The King's Deryni (63 page)

He then took up a hammered gold circlet set around with emeralds, which Jamyl also offered, and set it on Alaric's brow. “And wear this princely coronet as a mark of my esteem and trust, and as a symbol of your rank. And stay down; there's one more thing,” he added, and received from Llion a sheathed sword, which he laid across Alaric's hands.

“Finally, as a sign of my charge to defend the lands I have entrusted to you, I present you with this sword, which belonged to your Uncle Ahern. I wish I had known him better. May you wear it with honor and grow in honor. Arise, Alaric Morgan Duke of Corwyn.”

“. . . Unto us a son is given . . .”

—ISAIAH 9:6

T
HE
following day, the king would ride out with Alaric Morgan to survey some of the lands just entrusted to him. And while inspecting ancient ruins long associated with Alaric's Deryni ancestors, Brion Haldane would receive news of the birth of a son, brought by courtiers traveling out from the king's capital by way of a second fast galley, sent out a day after him.

It was the powerful Ewan Duke of Claibourne who led the band, red hair flying wild and red beard a-glisten in the autumn sunlight, who seized the Haldane banner from its bearer as he saw the flash of the king's crimson riding leathers against the grey stone ruins and waved it joyfully as he approached at the gallop, shouting his paean to the heavens as the king and his Deryni duke stared in amazement and Duke Ewan's bellow finally reached them.

“Sire, you have a son! An heir for the throne of Gwynedd. The queen is safely delivered of a prince!”

And the king, his mouth agape in awe, seized Alaric's two hands and joyously danced him around in a half circle, shouting, “A son? My God, it was supposed to be another month! Alaric, do you hear him? I have a son. I have a son!”

•   •   •

O
UT
of deference to the queen, Alaric did not accompany the king back to Rhemuth that day, but he was present six weeks later, when the new prince was christened before all the court at Twelfth Night. He did not dare to attend the christening itself, but the king brought the infant prince to him later that evening, in the withdrawing room, and proudly laid the babe in his arms.

“Alaric Anthony Morgan Duke of Corwyn, I present my son and heir: Prince Kelson Cinhil Rhys Anthony Haldane. Yes, the ‘Anthony' is from you. May you be to him as you have been to me: a protector and mentor, and a staunch defender against those who would wish him ill.”

“I swear it, my Liege,” Alaric said softly, gazing down into the wide grey eyes. “God willing, I shall keep him safe, and make of him a king whose name will live in legend.”

Index of Characters

 

*Indicates a deceased character or one only mentioned indirectly

A
EAN
M
ORRISEY
—a page promoted to squire.

*A
HERN
J
ERNIAN
DE
C
ORWYN
,
L
ORD
—deceased Earl of Lendour and Heir of Corwyn, Deryni; brother of Alyce de Corwyn, uncle of Alaric, and briefly the husband of Zoë Morgan.

A
IMONE,
F
ATHER
—chaplain brought to Rhemuth by Queen Jehana.

A
IREY
R
EDFEARN
—twin to Prys, son of Sir Jiri Redfearn; page, then squire at the Haldane court.

A
IRICH
O
'
F
LYNN,
S
IR
—Earl of Derry, succeeded by Sir Seamus O'Flynn.

A
IRLIE
K
USHANNAN,
L
ORD
—Earl of Airnis, one of Corwyn's regents, father of Jernian.

A
LARIC
A
NTHONY
M
ORG
AN
—eight-year-old son of the late Alyce de Corwyn Morgan and Sir Kenneth Kai Morgan; half-Deryni.

A
LAZAIS
M
ORGAN
—youngest daughter of Sir Kenneth Morgan by his first wife.

*A
LICIA
M
C
L
AIN,
L
ADY
—stillborn daughter of Jared and Vera McLain.

A
LIX
H
ELENA,
B
ARONNE DE
H
AUT-
L
EON
—wife of Jamyl Arilan, Deryni.

A
LPHONSE
—a squire at Pwyllheli, then at Rhemuth; a keen archer.

A
LUN
M
ELANDRY,
S
IR
—son of the murdered former royal governor of Ratharkin, and cousin of Sir Wilce Melandry.

A
LWYNE
—a Haldane lancer present at Brion's assumption of power.

*A
LYCE
J
AVANA DE
C
ORWYN
M
ORGAN,
L
ADY
—deceased Heiress of Corwyn and Lendour, Deryni wife of Sir Kenneth Morgan and mother of Alaric and Bronwyn.

