by Jason Malone
The field was littered with the dead or dying, and men from Stephan and Carol’s armies were helping each other collect their fallen comrades for burial. Some of the wives and children of the men who fought had come over from the camps a few miles away to find their loved ones among the living, or among the corpses.
The soldiers who were not helping to collect bodies were standing in the middle of the plane, facing each other. In between them was a tent, and inside that tent, Carol and Stephan discussed peace.
I heard a person approach me, but I did not turn to see who it was. The man came up beside me and looked out over the field.
“I believe this belongs to your king,” he said. I turned to see William, bloodied and dishevelled, but smiling. He was holding out a bent iron crown, and I took it from him, turning it over in my hands.
“The ancient crown of Ardonn,” I said. I then began to laugh. All of that death had been for a cheap piece of ancient iron. “You know, this probably isn’t even the original.”
William began to laugh too, and for a while the two of us stood up on that ridge, chuckling.
“What do you think will happen?” I asked, nodding to the big tent down below.
“There will be peace for a few years, but Carol will gain more and more support once news of today’s events spreads through the kingdom and beyond, so I doubt that peace will last. I suspect Stephan will have no choice but to let Carol retain control over Tillysburg and the lands around it. The earl, Roger, died in battle. He left no heirs.”
That news struck me. I was not fond of Roger, but he was a good man nonetheless, and loyal to Carol. He did not deserve to die, but few men who lay on the field that day did.
“I suppose I am your prisoner now,” William said.
“Well, you gave me your glove. Do you want to go free?”
“Will you let me?”
I shrugged. “You’d be worth a pretty penny.”
“True. All I want right now is a cold drink and the embrace of my wife, but I suppose it is better to be a hostage than to be dead. What about you? Will you go to that girl you were with?”
“Girl?”
“The black-haired one. I cannot recall her name.”
“Oh. Her name is Matilda. I suppose I will go back to her. I made a promise, after all.”
“And what then?”
“Spring is here, and Carol will be getting married soon, to his betrothed from beyond the Alps. I think I will stay up in the north for that, so my friends and I can rest a while. There is nothing more I can do about Emrys, so I will leave that problem to the men with the armies. I’m already tired of war. I guess after the wedding I will go to Everlynn and ransom you to your father, then head back to Oldford and continue hunting ghosts and witches.”
“And vampires,” William said with a smile. I smirked. “I think I am glad to be your prisoner, Edward. I did not know my father’s plans, and if I did, I hope I would not have agreed to them. I do not want any part in his little rebellion. As for you, I do not believe your part in the wars to come is at an end. Your fate is certainly tied up with it all.”
“I hope you are wrong.”
“So do I, my friend, so do I.”
I smiled at William, and a tear came to my eye. Despite the hardship, the pain, and the chaos, I had gained a new friend. For that I was grateful, and it almost made the death worth it.
And William was right — my fate was bound to Emrys and the events to come. There was no doubt about that. But what part I would play, I could not yet tell. Carol and Stephan would make peace, but Odo would retreat to Everlynn and likely raise another army to wage war against Stephan while Emrys and the Immortal Horde, despite their humiliating defeat, would rampage in whatever part of the kingdom they saw fit.
I did not know what fate had planned for me, and although I wished never to see Emrys again, I knew deep down that I could not avoid him.
The Gods love poetry. Three centuries ago, my predecessor Godwin fought side by side with Carol’s ancestor and bound Emrys inside a mountain tomb, but now he was free. How poetic it would be that the heir of Godwin and the heir of Carol the Great should defeat the Immortal King once and for all.
No man or god is immune to Fate’s capricious pen — our lives and our stories have already been written, and all we in this world can do is follow along, line by line, and hope for the best from our final pages.
Or perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps we are free to forge our own destinies, as Aoife once told me. Whichever is the case, I knew I would not know peace until Emrys was dead.
That much was certain.
Edward’s saga, and that of all Ardonn, will soon continue…
The Noble Families of Ardonn
The Eomundson Kings
Family currently headed by Carol, known as the Pretender.
Who is the son of King Edwin of Ardonn, known as the Fifth, who was married to Lady Elfswith of Winterhome, daughter of Lord Wulfstan of Winterhome, and also fathered Clodild.
Who was the son of King Edwin, known as the Fourth, who also fathered Lady Alhilda, wife to Lord Adalbert of Oldford.
Who was the son of King Francis, known as the Feeble, who was married to Elain, known as the Weaver.
Who was the son of King Ermenwulf, who was married to Lady Eadburg.
Who was the great-grandson of King Edmund, known as the Child, who was married to Lady Melisende of Everlynn.
Who was the son of King Francis, known as the Second, who was married to Lady Hemma and who also fathered Queen Hemma, known as the Traitor, wife to King Tanred of Erila; and Cwenhild, Clodild, and Edwina.
Who was the son of King Francis, known as the First.
Who was the son of King Carol, known as the Great, who unified the Twin Kingdoms, who was married to Lady Aleanor and also fathered Carol, known as the Younger, who was married to Edith, Godwin’s daughter.
