faithful, loyal, with a gentle heart and a passion for doing what she knows is right, Rose is admirable.

      The true beauty of this story lays in the way it all plays out, so I'm going to try very hard not to divulge the twists and turns it takes. I will confess to having an inkling of a hunch somewhere around chapter 4, but I refused to give in and flip ahead to see if I was "right" or not. So very glad I refrained, because the development of the story was beautiful.
    • 4/5

      Feb 2, 2011

      This book really drew me in...I didn't realize it was Christian fiction until the end of the book. But it was a good story (especially for free!). I figured out the twist about half-way through though.
    • 3/5

      Jan 26, 2011

      A rare stand alone novel in the world of teen trilogies, The Healer’s Apprentice is a sweet fairytale romance with dashing lords, innocent maidens, and evil-doers. Rose is a peasant girl raised in a small village who was chosen by the castle healer to be her apprentice. Rose’s life gets a little turned around when the two young lords return home from abroad and she is called in to assist in healing one of them. The story felt like a typical fairytale romance, with a few good plot twists. I was not a huge fan of the heroine (Rose); she was so flighty! She couldn’t decide who she loved and waffling back and forth like that always bugs me. If you aren’t SURE you love someone, then it probably means you don’t. The writing flowed well, although at first it was a little confusing because one of the main characters is called by two different names (however, if you read in the back this is historically accurate for that time period). The story had Christian elements and occasionally seemed a little over dramatic in that way, but otherwise was an enjoyable read.

    Book preview

    The Healer's Apprentice - Melanie Dickerson

    Chapter 1

    Spring, 1386. Hagenheim. The Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony.

    The townspeople of Hagenheim craned their necks as they peered down the cobblestone street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Duke of Hagenheim’s two handsome sons. The topheavy, half-timbered houses hovered above the crowd as if they too were eager to get a peek at Lord Hamlin and Lord Rupert.

    Rose shifted her basket from her left hip to her right and wrinkled her nose at the stale smell of sweat from the many bodies pressed close, mingled with the pungent scent of animal dung. Chickens and children skittered about, the clucking and squealing adding to the excited murmurs.

    I’ll wait with you to the count of one hundred, Hildy, then I’m leaving. Rose couldn’t let Frau Geruscha think her apprentice was a lazy dawdler.

    Are you not curious to see if they’ve changed? Hildy asked, her green eyes glinting in the sun.

    No doubt the duke’s sons have developed into humble scholars after two years at Heidelberg’s university. Even as she spoke, she glanced up the street. In spite of wanting Hildy to think her indifferent to the young noblemen, Rose was glad she had a good view.

    Rose’s dog, Wolfie, began barking so zealously his front paws lifted off the ground.

    "Hist. No barking." Rose leaned down and rubbed the ruff of fur at the back of his neck.

    Rose!

    Her heart leapt at the horrified tone in Hildy’s voice, and she stood and faced her friend.

    You didn’t even wear your best dress!

    Rose glanced down at her green woolen kirtle. Oh, Hildy. As if it matters.

    At least your hair looks beautiful. Hildy ran her hand down Rose’s loose mane of brown curls, only partially hidden by her linen coif. How do you ever hope to get a husband if you don’t pay more attention to your clothing?

    Rose scowled. I don’t hope.

    How many times would she have to explain this to Hildy? When Rose was a little child, Frau Geruscha had taken a liking to her. Now that Rose was grown up, the town healer had chosen Rose to be her apprentice—an honorable life’s work that would prevent Rose from being forced to marry. Frau Geruscha, having grown up in a convent, had not only taught Rose about medicinal herbs, but also how to read Latin—a skill Rose was very proud of. But it was a skill most men would hardly value in a wife.

    You don’t fool me, Rose Roemer. Every girl wants to be married. Besides, look across the street at Mathias. Hildy pointed with her eyes. He speaks to you every chance he gets, and he’s quite handsome.

    Rose harrumphed at Hildy’s dreamy tone. The blacksmith’s son? With his lecherous grin? He only wants one thing from me, and it isn’t marriage.

    How can you be so sure…

    Hildy’s voice trailed off at the crowd’s whispered exclamations as six men on horseback came into view around the bend in the narrow street.