A
LYCE
M
ARIA
C
HANDOS
—daughter of Zoë and Sir Jovett Chandos.

A
LYS
L
ITHGOW
—daughter of Geill Morgan and Sir Walter Lithgow.

A
MIELLE,
L
AD
Y
—Countess of Zaria, betrothed of Illann King of Howicce and Llannedd.

A
NDREW
T
AIRCHELL
M
C
L
AIN,
D
UKE
—Duke of Cassan, father of Jared.

A
NSELM,
F
ATHER
—a chaplain at Rhemuth Castle.

A
RBAN
H
OWELL,
S
IR
—Baron of Iomaire, later Earl of Eastmarch; cousin of Rorik Howell Earl of Eastmarch.

A
RRAN
M
AC
E
WAN,
S
IR
—a knight of Claibourne.

A
RTHEN
T
ALBOT,
S
IR
—youngest son of Sir Lucien Talbot, royal governor of Ratharkin.

A
UDE,
P
RINCESS
—Dowager Princess of Meara, mother of Princess Caitrin.

A
UDE,
P
RINC
ESS
—second daughter of Meyric King of Bremagne, sister of Jehana.

A
URELIA,
M
OTHER
—Abbess of St. Brigid's.

B
AIRBRE
—maid to Vera Countess of Kierney, who also looks after Duncan and Kevin McLain.

B
ARRETT DE
L
ANEY
—blind member of the Camberian Council.

B
AYARD
—a brindle hound given to Alaric by the king for his fourth birthday.

B
AYLOR DE
P
AOR,
S
IR
—elder son of the Baron of Trurill.

*B
EARAND
H
ALDANE
,
K
ING
S
AI
NT
—pre-Interregnum Haldane king who pushed back the Moorish sea lords and consolidated Gwynedd.

*B
LAINE
E
MANUEL
R
ICHARD
C
INHIL
H
ALDANE
,
P
RINCE
—second son of Donal King of Gwynedd, 1083–1092.

B
RICE DE
P
A
OR,
S
IR
—younger son of the Baron of Trurill, knighted by King Brion at Trurill.

B
RION
D
ONAL
C
INHIL
U
RIEN
H
ALDANE
,
K
ING
—King of Gwynedd, eldest son of King Donal.

*B
RIONA,
P
RINCE
SS
—only child of the last Prince of Mooryn, wife of Prince Festil Augustus.

*B
RONWYN
M
ORGAN
—a sister of Charlan Kai Morgan, who died in the service of King Javan Haldane.

B
RONWYN
R
HETICE
M
ORGAN
,
L
ADY
—five-year-old daughter of Alyce and Kenneth Morgan, younger sister of Alaric.

B
ROTHEN DE
P
A
OR,
S
IR
—Baron of Trurill, father of Baylor and Brice.

C
AERIESSE
—one of King Brion's ships, named for the lost land that sank beneath the sea.

C
ALIX
H
OWARD,
S
IR
—one of Kenneth Morgan's knights living at Morganhall, married to Alaric's former nurse, Melissa.

C
AMILL
E
F
URSTÁNA,
P
RINCESS
—daughter of Prince Zimri Furstán and Chriselle, a Festillic heiress; aunt of Prince Hogan Furstán; also known as Mother Serafina, a nun at Saint-Sasile, an all Deryni monastic establishment.

C
ASPAR
T
ALBOT,
S
IR
—third son of Sir Lucien Talbot, brother of Sir Arthen Talbot.

*C
HARLAN
K
AI
M
ORGAN,
S
IR
—distant cousin of Sir Kenneth Morgan, loyal knight in the service of King Javan Haldane, with whom he died in battle.

C
HARLAN
P
ETE
R
C
HANDOS
—second son of Lady Zoë Morgan and Sir Jovett Chandos.

C
HARLES
—a squire at Rhemuth.

C
IARÁN
M
AC
R
AE
—a page at court, son of Sir Tiernán MacRae.

C
ILLIAN,
M
ASTER
—a royal physician at Rhemuth Castle.

C
LAARA
M
ORGAN
W
INSLOW,
L
ADY
—widowed younger sister of Sir Kenneth Morgan.

C
LARICE
F
RASER
—a granddaughter of Claara, and grandniece of Sir Kenneth Morgan, sister of Kian Fraser.

C
LAU
D DE
S
AEVA,
S
IR
—a newly made knight, son of Sir Robert, castellan of Rhemuth Castle.

