The Broken Realm
Page 1
The Broken Realm
Kingdom of the White Sea Book Two
Sarah M. Cradit
Contents
Northerlands
Southerlands
Easterlands
Westerlands
Hinterlands
Duncarrow
Midnight Crest
The Consortium of the Sepulchre in the Skies
Dedication
Prologue
Tainted Blood and Barbed Tongues
1. Torrin’s Pass
2. The Ramblings of a Swindler
3. Drummond’s Cock
4. Crimson and Gold
5. The Counsel of Oldwin
6. The Flame
7. The Rookery
8. Rush Rider
The Guardians Don’t Make Mistakes
9. The Last Stand of the Westerlands
10. Louder, For Your Father
11. The Quarrels of Our Past
12. The Blackwood Banners
13. What He Does in the Shadows
14. Disgraced Lord
15. Two Seals
16. In Dreams
17. The One Beating Most Swiftly Toward your Destruction
18. Tempestuous Natures
19. The Four Sorcerers
20. This Time is Different
An Awakening Across The Kingdom
21. Bigger than Faith, Bigger than Magic
22. Ladies of the Mountain
23. Half-Truths
24. The Slithering Shadows
25. Not Tonight, But Soon
26. The Search
27. The Midnight Goat
28. A Declaration of War
29. Dain
30. Brewing Chaos
31. A Call to Arms
32. Aimed True
For Death, For Life, For Victory
33. Help from Others
34. Words and Deeds
35. Clever, Slippery
36. Dark Velvet
37. What We Protect
38. Recollections
39. On the Eve of What Will be
40. Friendships Birthed of Desperation
41. The Demands of Darkness
42. Making Peace with the Magic
43. An Honor to Serve
44. Recollections, Continued
45. The Dangerous Business of Treason
A Fire to Stoke or Starve
46. Langenacht
47. Children and Traitors
48. Fly and Fly High
49. A Thousand Tiny Cuts
50. The Exchange
51. The King
52. A Perfect Circle
53. Ryan
54. Command
55. Put it Behind
56. The Source
57. What He Did Not See
58. Jamesan
Epilogue
Also by Sarah M. Cradit
About the Author
Copyright © 2021 Sarah M. Cradit
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.
* * *
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design by Regina Wamba of ReginaWamba.com
Editing by Emily A. Lawrence of Lawrence Editing
* * *
Publisher Contact:
sarah@sarahmcradit.com
www.sarahmcradit.com
Northerlands
The Northern Reach
Lord and Lady:
Lord Holden Dereham & Lady Gretchen Quinlanden Dereham
* * *
Capital:
Wulfsgate
* * *
Standard:
The jagged mountaintop
* * *
Children:
Christian, 19
Drystan, 17
Lisbet, 14
Pieter, 13
Nyssa and Torrin, 10 (twins)
* * *
Greater Families/Stewards:
Aldenwood, Turick, Hardeham, Frost, Horne, Arranden, Wynter, Haddenfoot, Claybourne, Weatherford
* * *
Key Towns:
Whitecap, Midwinter Rest, Westport, Eastport, Salthill, Darkwood Run, Witchwood Cross, Wulfshead Haven, Torrin’s Pass, Dunwoode
* * *
Landmarks:
Northerland Range, Icebolt Mountain, Torrin’s Pass, Forest of Lycana
* * *
Notable Northerlanders:
Alric Dereham & Earwyn Blackwood Dereham of Wulfsgate
Aylen Wynter Dereham of Witchwood Cross (wife of Christian)
Anabella Weatherford Rhiagain of Whitecap (wife of Darrick)
Southerlands
The Southern Reach
Lord and Lady:
Lord Khallum Warwick & Lady Gwyn Dereham Warwick
Capital:
Warwicktown
* * *
Standard:
The crested wave
* * *
Children:
Ransom, 19
Esmerelda, 17
Niall, 15
Garrick, 12
* * *
Greater Families/Stewards:
Strong, Rutland, Bradford, Clayton, Garrick, Holton, Leecaster, Law, Nye, Thorpe
* * *
Key Towns:
