Treason Keep

“Very well, I’ll come. But only long enough to convince the Warlords. After that, it’s up to you two.”

Damin glanced at Adrina, who nodded in agreement, although her scowl made it clear that she was less than enthusiastic about the whole idea.

“So, I’m to be the High Princess of Hythria.”

“First a princess of Fardohnya, then Karien and now Hythria,” Damin remarked. “You do get around, Adrina.”

She turned on him angrily and R’shiel left the tent to continue her search for Brak, before she became even more embroiled in their argument.

Damn them, she though as she strode through the camp. Damn them for being so obstinate. Damn them for being right.

Brak had told her once that destiny had a way of catching up with you. Well, maybe it had. But just because it had caught her, didn’t mean she couldn’t make things happen her way. She would bring peace to the south, even if it meant delaying her inevitable confrontation with Loclon. That she would have to face him before this was over was as certain as her destiny was to destroy a god.

Any god... or all of them. It didn’t really matter which...

The trick, R’shiel decided, as she moved through the firelit Defenders’ camp, would be to manage affairs in such a way that nobody realised what was happening until it was too late to stop it.

Glossary

Medalon

AFFIANA — Innkeeper in Testra. Brak’s great-great grand niece.

B’THRIM SNOWBUILDER — Villager from Haven. Elder sister of J’nel.

BASEL — Sergeant of the Defenders stationed on the southern border.

BEK — Prisoner at the Grimfield. Sentenced to five years for arson.

BELDA — Sister of the Blade at the Grimfield.

BERETH — Former Sister of the Blade. Now a pagan.

CRISABELLE CORTANEN — Wife of Wilem Cortanen, Commandant of the Defenders.

DAVYDD TAILORSON — Lieutenant of the Defenders attached to the Intelligence Corps.

DAYAN JENGA — Quartermaster of the Defenders stationed in Bordertown. Younger brother of the Lord Defender.

DENJON — Captain of the Defenders.

DRACO — First Spear of the Sister and ceremonial bodyguard.

FOHLI — Corporal of the Defenders in the Grimfield.

FRANCIL ASHAREN — Sister of the Blade. Member of the Quorum. Longest standing member. Mistress of the Citadel.

GARET WARNER — Commandant of the Defenders. Head of Defender Intelligence and second most senior officer in the Defenders.

GAWN — Captain of the Defenders posted to the southern border.

GEORJ DRAKE — Captain of the Defenders. Tarja’s best friend.

GHARI RODAK — Rebel Lieutenant. Brother of Mandah.

GWENELL — Physic. Sister of the Blade in charge of the Sisterhood’s Infirmary at the Citadel.

HARITH NORTARN — Sister of the Blade. Member of the Quorum. Mistress of Sisterhood.

HEANER — Mistress of the most notorious brothel in the Citadel.

HELLA — Joyhinia’s maid at the Citadel.

HERVE RODAK — A Rebel from Testra. Mandah and Ghari’s cousin.

J’NEL SNOWBUILDER — Died in Haven from complications of childbirth without naming the father of her child.

JACOMINA LAROSSE — Sister of the Blade. Member of the Quorum. Mistress of Enlightenment.

JOYHINIA TENRAGAN — First Sister of the Sisters of the Blade following Mahina’s impeachment.

JUNEE RIVERSON — Probate at the Citadel.

KHIRA — Pagan Rebel and Physic in the Grimfield.

KILENE — Probate at the Citadel.

KORGAN — Deceased. Former Lord Defender. Rumoured to be Tarja’s father.

LENK — Corporal of the Defenders at the Grimfield.

L’RIN — Innkeeper of the Inn of the Hopeless in the Grimfield.

LOCLON — Wain Loclon. Lieutenant of the Defenders and Champion of the Arena. Promoted to Captain following the Purge.

LOUHINA FARCRON — Sister of the Blade. Appointed to the Quorum following Joyhinia’s elevation to First Sister.

LYCREN — Sergeant of the Defenders in the Grimfield.

MAHINA CORTANEN — First Sister. Mother of Wilem.

MANDAH RODAK — Formerly a novice and now a pagan rebel from Medalon. Elder sister of Ghari.

MARIELLE — Prisoner at the Grimfield, sentenced with R’shiel.

MARTA — Probate at the Citadel.

MYSEKIS — Captain of the Defenders stationed in the Grimfield.

NHEAL ALCARNEN — Captain of the Defenders.

PADRIC — Pagan rebel.

PALIN JENGA — Lord Defender. Commander in Chief of the Defenders. Brother of Dayan Jenga and rumoured to be R’shiel’s father.

PENY — Court’esa working for Mistress Heaner.

PROZLAN — Sister of the Blade stationed at the Grimfield, responsible for discipline among the female prisoners.

R’SHIEL — Probate. Daughter of the First Sister.

SUELAN — Sister of the Blade. The First Sister’s Secretary and Harith’s niece.

SUNNY — Sunflower Hopechild. Court’esa from the Citadel who befriends R’shiel on their journey to the Grimfield.

TARJA — Tarjanian Tenragan. Son of the First Sister, Joyhinia. Captain of the Defenders.

TEGGERT — Former convict. Works as a cook in the Commandant’s household in the Grimfield.

UNWIN — Sister of the Blade at the Grimfield in charge of the Grimfield’s Kitchens.

VERKIN — Kriath Verkin. Commandant of Bordetown.

WANDEAR — Probate at the Citadel.

WILEM — Commandant of the Grimfield. Son of Mahina and married to Crisabelle.

WYLBIR — A rebel. Former sergeant of the Defenders.

ZAC — Prisoner in the Grimfield.

Harshini

BRAK — Lord Brakandaran te Carn. Only other living half-breed Harshini.

DRANYMIRE — Prime Demon bonded to the house of te Ortyn.

GLENANARAN — Harshini sorcerer who leaves Sanctuary to help Brak.

KORANDELLAN TE ORTYN — King of the Harshini. Nephew of Lorandranek and brother of Shananara.

LORANDRANEK TE ORTYN — Deceased. Former king of the Harshini, driven mad by the task laid on him by