Somehow she made it to the tower doorway, down the spiral stair and out into the castle courtyard. Chaos claimed the yard, a swirl of warhorses, armor, and steel, the able helping the wounded. Liandra watched them dismount, never so glad for so much martial glory. The chaos resolved to order and Stewart strode towards her. Clad in bloodied armor, he removed his helm and knelt.
“Majesty, we came as soon as we could.”
“And Lingard?”
“Restored to the Rognalds.” He stared up at her. “Our plan worked.”
His dark hair was too long and matted from his helm, his face too lean and unshaven, his eyes shadowed from lack of sleep, but he was whole and alive. She wanted to embrace him, to hold him safe in her arms, but instead she played the queen, giving him the dignity he deserved. “You have done well.” She offered him her hand. “We are most pleased.”
He kissed her gauntleted hand and then he stood, flashing a boyish grin. “You look good in armor, mother.”
Liandra could not suppress a smile. “We prefer silk.”
His face sobered. “I lost my blue steel sword.”
“We have gained it back for you.”
His face brightened, full of questions, but then a stranger stepped forward, a man in huntsman’s leathers carrying a longbow. His eyes were startling, golden-yellow with vertical slits for pupils. Cat eyes in a man’s face, the queen smothered her surprise. “And who is this?”
Stewart gestured to the stranger. “When we came to the city, we found allies fighting the Flame.”
The pieces began to fall into place. “So you are the ones who silenced the ram?”
He gave her the barest of nods, as if his pride forbad him to bow. “I am Alwin of Clan Hemlock, a ranger of the Deep Green. The Treespeaker sent us to save a queen.”
His words made little sense, yet Liandra was grateful for any allies, no matter how strange. “You have our thanks, but we would hear more of your people and your Treespeaker.”
“Cenric speaks for the clan, but he is still fighting within the city.”
“Then we will meet with him when the fighting is done.”
Stewart stepped forward, his face anxious. “I must return to the battle. The city is not yet secure.”
The queen nodded, reluctant to let him go, yet it was his duty to be crown prince, just as it was her duty to be queen. “We will await you in our chambers.”
Stewart took his leave, leading half a hundred knights back into the streets, a thunder of hooves on cobblestones. The queen watched them ride out, confident in their victory, but one fear nagged her mind, she had not heard from Robert. Her heart quailed at the thought. Victory was rarely without sacrifice, but this was one price she refused to pay.
Mired in worry, the queen climbed the steps to her castle. Tired of scurrying through the dank military stairwells, Liandra needed to walk in her castle’s marbled hallways, to feel the sunlight pouring through mullioned windows, to see her ancestors’ faces embroidered in the great tapestries. A pair of guards rushed to open the gilded doors and then she saw them. Her people crowded the marbled hallways, their faces strained with a mixture of hope and fear. Most clutched weapons. A few held swords, but most carried makeshift arms, pokers, cast iron skillets, mallets, cudgels and staves. Despite their fear, she knew they stood ready to fight. Liandra studied their faces, the true wealth of her kingdom.
“The Rose Army has returned. Victory is nearly ours.”
A cheer erupted from her people, a triumphant shout echoing through the gilded hallways.
The queen moved among them. Her people knelt, leaving an open path down the marbled hall. Hands reached out to touch the hem of her cloak. Liandra saw hope and resolve etched in their faces. She drew strength from her people, strength and confidence. A conviction grew in her heart. As long as her people stood against evil, as long as they dared to fight, then Darkness could not win.
“We shall never succumb to evil.”
Her people cheered and she knew her kingdom was saved.
97
Liandra
Liandra paced her solar, wearing a path in the wool carpet. Victory was secured, yet she still had not heard from Robert. If the man was dead, she’d never forgive him, if he kept her dangling with needless worry, she’d kill him. “Where is he?”
Princess Jemma and Lady Sarah kept vigil with the queen, but neither woman dared an answer. The princess stood before the roaring fireplace, still dressed in huntsman’s leathers, absorbing the fire’s warmth, while Lady Sarah sat in a chair, her knitting needles clacking a distracting rhythm. Scones and tea sat forgotten on a side table. Still clad in armor, Liandra paced her solar, consumed with worry. She’d lost her unborn daughter to treachery; she could not bear to lose Robert to war. Surely the gods could not be that cruel.
