CRR Blog carnival - Legendary Moments of Romance

My post today is part of the Classic Romance Revival's 'Blog Carnival' and there are prizes to be won! I'm offering a download of any one of my books to one lucky commentator. There is also a Grand Prize. Winners for the grand prize - a 5-ARC package from Classic Romance Revival authors - will be drawn from visitors commenting on the most blogs.

To qualify for the grand prize, you need to register for the contest. Please visit the Classic Romance Revival blog to find details of all the blogs and to register

It's Valentine's Day, for many people the most romantic day of the year!

For my stop, I thought I'd talk about some legendary moments of Romance, both in history, legend and fiction.

Who do you think of when you think of legends of Romance? Well to start with one choice has definitely got to be the story of Anthony and Cleopatra.

Immortalised by William Shakespeare and in several films, the legendary story of Anthony and Cleopatra is surely on of the most romantic love stories in history. Their meeting, following Caesar's death, when Anthony summoned Cleopatra to meet him in Tarsus to answer questions about her loyalty, must surely be one of the defining moments of romance in history. Cleopatra arrived in great state, and so charmed Antony that he chose to spend the winter of 41 BC–40 BC with her in Alexandria. Their ill-fated love, which ended in both their deaths, is so sad and poignant, and reminiscent of my next couple:

Romeo and Juliet, another great work of Shakespeare, and that unforgettable moment, when Romeo believing Juliet to have died, kills himself. When Juliet revives, and finds her lover dead, she also kills herself. Oh dear, no happy ending there, either.

My next romantic couple is not quite so tragic, Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara. Whether you've seen the film or read the book, or both, who can forget that moment when Scarlett sits on the stair at Tara and utters the immortal words "....Tara!...Home. I'll go home, and I'll think of some way to get him back! After all, tomorrow is another day!"

Then there's Lancelot and Guinevere. One of the best known love triangles in European legend. Lancelot falls in love with the Queen and they begin a secret affair. The moment they are discovered, is not only tragic for them but for the whole of Camelot. One night, Sir Agravain and Sir Modred, King Arthur's nephew, lead a band of 12 knights to Guinevere's chamber where they burst in upon the lovers. Discovered, Sir Lancelot makes a fighting escape, but Guinevere is not so lucky and is seized and condemned to death for her adultery. Ultimately she is saved by Lancelot but the affair divides the Knights of the Round Table and weakens Arthur's Kingdom.

How about a couple of rather happier romantic moments? Here's one you may not have head before. Pwlch and Rhiannon. Rhiannon was the Welsh/Celtic lunar goddess of fertility, rebirth, transformation, and magic. In Wales she is also called the ‘horse goddess.' She was such a highly skilled horsewoman no mortal man or other god could catch her. She fell in love with Pwll, and appeared to him, dressed in shimmering gold and mounted on her horse, then she disappeared into the woods.

One year to the date of their first meeting, Rhiannon showed up while the prince was riding with his men. This was the moment' he had waited for. She motioned for him to follow her into the woods. where a beautiful castle with tall spires, stood just beyond a clearing of lakes, trees and woods. Rhiannon welcomed her beloved prince to her father's castle where they were immediately married.

Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester In Charlotte Bronte's novel 'Jane Eyre', friendless characters find a cure for loneliness in each other's company The improbable pair grow close as Rochester reveals a tender heart beneath his gruff exterior. After discovering, on their wedding day, that he is already married, albeit to a mad woman. Jane leaves, but returns after a terrible fire destroys Rochester's mansion, kills his wife, and leaves him blind. In that moment, love triumphs, and the two reunite and live out their days in shared bliss.

Well I can promise you the characters in my stories ALWAYS have a happy ending!

So tell me - what is your favourite legendary romantic moment?