The Coravian Conflict (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 5)

by Loren K. Jones

  The Coravian Conflict

  By Loren K. Jones

  Twilight Times Books

  Kingsport Tennessee

  The Coravian Conflict

  This is a work of fiction. All concepts, characters and events portrayed in this book are used fictitiously and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 by Loren K. Jones. Expanded and revised from a previous electronic edition published by e-Quill Publishing, Brisbane, Australia 2010 with title “The Coravian Conflict.”

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without the permission of the publisher and copyright owner.

  Twilight Times Books

  P O Box 3340

  Kingsport, TN 37664

  www.twilighttimesbooks.com/

  Revised Electronic Edition: July 2017. Author’s preferred version.

  Cover art by Brad Fraunfelter.

  Published in the United States of America

  Table of Contents

  Prelude

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Bonus Story Kalin Zel’Andral, Lieutenant

  Author’s Note

  Prelude

  “ARE WE AGREED THAT WE ARE in a crisis?” King Teravan Zel’Darvin of Coravia demanded as he sat with his Council and looked around. His honey-blonde hair was starting to show strands of silver, but his eyes were still piercingly blue. “Can we at least agree on that much?”

  The king’s eyebrow hooded over his eyes as an unhappy expression clouded his face. Not that any of the ministers looked any happier than their king.

  At his left hand, Queen Rowena sat back and just glared at the ministers. Few of the men dared even look at her. Rowena Ne’Pardin Zel’Darvin’s temper was a known and feared quantity in the palace. And right now, she looked furious.

  “We are, Your Majesty,” the Minister of Agriculture said as he bowed his head. He was far older than his king, and his white hair was beginning to thin too much to brush over. “The harvest last fall was poor. There is no other way to say it. We are going to have to import grain from the other kingdoms. People are eating their seed-grain.”

  “At least the taxes on that much grain will help ease the strain on the treasury,” the much younger Minister of Finance muttered. He was the only one who looked anything but miserable.

  “No!” Queen Rowena shouted as she sat forward and slapped the table with an open hand, making the councilors cringe. “No. We are not going to burden our people with even higher prices on food on top of everything else. There will be no tax on the grain.”

  “Your Majesty, we must—” the Minister of Finance began, but this time it was the king who interrupted with a pointed finger.

  “Rowena said no. It is going to be bad enough that they are going to have to pay higher prices to the Traders who haul grain into Coravia from Evandia and Luxandia without adding the tax. Grain and other food stuffs will not be taxed. And if you open your mouth about it again, you’re gone.” The king sat forward and glared at his Minister. “Do you understand me, Rahndas?”

  The Minister of Finance silently bowed in his seat. He’d known Teravan Zel’Darvin since they were children, and he knew when to back down. Teravan’s temper could be even more volatile than Rowena’s.

  Queen Rowena spoke softly as she said, “We have sent a message to Twin Bridges asking for a Trade Mission to be sent to us. Since their Minister of Trade is Prince Stavin, he should be sufficient to arrange the shipments we need.” She shook her head and muttered, “He could probably do it himself with his resources.” She looked around the room and grinned. “Yes, we’ll make sure everyone gets to see his armor.” She shook her head as her grin turned into a wry smile. “I want to see it as well.”

  Everyone nodded their agreement, though not everyone agreed. Minister of Trade Zel’Nerval was particularly bothered by the idea. Why couldn’t we contact Luxandia or Reynadia? They both had normal harvests. Why does it have to be that defective little runt of a Farindian commoner? He doesn’t belong in my kingdom. But he kept his peace. He’d known Rowena when she was just a girl, and knew she was a dragon-mad as a Zel’Karyn. Be a pity if something happened to him.

  Chapter 1

  PRINCE STAVIN ZEL’ANDRAL STOOD ON THE balcony of his suite, enjoying the chill breeze as he looked out at the lights of the city. It was seldom cold in Twin Bridges except in the depths of winter, but tonight the wind was from the north and brought with it a welcome hint of the mountains.

  The view was almost as spectacular, though far different than the view from the royal suite in Kavinston. Twin Bridges spread out before him, a wilderness in its own right. The main city was home to nearly five hundred thousand souls, and the twin cities of East and West Bridge added another three hundred thousand. As it stood now, Twin Bridges was more populous than the original city of Lux, the ancient capital of the Empire of Luxand.

  He heard someone behind him, and felt hands on his shoulders. “Dreaming of home?” Sharindis asked as she cuddled against him, her voice a lovely, warm contralto. He loved her voice as much as everything else about her. She really didn’t have to ask, though. She was dreaming of the same things.

  “Yes,” he said softly, his own voice a light baritone that contrasted with his small stature. “Of Kel’Kavin. Of Kavinston.” He turned and embraced her, resting his cheek against the swell of her breast and sighed. “I miss the simplicity of being just plain old Stavin.”

  Shari wrapped her arms around him, pressing his head against her breast as she bent her neck to place a light kiss on his hair. “You were never really ‘just plain old Stavin,’ Stavi,” she pointed out. “Not for a very long time.”

