The Roaring Tide: A Tale of High Treason (Laurence the Armourer)

King Richard the Third is providing England with fair and just government, but he is tormented by the undiminished scheming of his Lancastrian enemies, exiles who in their desperation are supporting Henry Tudor as a dubious claimant to the throne of England. The King sends Laurence the armourer to Brittany with instructions to encourage Tudor ambition so that he can tempt him into invading. The plan is that once in England, Tudor will be brought to battle and thus removed. All does not go to plan and Laurence must chase into France to follow the English exiles that have escaped Brittany. Eventually Henry Tudor does invade, and by a combination of treachery and good luck, ends up as the victor at the Battle of Bosworth. Tudor cannot rest content on his throne and there are several attempts to remove him, all of which come to nothing. But then, the Tudor is faced with his worse nightmare - the emergence of duke Richard of York, brother to his wife Elizabeth and the rightful king of England. During his childhood, the Prince has been living in obscurity under the name Perkin Warbeck to avoid being murdered by Tudor agents. Laurence is called to the side of the duke of York as his personal armourer, having been one of those who previously helped him out of England to safety. The armourer is doubtful regarding the Prince's martial prowess but nevertheless is caught up in duke Richard's quest to win back his hereditary right to the English crown. The action moves into Ireland and then to Scotland where the Prince falls in love. Then everything goes horribly wrong . . .