Ingress: Secret passages within the Brighthelm castle.
Kellet: A spicy fragrant herb that can be chewed.
Kern: The local and notorious fiery liquor of Penraven’s North.
Lackmarin: Place where the Stone of truth lies.
Leaf-fall: Early autumn.
Leaf of the Cherrel: Chewed as a breath freshener.
Lo: Set god.
Oil of Miramel: Exotic essence.
Roeberries: Wild berries growing in forests. They are blood red.
Shaman: Spiritual healer.
Sheeca Shell: Found on the local beaches.
Shubo: In Steppes language it means second.
Stone of Truth: This truth stone is at Lackmarin. All Valisar Kings must take the oath at this stone.
Strenic: A poisonous herb growing wild on the Steppes.
Summertide: Summer.
Tatua: Tattoos on the face, shoulders and arms.
Thaw: Spring.
The Masked: Magic users of the barbarian horde.
The Vested: Magics users of the Set.
Thaumaturges: Miracle weavers.
Thaumaturgy: The study of the craft of miracle weaving.
Weaven Timber: From Skardlag. It is scarce.
Wych Elder Tree: Used for woodworking.
Acknowledgments
So, where did this idea come from? The seed of story came from The Quickening; King Cailech’s threatened cannibalism of his foe was chilling but also precisely the sort of activity I imagine a barbarian ruler might indulge in to ensure his enemies feared him. The notion never left me, quietly festering for years before it bubbled to the surface of my thoughts at the oddest time. I was in Tasmania for Christmas in 2006, busily working on the final volume of Percheron and this odd, very small scene kept nagging at me of a man smirking at a woman as he eats someone she loves. I couldn’t get it out of my head and so rather than fight it, I went with it and from this one tiny vignette that took all of five seconds to glimpse in my internal film theater, grew the tale that is sprawling behind this page. With all my stories I have little to go on and no idea where they are headed, but I really enjoyed writing this story, particularly as it does return me to some familiar scenery and an atmosphere reminiscent of The Quickening. My sincere thanks to all of my regular readers and the new ones I’ve gathered up along the way of this last year, or who may discover me through this story. Thank you for reading Royal Exile and I do hope you enjoy this opening volume of Valisar.
There are always people to thank because books don’t just write themselves and the author usually has a cheering squad, ready to read and offer support whenever required. I’d like to thank Ian McIntosh, first reader and ruthless critic, alongside Pip Klimentou, Sonya Caddy and Judy Downs in Australia, as well as Phil Reed and Steve Hubbard in the US for their time and suggestions.
Special and enormous thanks to Sonya Caddy who encouraged me to work with a glossary for the first time (this was Robin Hobb’s idea—thanks RH!) and then set to and designed a working model that I soon found invaluable. She has also designed an abridged version for readers. If you see anything in the story that you think needs inclusion in the glossary, email me via my website and we’ll fix. And I must acknowledge the lovely work of Matt Whitney with regard to the map of the Set that he has created from the very strange markings I scribbled over a coffee one day. Thank you, Matty. Trent Hayes continues to maintain a brilliant and active website—congratulations, Trent, and my best wishes to all the members at the bulletin board who chat to me daily. My thanks to those who offer ongoing support in my work—especially Bryce Courtenay, Monica McInerney, Lynne Schinella, Jenny Newman, Samela Harris, Gary Havelberg, Sue Hill, Mandy Macky, Margie Arnold and Linda Eldredge. There are many more family and friends, of course, but you know who you are and understand how much I appreciate your support.
This would be incomplete without mentioning my trio of editors around the world from HarperCollins. Thank you Stephanie Smith in Sydney, Kate Nintzel in New York and Emma Coode in London. Most of all, my thanks to the booksellers in these markets who are so enthusiastic about selling fantasy to an increasingly eager audience.
Endless love and thanks to Ian…and also to Will and Jack, toiling through their all important Year 12 during the crafting of this novel. Every success, boys…xx
About the Author
FIONA MCINTOSH was raised in the UK, but left London to explore the world and found herself in Australia where she fell in love with the country and one person in particular. She has since roamed the planet for her work in the travel industry but has settled down to full-time writing. McIntosh lives with her husband and teenage sons, splitting her time between city life in South Australia and the wilderness of Tasmania. She admits to a helpless obsession for chocolate and runs an elite competition, over which she alone presides, for the supreme chocolate products around the world…from best hot chocolate to best gelati…and everything chocolaty in between. According to Fiona, Paris presently leads the charge, and she is still recovering from the chocolate macaroon experience.
You can find out more information about Fiona, e-mail her, or chat with her on her bulletin board via her website, www.fionamcintosh.com.
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Enthusiastic International Praise for
FIONA MCINTOSH
“A bold new voice in high fantasy.”
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“First rate.”
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By Fiona McIntosh
The Valisar Trilogy
ROYAL EXILE
The Percheron Saga
ODALISQUE
EMISSARY
GODDESS
The Quickening
MYRREN’S GIFT
BLOOD AND MEMORY
BRIDGE OF SOULS
Credits
Map by Matt Whitney
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ROYAL EXILE. Copyright © 2008 by Fiona McIntosh. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub © Edition SEPTEMBER 2009 ISBN: 9780061977077
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