An abrupt knock came from the door.
The queen tensed. “Come.”
A page opened the door and then he was there. Striding towards her, he looked a fright, his face blackened with charcoal, his leather armor stained with blood, but she did not care. “My queen!” He swept her into his arms and kissed her hard. She clung to him, decorum be damned, but her armor was between them, a stiff reminder of her rank.
He gave her another kiss, a promise of the passion to come, “They’ll be time for us,” and then he stepped away, her shadowmaster once more.
The queen took a deep breath, struggling to regain her poise. “Is the raven dead?”
Her shadowmaster scowled. “I had to make a choice. I sent Harrow and Dartmore after the raven, while I led the archers against the ram.” His face turned grim. “Later, after the ram was defeated, I found them both dead in the mansion. The lord’s chamber was empty save for a woman, her throat slashed, naked in his bed. I fear the raven survived the attack, but perhaps the city caught him. Either way, the victory is yours.”
Her city was safe, her kingdom secured, but if the raven still lived, he’d be keen for vengeance. “Question the prisoners. See if any know if the raven survived.”
He nodded. “As you command. But I’ve also brought allies to meet with you.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“Then show them in.” The queen took a seat in the gilded chair set before the fire. Stiff in her armor, she arranged the drape of her emerald cloak. Not her most attractive look, but perhaps it was best if she met these new allies as a warrior queen.
Three men in huntsmen’s leathers entered her solar. Like a breath of wilderness come to her court, all three had yellow-gold cat-eyes, gleaming unnaturally bright in the firelight. Yellow eyes, demon eyes, Liandra’s breath caught, suppressing the urge to make the hand sign against evil. They stood before her, tall and broad shouldered, their faces chiseled with pride despite the feral wildness of their eyes. One wore a cloak of peacock feathers, cascading to the floor. Turquoise eyes shimmering in the firelight, the feathered cloak lent him a strange mixture of regal luxury and exotic barbarism.
“I am Cenric, the leader of Clan Hemlock.” The cloaked one gave her a nod, the barest hint of deference. “The Treespeaker sent us to save a queen.”
“We bid you welcome to our court and we thank you for your aid.”
Cenric cocked his head, as if listening to more than her words. “Yet you fear our eyes.”
The queen stifled her surprise, amazed at his perception. She studied his face, trying to gauge the intent behind his strange golden eyes. Given his blunt challenge, she decided honesty was the best approach. “It is true that your eyes startle us. They remind us of children’s tales, of demons stalking the dark, yet your actions name you allies. All too often people are judged by their appearance instead of their worth. As a queen, we understand this disparity all too well. Women are often overlooked, their deeds belittled or ignored. We shall not make that same mistake.”
He stared at her, as if weighing her words, but then he nodded. “So the princess spoke true.”
The conversation spiraled to a deeper
level, like diving into a murky ocean. “What princess?”
“Princess Kath of Castlegard. She said that among the white-eyes only one queen ruled alone. A queen of uncommon wisdom who might welcome our bows despite our eyes.”
Kath of Castlegard, a name she’d not thought of for many moon turns. The chessboard grew crowded with unexpected pieces, plots within plots. Liandra sensed a bigger game, as if all of Erdhe were drawn into a web, connected by strands of light and dark. “And how did you learn of our need?”
He gave her a knowing smile. “The trees drink deep, tapping into the roots of the world. An ancient evil awakes, threatening all of Erdhe.” He withdrew a scroll from his pouch, handing it to her. “A messenger bid me give you this.”
Liandra took the scroll. Her breath caught at the sight of the seal, dark blue wax imprinted with the Seeing Eye of the Kiralynn monks. She broke the seal and read the words. Just a few lines scrawled on parchment, yet they changed everything. A chill rushed through her, as cold and bleak as the worst winter. The parchment dropped from her hands. She’d barely saved her kingdom, only to face a worse doom. “The Knights of the Octagon have fallen. Raven Pass is taken. The Mordant marches south. The Battle Immortal has begun.”