C
LEM
ENCE,
S
ISTER
—a sister brought from Bremagne by Queen Jehana.

C
LORIS,
L
ADY
—wife of Morian, Deryni.

C
OCKLEBURR
—a retired warhorse selected by Sir Llion as a first training mount for Alaric Morgan.

C
ONSTANTI
N
F
URSTÁN
-
A
RKADIA
,
C
O
UNT
—a younger son of the Torenthi Duke of Arkadia.

C
ORMAC,
P
RINCE
—youngest son of Illann King of Howicce and Llannedd, a new page at Rhemuth court.

C
ORNELIUS
S
EATON
—a page at court, son of Sir Errol Seaton and Merlise de Nore; nephew of Bishop Oliver de Nore.

C
REODA,
F
A
THER
—a scholar attached to the court at Rhemuth.

C
RESCENCE DE
N
AVERIE,
S
IR
—special counsel to the Regents of Corwyn.

D
EINOL
H
ARTMANN,
S
IR
—seneschal at Castle Cynfyn.

D
ELPHINE
M
ORGAN
—unmarried older sister of Sir Kenneth Morgan, chatelaine of Morganhall in his absence; an accomplished poet and painter.

*D
ESMOND
M
AC
C
ARTNEY,
A
R
CHBISHOP
—Archbishop of Rhemuth, brother of Archbishop William.

D
ILYS
—a steady and reliable mare belonging to Sir Calix Howard, occasionally ridden by Alaric at Morganhall.

*D
O
MINIC DU
J
OUX,
S
IEUR
—son of Richard du Joux, a follower of Prince Festil of Torenth, and Princess Tayce Furstána, a first cousin of the first Festillic king; first Duke of Corwyn.

*D
ONAL
B
LAINE
A
IDAN
C
INHIL
H
ALDANE,
K
I
NG
—late King of Gwynedd, father of Brion, Nigel, Xenia, and Silke.

D
ONNARD,
M
ASTER
—battle-surgeon to Duke Richard.

*D
UCHAD
M
OR
—Torenthi Deryni general who unsuccessfully attempted to invade Gwynedd in 985 on behalf of the Festillic pretender of the day.

*D
ULCHESSE,
Q
UEEN
—childless first queen of Donal Haldane.

D
UNCAN
H
OWARD
M
C
L
AIN
,
L
ORD
—son of Jared Earl of Kierney and Vera Howard (secretly Alyce's twin sister), cousin of Alaric and Bronwyn, age eight.

E
DGAR OF
M
ATHELWAITE
—a baron's son and heir, squire at Coroth.

E
DMUND
L
ORIS,
B
ISHOP
—newly elected Bishop of Stavenham.

E
RMENGARD,
S
ISTER
—gatekeeper at the Abbey of St. Brigid.

E
RROL
S
EATON,
S
IR
—father of Cornelius, in service to his brother-in-law, Bishop Oliver de Nore.

E
SMÉ
H
ARRIS,
B
ISHOP
—Bishop of Coroth, and member of Corwyn's council of regents.

E
STÈ
PHE DE
C
OURCY,
S
IR
—a young cousin of Michon de Courcy.

E
ULALIA
H
OWELL,
L
ADY
—daughter of Rorik Earl of Eastmarch, married to Sir Rhydon Sasillion Baron of Coldoire.

E
VAN
S
ULLIVAN,
S
IR
—father of Paget, a neighbor of Oisín Adair at Arkella, near Ratharkin and the Mearan border.

E
WAN DE
T
RAHERNE,
S
IR
—Earl of Rhendall, father of Meraude and Saer.

E
WAN
M
A
C
E
WAN,
D
UKE
—Duke of Claibourne.

F
AAS OF
G
LYNDOUR
—a local baron near Cloome and Castel Edain.

F
ANTON
M
URCH
ISON
—a squire at Rhemuth.

F
AXON
H
OWARD,
B
ISHOP
—an itinerant bishop, kin to Vera Howard McLain.

*F
ESTIL,
K
ING
—first of the Interregnum kings of Gwynedd, a younger son of the King of Torenth.

F
ISKEN
C
ROMARTY,
B
ISHOP
—itinerant bishop elected Bishop of Marbury in 1096, in succession to Paul Tollendal.

F
R
OILÁN
L
ASCELLES,
S
IR
—a young knight of Kierney in Jared's service.

G
ABRIEL,
A
RCHANGEL
—guardian of the element of Water.