    Hildy grabbed her thick blonde braid and draped it over her shoulder then chewed on her lips to redden them. You should at least try to catch their eye.

    Rose shook her head at Hildy. You know Lord Hamlin is betrothed—as good as married—and Lord Rupert must marry an heiress. Rose took hold of her friend’s arm. Someone had to be the voice of reason. I hate to dampen your excitement, Hildy, but if either of the noble sons takes a single look at us, I’ll be vastly astonished.

    Hildy smirked. I won’t be.

    The approaching clop-clop of hooves drew Hildy’s gaze back to the street. Shh. Here they come. She set her basket of beans, leeks, and onions on the ground behind her and smoothed her skirt.

    The throng of people fell silent out of respect for their young lords.

    The duke’s elder son, Wilhelm, Earl of Hamlin, led the way down the street on his black horse. His younger brother, Lord Rupert, rode beside him. Two bearded knights on cinnamon-colored horses followed three lengths behind the young men, with two more bringing up the rear.

    The knights were simply dressed, but the noble sons were covered from neck to toe in flowing robes. Rose stifled a snort. They were only returning home. Did they think they were on their way to the king’s court?

    Yet as he drew nearer, she saw that Lord Hamlin wore not a robe after all, but a plain cloak of dark wool. His bearing and the proud tilt of his head were what made him look so regal.

    In contrast to his brother’s outerwear, a fur-trimmed surcoat of lustrous sapphire silk hung over Lord Rupert’s lean frame, with only the toes of his leather boots peeking out. The disparity between the brothers went beyond their clothing. Lord Rupert’s light brown hair was long and curled at the ends, and a blue ribbon gathered it at the nape of his neck. A jaunty glint shone from his pale eyes. Lord Hamlin’s black hair hung over his forehead, and he seemed oblivious to the crowd. He focused his gaze straight ahead, toward Hagenheim Castle, whose towers were visible over the tops of the town’s tallest buildings.

    No, she’d say they hadn’t changed at all.

    "Willkommen! Hildy called out. Welcome back, my lords!" She waved her hand high, as though hailing a messenger.

    All eyes turned to Rose and Hildy. A spear of panic went through Rose. She wanted to hide, but it was too late. Lord Hamlin’s eyes darted in their direction, alighted on Rose, and held. His expression changed and his features softened as he looked at her. Then his gaze swept down, taking in her basket and her dress. He quickly faced forward again.

    He realizes I’m nobody, a peasant girl. Heat spread up Rose’s neck and burned her cheeks.

    Lord Rupert’s huge blond warhorse walked toward Rose and Hildy as the crowd suddenly took up Hildy’s cheer. "Willkommen! Welcome back!" The horse came within three feet of the girls and stopped, stamping his hooves on the cobblestone street and sending Wolfie into a wild fit of barking.

    Rose threw her arms around Wolfie’s neck to hold him back. Her temples pounded at the sight of the warhorse’s powerful legs.

    The younger nobleman swept off his plumed hat, bowing from his saddle. His eyes roved from Hildy to Rose, then he winked. I thank you, ladies, for your kind welcome. He grinned and swung his hat back on his head, then spurred his horse into a trot and caught up with the others.

    Did you see that? Did you see it? Hildy pounded on Rose’s shoulder.

    Wolfie calmed as the men rode into the distance. Rose let go of him and stood up, glaring at Hildy. I can’t believe you called out to them.

    "Lord Rupert actually spoke to us. To us. And did you see how Lord Hamlin looked at you? Hildy clutched her hands to her heart, gazing at the clouds. Are they not the most handsome men you’ve ever seen? I could hardly breathe! She turned and smiled at Rose. I knew they’d like what they saw once they caught sight of you."

    Would you keep your voice down? Rose urged Hildy to start walking toward the Marktplatz. She glanced around, afraid the townspeople would overhear their embarrassing conversation. She imagined the miller’s skinny wife, who walked ahead of them, snorting in derision at Hildy’s compliment. The shoemaker’s buxom daughter, striding down the other side of the street, would laugh out loud.