Who was the son of King Edgar.
Who was descended from King Adalwulf, known as the Good-Healthed.
Who was the son of King Edwulf.
Who was the great-great-grandson of King Eomund, founder of the Eomundson dynasty, who was the first King of Ardonn from among the Exiles, and who married Lady Eirwen of Ardonn, descendent of King Emrys; and who legend tells was the son of Lita, the daughter of Morenlea and Hefencyn.
Who was the son of Adalwer, King of the Black Coast, who also fathered Eored, founder of the Eoredson dynasty, who was the first King of Aedonn from among the Exiles.
The Eoredson Kings and Lords of Oldford
Family currently headed by Lord Adalbert of Oldford, who was married to Lady Alhilda and who fathered Lady Ecwyn.
Who was the son of Lord Godred, known as the Mild.
Who was the son of Lord Elwin.
Who was the son of Lord Godred, known as the Lesser, who also fathered Earl Adalstan, known as the Cowherd, who fathered Lady Alia, who was married to Earl Odhelm of Henton, who fathered Earl Harold, who was married to Eleanor and who fathered Gunn, Alia, and Matilda.
Who was the son of Lord Godred, known as the Oathbreaker, self-styled King of Aedonn.
Who was the descendent of King Godheart of North-Aedonn, later Lord of Oldford, known as the Kneeler, for it was he who yielded the Kingdom of Aedonn to King Carol the Great.
Who was the son of Queen Aelda of Aedonn, known as the Fair and the Cruel, who was married King Godheart of Beglen and who also mothered King Elwulf of West-Aedonn, known as the Coward; and King Cured of South-Aedonn, later Lord of Beglen, known as the Hammer.
Who was the daughter of King Elwulf, known as Wolfsbane, who married Lady Hilda of Bullhorn.
Who was the descendent of King Eored, founder of the Eoredson dynasty, who was the first King of Aedonn from among the Exiles; and who legend tells was the son of Lita, the daughter of Morenlea and Hefencyn.
Who was the son of Adalwer, King of the Black Coast, who also fathered Eomund, founder of the Eomundson dynasty, who was the first King of Ardonn from among the Exiles
.
The Usurper Kings
Family currently headed by King Stephan of Ardonn, previously Lord of Tidegate, known as the Bastard, who is married to Lady Bebbe of Winterhome, daughter of Lord Wulfstan of Winterhome, and who fathered Lord Wim of Tidegate, known as the Young.
Who was the son of Lord Wim of Tidegate, later King of Ardonn, known as the Usurper, who remained unmarried until death.
Who was the descendent of Cedwin, who was the first Lord of Tidegate from among the Exiles, known as the Tidebringer.
The Lords of Everlynn
Family currently headed by Lord Odo of Everlynn, who is married to Lady Eadswith and who fathered William, who married Lady Eleni, daughter of Sealord Tripho of Cavoucara; and Anora, Arlette, and five other daughters.
Who was the great-grandson of Lord Elmore of Everlynn, known as the Peacemaker.
Who was a descendent of Richard, known as the Foreign-Lord, who was the first Lord of Everlynn from among the Erilans and who also fathered Lady Melisende, wife to King Edmund the Child of Ardonn.
Who was the son of King Rubert of Erila, who also fathered King Tanred of Erila, also later King of Ardonn, who married Queen Hemma the Traitor of Ardonn.
Acknowledgements
While the name “Jason Malone” may be on the cover of this novel, I am by no means the only one deserving of credit for it. Although I did most of the writing and editing, I have a whole legion of people who deserve recognition.
I would first and foremost like to thank my mum and dad, for their undying support and praise, without whom even the first word of this book could not have been written, let alone the last. I am incredibly lucky to have the privilege of being their son, and am eternally grateful for all they have done to help me tell this story.
Secondly, I would like to thank Sophie, whose support has been immeasurable. Sophie has stood by me from day one, has suffered through numerous drafts, provided feedback, listened to my ramblings, and most importantly, has kept me writing even in moments of the most intense doubt. She instilled in me the confidence and drive to keep going, and without her I also could not have brought this story to completion. For that I will always be thankful.
I also wish to extend my gratitude to those who read through my drafts, giving suggestions, feedback, and reviews which have played a big part in shaping the final version of this tale: Mackenzie, Tony, Ella-Maree, Campbell, Breanne, Ruby, and my brother Harrison. And for their continued support, I am grateful to Joshua, James, Ashton, and the rest of my family. Their help has meant more than I think they realise, and I will always be thankful for them.
On top of this, special mention should be given to Allister Thompson, my editor, and Lena Yang, who designed the cover of this book.
And, of course, special thanks should be given to you, the reader, for making it through to the end of this novel. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it, and invite you to stay tuned for the sequel, in which Edward’s adventures shall continue…
I must also thank the goddess Frīge, my divine patron and muse, who provided the inspiration for this story and all others I have written. Truly, it cannot be said that these stories are my own, as I am merely the pen with which their true author writes.
