The Pictish Demon

The year is 1513. And Scotland stands on the brink of war. At the court of King James IV, loyalties shift like shadows, and even the bravest knights struggle to survive the intrigues of crown and clan. But among them rides a man both feared and adored: Sir Alasdair Ruaridh, the king's reluctant champion, bound not to the throne but to the Queen he once chose over death itself. Known across the Highlands as the Pictish Demon, Alasdair lives as he fights—with laughter, mischief, and a cudgel that breaks bone as easily as it breaks morale. He inspires men on the battlefield, enrages nobles in the hall, and tempts fate with every reckless word. At his side is young Humphry, a timid page turned chronicler, whose ink must capture both the brutality and the strange, unruly charm of the knight who defies kings and calls upon old gods. Through his eyes, readers see not only blood and ruin, but also moments of startling tenderness, wild devotion, and the fragile hope of love in a world bent toward war. As Scotland marches to Flodden Field, destiny closes in. The old gods stir, alliances fracture, and Alasdair's legend takes on a life of its own. To some he is a hero, to others a devil—but to history, he may be the last hope of a nation. **A sweeping tale of war, loyalty, and the dangerous laughter of a man who bends fate to his will—**The Pictish Demon brings Scotland's most perilous hour to life in fire, blood, and myth.