Michael Zevaco's The Pardaillan

Even tough it is one of the best-known novels of Michael Zvaco, The Pardaillan remains unknown in the English-speaking world. It was originally written n French and then translated to Spanish where movies were made in both languages from a script based on the novel of The Pardaillan.
The story begins on the land of Margency, in the Island of France, in 1553. The vent hat tells the story of The Pardaillan is the secret marriage of Francis, son of the Constable Anne of Montmorency, with Joan of Piennes, the daughter of a vassal just despoiled by his father.
Francis is ordered by his father to leave for war within hours of the wedding. His brother Henry, in love with Joan, deliver her the news. In his absence and unbeknown to him, his daughter Louise is born. The day when Francis returns, Henry kidnaps baby Louise with the help of his swordsman, the Knight of Pardaillan.
Next, he forces Joan to go along and let him denounce her as an adulterer under the pain of death to the baby girl. Francis disowns Jonas, and after a fight with his brother, leaves for Paris. Meanwhile, Pardaillan has a change of heart and returns the baby girl to her mother. Without revealing his name to her, he told her that the kidnappers name was Pardaillan.
When the child was returned and afraid of Henrys reprisals, Pardaillan leaves towards Paris, taking with him his adopted son John. In the meantime, Joan with her daughter in her arms tries to catch up with Francis on the road to Paris. When she arrives at their palace in Paris, shes met by the constable instead who forces hr to annul her marriage to Francis, who weds the natural daughter of King Henry II.
Post Script. Mixing imaginary characters and real ones with interactive dialogues and light prose, Zvaco created the character of Pardaillan to keep the reader wanting to read and learn more. The story is fabulously told. We hope you will relish it as much as we.