The Prince Deceiver (The Silk & Steel Saga Book 6)

by Karen Azinger

SIR MALVOY, a fresh-sworn knight of the maroon

  SIR DEVLAN, a fresh-sworn knight of the maroon, died of battle wounds

  SIR SPARLIN, maroon knight died of battle wounds

  SIR CORBIN, a slain knight of the maroon

  SIR TANCIL, a slain knight of the maroon

  SIR MARIN, a knight of the maroon

  SIR AMBROSE, a knight of the maroon

  SIR WINTON, a knight of the maroon

  SIR VARDINE, a knight of the maroon

  SIR MELLOT, a knight of the maroon

  SIR TOWLIN, a slain knight of the maroon

  HADRIAN, master archer of the maroon, slain at Raven Pass

  BENFORD, master archer of the maroon

  BALDWIN, senior squire of the maroon, squire to King Ursus

  MARTYN, squire to the knight marshal

  TARGIN, a scout of the maroon

  BARTLET, a scout of the maroon

  BRANNOCK, master scout of the maroon

  JAMES, squire to Sir Lothar

  ORRIN SUREHAMMER, legendary Master Swordsmith of the maroon, first forger of blue steel blades, some believe he forged magical abilities into his blue steel blades making them destine for the hands of heroes

  OTTO, the current Master Swordsmith of Castlegard’s forge, responsible for the forging of all blue steel weapons

  QUINTUS, the master healer of Castlegard

  ELISE, scullery maid turned assistant to healer Quintus

  THE KIRALYNN MONKS

  Founded over two thousand years ago by a group of scholars, knights, and wizards, the Kiralynn Order has always presented an enigmatic face to the world, a face that is open yet closed. One hundred years before the start of the War of Wizards the monks withdrew from the southern kingdoms, retreating to their monastery hidden deep in the Southern Mountains. As if erased from the minds of men, the monastery’s location disappeared from the maps of Erdhe. The memory of the Kiralynn monks has slowly faded, becoming little more than legend and myth. Yet select rulers of the southern kingdoms still receive scrolls sealed with the symbol of the Order. History has proven that these scrolls contain an uncanny prescience. Kings ignore the advice of the Order at their own peril.

  The symbol of the Kiralynn monks is a Seeing Eye in the palm of an Open Hand. Their seat of power is their mountain monastery. The motto of the Order is “Seek Knowledge, Protect Knowledge, Share Knowledge”.

  THE GRAND MASTER, the leader of the Kiralynn Order, his/her identity is a closely guarded secret

  -monks and initiates of the Order:

  MASTER RIZEL, a Master of the Order

  MASTER GARTH, a Master Healer of the Order

  BRYCE, an initiate of the Order, he studied to take his vows to become a monk and a healer but was subsumed by the Mordant’s Awakening, becoming a prisoner in his own mind

  MASTER AEROTH, an ambassador monk sent to the kingdoms of Erdhe

  MASTER ZITH, a Master of the Order, accompanies Kath as one of her companions, he is the father of Bryce, he lost his left forearm in the battle with the gorehounds

  RAFE, a sworn monk of the Order, he has worn the blue for five years, sent with Princess Jordan of Navarre

  MASTER YARL, a master of the Order, an expert with a quarterstaff, sent with Princess Jordan of Navarre

  MISTRESS ELLIS, a master of the Order

  MISTRESS LENORE, a master of the Order

  MASTER ADELBART, master of calligraphy, teaches acolytes in the scriptorium

  MASTER TOLK, the Chronicler of the Order, a venerable elder

  MASTER CARLISLE, half-blind master, a venerable elder

  MASTER FELIX, a member of the seclusionists

  MASTER NORMATH, a member of the seclusionists

  MASTER GRIMSHAW, scholar of ancient prophecies, friend to Master Rizel

  MISTRESS LURINDA, scholar of lore

  MASTER RUGAR, scholar

  MASTER VERNIUS, the loremaster for the Order, a venerable elder

  MASTER JULIAN, dead master to Vernius

  MASTER AMBROSE, friend to Master Rizel

  MASTER CALEB, decodes messages from the mews

  MASTER ALTHAR, friend of Master Caleb

  MASTER FINTAN, an emissary from the Kiralynn Monks sent to the Rose Court, mysteriously murdered in the queen’s castle

