In the King's Service

That summer was a welcome season of peace, allowing Ke

Toward midsummer, Alyce was able to confirm that her child would be a boy. The king, too, was told, and was present outside the birthing room late in September, when Alyce de Corwyn, wife of Sir Ke

Ke

«Are you well, dearest heart?» he whispered.

She smiled and lifted her lips to his. «I am well», she replied. «And we have a son, indeed».

As she glanced down adoringly at the child in her arms, briefly pulling aside his blankets to display his perfect form, Ke

«May I hold him?» he murmured.

«Of course».

He was cradling his son, murmuring sweet nothings as he sat close beside the mother, when Zoë admitted the king to the chamber and quietly withdrew. Both parents looked up as the king approached, and Ke

«Sire», Ke

And with those simple words, he laid the child in the king's arms.

«Your Majesty, I am honored to present my son, Alaric Anthony Morgan».

Six weeks later, in the chapel royal at Rhemuth Castle, the child was officially christened with that name — the Anthony for Ke

But both boys received illustrious godparents on that day. Duke Richard and Sir Tiarnán MacRae were among those standing for young Prince Jathan; young Alaric had his half-sister Zoë, the visibly pregnant Lady Vera Howard McLain, now Countess of Kierney, Sir Jovett Chandos, in from Cynfyn, and Sir Sé Trelawney. It was not until later that afternoon, while taking refreshments in the great hall, that Lord Seisyll Arilan finally got an opportunity to hold the newly baptized Alaric in his arms — and made a discovery that was to cause great consternation, when he reported back to his colleagues of the Camberian Council.

For, whatever else he was, Alaric Anthony Morgan was not the son of Donal Haldane. What he might become, only time would tell.

APPENDIX I

Index of Characters

AHERN JERNIAN DE CORWYN, LORD — son and heir of Keryell Earl of Lendour and Stevana de Corwyn; twin to Marie de Corwyn.

ALARIC ANTHONY MORGAN — infant son of Alyce de Corwyn Morgan and Sir Ke

ALAZAIS MORGAN — youngest daughter of Sir Ke

*ALBADORE, SAINT — a patron saint of lost things.

ALEXANDER DARBY, FATHER — violently anti-Deryni priest and former physician in Carthane.

ALINOR CARDIEL, LADY — second wife of Mikhail Prince of Andelon, sister of Thomas.

ALVIN DE MARCO — a guard in the retinue of Lord Deldour.

ALYCE JAVANA DE CORWYN, LADY — elder daughter of Keryell Earl of Lendour and Stevana de Corwyn.

ANDREW MCLAIN, DUKE — Duke of Cassan, father of Jared.

ANGELUS, FATHER — a chaplain to Queen Richeldis.

ANJELICA — maid to Lady Jessamy.

ANNALIND, PRINCESS — a princess of Meara, younger twin of Roisian.

ARDRY MACARDRY — infant son of Caulay Earl of Transha.

*ATUN, PRINCE — late Prince of Andelon, father of Mikhail and Khoren.

AURÉLIEN DE COURCY — son of Michon and husband of Sieffany MacAthan.

BARRETT DE LANEY — blind member of the Camberian Council; brother of Dominy de Laney.

BASIL OF CASTLEROO — a Mearan rebel.

BENJAMIN — servant in the employ of Seisyll Arilan.

BENROY, FATHER — weak-sighted scrivener and chaplain at Arc-en-Ciel.

BLAINE EMANUEL RICHARD CINHIL HALDANE, PRINCE — second son of Donal King of Gwynedd.

BLAISE OF TRURILL — a Mearan rebel.

BRENDAN, BROTHER — a dark at Rhemuth.

BRIGETTA DELACORTE, LADY — a junior lady-in-waiting to Queen Richeldis.

BRION DONAL CINHIL URIEN HALDANE, PRINCE — firstborn son and heir of King Donal.

BRONNA, LADY — a nurse to the royal children.

CAITRIN OF MEARAN, PRINCESS — daughter of Judhael of Meara, sister of Princess Onora.

*CASSIANUS DE LANEY — deceased older brother of Dominy and Barrett.

CERYS DEVANE — a student at Arc-en-Ciel, Alyce's original roommate, who later takes the veil as Sister Ins Cerys.

*CHARLAN MORGAN, SIR — former squire to Javan Haldane, treacherously killed with him; distant cousin of Sir Ke

CLARICE, LADY — a lady-in-waiting to Queen Richeldis.

*COLMAN, KING — deceased King of Howicce and Lla

*CORBAN HOWELL, SIR — deceased Earl of Eastmarch.

CRAWFORD, MASTER — a guard at Rhemuth Castle.

*CYNFYN OF LENDOUR — deceased son of Keryell Earl of Lendour by his first marriage.

*DAMIAN CATHCART — a general/tactician of the past.

DEINOL HARTMANN, SIR — seneschal at Castle Cynfyn.

DELDOUR, LORD — a lord of Carthane, and one of the ringleaders of an anti-Deryni lay group centered on the ministry of Bishop Oliver de Nore; Father Septimus becomes his chaplain.

DENIT, FATHER — queen's chaplain in 1088.

DESMOND MACCARTNEY, BISHOP — Auxiliary Bishop of Rhemuth, brother of William.

DOMINY DE LANEY — sister of Barrett, member of the Camberian Council.

DONAL BLAINE AIDAN CINHIL HALDANE, KING — King of Gwynedd, Prince of Meara, and Lord of the Purple March.

DONNARD, MASTER — Duke Richard's battle-surgeon in 1086.

*DULCHESSE, QUEEN — childless first queen of Donal Haldane.

EDWARD — a carpenter at Rhemuth Castle.

EDWINA — Zoë's original roommate at Arc-en-Ciel, from Lla

ELAINE MACINNIS, LADY — daughter of Manfred MacI

EVAN SULLIVAN, SIR — human buyer of horses at manor of Arkella, north of Ratharkin. (Kindaloo is farther along.)

FARIAN, FATHER — a young dark at Rhemuth.

*FERROL HOWARD, SIR — slain 1025 at Killingford with King Urien and buried in crypt beneath Rhemuth Cathedral.

FRANCIS DELANEY — a Mearan rebel.

GEILL MORGAN — middle daughter of Sir Ke

GERALD — a squire in the service of King Donal.

*GRANIA DE CORWYN, LADY — mother of Stevana and grandmother of Alyce, Marie, Ahern, and Vera.

GWENAËL, QUEEN — Queen of Lla

HAMBERT HAMILTON, SIR — seneschal of Coroth.