The Fiery Furnace (Ordeal by Fire) (Volume 2)

As the novel opens, Olivier de Mazan is trying to evade the Inquisition and its secular thugs, while Count Raimond of Tolouse and French Queen Blanche of Castille are using the boudoir to pursue their own political aims. When French Crusaders attack Olivier's daughter’s castle, his grandsons, Odon and Rainier, set out for Montsegur, the Cathars' last refuge, which a French army is besieging. Rainier turns back, determined to prevent his family's capture, and runs into the son of Robin Hood, a soldier of fortune who takes Rainier under his wing. Odon goes on alone and meets the love of his life along the way. Both cousins are eventually reunited with their grandfather and their pretty cousin Miranda, who’s attracted to Robin. The prospects of outlasting the siege grow dim, and the Cathars make plans to spirit their treasure, including some priceless scrolls off of the mountain to safety. Their only hope of not being burned alive is for Count Raimond to come to their rescue and lift the siege, but he is embroiled in protecting his dynasty from extinction. The Fiery Furnace is the second novel of the trilogy Ordeal by Fire.