Sandycove, Iron Hill, Sandymount, Whitecliffe, Stone Mawr, Blackpool, Leecaster Bay, Hornsea, Goldthorpe, Port Worthing
* * *
Landmarks:
The Golden Coast, The Warwick Throne, Drummond’s Cock
* * *
Notable Southerlanders:
Hamish and Andrija Strong, & sons Jesse and Ryan of Sandycove
Lem Garrick of Iron Hill
Barne Holton of Sandymount
Samuel Law of Port Worthing
Erran and Marie Rutland, & daughters Agnes and Esther of Whitecliffe
Easterlands
The Eastern Reach
Lord and Lady:
Lord Aiden Quinlanden & Lady Maeryn Blackwood Quinlanden
* * *
Capital:
Whitechurch
The Resplendent Reliquary of the Guardians is located in Riverchapel
The Consortium of the Sepulchre in the Skies is located in Briarhaven
The Council of Universities are in Oldcastle
* * *
Standard:
The oaken tree
* * *
Children:
Eavan, 18
Assana, 17
Cian, 16
Breandan, 13
Dorrin, 12
* * *
Greater Families/Stewards:
Oakenwell, Sylvaine, Forrest, Skylark, Rowan, Rosewood, Waters, Edevane
* * *
Key Towns:
Streamstowne, Rushwood, Riverchapel, Oldcastle, Everleigh Pike, Everhart Thicket, Greenfen, Briarhaven, Bythesea, Oak Hill
* * *
Landmarks:
Fionn’s Pass, Gap of Ever, The Sparkling Beck
* * *
Notable Easterlanders:
Lord Corin Quinlanden and Lady Yesenia Warwick of Whitechurch
Drystan “Ash” Sylvaine of Rushwood
Enchanter Joran Rosewood of Greenfen
Mads Waters of Bythesea
Stirling Oakenwell of Oak Hill
Wyat Edevane of Oldcastle
Westerlands
The Western Reach
Lord and Lady:
Lady Asherley Blackwood & Lord Byrne Warwick (deceased)
Capital:
Longwood Rush
* * *
Standard:
The providing mother
* * *
Children:
Hollyn (deceased)
Emberley, 15
Gabrianna, 14
Brandyn, 13
* * *
Greater Families/Stewards:
Tyndall, Glenlannan, Ashenhurst, Bristol, Blakewell, James, Stanhope, Richland, Derry, Wakesell
* * *
Key Towns:
Wildwood Falls, Pine Bluff, Windwatch Grove, Whispering Wood, Valleybrooke, Greencastle, East Derry, Greystone Abbey, Newcarrow, Whitewood
* * *
Landmarks:
The Seven Sisters of the West, The River Rush, Whispering Wood, The Whitewood, The Hidden Cave
* * *
Notable Westerlanders:
Easlan James & son Kaslan of Greystone Abbey
Griffath and Clarissant Tyndall, & children Marsh, Jonah, and Lyria of Wildwood Falls
Glen and Fleur Ashenhurst, & children Meadow and Brook of Windwatch Grove
Mason and Jasmine Wakesell, & daughter Storm of Whitewood
Arturo Blackfen, Rush Rider
Grand Minister Rhydian Tyndall
Hinterlands
The Land of the Medvedev
Chieftainesses:
Yseult de Medvedev, Drumain Clahnn
Ohsmha de Medvedev, Saleen Clahnn
* * *
Clahnns:
Drumain
Asgill
Mayke
Saleen
* * *
Yseult’s Children:
Kian, 17
Kael, 15
* * *
Landmarks:
Forest of All
* * *
Other Notable Medvedev:
Yanna de Medvedev of Clahnn Drumain (sister of Yseult, deceased)
Duncarrow
Seat of the Rhiagains
King:
Eoghan Rhiagain
Wife: Lady Assana Quinlanden of the Easterlands
Standard:
The crossed swords
* * *
King’s Family:
Khain- Father (deceased)
Florian- Mother (deceased)
Dain- Brother (deceased)
Assyria- Sister
Correen- Sister
Darrick- Brother
Anabella- Wife of Darrick
Stefan- Son of Darrick
* * *
Notable Rhiagains of Past:
King Carrow the Original
King Carrick the Dreamer
King Karsein
King Fynne the Good
* * *
Known Rhiagain Sorcerers:
Oldwin
Mortain
Lysanor
Isdemus
* * *
Landmarks:
The sky dungeon, Isle of Belcarrow
Midnight Crest
Haven of the Ravenwoods
High Priestess & Priest:
