Raid a dragon's hoard for her dowry? It seemed like a good idea at the time... Madelena isn't in love with her friend Armando, but his marriage proposal offers the security she needs. She sympathizes with him-his father insists Armando must either find a bride or join the army. Armando would rather become a husband than a soldier, but his ugly face has scared away all other eligible ladies despite his family's wealth. Although she harbors only friendship for Armando, Madelena agrees to marry him on one condition: she insists on acquiring a dowry worthy of his family's noble standing in the land of Costa Nueva. But as a humble stablemaid, Madelena has no idea how to find such wealth. That's when the talking burro Terco mentions he's heard how to find a dragon's treasure. Javier, Armando's younger brother, has loved Madelena in silence for years. When he learns of their impending marriage, he offers to help her find the treasure, even though succeeding may cost him the chance to spend his future with her. Together, they face a dangerous wilderness, a charming bandit, and a dragon's lair, forcing Javier to confront his feelings and Madelena to re-evaluate her heart. A Noble Companion is a New Adult non-magical Christian fantasy retelling of The Ugly Duckling, book #6 in The Cornerstone Series. Each book can be read as a standalone. Born only a few miles from where Jesse James robbed his first train, Rachel Kovaciny has loved westerns all her life. She says they're where her imagination feels most at home. A Christian wife and mother, Rachel homeschools her children. In her spare time, she writes a newspaper column on Old West history for the Prairie Times. Her book "My Rock and My Refuge" was the 2023 WILLA Literary Award Finalist in Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction and the 2023 PenCraft Awards second place winner for Christian Historical Fiction. Her book "Cloaked" was a finalist for the 2018 Peacemaker Awards for Best Western YA/Children's Fiction.
