The Templar Heresy

MORE Long Synopsis

Henry II had mistress problems. Most kings did, but the queens were just supposed to accept things. Eleanor of Aquitaine didn't – she was a problem herself. To avoid having his mistress poisoned, Henry did a deal with one of the Boterel family for some land. He hid her there in a secret love nest, apparently surrounded by an impenetrable maze.
The king had his son crowned to ensure the succession. At the coronation, various members of the family, swapped stories about Black Virgins and Jesus' visit to Britain. One of them was George Washington's ancestor. Another of them is celebrated in a poem by his lover, a French princess. Yet another was sent to Paris as ambassador with Thomas Becket to arrange a truce. Worst off was Conan, who had recently lost the Earldom of Richmond and the Duchy of Brittany to the king. They all discussed the founding of the Templars, their involvement with the Order of Sion, and the split between them at the Cutting of the Elm. Becket was murdered soon after.
The death of Becket upset the whole of Europe, especially the Order of Sion. Eleanor of Aquitaine organised one conspiracy too many and was imprisoned. Sir William Boterel's wife visited her - they hated each other on sight. From prison, Eleanor could do little about Richard the Lionheart's intimate relationships with two other kings. It wasn't that he particularly liked kings; he just liked men. But he'd need an heir when he succeeded to the throne, so Eleanor arranged a sexual subterfuge. There was a son, though never acknowledged. Richard never liked England and spent his time in France and on crusade. Captured and imprisoned by the Holy Roman Emperor, he was located by one of his young minstrels.
Some of the Boterels suffered under the murderous King John but recovered under Henry III, even getting Camelot - lands once belonging to King Arthur. Edward I restored order, supported by the Boterels. But his son's intimate relationships with his favourites caused a civil war. Their executions were nasty: the king's murder was even nastier. The Boterels got up to mischief themselves, but at least the family got Richmond and Brittany back.
There was trouble in France too. The French king's destruction of the Templars meant a redistribution of their lands, but their great treasure was squirreled away to the New World.
Edward III's reign saw the start of the Hundred Years' War. For years, the weather was terrible. That and the Black Death produced a labour shortage, leading to widespread social change. Boterel after Boterel fell in battle in France, England and Portugal. As a result,the Cornish branch of the family died out and with it the title, though other branches continued to flourish.