Varinya & Argentyn Ravenwood
* * *
Castle:
The Rookery
* * *
Sigil:
The raven
* * *
Children:
Alasyr, 17
Ravenna, 15
Ryandyr, 13
Ashara, 10
Nyana & Nevyn, 8 (twins)
* * *
Landmarks:
Courtyard of Regents
* * *
Notable Ravenwoods:
Adynora & Alasyr (Ravenna’s grandparents)
Aryc & son Sandyr
Ailyn
Corridyn
Rhosyn (defected)
The Consortium of the Sepulchre in the Skies
The Academy of Magic and Ruling Council of Elders
Head Magus:
Head Magus Tymagen
* * *
Location:
Briarhaven, in the Easterlands
* * *
Adherents- students
Enchanters/Enchantresses- magic practitioners who have finished their studies and been assigned into the world. May also be called by their discipline (i.e. Healers, Seers, etc.)
Magi- Instructors of magic at the Sepulchre
Elder Magi- A position of tenure that allows access to the Sacred Halls
Head Magus- The head of the Sepulchre
* * *
Notable Magi:
Magi Christian Dereham
Magi Aylen Wynter
Elder Magi Rorric Dereham
Elder Thorsen
* * *
Notable Adherents:
Brandyn Blackwood
Esther Rutland
For The Kingdom of the White Reader Group, who add so much more color and excitement to a journey filled to the brim with both. And to Gladys for keeping the wheels turning.
Prologue
Assana Rhiagain moved through the dreary halls of Duncarrow like an unmoored ghost. There’d been whispers intended for her in those first few days. They all wondered about the replacement bride, the girl who was only valuable to her father as a means of securing his place as key sycophant of the king. Some took great pleasure in their anticipation of the pain she’d endure at the hands of King Eoghan. Others reflected on this same thing with resigned sadness. Pity. The pity was the worst of all. She’d rather they all exalted in their joy over her painful marriage than direct toward her even a grain of sympathy.
The whispers had since moved on, redirecting their focus to the latest court intrigues. The Right of Choosing and a consolation prize would-be queen were no longer so interesting when measured against Asherley Blackwood’s moonlight flight, prompting a rare display of the king’s righteous fury. They looked to him to set the tone of their own emotions, and he did not disappoint. For this, he’d finally left his bedchamber, stomping through the barren halls of Duncarrow in his nightshift, roaring like a vexed dragon. Assana supposed they were all surprised his voice had the capacity to carry like that at all. His cruelty had always been louder than his words.
Asherley had taken with her the male heirs of the Southerlands and Northerlands. Asherley herself had been among the king’s pawns, and so her escape meant the loss of his leverage with the three Reaches who had failed to deliver as promised at the Right of Choosing.
Something else had been stolen as well, though no one knew precisely what. Only that it was of great importance to the king.
That left only Assana. Assana, burdened by her questions. Assana, laden with the weight of the many betrayals painting her short life.
No one looked her way now as her bare feet connected with the damp stone. She was no longer worth the height of their emotions, on either end of the pendulum. She was hardly worth Eoghan’s time, and his supposed need of her was the reason she’d been dragged to Duncarrow.