Murder, mayhem, and religion fustrate the royal courtship that, through love, seeks to make peace between warring enemies England and Spain: A novel based on actual events. In 1623 Charles, heir to the throne of England, dons a disguise, crosses the Channel, rides horseback across France, and sneaks into Madrid, capital of England's proud Catholic enemy, Spain. His mission? To woo the lovely Maria, sister of the King of Spain, and accomplish by marriage what decades of war have failed to do: reconcile the two embittered nations.