To Serve a King — Donna Russo Morin

They told her that her parents were dead, perished in a fire she barely remembered, a fire set by a king they taught her to hate. 'They' were her aunt and the jolly king, and she had believed them. From that day forward, Genevieve Gravois swore her allegiance to Henry VIII and no other. Raised by her cold and heartless aunt, she learns things no woman should know: how to write and decipher codes, how to use a dagger and a bowââ,¬Â¦how to kill.

When the time is ripe, Genevieve is thrust into the court of Francois I, a dangerous and magnificent place, as replete with intrigue and conflict as it is with the world's finest artists and musicians. Here, two mistresses, Anne d'Heilly and Diane de Poitiers, struggle for ultimate power. Here, the likes of Catherine de' Medici and Nostradamus explore the realm of the unknown. And here, Genevieve carries out her duties for the king she loves, spying on Francois, doing whatever Henry demands of her. But the French king is not who she thought him to be, his truth is at odds with all she has learned. Her life tangles with lives of others, both worthy and disgraceful, in circumstances none of her training has prepared her for. Genevieve's life spins out of control and she is forced to make deadly decisions about her true and ultimate loyalties.