The Black Arrow

Richard Shelton comes home to Tunstall Castle and learns his father Sir Harry Shelton has been murdered. The grim revelation sets off a chain of feuds and political maneuvering during the War of the Roses.

Brackley publicly accuses Sedley of murdering Sir Harry, claiming Sedley was executed and his lands seized to expand York's influence. Three of Brackley's trusted associates back up the story, bolstering his claim and sowing doubt about Sedley.

Richard is tasked with bringing Joanna Sedley, Sedley's daughter, to Tunstall to become Brackley's ward. The assignment intertwines Richard's fate with Sedley and Joanna as the political plot unfolds.

Appleyard is shot by an arrow bearing a message signed by 'John Amend-All,' indicting Brackley and his circle. The note also claims Brackley is responsible for Sir Harry's death, and Appleyard dies shortly after at the castle.

Joanna confesses to Richard that 'John Amend-All' is Sedley, who survived his execution. This revelation shifts the focus back to Sedley as Brackley's rival and the true target of the vengeance implied by the note.

Richard and Joanna attempt to slip through a secret passage but are discovered by Hatch. Richard defeats Hatch and learns of another exit, as Brackley orders the guards to stop them. Joanna is captured, and Richard escapes by the moat, taking a bullet in the back in the process.

Richard awakens in a forest to find Sedley and his men hiding. Sedley explains that Brackley murdered Richard's father and framed Sedley, with Lawless aiding the fake execution. The confrontation strengthens Sedley's resolve to reclaim justice.

Brackley orders a bounty on Richard and captures Sedley, thwarting Sedley's plan to seek justice by appealing to the Duke of Gloucester. The power struggle intensifies as Brackley's grip tightens.

Foresters rally against Brackley's men, and Richard duels Hatch, killing him in single combat. The encounter marks a tangible shift toward direct, violent resistance against Brackley's faction.

Brackley arranges a wedding between himself and Joanna to seal Sedley's land with Joanna as his wife. The Duke of Gloucester attends the ceremony as guest of honor, highlighting the political stakes of the union.

Richard and Lawless infiltrate Tunstall Castle disguised as monks, getting detained briefly in Sedley's cell before escaping. From a hidden staircase in the chapel, Lawless shoots and kills Oates, halting the wedding plans.

Richard, Sedley, and Lawless confront Brackley in his chambers, and Richard appeals to the Duke for a trial by combat, which the Duke grants. The hallmarks of chivalric justice drive the narrative forward toward a final reckoning.

During the joust, Brackley is knocked from his horse and defeated as his weapons are broken. Richard kills Brackley with his own lance, Sedley is pardoned and given a position in the House of York, and Richard shares a kiss with Joanna.