  MASTER NUMAR, a master of the Order serving as a hidden Wanderer in Pellanor, a skilled herbalist posing as an apothecary, he owns the White Unicorn apothecary shop

  SIMON, a hidden monk serving Master Numar in Pellanor

  GIDEON, a hidden monk serving Master Numar in Pellanor

  GILBERT, a monk of the Order serving as a hidden Wanderer in Pellanor

  ASTER, a monk of the Order serving as a hidden Wanderer in Pellanor

  NIMERIA HARPSINGER, sixteen years old, golden-robed acolyte studying under Master Adelbart in the scriptorium, longs to be an Illuminator

  ALRIC, a golden-robed acolyte serving in the mews

  THE ZWARD

  The Zward are sons and daughters of Kiralynn monks who choose to serve by the sword instead of the scroll. An ancient and secret order, they serve the will of the Grand Master. Their symbol is a small silver ring emblazoned with a fist holding an upright sword.

  THADDEUS TOKHEART, also known as Thad, a captain of the Zward

  DONAL, a sworn member of the Zward

  BENJIN, a sworn member of the Zward

  MARCUS, a sworn member of the Zward

  The MERCHANTERS

  An ancient seafaring people, the MerChanters are the scourge of the oceans, born and bred upon the high seas. The self-styled Sea Lords claim no land as their own. Nomadic raiders, they rove the oceans in their great triremes, pillaging the coastal kingdoms for food, women and plunder. Their absolute leader is the Miral. Their weapon of choice is the trident. The MerChanters have a long-standing alliance with the Mordant. Little is known about the MerChanters other than rumors steeped in terror.

  THE MIRAL - Absolute ruler of the MerChanters

  LORD ASKAL - A MerChanter Sea Lord, captain of the Dark Fin

  TORMUND - First Mate of the Dark Fin

  BALTHAR- a MerChanter raider aboard the Shark

  GALLWAX - a MerChanter raider, First Mate aboard the Shark

  CORWAY- a MerChanter raider aboard the Shark

  THE DEEP GREEN

  The Deep Green is an ancient power reborn from the ashes of the War of Wizards. Rising from the ruins of a great city, the forest grows with frightening speed. Trees at the heart of the forest are giants, growing to more than thrice the height of normal trees, while the dense tangle of underbrush forms a nearly impenetrable barrier. The forest protects its own, a race of people with golden cat-eyes. Calling themselves the Children of the Green, the cat-eyed people live within the boundaries of the forest in a confederation of clans under the leadership of the Treespeaker.

  Outside of the forest, the cat-eyed people are shunned as evil abominations, said to be born from the perverse mating of man with animals. The cat-eyed people are persecuted across the kingdoms of Erdhe, and often put to death by the ‘white-eyes’.

  THE TREESPEAKER, as old as the forest, she is a seer, a witch, the embodiment

  of the power of the Green. As the leader of the clans, she wears a cloak of snow-white swan feathers.

  -her clan leaders:

  CENRIC, leader of Clan Hemlock, he wears a cloak of peacock feathers, volunteers to lead a war party to Pellanor

  AGATHA, leader of Clan Aspen, she wears a cloak of blue jay feathers. She leads a faction that opposes dealings with the white-eyes

  BRAN, leader of Clan Ash, he wears a cloak of raven feathers

  CAMILA, leader of Clan Maple, she wears a cloak of orange kestrel feathers and is a member of the faction that opposes dealings with the white-eyes

  DEREK, leader of Clan Redwood, he wears a cloak of red woodpecker feathers and is a member of the faction that opposes dealing with the white-eyes

  CONRAD, leader of Clan Spruce, he wears a cloak of brown thr
ush feathers

  LANA, leader of Clan Oak, she wears a cloak of golden finch feathers

  -her people:

