The Captive Maiden

‘The Captive Maiden’ by by Melanie Dickerson is a historical Christian retelling of Cinderella. In Dickerson’s earlier book called The Healer’s Apprentice, Wilhelm and Rose got married. Dickerson went on to write The Fairest Beauty which was a story about Wilhelm and Rose’s second son Gabehart. This story is about their eldest son Valten. You don’t need to read the previous books to enjoy this one, but you would understand when Valten talks about how Gabehart ‘stole’ his bride and several characters that were in the previous book are in this one.

Gisela Mueller is the daughter Christoff Mueller, of one of the best horse breeders in the area of Hegenheim and one of the duke’s knights. When she was seven years old her father remarried to a woman named Evfemia, who brought with her two daughters, Irma and Contzel. Sometime afterwards, Duke Wilhelm and his son Valten, who was fourteen at the time, came to buy Valten a horse. While they were there, Gisela saw how well Valten treated the horses and so came to have a crush on him. When Gisela was eight, her father was dead and she became a servant in her own household.

Shortly after Gabehart married Valten’s former betrothed, Valten left home and roamed the continent and attending various tournaments and becoming one of the great champions. For two years he stayed away, but now that the latest tournament is to be held at Heganheim, he has returned home. Lately he has felt restless and wants something more than to attend another tournament. His parents suggested that maybe he is finally ready to find a bride, settle down and learn all the things he will need to know when he becomes the next duke.

The tournament will last three days. The first day will be the jousting. The second day will be the knights on horses with weapons. The last day will be the hand-to-hand combat and other skills. The one to win at the end of the jousting will chose a lady to be their Queen of Beauty and Love. The queen will ‘rule’ for the next two days. Finally on the night of the third day, a ball will be held with the queen reining over it all.

It has been ten years since Gisela first met Valten. During those years, she has dreamed about him, but knew that he would never marry a girl like her. But she meets him again in the marketplace and he befriends her. Together they talk about their love of horses. Then he asks her to come to the tournament. Can she come, or would her step-mother do something to keep her from going.

Valten, has never been attracted to any girl before he met Gisela. He hopes that she will come to the tournament. Only his nemesis Baron Friedric Ruexner will be there. Friedric vowed vengeance at their last tournament together. He seems determined to win over Valten and to try to humiliate him if at all possible. Friedric is not above cheating to get his win. And Friedric has noticed Valten’s attention of Gisela.

This is another great book by Dickerson. It has romance, action, and suspense.