    Hildy and her romantic notions of love. She was a candle-maker’s daughter, dreaming about the local nobility as if she had any chance of inspiring a serious thought in them. As a woodcutter’s daughter, Rose held no grand illusions about her own prospects.

    Hildy’s chatter faded into the background as Rose wondered at Lord Rupert’s flirtatious wink. But what stuck in her mind was the way Lord Hamlin had looked at her. Thinking of that, her face began to burn once again. She’d encountered her share of leering men and their crude comments, but Lord Hamlin’s look was different. It had made her feel pretty—until he noticed her clothing.

    She should have worn her good dress, the crimson one with the bit of white silk at the neck and wrists that Frau Geruscha had given her. Hildy said it brought out the red tint in her chestnut hair. But how could she have known Hildy would draw the attention of both Lord Hamlin and Lord Rupert and that they would look straight at her?

    Realizing her train of thought, she snorted. What difference did it make which dress she wore? Everyone knew Lord Hamlin was betrothed to the daughter of the Duke of Marienberg. But betrothed or not, he’d hardly be interested in her. And Lord Rupert, as the younger son, would inherit none of the family’s wealth and so would need to find a rich heiress to marry.

    If, as an apprentice, Rose could impress Frau Geruscha with her skill, she would become the next healer—needed, respected. She could avoid the indignity of marrying someone out of desperation.

    So she’d never experience love. Most married people didn’t, either.

    Rose dipped her quill in the pot of ink and concentrated on scratching out the next sentence of the tale she was writing. Frau Geruscha encouraged her to write her stories, although she said it was probably best if she didn’t tell anyone about them.

    Shouts drifted through the open window of the healer’s chambers. From her vantage point in the southwest tower of Hagenheim Castle, Rose peered out, seeking the source of the commotion.

    Make way!

    Two men hastened across the courtyard. They carried a boy between them, using their arms for a seat. A woman ran behind them.

    Rose scrambled to hide her parchment, pen, and ink in the small trunk beside her desk. Frau Geruscha! Someone’s coming! She snatched up a gray apron that lay nearby and slipped it over her head.

    Wolfie adjusted his grip on his bone and growled low in his throat.

    Wolfie, stay.

    The dog’s lips came together, sheathing his fangs, but he focused his eyes on the door.

    Frau Geruscha entered the chamber from the storage room, her wimple bobbing like the wings of a great white bird.

    The two men carrying the boy burst through the door, the woman following close behind. Rose recognized one man as a farmer who lived near her parents’ home. The boy was his son, perhaps eight years old. He wore ragged brown hose and his torn shirt drooped on his thin frame. Bright red blood covered one of his sleeves. His lips were white, as if all the blood had drained out of his body.

    Here was her chance to show Frau Geruscha she was a competent apprentice. She would strive to appear calm and ready to help. She was thankful she had already braided her hair that morning and covered it with a linen cloth, as her mistress had instructed her.

    Frau Geruscha! Fear and panic lent a high pitch to the woman’s voice. Our son fell on the plow blade.

    The healer’s wise face wrinkled in concentration as her gaze swept the boy from head to toe. She pointed to a low straw bed against the wall, and the men laid the child on it.

    Pain drew the boy’s features tight. Rose longed to comfort him, but she didn’t want to get in Frau Geruscha’s way.

    Frau Geruscha sat on the edge of the bed. She showed no emotion as she pulled back his sleeve, revealing the gaping wound.

    No! The boy screamed and shrank away from her. He held his arm against his chest and drew his knees up like a shield.

    Rose turned her head. O God, don’t let me get sick. She had to prove herself.

    Frau Geruscha glanced back at Rose. Fetch me some water from the kettle and a roll of bandages.

    Rose scurried to the fireplace and grabbed a pottery bowl. Using a cloth to hold the lip of the iron kettle, she tipped it to one side and poured hot water into the shallow vessel. She carried it back to Frau Geruscha then dashed to the storage room to get the bandages.

    Don’t touch it!

    Rose tried to force the boy’s terrified voice from her mind. When she returned, Frau Geruscha was washing the blood from the wound. Rose held out the roll of fabric.

    Her hand shook. She had to get control of herself before her mistress noticed.

