her self-control not to shout at it. The fool! The stupid, blind fool! To leave her in this situation! It was all his fault!
She knew the reasons, of course, but that did not make it any easier to accept. Kingship in Norstalos was decreed by the Dragon Sword. Every King, all the way back to the celebrated King Riel, had been chosen by the Dragon Sword. Sometimes it ignored sons and chose nephews or cousins; sometimes it skipped up or down a generation. Being able to drawthe Dragon Sword was the ultimate arbiter of succession. But no-one had foreseen this—a Queen on the throne. If the Dragon Sword had chosen Merren’s cousin, Duke Gello, then he would have taken the crown. But it had refused him. She could still remember the day.
It had begun as a day of celebration, the time to anoint the next King-in-waiting. Merren had not been particularly enjoying herself, as she found her cousin Gello to be boorish and arrogant at the best of times. The image of him standing in the throne room, tears running down his cheeks as he tugged impotently on the hilt of the Dragon Sword, watched by the cream of Norstaline society, was one she cherished.
Gello had fled the throne room that day—and Merren’s world had changed dramatically.
Her father, King Croft, had seen the looming crisis. Gello had been the last hope. Every other male noble had also been refused. Norstalos would have to enter a period of caretaker rule, until a new generation could be born and, hopefully, one of them accepted by the Sword. So Merren, as the King’s daughter and the highest-ranking noble, must rule until that day. But there were conditions on her rule. She must marry well and produce sons until one of them took the Dragon Sword. Meanwhile she must also find a Champion who could wield the Sword on her behalf to protect Norstalos. For the dragons had warned King Riel that the Sword’s magic would not respond to a woman, it would only recognise a man. It had been a strange condition but, as Croft had liked to say, when dragons are offering you a magic sword, you don’t ask questions. Merren cursed it now, however. How could the dragons be so powerful, andstupid, at the same time? What kind of magic was it, that prevented a woman from using it? She had tried the Sword once, when no-one was looking and her father elsewhere, thinking perhaps it was all a tale by greedy men to keep power for themselves. But it had stayed cold and inert, seemingly frozen in its scabbard. It was so frustrating! She wished she could find out why but nobody could answer.
Ironically it was the very situation that had faced her father. His older sister, Ivene, had been born swiftly but then came years of miscarriages and stillbirths. Not all the prayers of the people, the nobles or even the Archbishop had changed that. Without any male cousins, there were no other options. None of the nobles was able to draw the Sword. It seemed Ivene would have to take the throne as Queen, find a Prince Consort and a Champion to wield the Dragon Sword. Then, with his mother fast approaching the age when she could no longer bear children, Croft had been born. Luckily the Dragon Sword had accepted him, and amid the public celebrations, his sister had had to be content with being named Duchess of Western Norstalos. After years of being groomed to rule the country, this had been a bitter pill for her to swallow. The one thing that had kept this bitterness under control was her son Gello, and her hopes for him to take the throne. Then, to see her son rejected by the Dragon Sword—it had been an enormous blow for them both. Partly as a gesture towards this and partly to solve the crisis of succession, a guilt-ridden King Croft had made a deal with his sister. Merren must take the throne and would immediately begin training for the duty. But Duke Gello would receive unprecedented power. He would control the army, not just while Merren heldthe throne, but until one of her sons—or his—were chosen
She knew the reasons, of course, but that did not make it any easier to accept. Kingship in Norstalos was decreed by the Dragon Sword. Every King, all the way back to the celebrated King Riel, had been chosen by the Dragon Sword. Sometimes it ignored sons and chose nephews or cousins; sometimes it skipped up or down a generation. Being able to drawthe Dragon Sword was the ultimate arbiter of succession. But no-one had foreseen this—a Queen on the throne. If the Dragon Sword had chosen Merren’s cousin, Duke Gello, then he would have taken the crown. But it had refused him. She could still remember the day.
It had begun as a day of celebration, the time to anoint the next King-in-waiting. Merren had not been particularly enjoying herself, as she found her cousin Gello to be boorish and arrogant at the best of times. The image of him standing in the throne room, tears running down his cheeks as he tugged impotently on the hilt of the Dragon Sword, watched by the cream of Norstaline society, was one she cherished.
Gello had fled the throne room that day—and Merren’s world had changed dramatically.
Her father, King Croft, had seen the looming crisis. Gello had been the last hope. Every other male noble had also been refused. Norstalos would have to enter a period of caretaker rule, until a new generation could be born and, hopefully, one of them accepted by the Sword. So Merren, as the King’s daughter and the highest-ranking noble, must rule until that day. But there were conditions on her rule. She must marry well and produce sons until one of them took the Dragon Sword. Meanwhile she must also find a Champion who could wield the Sword on her behalf to protect Norstalos. For the dragons had warned King Riel that the Sword’s magic would not respond to a woman, it would only recognise a man. It had been a strange condition but, as Croft had liked to say, when dragons are offering you a magic sword, you don’t ask questions. Merren cursed it now, however. How could the dragons be so powerful, andstupid, at the same time? What kind of magic was it, that prevented a woman from using it? She had tried the Sword once, when no-one was looking and her father elsewhere, thinking perhaps it was all a tale by greedy men to keep power for themselves. But it had stayed cold and inert, seemingly frozen in its scabbard. It was so frustrating! She wished she could find out why but nobody could answer.
Ironically it was the very situation that had faced her father. His older sister, Ivene, had been born swiftly but then came years of miscarriages and stillbirths. Not all the prayers of the people, the nobles or even the Archbishop had changed that. Without any male cousins, there were no other options. None of the nobles was able to draw the Sword. It seemed Ivene would have to take the throne as Queen, find a Prince Consort and a Champion to wield the Dragon Sword. Then, with his mother fast approaching the age when she could no longer bear children, Croft had been born. Luckily the Dragon Sword had accepted him, and amid the public celebrations, his sister had had to be content with being named Duchess of Western Norstalos. After years of being groomed to rule the country, this had been a bitter pill for her to swallow. The one thing that had kept this bitterness under control was her son Gello, and her hopes for him to take the throne. Then, to see her son rejected by the Dragon Sword—it had been an enormous blow for them both. Partly as a gesture towards this and partly to solve the crisis of succession, a guilt-ridden King Croft had made a deal with his sister. Merren must take the throne and would immediately begin training for the duty. But Duke Gello would receive unprecedented power. He would control the army, not just while Merren heldthe throne, but until one of her sons—or his—were chosen
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