The Sire de Maletroit's Door (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

A desperate flight from danger leads a young cavalier to a trap from which there is only one escape: a forced marriage.

Set in the tumultuous world of 15th-century France, this gripping short story by Robert Louis Stevenson follows the proud young soldier, Denis de Beaulieu. Fleeing a patrol of enemy troops on a dark night, Denis desperately seeks refuge and finds an open door into a grand, mysterious chateau.

But the door locks behind him, and he finds himself a prisoner of the enigmatic and formidable Sire de Maletroit.

The Sire, obsessed with family honor, has mistaken Denis for the man who has compromised his young niece, Blanche. Denis is presented with a terrifying ultimatum: he must either marry Blanche by daybreak to cover the scandal, or face immediate execution.

As the two hours tick away in the echoing silence of the castle chapel, Denis and Blanche must negotiate a life-or-death choice and discover if genuine affection can be forged from a coerced union. This taut, atmospheric tale explores the themes of honor, destiny, and whether a heart can truly find love under the shadow of the gallows.