  He took a deep breath and sighed. His voice had a bitter edge to it as he said, “Not since that fever. Not since I stopped growing. Not since the first time Harner called me The Runt.” He closed his eyes and just held her. So much of his past had been defined by Harner and his friends.

  Shari started rocking him gently side to side. “It still bothers you, even after all you’ve accomplished?” she asked. She knew the answer to that question as well. He still had nightmares that woke her late in the night.

  Stavin kept his eyes closed as he nodded and took another deep, shuddering breath. He’d spent so many years frightened of Harner and his friends. Years dodging their blows and taunts. Years half-agreeing with them when they said he should have been killed as a runt.

  He’d accomplished so much since then. He was a scholar who was sought out by scholars and scribes from throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Only six now. That was his doing as well, however indirectly. He was Dragon Blessed, given armor and a weapon made of dragon-scale by the dragon on the mount
ain above Kavinston. He was the first person in the more than two-hundred-year history of Kavinston to earn an officer’s star on his first expedition. And the only man in history to earn the four hollowed stars of a Senior Warmaster. And as if that hadn’t been enough, he’d been made a prince when King Kalin of Evandia had formally adopted him. Yet deep in his heart, buried under layers of scars from thousands of cuts, he still feared that he was The Runt that so many people had called him.

  “Daddy don’t cry,” little Sahren said from his side, and he looked down at her. At just four years of age she was already tall enough to hug his waist.

  “Daddy’s not crying, Sahry. I’m just sad.”

  Sahren and Mahren both crowded in to hug him, and he let go of Shari so he could kneel and hug them back. Karlin hung back a little, then moved around to hug him from behind. Even though he was just six years old, he was tall enough that he had to bend down to hug Stavin’s kneeling form.

  Stavin held his children and closed his eyes against the tears that wanted to escape. Of everything he’d done, everything he’d acquired, these were his real treasures. He looked up at Shari and saw her proud smile.

  “Let’s go inside now,” he said, giving the girls a final squeeze before standing. The whole family went into the suite and Karlin’s valet closed the doors to the balcony. The Prince’s Suite of the Royal Suites was usually a scene of chaos, but tonight it was tranquil. Just the five of them, and their five servants, were there. It was a welcome reprieve.

  Stavin walked over to the desk he shared with Shari and picked up a slip of parchment. He shook his head slowly as he read it again. It was just a short note, a few words written in his mother’s elegant hand, but it was sufficient to make his heart beat faster.

  Harner is dead.

  There was no explanation, but there really didn’t need to be. Harner had always been a second-rate Warrior, despite the glories his imagination had lent him. The last time Stavin had laid eyes on the bully he’d only managed five white stripes--and Stavin had already worn his four hollowed stars for three years.

  Shari took the note and crumpled it, then threw it into the fire. “Never again, Stavi.”

  “Never again,” he said in a breathy whisper. “But I think I’ll always hear those footsteps behind me.”

  Shari grabbed his shoulders and turned him toward her, then clasped his face with both hands as she stared down into his golden eyes. “Never again.”

  Stavin sucked in a deep breath, then closed his eyes and nodded. When he looked up at her again, he was smiling.

  Shari smiled widely as she looked down into his eyes. “Have you thought about Kalin’s idea?” she asked, grinning. “I’d like to go see Coravia and Moravad.”

  “So would I,” he admitted. “And we can, now that Oradal is over a year old. He’s officially Marina and Mark’s heir. I’m not needed anymore.” Even that came out as a bitter-sounding complaint rather than the simple observation he’d intended. Even dead, Harner is disturbing me.

  Shari shook her head slowly at his tone. “You’ll always be needed, Stavi. You’re fourth in line to the throne, and you’re still a Dragon Blessed Senior Warmaster, and Minister of Trade. But there’s more to this trip than a simple Trade Mission. Kalin and Marina didn’t say what it was, but I could see that Kalin is worried about something.”

  Stavin sighed deeply, then replied in a sour tone, “You’re right, of course, but I’d rather just be a scribe.”

  Shari chuckled. “So would I. So, my darling husband, would I. But at least going to Coravia would get us out of the palace and Twin Bridges. This,” she paused to wave her hand in a circle, “is about all I’ve ever seen outside of Kel’Kavin. True, it’s more than most girls get to see, but I want more. I want to see the kingdom. I want to see the mountains. Stories are all well and good when you know that one day you’ll be allowed to leave the valley, but I’m out of the valley now and I still haven’t seen anything.”

  Stavin had to chuckle at that. It had only been a bit over three years since Healer Adept Fel’Aezar had restored Shari’s vision, and she hadn’t been allowed to leave the palace except for a few carefully orchestrated trips in an enclosed carriage. She had four years of sight-seeing to make up for now that she and Stavin didn’t need to be so carefully guarded.

  “We’ll tell Kalin ‘yes’ in the morning, then start planning the trip. For all of us.” He smiled as he looked at their children. “You’ll all get to go see Moravad with us.”

