'This was the original game of thrones' George R.R. Martin The royal house of France has fallen. Charles IV is dead, fulfilling the curse of the Templars once and for all. This leaves the path to the throne open for Robert of Artois to place his cousin, Philippe of Valois, upon it. Having committed fraud, perjury and murder in the name of the new king, Robert expects to receive a title and his full reward. But the days of betrayal are far from over and Robert is banished to England. In the land of France's enemies vengeance sparks fresh conflict as King Edward III and his new ally prepare for war. As swords are sharpened the lion wakes and a pretender threatens France once more...

From the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin's epic work. Accursed! Accursed! You shall be accursed to the thirteenth generation! The Iron King — Philip the Fair — is as cold and silent, as handsome and unblinking as a statue. He governs his realm with an iron hand, but he cannot rule his own family: his sons are weak and their wives adulterous; while his red-blooded daughter Isabella is unhappily married to an English king who prefers the company of men. A web of scandal, murder and intrigue is weaving itself around the Iron King; but his downfall will come from an unexpected quarter. Bent on the persecution of the rich and powerful Knights Templar, Philip sentences Grand Master Jacques Molay to be burned at the stake, thus drawing down upon himself a curse that will destroy his entire dynasty...

La contessa Lucrezia Sanziani, dont l'allure ne dissimule pas la pauvreté, ne vit que par ses souvenirs et que pour eux. Remontant le cours du temps, elle rejoue à haute voix les scènes d'un passé ardent, mouvementé, Y quasi fabuleux, qui fascine la petite femme de chambre de l'hôtel minable où elle habite. Carmela se prête au jeu de la contessa et, affectueusement, l'aide à poursuivre sa vie. Charité qui trouve une éclatante récompense tandis que s'éteint le fantôme de celle qui fut trop attachée à la volupté d'être et dont Maurice Druon trace un portrait extraordinaire.