  JORAH SILVENWOOD, a ranger of Clan Cedar, killed in the Mordant’s fire

  RONAH, a ranger of Clan Hemlock

  JENKS, a patrol leader of Clan Hemlock

  MARTYN, an attendant to the Treespeaker

  ALWIN, a ranger of Clan Hemlock

  THE PAINTED PEOPLE

  An ancient people, forgotten by most of Erdhe, the Painted Warriors are the descendents of escaped slaves and runaway soldiers. Living in the shadow of the Dark Citadel, the Painted People have forged a fiercely independent warrior culture that spans a thousand years. Outnumbered and poorly equipped, they strike back at the Pentacle in lightning raids across the steppes, reaping steel and armor from their enemies. They make their home in a secret labyrinth of caves hidden in the Ghost Hills. Deeply spiritual, they invoke the power of nature by tattooing their faces with the images of beasts and birds, a spiritual melding of man and animal. Divided into dens depending on their tattoos, they are guided by the Ancestor, a shaman of mystical memories, and lead by a Council of Leaders made up of representatives from all the dens. A secret and forgotten people, few in the southern kingdoms have ever heard of them.

  THE ANCESTOR- Also known as the Keeper of Memories, the Old One. The Ancestor is always a woman, following a matriarchal line of mystical seers that stretches back for nearly a thousand years. As the spiritual leader of the painted people she is respected and revered but she does not rule as a queen. Instead she serves as a guide to the council of leaders.

  VALDUR- a Taishan of the mountain lions, lost on a vision-hunter on a quest in the southern steppes. Attacked and left for dead by soldiers of the Pentacle, a patrol of Octagon knights found him and took him to Castlegard where he died in Kath’s arms.

  THE SVALA - After being tested in a trial by combat, Kath of Castlegard is hailed as the Svala, the foretold war leader of the Painted People.

  ROYCE- warrior leader of the mountain lions, leader of the Council

  THERA- leader of the ravens, master healer

  BRANT- leader of the boars

  FANGGOLD- warrior leader of the wolves

  RINGOL, warrior leader of the foxes

  MERRICK, a raven-faced healer, second to Thera

  CORWIN, painted warrior, hunts with Blaine

  TOMKIN, painted warrior, hunts with Blaine

  THE MAROON BAND

  A brotherhood of painted warriors who claim the honor of protecting the Svala. Survivors of the original eighty warriors who witnessed Kath’s trial at the Gargoyle Gates and then formed the vanguard for the attack on the Dark Citadel, they call themselves the Maroon Band. Their symbol is a tattered strip of maroon cloak tied to their right bicep. Their strips of maroon come from the extra length of Kath’s maroon cloak, given to her by Blaine after the battle with the gorehounds. Led by Bear and Boar, they have become the personal guard to the Svala.

  BEAR- a bear-faced warrior assigned to guard Kath, he refuses to reveal his true name, adopts the name of Bear and becomes Kath’s personal guard and friend, wields a sword

  BOAR- a boar-faced warrior assigned to Kath, refuses to reveal his true name, adopts the name of Boar and becomes Kath’s personal guard and friend, wields a mace

  TORVEN- eagle-faced warrior patrol leader

  SIDHORN, eagle-faced warrior

  TINGOLD- a wolf-faced scout, hunts with Blaine

  GRENFIR- an owl-faced warrior

  RUTHGAR - boar-faced warrior, hunts with Blaine

  TANGOR- a hawk-faced warrior

  PREN, a bear-faced warrior

  CLEMIT- a wolf-faced warrior

  VIN- an eagle-faced warrior

  TARLY- a boar-faced warrior

  BRIN- a wolf-faced warrior

  BRINGOLD- fox-faced warrior

  GRIFF, lion-faced warrior

  TANGOR, a badger-faced warrior

  TORKIN, a wolf-faced warrior

  TANGAR, a hawk-faced warrior

  TOMLIN, a wolf-faced warrior

  TALBERT, a badger-faced lad, son of a maroon band warrior who died taking the Dark Citadel, he becomes a squire to Kath, adopted by the maroon band

  CONIT, a badger-faced lad, son of a maroon band warrior who died taking the Dark Citadel, he becomes a squire to Kath, adopted by the maroon band

  THE WOLF BAND

  A band of wolf-faced warriors who have formed a den and are sworn to protect Danya.

  NEVEN- the leader of the wolf band, a wolf-faced warrior hand-fasted to Danya.

  BALTHUS- wolf-faced warrior

  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 famine 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, died in a test of faith

  -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

  LORD STEFFAN RAVEN, was the Counselor to the Pontifax, the leader of the Army of the Flame, the power behind the Flame War, his personal symbol is a black raven on a blood-red field, after his army is defeated in Pellanor he goes by the name of Steffan of Darkmoor.

