SOLVED. YA Historical Fiction Follows the son of a beggar and the girl who had him hanged. [s]

[Eleanor]

I think the book was set in Spain around the time of the Inquisition.

In the first chapter, a girl is praying for her sick mother when she is approached by a beggar. She is startled and, when he reaches out to her, panics and runs away, shouting that he touched her. This is taken in the worst possible way by the townsfolk and the beggar is dragged to the girl's wealthy father (possibly a magistrate or mayor of some kind). He orders the man hanged and his son sees the whole thing.

I can't remember much of the middle of the book, only that the girl is shunned as she is believed to have been violated and no one will marry her. She goes to live with her aunt who may have been a nun after her stepmother tells her as much. The boy leaves the town and trains as an assassin of some kind, seeking revenge for his father's unjust murder.

Years later they meet at a party and dance, falling for each other. They are then horrified to learn of their true identities. The boy finds he can't kill her for the part she played but does burn down her father's house with the family inside.

Has anyone else read this? I think it might have been published 2005-2010?

[Holly]

Prisoner of the Inquisition

[Eleanor]

Holly wrote: "Prisoner of the Inquisition"

Ah, thank you! That's the one!