Kylen and Zastra divided their time between Golmer Castle and Golgannan. The Sendoran capital was rebuilt and restored to its former beauty. Findar chose to live on Uden’s Teeth, as did many of the rebels who had made a home there. Yldred, Rastran’s younger brother, asked permission to join them, drawn by the quiet, rustic lifestyle. He and Findar became fast friends. Under Findar’s leadership, the mixed community of Sendorans, Far Islanders and Golmeirans began to claim a new, single identity. Free Islanders, they called themselves, and eventually sought their own independence from Golmeira. Granting this request from her brother was the last act of Zastra’s reign, before she abdicated in favour of her niece. Kastara had eventually realised what was right in front of her nose. That Myka loved her and, to her surprise, she discovered she loved him back. Their daughter, Leonara, became the first grand marl with Southland blood, a cause for much rejoicing in a territory that had often felt second best among the Golmeiran lands. On the same day that Zastra abdicated, Kylen relinquished control of Sendor to her brother’s second son. Having no desire to interfere with the decisions of their successors, Kylen and Zastra requisitioned the Wind of Golmeira. The ship was old, and her timbers groaned in a high wind, but she was still a joy to sail, especially close-hauled. With a small crew of volunteers they headed west, beyond the Free Isles, to explore what might lay in the far corners of the Serene Sea. They were never seen in Golmeira again.
In future years, scholars would debate the merits of Zastra’s rule. Some lauded her for bringing peace and prosperity to what became known as the Six Realms. Trade flourished between Golmeira, the Far Isles and Aliterra. Under her rule, farmers and labourers gained the right to own their own lands and pass them down to their families. The new legal system became the protector of rights, rather than an instrument to enable the tyranny of the marls. Other historians, mainly men, took the opposing view, citing her reign as dull and lacking flair. Golmeira could have been a great and glorious empire, they said, if Thorlberd had been allowed to continue with his conquests. It was true that Zastra’s reign did not merit a chapter in the Legends of the Warriors. But neither she, nor most of those who lived under her rule, cared one jot about that.
THE END
Acknowledgements
Many people have helped me on the long journey that was writing the Tales of Golmeira. Wendy Tomlinson and Michele Hutchison were the very first people to read Realm of Mindweavers and gave me both encouragement and much needed constructive criticism. Brian Keaney, himself an established author, also provided feedback on Realm of Mindweavers, as well as kindly giving me a quote for the blurb. Amanda Benjamin, and my parents, Richard and Sylvia Ratcliffe have served as proof-readers for the series, which have been copyedited by Claire Rushbrook. I have been assisted in book cover designs by Andy Boothman of Busy as a B. Finally, but most importantly, I would like to thank my wife, Sharon Gubby, who allows me to spend so much time in Golmeira, and who reassures me in moments of doubt that I have written a series of “proper books”.
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