The King and the Casket — David Charles

It is the year 1311, Jeref Moor, a twenty year old adventurer, from Constantinople lands in Aberdeen, Scotland. He unexpectedly meets Robert Bruce and, some hours later, he is fighting for his life when he encounters Edward II and his troops on a Scottish hillside. Initially held captive, our young hero eventually joins the English royal household where he becomes inadvertently embroiled in a switch of royal babies. Edward III is raised by Jeref's enigmatic English wife, Helen, who is also the baby's real mother. Racked by conscience, Jeref lays clues about the switch of babies and the sixteen year old King Edward is allowed to discover a mysterious casket. In the meantime, Jeref and his close loyal companions, helped by a band of mysterious monks, overcome a plot by Roger Mortimer to wrest control of the English crown. Just as Jeref leaves on a pilgrimage his brother, Omar, arrives and helps to unravel the clues about the switch of royal babies. As all is becoming clear, there is one final twist. The truths, half-truths and myths of the time combine with the skulduggery and connivances which permeate a royal household to make this an exciting and stirring tale. However, matters of English royal lineage are puzzles to be resolved only by what we believe we know and, inevitably, a royal household is an extraordinarily secretive institution. Such is the level of research, combined with a story taut with intrigue and vivid characterisation, it is easy to forget that this book is a work of fiction. The rest, as it is said, is history.