An action spectacle built around true story of female warriors from history
If you read a romance novel, you know the moment when you discover that a fictional hero is actually based on a real person. Usually it’s a woman, usually a warrior, almost always a female. In The Legend of the White Snake, by author Helen Cooper, that moment finally happened.
A long time ago, the ancient, and almost mythological, kingdom of Osteria was known for its warriors. The king was feared and respected by his people and a lot of attention was paid to the ladies of the court.
Their bravery and loyalty to their love brought them prestige and respect which eventually led to them becoming rulers. But like many kingdoms around the world, they did not like the idea that women ruled, and so they were put to shame.
“If you’re going to make a claim on the royal throne, you had better have a mighty army and an army that can out-think and out-wait your enemy,” said King Artos (‘The King’, by the way). “But if you want to be a real king and be considered one, you’d better show your true colors.”
So he created a test, an opportunity to prove which girls could be kings. The test was to find a beautiful girl to marry, and then to take her as his consort, and the only way to find the right wife was to find out which girl could survive.
From those eligible, the king looked for the best, most beautiful, and brave, that could handle the challenge of ruling a kingdom.
Over time, he had over 100 women, but finally the chosen one was his mother.
His father was the perfect king, having survived five wars against his enemies. But the story of how he earned the right to rule started when he saw his kingdom, in a moment of weakness, surrender to a powerful, ruthless enemy.
That was the catalyst of all he could do to ensure the people of Osteria never surrendered again. But it was not enough, and after an epic battle, the enemy left the kingdom in ruins.
The king returned to his castle in horror, and there he saw the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of