APPENDIX
LANVERNESS
Lanverness is an old kingdom, steeped in tradition, often relying on its wealth of natural resources and the shrewdness of its rulers to grow in prosperity and influence. Never fecund, the royal line of Lanverness has been forced to branch out several times over the centuries. The Rose Throne is currently held by the Tandroths. The Tandroths nearly lost the throne when the last king of Lanverness, King Leonid, failed to produce a male heir. The king survived a revolt and forced his noblemen to accept his only daughter, Liandra, as the heir to the Rose Throne on the condition that she marry a peer of the realm. Liandra is the only queen to rule a kingdom of Erdhe. Under Queen Liandra’s stewardship, Lanverness has become the wealthiest kingdom in all of Erdhe.
The symbol of Lanverness is two white roses crossed on a field of emerald green. The seat of their power is Castle Tandroth, rising from the heart of Pellanor, the capitol city.
QUEEN LIANDRA TANDROTH, ruler of the Rose Throne, also known as the White Rose of Lanverness, also known as the Spider Queen
-her husband, PRINCE-CONSORT DONALD TERREL, chosen from among the noble families of Lanverness, Lord Terrel was raised up to be the Prince-Consort to the queen on condition that he forsake his name and his lineage. He died in a hunting accident shortly after the birth of his second son. The heraldry of house Terrel is a red unicorn rearing on a field of green.
-their children:
PRINCE STEWART, heir to the Rose Throne, promoted to general of the Rose Army, wields a blue steel sword
PRINCE DANLY, spare heir to the Rose Throne, a condemned traitor
PRINCESS ASELYNN, died at birth
-her councilors:
LORD ROBERT HIGHGATE, the Master Archivist, the queen’s shadowmaster, right hand to the queen
MASTER RADDOCK, deputy shadowmaster serving the queen, was once a condemned thief, rescued from the dungeons by the Master Archivist
SIR DURNHEART, the Knight Protector, raised to a knight after the Red Horn rebellion, wields a blue steel sword
LORD TURNER, a former member of the queen’s council, boiled alive for treason, a harlequin of the Dark Lord
LORD LENOX, Lord of the Treasury, replaces Lord Wesley on the queen’s council
LORD SHELDON, the Lord Sheriff, leader of the constable force of Lanverness
MAJOR RANOTH, promoted after the rebellion, he serves as a military advisor to the queen
LORD SADDLER, a goldsmith raised to a lord after the rebellion, the Master of Coin on the queen’s council
LORD MILLS, an ambitious and handsome lord raised to the queen’s council after the rebellion
LORD HUNTER, a skilled diplomat, used as a roving ambassador to the other kingdoms of Erdhe
LORD RICKMAN, the Lord of Mines, responsible for the ruby, emerald and iron ore mines of Lanverness
LORD QUINCE, Lord of the Hunt, Warden of the Royal Forests
LORD CADWELL, Master of Letters, the secretary to the Royal Council
DUKE ANDERS, a wealthy lord, fallen out of the queen’s favor
-her ladies-in-waiting:
LADY SARAH JAMESON, a distant cousin of the queen, principle lady-in-waiting to the queen
LADY MARTHA, a lady-in-waiting to the queen
LADY AMY, the youngest of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting
LADY LINDSEY, a lady-in-waiting to the queen
-other members of the court:
PRINCESS JEMMA, a princess of Navarre, Wayfaring with the queen to learn the way of multiplying coins
SIR CARDEMIR, fifth son of the Duke of Graymaris, the seahorse knight, sent by the queen as an emissary to the Kiralynn monks, murdered by the Mordant’s treachery
FREDERINKO, an emissary from the Empire of Ur, a chained servant of the twelfth-fold prince of Ur, come to the Rose Court bearing gifts, sent to prepare for the prince’s arrival
CAPTAIN BLACKMON, captain of the queen’s guards
LORD EVON, a minor lordling in Pellanor
MASTER HOLTON, a nobleman in Pellanor
MASTER SPITZER, a nobleman in Pellanor
HEALER CRANDOR, a master healer of the Rose Court
MARSTAN, a shadowman
HARROW, a shadowman
DARTMORE, a shadowman
THE ROSE ARMY
PRINCE STEWART, heir to the Rose Throne, General of the Rose Army, wields a blue steel sword