  RADAGAR

  Over five hundred years ago, fierce warriors from a distant desert kingdom followed the caravan route north and invaded Erdhe, carving out a vast new kingdom named Radagar. The proud conquerors maintained their desert culture, with the king and the royal houses taking many wives. The harems spawned an abundance of royal princes, all competing for the Cobra Throne. Treachery and poison became the tools of succession. Over time, the royal in-fighting caused the once great kingdom to dwindle in size and stature. The kingdom is now a shadow of its former size and strength. Radagar is known as a purveyor of mercenaries, poisons, and aphrodisiacs.

  The symbol of Radagar is a red coiled cobra on a field of pea-green. Their seat of power is the capital city of Salmythra. The king of Radagar is known as the ruler of the Cobra Throne.

  KING RAZZUR, the king of Radagar, the ruler of the Cobra Throne, he attained the throne by assassinating his half-brother King Cyrus. A proud descendent of the desert-born conquerors, he is the leader of House Razzur, his personal symbol is a black scorpion a sky-blue field. As king, his royal symbol becomes a red coiled cobra on a field of pea green.

  -his lords:

  GENERAL XANOS, general of Radagar’s mercenary army

  HAMID, seneschal to King Razzur

  The Front Cover artwork was done by the Australian artist, Greg Bridges. Greg’s artwork has appeared on the book covers of many well-known fantasy authors. Thanks to Greg for the front cover, the spine, and the fabulous rendering of the Dark Sword used in the interior of the book. To see more of his art or to contact Greg, visit his website at http://www.gregbridges.com/

&
nbsp; The Maps and the Back Cover blurb was done by a graphic artist from Oregon, Peggy Lowe. Her illustration of the two maps helps to bring the kingdoms of Erdhe to life. Peggy can be contacted at her e-mail address, peggy@portfoliooregon.com

  The dragon used in the illuminated D was hand drawn by Karen Azinger.

  Look for The Battle Immortal, the seventh and final book in The Silk & Steel Saga to be published by October 2015.

  ACKNOWEDGEMENTS

  Another giant step towards finishing my epic saga! My dream of Erdhe continues, and like all my other books, it takes a lot of people to make this saga come true. First and foremost, to my husband Rick, who is always keen for the next adventure and always believes no matter the odds. To my best friend and sword sister, Danae Powers, who listened from the very first chapter. To my alpha and beta readers who continue to cheer for my books, Mike, Nick, Bill, Peggy, Diane, Bob, Mary, Christine, Ruthie and Gina, your enthusiasm means so much to me. To Greg Bridges for the totally awesome front cover and the book spine. To Peggy Lowe, graphic artist extraordinaire, for the back cover, the two maps and the logo, well done! To Robert Owen Williams for corrections. To Deborah Sanders for the eagle-eyed proof read. To all of my readers around the world who are eagerly following the saga, I write for you. And to my mom, for everything, I so hope you know.

  Other books by Karen L Azinger

  The Assassin’s Tear- Explore the medieval kingdoms of Erdhe, raid the tomb of the first emperor of China, and unravel the enigma of Dark Space in this collection of fantasy and science fiction tales from the author of The Silk & Steel Saga. The two signature stories, Prophecy’s Twist and The Assassin’s Tear, are set in the fantasy realm of Erdhe and are a prequel to The Silk & Steel Saga. Prophecy’s Twist discovers the dark deceit that started the War of Wizards, forever changing the kingdoms of Erdhe. The Assassin’s Tear follows the exploits of a petty thief whose ambition leads him to unravel the dark secret of the Mordant’s Citadel. The Emperor’s Shadow is an international thriller in the style of Indiana Jones, combining the power of superstition with archaeology in a desperate attempt to end World War Three. A Man’s World is a post-apocalyptic adventure set in Australia where coal miners discover all the rules have changed. Pieces of the Truth is a time travel story where a young physicist discovers a forgotten truth. In Snakes and Ladders, Lynn Gallant sets out to shatter the glass ceiling by taking a walk to the dark side of New Orleans. In The God Planet, universal dreams spark a religious frenzy, summoning humanoid kind to the riddle of Dark Space.