The King's Sons (The Herezoth Trilogy)

THE KING’S SONS

Victoria
Grefer

Cover Design by
Brad
Covey

http://designer.bradcovey.com

https://twitter.com/bradcovey

https://www.facebook.com/bradcoveyofficial

Copyright © 2012
Victoria
Grefer

All rights reserved.

ISBN:
1481047442

ISBN-13:
978-1481047449

DEDICATION

For Loren and Erin, my dear sisters. Erin, I
will never, ever forget reading “Monkey Monkey’s Trick” with you when you were
little! You loved that book so much. And Lo, I will always remember how it was
you that first got me to read Harry Potter on New Years Day, 2000. That was the
first fantasy novel I ever read, and it made me fall in love with the genre. I
would never have written this trilogy without you! You both are a wonderful
blessing in my life. I don’t know what I would ever do without you.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Greg and Rachel, you have always been
great first readers. This time you truly outdid yourselves. Gratitude is not
enough for helping me whip this novel into shape with your insightful reactions
to early drafts!

Dad and Brenda, thanks for your love and
support. You’ve always encouraged me to be who I am and pursue my dreams. I
appreciate all you’ve done and continue to do.

Brad, the covers you designed for me are
GORGEOUS, and I could neither be more grateful, nor more impressed. Thank you a
million times!

Thanks to everyone who’s given me support over at my blog,
www.crimsonleague.com. You are all so helpful, and so encouraging. You let me
know I am not alone in the world of writing.

Thanks to all the fans and reviewers of “The
Crimson League.” Your positive response helped give me the courage to put the
rest of the trilogy out there. I appreciate you all!

TABLE
OF CONTENTS

Kingdoms

Character List

Prologue
: Francie Rafe

Chapter One
: A Daughter Without Magic

Chapter Two
: The King’s Sons

Chapter Three
: Partsvale

Chapter Four
: Valkin’s New Duties

Chapter Five
: Saving Francie

Chapter Six
: The Queen and the Sorceress

Chapter Seven
: The King Gains a Spy

Chapter Eight
: Kora’s Children

Chapter Nine
: Terrance Returns

Chapter Ten
: Lottie

Chapter Eleven
: First Kiss

Chapter Twelve
: The King’s Revenge

Chapter Thirteen
: Turning the Enemy

Chapter Fourteen
: Linstrom’s New Plan

Chapter Fifteen
: Preparing Oakdowns

Chapter Sixteen
: Leaving Oakdowns

Chapter Seventeen
Enter Esclavay

Chapter Eighteen
Battle at the Stables

Chapter Nineteen
: Battle at the Library

Chapter Twenty
: Adage and Trite

Chapter Twenty-One
: Laskenay

Epilogue
: One Year Later

KINGDOMS

Herezoth:
the largest of the three island kingdoms,
it is also the most industrialized and known for the magic some of its
residents are born with. Natives are pale-skinned.

Traigland:
second largest kingdom. Pacifistic, with
a booming sea trade. Colonized by Herezoth long ago, it has since adopted a
dialect of Herezoth’s language as its own. Natives have darker skin than those
of Herezoth.

Esclavay:
smallest kingdom. Though its natives are
similar in appearance to those of Traigland, it relies on its slave economy to
function. Because of its slave trade, both Traigland and Herezoth have had
long-standing trade embargoes in place against Esclavay.

(Map available at www.victoriagrefer.com)

CHARACTER
LIST

Agatha
Abden:
member of Evant Linstrom’s band, sorceress

Carson
Amison:
the late Duke of Yangerton; attacked Vane Unsten
and nearly killed him at the founding of the Magic Council

Arbora
Anders:
foundress of the Enchanted Fist; supported the
princes’ kidnappers in their childhood

Gerr
Bruan:
Herezoth’s foremost general, loyal to the king

Kansten
Carder:
deceased, grew up with Bendelof in the
farmlands west of Podrar. She was in the Crimson League

Kansten
Cason:
Kora Porteg’s daughter, her oldest child

Kora
Cason:
married name of Kora Porteg. Sorceress and
former member of the Crimson League exiled to Traigland