-his officers and soldiers:
LORD DANE, eldest son of the Duke of Kardiff, fostered to the Rose Court at a young age, a sword brother to Prince Stewart, second in command of the Rose Army, the symbol of the Dukes of Kardiff is a rearing griffin holding a sword
KELSO, serves as one of Prince Stewart’s commanders
MATHIS, serves as one of Prince Stewart’s commanders
MAJOR BATTON, a commander of the Rose Army
GEDRY, a scout serving the Rose Squad
SAM, a soldier captured by the Flame
TIMMONS, a soldier captured by the Flame
DALT, a soldier captured by the Flame
OWEN, a soldier captured by the Flame, becomes a royal guard
JASPER, a soldier captured by the Flame
KENNITH, a soldier captured by the Flame
CROCKER, a scout captured by the Flame, becomes a royal guard
PERCY, a scout captured by the Flame
CRISPIN, a soldier captured by the Flame, becomes a royal guard
KERLIN, a soldier captured by the Flame
LEUTENANT AUBRY, leads a troop serving to evacuate villagers
CARTER, a guard assigned to Danly, a former Red Horn sworn to the queen
CAPTAIN TALCOT, captain of the guards assigned to Danly
ATHON BAIRD, a peasant turned soldier, assigned to guard Danly
LINGARD
Lingard is a fortress citadel, the second greatest fortress in Lanverness. The heraldic seat of the Rognalds, staunch supports and loyal lords serving Queen Liandra. Their symbol is an iron fist on a field of yellow-gold.
BARON ROGNALD, a peer of the realm of Lanverness, a friend and staunch supporter of Queen Liandra, the ruler of Lingard, he is a widower
-his officers, soldiers, and servants:
LORD RONALD ROGNALD, eldest son of Baron Rognald, commander of the south gate of Lingard, heir to Lingard
CAPTAIN LEONARD VENGAR, captain of the guard for Lingard
DASCHEL, seneschal to Baron Rognald
KURT, a soldier sworn to the baron, friend of Vengar
SANDRA, a whore in Lingard, friend of Vengar
CORONTH
The kingdom of Coronth was long ruled by one of the oldest royal families in Erdhe. Tracing their lineage back to before the War of Wizards, the Manfreds struggled to maintain their kingdom despite the aftermath of chaos and f
amine caused by the magical war. Their descendents ruled in an unbroken line for over a thousand years until a preacher of the Flame God brought a new religion to the capitol city of Balor. Enthralling the crowds with the miracle of the Test of Faith, the Pontifax gained a rabid following. In less than a year, the new religion consumed the kingdom, making the Pontifax more powerful than the king. Ruling from the pulpit, the Pontifax declared that only a true believer of the Flame God could wear the crown of Coronth, forcing the king, his wife, and all of his children to submit to the Test of Faith. When the searing flames consumed the royal house, the Pontifax became the spiritual and secular ruler of Coronth.
The symbol of house Manfred was a golden lion rearing on a field of blue. The new symbol of Coronth is a golden flame on field of red, the symbol of the Flame God. The seat of power is the capitol city of Balor.
THE PONTIFAX, the supreme spiritual and secular ruler of Coronth, also known
as the Enlightened One, beloved of the Flame God
-his priests and counselors:
THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME, Senior priest of the Flame, leader of the Confessors of the Flame, he becomes the ruler of Coronth and the leader of the faith after the death of the Pontifax, he remains in Balor
THE ARMY OF THE FLAME
LORD STEFFAN RAVEN, Counselor to the Pontifax, the leader of the Army of the Flame, his personal symbol is a black raven on a bloodred field
-his officers and servants:
GENERAL CAYLIB, General of the Army of the Flame
BISHOP TANIFF, also known as the Bloody Bishop, the senior cleric riding with the Army of the Flame, he is a religious fanatic and berserker warrior, he wields a spiked mace
PIP, an orphan lad who serves Lord Raven
OLAFF, a mute giant, a guard serving Lord Raven
ALAN JELLIKAN, Pyromancer of the Flame
SALMAY, a young woman who becomes a mistress to Steffan, a spoil of war
S&SS [04] The Poison Priestess Page 55