The King

anything left after this… if Rolencia survived.

He had to get to the abbey and enlist their aid. Somehow he had to convince his father that Cobalt was a traitor of the worst kind. But all he could think of was how he had alienated his best friend.

'Orrie, I — '

'Go, do what you have to do.' Orrade turned and walked off.

Byren fought the urge to go after him. Instead, he strapped on the skates the cook had provided, silently thanking her foresight.

If he skated night and day without rest, he would be at the abbey in two days and return to Rolenhold two days after that. He had to deliver terrible news.Lence was dead and he was kingsheir, whether he wanted the honour or not. Only by bringing the abbey warriors could Byren convince his father of his loyalty.

He set off.

Acknowledgments

I have been working on The Chronicles of King Rolen's Kin for a long time and many people have helped along the way. I must thank Chris McMahon and Lyn Uhlmann for their feedback, when we used to be the Thursday Critiquers. And I must thank the ROR writing group, Marianne de Pierres, Maxine McArthur, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Margo Lanagan, Trent Jamieson, Richard Harland and Dirk Flinthart for their support and advice. May we have many more ROR weekends of good wine, good food and in-depth writing craft discussion!

I'd like to thank my agent, John Jarrold, for taking a chance on an unknown author from Australia. And I'd like to thank my editor, Jonathan Oliver, for making me look a lot more intelligent and well informed than I really am. And a big thank you to Jennifer Fallon, Trudi Canavan and Karen Miller for their support of a fellow Aussie fantasy author.

And last of all my six children and my husband, for putting up with a mother and a wife who is always writing.