    Frau Geruscha took a section of the clean linen and used it to soak up the blood and water around the wound. Rose, get him some henbane and wormwood tea. She turned to the parents. The herbs will help ease his pain.

    Biting her lip, Rose ran into the adjoining storage room again. She should have guessed Frau Geruscha would want that tea. She should have already gone for it instead of standing there with her mouth open. So far she wasn’t proving herself very competent.

    Shelves of dried herbs lined the walls. She grabbed the flasks labeled henbane and wormwood and scooped a spoonful of each into a metal cup, then used a dipper to ladle in steaming water from the kettle.

    She hurried back and placed the cup in the mother’s outstretched hands. The woman held it to her son’s lips.

    Frau Geruscha made the sign of the cross and laid her hand on the boy’s arm. She then closed her eyes. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, we ask you, God, to heal this boy’s wound in the name of Jesus and by the power of his blood. Amen.

    The smell of blood, warm and stifling, mingled with the odor of sweat. The bowl of water was now bright red, and Rose caught another whiff of the familiar, sickening smell.

    Frau Geruscha opened her eyes and crossed herself again. She reached into her box of supplies and held up a needle. The tiny metal object glinted in the morning light.

    The boy locked wide eyes on the needle and screamed, No! No! No! His father moved to hold him down.

    Rose fled into the storeroom, her bare feet noiseless on the stone floor. She leaned against the wall and sucked in deep breaths. Her head seemed to float off her shoulders, as light as a fluff of wool, while her face tingled and spots danced before her eyes.

    How childish. Rose pressed her face into her hands and stifled a groan. Had Frau Geruscha seen her flee the room? She must get back in there and overcome this squeamishness.

    She drew in another deep breath. The earthy odor of the herbs that hung from the rafters was stuffy, but at least it didn’t trouble her stomach like the smell of blood. Rose focused on the sights around her—the rushes strewn over the stone floor…low shelves packed with flasks of dried herbs…the rough stone wall poking her back. The screaming drifted away.

    The tingling sensation gradually left her face and she breathed more normally.

    She entered the room again, stepping carefully so as not to rustle the rushes on the floor and draw attention to herself. The boy’s eyes were closed and his lips were the same ash gray as his face. He must have lost consciousness, since he didn’t even wince as the needle pierced his skin.

    Frau Geruscha quickly finished stitching the wound. After she tied the last knot and clipped the string of catgut, she wound the remainder of the bandage around his arm and tied a thin strip of cloth around it to hold it in place.

    Finally, the people left, carrying the limp boy with them.

    Rose hurried to clean up the water spills and the bloody linen. Her stomach lurched at every whiff of the metallic odor, but she had to pretend it didn’t bother her, to hope her mistress didn’t notice how it affected her.

    Are you well? Frau Geruscha’s gray eyes narrowed, studying Rose. You looked pale when you ran into the storage room.

    So her mistress had noticed. I am very well.

    How could she be so pathetic? She had to find a way to prepare herself for the next time she must face the blood, screams, and smells.

    Ravenous after his long journey from Heidelberg, Wilhelm attacked the roasted pheasant on his trencher. A page, a lad of less than ten years, leaned over his shoulder to refill his goblet. The boy lost his balance and teetered forward. Wilhelm grabbed him around his middle and righted him, but the goblet overturned onto the table.

    The boy’s face flushed red. Lord Hamlin, forgive me. I—

    No harm done. Wilhelm gave the boy an encouraging smile.

    With a quick bow, the boy refilled Wilhelm’s goblet and moved on to the next cup.

    The Great Hall looked exactly as Wilhelm remembered it. Flags bearing the family colors of green, gold, and red jutted out from the gray stone walls on wooden poles, and several hung like banners on either side of the large mural painted on the wall. His father still spoke sternly, and his mother still clucked over him and his brother, continually admonishing Rupert to proper, gentlemanly behavior. At that moment she was reprimanding him for pinching the serving wench.

    If she only knew. While they were supposed to be educating themselves in Heidelberg under the finest teachers in the Holy Roman Empire, Rupert had spent more time carousing than studying. And as Rupert misbehaved, Wilhelm had continued sending out spies in search of Moncore.