Laskenay
Cason:
Kora’s daughter, thirteen years old

Parker
Cason:
Kora’s husband, a blacksmith from Yangerton
residing in Traigland

Tressa
Cason:
Kora’s youngest child, eleven years old

Walten
Cason:
the elder of Kora’s two sons, eighteen

Wilhem
Cason:
the younger of Kora’s two sons, at sixteen years
old

Bendelof
Esper:
former member of the Crimson League, Gratton
Welder’s deceased wife

Sedder
Foden:
deceased. Kora’s childhood friend, Crimson
League

Malzin
Forzythe:
Zalski Forzythe’s wife, killed the day of his
fall

Zalski
Forzythe:
former dictator of Herezoth and Vane Unsten’s
uncle, son of the last Duke of Lanceton

Gilbert
Greller:
eldest son of the Duke of Podrar and Thad’s
brother

Mason
Greller:
Duke of Podrar and Rexson’s Chief Adviser.
Father of Gilbert and Thad

Tanya
Greller:
Duchess of Yangerton. Carson Amison’s sister,
married to Gilbert Greller

Thad
Greller:
youngest son of the Duke of Podrar, Vane
Unsten’s best friend

Bidd
Grissner:
deceased. Hayden’s cousin, was in the Crimson
League

Hayden
Grissner:
the current Duke of Crescenton, though of
common birth, and former member of the Crimson League

Alten
Grombach:
first general of Zalski Forzythe’s army

Hansrelto:
ancient sorcerer rebel, crafter of a famous, evil spellbook

August
Heathdon:
Vane Unsten’s wife, Duchess of Ingleton

Dalen
Heathdon:
Vane and August’s youngest son, three years old

Esper
Heathdon:
Vane and August’s oldest child, a twin

Harren
Heathdon:
Vane and August’s seven-year-old son

Laskenay
Heathdon:
former Duchess of Ingleton and Zalski Forzythe’s
twin. Vane’s mother.

Luce
Heathdon:
Esper’s twin sister, daughter of Vane and August

Valkin
Heathdon:
former Duke of Ingleton and Vane’s father,
after whom Vane was officially named

Ryne
Howar:
baker in Partsvale. Spy for the king,
infiltrating Linstrom’s plot

Lanokas:
Rexson Phinnean’s alias with the Crimson League

Evant
Linstrom:
sorcerer who heads a conspiracy to attack
Partsvale

Lottie
Lare:
Linstrom’s lover, one of his supporters

 
Menikas:
the former
crown prince, deceased. Rexson’s older brother, Hune Phinnean, used this name
as an alias with the Crimson League

Petroc:
a sorcerer in the days of Zalski who aided the Crimson League. Evant Linstrom’s
father

Gracia
Phinnean:
Queen of Herezoth

Hune
Phinnean:
youngest of Herezoth’s three princes

Melinda
Phinnean
: eleven-year-old princess

Neslan
Phinnean:
second-born prince of Herezoth

Rexson
Phinnean:
King of Herezoth

Valkin
Phinnean:
crown prince

Rexy
Plaint:
sorcerer graduate of the Carphead Academy

Dorane
Polve:
a sorcerer, officer of the Enchanted Fist who
kidnapped the king’s sons in years past

Ilana
Porteg:
Zacry and Kora’s mother, grandmother to Kansten
and her siblings

Joslyn
Porteg:
Zacry’s wife, Traiglandian

Zacry
Porteg:
Kora’s younger brother, sorcerer and academic

Casandra
Quin:
fire-starter and member of the Magic Council as
well as the Enchanted Fist. Hart’s wife

Hart
Quin:
member of the Enchanted Fist and Magic Council.
He has the power to shape glass with touch

Francie
Rafe:
Vane’s Unsten’s childhood friend, raised in the
village of Fontferry. Member of the Magic Council

Jane
Trand:
sorcery instructor at the Carphead Academy

Teena
Unsten:
an innkeeper who raised Vane as her son

Vane
Unsten:
sorcerer, son of the former Duke and Duchess of Ingleton

Lorence
Vierno:
Count of Carphead, where the Magic Council’s
school is located

Gertrude
Vole:
Terrance Vole’s cousin and minor seer. Supports
Linstrom’s enterprise.

Terrance
Vole:
sorcerer and Evant Linstrom’s second-in-command.
conspirator

Gratton
Welder:
a royal guardsman stationed in the village of
Partsvale

Mick
and Mart Wolding:
brothers, sorcerer graduates of the
Carphead Academy