Set against the backdrop of the turbulent thirteenth century, a time of chivalry and crusades, poetry and knights, comes the story of the four daughters of the count of Provence whose brilliant marriages made them the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily. From a cultured childhood in Provence, each sister was propelled into a world marked by shifting alliances, intrigue, and subterfuge. Marguerite, the eldest, whose resolution and spirit would be tested by the cold splendor of the Palais du Roi in Paris; Eleanor, whose soaring political aspirations would provoke her kingdom to civil war; Sanchia, the neglected wife of the richest man in England who bought himself the crown of Germany; and Beatrice, whose desire for sovereignty led her to risk her life to earn her place at the royal table. This book shatters the myth that women were helpless pawns in a society that celebrated physical prowess and masculine intellect.--From publisher description.

The land of song -- The white queen -- A royal wedding -- Royal rivals -- Queen Eleanor -- Family affairs -- Ambition and obedience -- A war and a wedding -- An unlikely inheritance -- A vow -- The crusade of Louis IX -- The queen's gamble -- Queenscraft -- A royal windfall -- The return of the queen -- A royal reception -- Queen of the Romans -- Royal sibling rivalry -- Prelude to war -- A queen in crisis -- Four queens -- The last crusade -- Endgame -- A note on medieval money.