    His younger sister, Osanna, smiled at him from across the table. Wilhelm smiled back and winked. She’d grown up in the two years he had been away. He missed the freckle-faced maiden who used to trail behind him, begging him to teach her to hunt or fish or shoot arrows.

    His father sat at the head of the trestle table, on Wilhelm’s left. He put down his knife and wiped his hands on the cloth across his lap. Then he took a drink from his goblet and turned to Wilhelm.

    So, son, you are still scouring the country for Moncore. He peered at him from beneath bushy eyebrows. You’ll get him.

    Wilhelm remembered how his father had awed—and intimidated—him as a child. His greatest desire was to make his father proud of him. Thank you, Father.

    His brows lowered in a scowl. You must.

    Yes, Father.

    Your responsibility is to your people and to your betrothed. You must not let them down.

    Did his father say these things because he doubted him? He had worked hard to become mighty in strength and swordplay, believing that would please his father. But there was still one thing he had not been able to accomplish; one thing that would exalt him in the eyes of his father, as well as the entire region.

    Wilhelm. His father nudged him with his elbow, pointing toward the far end of the table. A man dressed in leather hunting clothes stood near the door of the Great Hall. He nodded at Wilhelm, tucked his chin to his chest, and backed out of the room.

    Pray excuse me. Wilhelm stood and stepped over the bench where he sat with his family and the guests who had come to welcome him home. He strode from the room.

    Lord Hamlin. The courier stood in a shadowed corner of the corridor outside. He handed a folded parchment to Wilhelm then bowed and slipped out the door.

    Wilhelm glanced at the wax seal, confirmed it was from his spies, then ripped open the missive.

    Lord Hamlin, we have reason to believe Moncore is in our region. Be on your guard.

    Wilhelm crumpled the note in his fist. Glory to God.

    After Wilhelm’s six years of failing to locate the evil conjurer, the fiend had come to him.

    If he were able to capture Moncore, he could tell his future father-in-law, the Duke of Marienberg, to bring his daughter out of hiding. Wilhelm’s betrothed would finally be safe.

    But Moncore had eluded him before. The fact that one man had continued threatening Lady Salomea’s safety, despite Wilhelm’s best efforts, was a frustration like he’d never known, a splinter he couldn’t gouge out no matter how hard he tried.

    With long strides, Wilhelm headed back into the Great Hall. He’d find Georg and Christoff and discuss where to hunt for Moncore. They would ride out in less than an hour.

    Morning sunlight winked through the narrow window as Rose moved about the southwest tower. The only sounds were the blows of the blacksmith’s hammer ringing from the castle courtyard. She straightened jars of herbs, checked to see which of them needed to be replenished, and began sweeping up the old straw from the stone floor. Once finished, she would sprinkle new rushes and dried lilac over the chamber floors.

    Rose so wanted to impress her mistress, but had failed miserably. Frau Geruscha never turned ashen at the sight of blood, never shrank from the bad smells, never grew squeamish when sewing up a wound.

    O God, make me like Frau Geruscha.

    Because one day she would be expected to take over her mistress’s healing work, Rose grew increasingly more desperate to be a good healer. If she returned home a failure, her mother would torment her until she accepted one of her suitors—a desperate widower with nine children, an old man with no teeth, anyone with a little money.

    A commotion in the courtyard cut her musings short. She put her broom away in case the noise was the result of someone in need, coming to the healer for help.

    As the shouts drew closer, her stomach knotted. Frau Geruscha was away and might not be back for several hours. Please, let them not be coming to see Frau Geruscha. She stood in the middle of the room and held her breath as she stared at the door, waiting.

    Frau Geruscha! a masculine voice boomed. Someone pounded on the door.

    Rose rushed to unlatch the door. Three men stood at the threshold. The middle one’s arms were draped over the shoulders of the other two. His head hung down so that she couldn’t see his face. Sweat dripped from the dark hair clinging to his brow.

    She recognized the men on either side as the two knights who yesterday had traveled alongside Lord Hamlin and Lord Rupert. That meant the one in the middle was—

    Lord Hamlin lifted his head, his face pale. His eyes riveted her with a look of pain.

