The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick

In days of old when knights were bold, all the counts and no-accounts, epitomized by the macabre King John, gather in eleventh century England, Ireland, Wales and France to pursue the pleasures and rigors of life in medieval times. Fearless knight William Marshall and his consort Isabella produce heirs to replenish the lands of their earldom in Wales while combating jealous forces of evil in neighboring empires.
Author Chadwick's verbiage flows through this novel of compelling acts of chivalry, chicanery, civility, and deceit. Only the strength of William's and Isabella's marriage and their devotion to their children enables goodness to win over deviousness. William's perception is exemplary.