  There was a dual squeal of delight from the girls while Karlin managed to just grin and dance in place. Stavin looked over at their servants and nodded.

  “Begin packing. I think we’ll be leaving in about three days.”

  * * *

  King Kalin nodded as his mouth curved into a wide smile when Stavin approached him before council the next morning. “Decided to take everyone, did you?” he asked with a chuckle.

  “Am I that obvious?” Stavin asked as his head tilted to the side in puzzlement.

  Kalin chuckled again. “The walls aren’t thick enough to drown out the twins. Take Dragon Watch with you. Dahvin will be put out, but Glori needs him home right now.”

  Stavin nodded. “I’ll tell him personally and soften the blow. I’d like to take the new recruits from Kel’Kavin as well.”

  “You just want to take Kar,” Kalin replied as he chuckled. “Can’t blame you. Go ahead. I’ll instruct General Zel’Kordil to let you have whoever you want.” He chuckled. “One day I’ll have to tell you about me and Dahral when we were young.”

  Stavin chuckled right back and said, “Thanks, Dad,” and grinned at Kalin’s bright smile.

  * * *

  Shari and Marina shared a smile over tea that morning. “I’m so excited!” Shari gushed, sounding like a little girl. “I’m finally going to get to see the kingdom, and Coravia as well.”

  Marina chuckled as she smiled. “You sound so excited. The mountains in Coravia aren’t as impressive as the Mountains of Sorrow or the Mountains of Fear, but they are beautiful in their own way. The road to Moravad leads through the foothills and passes close to Zel’Karyn. You really have to stop and let them see Stavi’s armor.”

  Shari chuckled. “And let him see Sang Del Dracl. I hope it’s there.”

  “Because you want to see it every bit as much as Stavin does,” Marina replied with a grin.

  Shari bowed her head in acknowledgment of Marina’s point. “Yes, I do. Oh, Marina, I’m so excited I can hardly sit still.”

  Marina sighed and shook her head. “I wish I could go with you. Teravan is my cousin, and he used to come over to visit us when I was young. I haven’t seen him since he ascended to the throne eleven years ago.”

  “You are needed in the Council, Marina,” Shari said as she gazed at her sister-in-law. “Kalin is deferring to you and Mark a lot more lately. I think he’s pushing you two forward so he can step back a little.”

  “You’re right,” Marina said, then sighed. “Both about what he’s doing, and why. Dad wants us to have more direct experience guiding the kingdom than he did. Granddad died suddenly while Dad was in the Army, and left Dad struggling for years to catch up. He wants us to be better prepared.” Her expression clouded over for a moment. “Some of Granddad’s Councilors tried to control Dad. Grandma Rebanna had to stomp on them pretty hard to get them to let Dad rule.”

  Shari nodded and smiled. “Well, you’re doing wonderfully, both of you. One of the things Stavi and I used to worry about was how we would handle the responsibility if we had to take over.”

  Marina smiled softly and said, “You would have been fine. All your training as a scribe would have carried you through. And you’d have had help. Dahvin and his brothers, as well as the friends you two have made in the palace.”

  * * *

  It took every minute of the three days to get the expedition ready to go. The guards were the easy part. Dahvin had, as expected, been upset at being left behind, but nodded his agreement
that Glori needed him at home. She was due with their third child in just a moon and a half, and the trip to Moravad was scheduled to take a full year.

  It was the royal luggage that caused the greatest delay. Stavin and Shari both grumbled about it, but their entire wardrobe was being packed for the trip. Two full-sized cargo wagons had been requisitioned for the purpose, and there were still going to be bags on top of the carriage.

  The one bright spot for all of them was that they were going to be able to ride their horses for part of the trip. It was only during inclement weather would they have to ride in the carriage.

  Karvik rode with the royal party. He wore the twin hollowed stars of a Warleader Third on his shoulder, and had been given the rank of Major in the Evandian Royal Guard. Technically, that made him the highest-ranking officer present because of the time he’d held his rank, but he was acting as second in command to Major Zel’Astel. The major’s years of experience in the Royal Guard were too valuable to discount.

  “Ready to go see the world again, Stave?” Karvik asked in a soft tone as he pulled his horse to a stop beside Stavin.

  “More than ready, Kar,” Stavin replied just as softly.

  Karvik looked over at the children and grinned. “Looks like they’re ready, too. Are you sure letting the girls ride is a good idea?”

  Stavin chuckled. “You try telling them ‘no’. Shari and I tried, but when they combine their talents there just isn’t any way to get around them.”

  Karvik shook his head slowly as he said, “No thanks. I had a hard-enough time with my kids. Fortunately, Mom is here and they listen to her.”

  “Who doesn’t?” Stavin asked as he cringed. Sahrena Kel’Carin was a force of nature akin to an avalanche. No one with any sense opposed her.

  Major Zel’Astel rode to Stavin’s side and bowed, then said, “We are ready to leave at your convenience, Your Highness.”