The Knight Marshal (The Silk & Steel Saga) Read online

  RADAGAR

  Over five hundred years ago, fierce warriors from a distant desert kingdom followed the caravan route north and invaded Erdhe, carving out a vast new kingdom named Radagar. The proud conquerors maintained their desert culture, with the king and the royal houses taking many wives. The harems spawned an abundance of royal princes, all competing for the Cobra Throne. Treachery and poison became the tools of succession. Over time, the royal in-fighting caused the once great kingdom to dwindle in size and stature. The kingdom is now a shadow of its former size and strength. Radagar is known as a purveyor of mercenaries, poisons, and aphrodisiacs.

  The symbol of Radagar is a red coiled cobra on a field of pea-green. Their seat of power is the capital city of Salmythra. The king of Radagar is known as the ruler of the Cobra Throne.

  KING RAZZUR, the king of Radagar, the ruler of the Cobra Throne, he attained the throne by assassinating his half-brother, King Cyrus. A proud descendent of desert-born conquerors, he is the leader of House Razzur, his personal symbol is a black scorpion on a sky-blue field. As king, his royal symbol becomes a red coiled cobra on a field of pea green.

  -his lords:

  GENERAL XANOS, general of Radagar’s mercenary army

  HAMID, seneschal to King Razzur

  THE KIRALYNN MONKS

  Founded over two thousand years ago by a group of scholars, knights, and wizards, the Kiralynn Order has always presented an enigmatic face to the world, a face that is open yet closed. One hundred years before the start of the War of Wizards the monks withdrew from the southern kingdoms, retreating to their monastery hidden deep in the Southern Mountains. As if erased from the minds of men, the monastery’s location disappeared from the maps of Erdhe. The memory of the Kiralynn monks has slowly faded, becoming little more than legend and myth. Yet select rulers of the southern kingdoms still receive scrolls sealed with the symbol of the Order. History has proven that these scrolls contain an uncanny prescience. Kings ignore the advice of the Order at their own peril.

  The symbol of the Kiralynn monks is a Seeing Eye in the palm of an Open Hand. Their seat of power is their mountain monastery. The motto of the Order is “Seek Knowledge, Protect Knowledge, Share Knowledge”.

  THE GRAND MASTER, the leader of the Kiralynn Order, his/her identity is a closely guarded secret

  -monks and initiates of the Order:

  MASTER RIZEL, a Master of the Order

  MASTER GARTH, a Master Healer of the Order

  BRYCE, an initiate of the Order, he studied to take his vows to become a monk and a healer but was subsumed by the Mordant’s Awakening, becoming a prisoner in his own mind

  MASTER AEROTH, an ambassador monk sent to the kingdoms of Erdhe

  MASTER ZITH, a Master of the Order, accompanies Kath as one of her companions, he is the father of Bryce, he lost his left forearm in the battle with the gorehounds

  RAFE, a sworn monk of the Order, he has worn the blue for five years, sent with Princess Jordan of Navarre

  MASTER YARL, a master of the Order, an expert with a quarterstaff, sent with Princess Jordan of Navarre

  MISTRESS ELLIS, a master of the Order

  MISTRESS LENORE, a master of the Order

  GILBERT, a monk of the Order serving as a hidden Wanderer in Pellanor

  ASTER, a monk of the Order serving as a hidden Wanderer in Pellanor

  MASTER FINTAN, an emissary from the Kiralynn Monks sent to the Rose Court, mysteriously murdered in the queen’s castle

  MASTER NUMAR, a master of the Order serving as a hidden Wanderer in Pellanor, posing as an apothecary

  THE ZWARD

  The Zward are sons and daughters of Kiralynn monks who choose to serve by the sword instead of the scroll. An ancient and secret order, they serve the will of the Grand Master. Their symbol is a small silver ring emblazoned with a fist holding an upright sword.

  THADDEUS TOKHEART, also known as Thad, a captain of the Zward

  DONAL, a sworn member of the Zward

  BENJIN, a sworn member of the Zward

  MARCUS, a sworn member of the Zward

  Other books by Karen L Azinger

  The Assassin’s Tear- Explore the medieval kingdoms of Erdhe, raid the tomb of the first emperor of China, and unravel the enigma of Dark Space in this collection of fantasy and science fiction tales from the author of The Silk & Steel Saga. The two signature stories, Prophecy’s Twist and The Assassin’s Tear, are set in the fantasy realm of Erdhe and are a prequel to The Silk & Steel Saga. Prophecy’s Twist discovers the dark deceit that started the War of Wizards, forever changing the kingdoms of Erdhe. The Assassin’s Tear follows the exploits of a petty thief whose ambition leads him to unravel the dark secret of the Mordant’s Citadel. The Emperor’s Shadow is an international thriller in the style of Indiana Jones, combining the power of superstition with archaeology in a desperate attempt to end World War Three. A Man’s World is a post-apocalyptic adventure set in Australia where coal miners discover all the rules have changed. Pieces of the Truth is a time travel story where a young physicist discovers a forgotten truth. In Snakes and Ladders, Lynn Gallant sets out to shatter the glass ceiling by taking a walk to the dark side of New Orleans. In The God Planet, universal dreams spark a religious frenzy, summoning humanoid kind to the riddle of Dark Space.

  ACKNOWEDGEMENTS

  My dream of an epic fantasy continues, and like all my other books, it takes a lot of people to make this saga come true. First and foremost, to my husband Rick, who is always keen for the next adventure and always believes no matter the odds. To my best friend and sword sister, Danae Powers, who listened from the very first chapter. To my alpha and beta readers who continue to cheer for my books, Mike, Nick, Bill, Peggy, Diane, Bob, Mary, Christine, Ruthie and Gina, your enthusiasm means so much to me. To Greg Bridges for the totally awesome front cover and the book spine. To Peggy Lowe, graphic artist extraordinaire, for the back cover, the two maps and the logo, well done! To all of my readers around the world who are eagerly following the saga, I write for you. And to my mom, for everything, I so hope you know.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  KAREN L. AZINGER has always loved fantasy fiction, and always hoped that someday she could give back to the genre a little of the joy that reading has always given her. Ten years ago on a hike in the Columbia River Gorge she realized she had enough original ideas to finally write an epic fantasy. She started writing and never stopped. The Steel Queen was her first book, born from that hike in the gorge. Before writing, Karen spent over twenty years as an international business strategist, eventually becoming a vice-president for one of the world's largest natural resource companies. She's worked on developing the first gem-quality diamond mine in Canada's arctic, on coal seam gas power projects in Australia, and on petroleum projects around the world. Having lived in Australia for eight years she considers it to be her second home. She's also lived in Canada and spent a lot of time in the Canadian arctic. She lives with her husband in Portland Oregon, in a house perched on the edge of the forest. She is hard at work on the sixth and final book of The Silk & Steel Saga, The Battle Immortal, estimated to be published by October 2014 . You can learn more at her website, www.karenlazinger.com or at her Facebook page for The Steel Queen.

  The Front Cover artwork was done by the Australian artist, Greg Bridges. Greg’s artwork has appeared on the book covers of many well-known fantasy authors. To see more of his art or to contact Greg, visit his website at http://www.gregbridges.com/

  The Maps and the Back Cover artwork was done by a graphic artist from Oregon, Peggy Lowe. Her illustration of the two maps helps to bring the kingdoms of Erdhe to life and her portrayal of Stonehand conveys the wonder and mystery of mage-stone. Peggy can be contacted at her e-mail address, [email protected]

  Look for The Battle Immortal, the sixth and final book in The Silk & Steel Saga to be published by October 2014.

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