    Chapter 2

    Rose couldn’t stand there gaping, so she spurred her mind to action. Lay him on the bed. Where is he hurt?

    The two knights eased him down. Right leg, one of them said. Wild boar gored him. Where’s Frau Geruscha?

    Of course they wanted Frau Geruscha, the healer, not her lowly apprentice. She’s gone.

    Where? The man with the dirty blond hair barked the word, tension showing in the wrinkles between his eyes. Where did she go? We’ll fetch her.

    I know not. The woods somewhere, gathering herbs and visiting the sick. She averted her eyes to Lord Hamlin’s leg, lest the man’s dismayed expression drain her of courage.

    She sank to her knees beside Lord Hamlin. The dark stain on his hose indicated an injury on the outside of his calf. The boar’s tusk had sliced through his leather boot, its jagged edges dangling open. Help me get this boot off.

    The knight nearest to her was twice her size, with red hair sticking straight up on top of his head. He bent over and tugged on the shoe.

    Ahhhg, Lord Hamlin groaned.

    Rose glanced up. Lord Hamlin’s eyes were closed and his features clenched in pain. Compassion squeezed her stomach like a fist.

    Once the boot was off, blood dripped from his foot off the side of the bed. She grabbed a knife from a nearby shelf and half cut, half ripped the cloth away at his knee. The material stuck to his leg, held on by dried blood.

    Running to the adjoining room, she fetched a bowl of water and a clean cloth. She dipped the cloth into the water and repeatedly soaked his leg until the water turned bright red.

    She must not focus on the smell or sight of the blood, must not dwell on the fact that this was Lord Hamlin—the duke’s eldest son—bleeding all over the floor.

    Gently, Rose pulled the cloth away from the jagged wound, which extended the length of his calf and looked very deep. Fresh blood oozed from the gash. She used her thumb and fingers to push the two edges together while pressing a linen cloth against it with her other hand, angrily commanding herself the whole time not to get sick.

    Lord Hamlin moaned low in his throat.

    Thinking about his pain made her stomach twist. Don’t think about it. Be like Frau Geruscha. What would Frau Geruscha do?

    You there. She glanced up at the redheaded knight, who squatted beside her. Hold this.

    The man dropped to his knees and pressed the bandage.

    Rose stood and rushed into the storage room. She found the dried henbane and wormwood and put a spoonful of each into a cup, spilling some on the floor in her haste. A jar labeled poppy arrested her gaze. It couldn’t hurt. Rose threw in a spoonful, ladled hot water from the kettle into the cup, and carried it to Lord Hamlin.

    His eyes were still closed, but when she approached, they flickered open and fixed her with a heavy-lidded gaze.

    Here. She addressed the other knight, whose equally unkempt blond hair and beard were covered in dust. Give him this tea.

    The man helped Lord Hamlin into a sitting position.

    Rose knelt beside the knight holding the bandage. I thank you, she said.

    The knight stood and she took his place. She held her breath and eased the cloth away from the wound. The bleeding had stopped.

    The wound was ugly. She closed her eyes and tried not to think how much it must have hurt when the angry boar thrust its tusk into Lord Hamlin’s leg. She hoped it wouldn’t fester. The yellow pus that sometimes developed in wounds often led to death. O merciful God, let Lord Hamlin’s leg not develop that telltale sign.

    She would have to stitch up the wound. God, I don’t know if I can do it!

    She had to do it.

    His lids hung so low over his eyes, she couldn’t tell if he was looking at her or not. She swallowed past the dryness in her throat. This is when Frau Geruscha would pray for you, if she were here.

    You pray for me, then.

    She made the sign of the cross. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of touching him again. But determined to follow Frau Geruscha’s example, she placed her hand on his bare leg. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and by the blood of Jesus, heal Lord Hamlin’s leg. Amen. Please, God. And help me not make a mess of this.

    Opening her eyes, she saw the cup of tea still in his hand. He seemed to read her thoughts and took a gulp. Could he read the panic rising inside her?

    She would give him some time to drink the tea before she attempted to sew up his wound, although she knew the tea would help very little. She hoped God would be merciful and he would pass out from the pain, as the little boy yesterday had done.

    The prospect of what lay ahead

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