A Song for Arbonne - Guy Gavriel Kay

A peaceful, gentle, and passionate kingdom named Arbonne is invaded by ruthless northern warriors, and Arbonne's goddess and Arbonne's people must band together to fight the invaders. nFrom the critically-acclaimed author of The Fionavar Tapestry comes an epic fantasy novel of love, both courtly and forbidden, and two kingdoms endlessly opposed... nBlaise of Gorhaut is a warrior.

He fought for his king and country, until the king died with an arrow in his eye at the battle of Iersen Bridge, and a dishonorable treaty ceded a good part of his country to foreign hands. He has broken relations with his father, adviser to the king of Gorhaut, and abandoned the use of his family name. n n Now, Blaise is a mercenary.

He never expected to work for the lords of Arbonne, the warm, fertile lands south of Gorhaut, whose people praise the love of women--they even worship a goddess, instead of the god. They are a soft people, or so he thought. But for all their nonsense about love, their troubadours and songs, they will fight for their country, when invasion comes from the north.n