A change to my summer plans led to my decision to write my June novel prior to June, for which purpose I will be starting both my April and May novels earlier than I had originally planned; this decision was made at short notice, thus the combination post.
Novel Title: Danger Recognised
Time Setting: 1325–1326 Age of Peace*
Genre: Fantasy
Minimum Word Goal: 90,000
Timespan: October–February
Locations: Carey Derwent, Derwynton, Aifos; Caerwyn, Aniger, Aifos
Main Characters: Viceroy Éoin Magnys, Queen Alina I Vaelynt
Background Information:
The Island Kingdom of the United People of Aifos is the smallest nation in Ureonaiea, being made up of only one island. No one is quite sure when people first arrived on the island, or how its people became quite so unique from the others, but they do know that, as all people, the Aifosians were warriors — but not with each other.
When other peoples came to explore or take over the island they fought them off valiantly, proving themselves a rather indomitable people, prompting most nations to eventually give up on efforts to take over the island and let the people be.
Once more people were leaving them alone than attacking the chieftains of the various tribes of Aifos gathered together and held a council to discuss what they could do to improve their defence of the island and agreed that unifying under one single leader would be the best.
A secret ballot chose Chief Æthelfríd of the village Ænígr to be King of Aifos. The installation of a king by Aifos intimidated many other nations, being as a king was greater than a chief — which was about all most of them had — and prompted other nations to form their own monarchies if they thought trying their hand at taking Aifos would be a worthwhile endeavour.
This prompted further fighting to come to Aifos again, but King Æthelfríd I led his people valiantly so that he is now recognised as King Æthelfríd I the Great, and was given the surname Vælynt because of his great leadership.
It is the descendants of King Æthelfríd I Vælynt who have ruled over Aifos, and the other chiefs' descendants have become Viceroys of the twenty Viceregal Territories — while the twenty-first is presided over by the King.
Over time Aifos has become less and less threatened and has, in fact, become allied with some of its former enemies, but Aifos has not been without its trouble, especially recently.
In the late 1200s King Alfred XXI Vaelynt ascended to the throne, soon being married to the Lady Aileen and welcoming a daughter in 1306. In 1309 he went on a diplomatic visit to the neighbouring kingdom of Außtöst where he suddenly fell ill. Doctors could do nothing in either kingdom and within weeks the king was dead, leaving his hardly three-year-old daughter the first Queen of Aifos.
According to law she could not ascend to the throne until nineteen, thus Queen Consort Aileen was named Queen Regent.
Not being politically minded, Queen Aileen made a poor regent, as she was easily manipulated by ill counsel, and passed many laws that the majority of the viceroys have considered poor through her authoritative power.
Now the Queen-Princess Alina — as she has been styled — is set to turn nineteen, and to become the first Queen of Aifos officially, which has led to concerns as to whether the political ineptitude will continue, and even concerns as to what will happen to the Royal House whenever Alina should marry.
The firstborn son of the Viceroy of Derwent, Éoin knows he will someday become viceroy after his father. That day come sooner than he anticipates when his father returns home from the Autumn Session of parliament in poor health.
Over the next month, as his condition continues to deteriorate, Viceroy Llewellyn instructs his son in what it takes to be a viceroy, as well as relaying to him concerns that have come up within parliament as to just how nefarious some of the Queen Regent's poor counsel is.
Éoin hopes that his father will be able to recover and address the concerns himself as the more experienced parliamentarian, but eventually doctors give the grim prognosis that Viceroy Llewellyn will never leave his bed again, and that death is imminent.
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Word Count: 6,003
Summary of Events:
Éoin is summoned to talk with his father one last time before the family gathers and bids Llewellyn a final farewell. The typical state funeral is held which obligates Éoin to eulogise his father, lead in the burying, and — to his greatest annoyance — receive condolences from people when he would much rather be alone that prompt him to snap at his one aunt. His mother meets with him later to discuss the issue and he tells her what his father had told him in that last visit . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
"Father thi–" Éoin struggled to say the right word. "Thought someone killed him."
Mother straightened and looked at him with shock.
"The sun does not sit at the horizon of dawn," Éoin said. "The coronation will not be the end of our troubles. Danger remains, somehow."
"Llewellyn told you this?" Mother asked.
"Yes," Éoin replied.
She stared, stunned.
"What irritates me the most is that everyone thinks it's going to get better from here," Éoin said. "Father did not give me that impression at all. I had people tell me that it would be easy. I don't want to go to Aniger. I don't want to be installed."
"Oh," Mother said quietly. "Oh Éoin, oh my son."
Éoin blinked repeatedly, feeling tears coming to his eyes.
"I don't know what counsel to give you," Mother said.
"I don't expect any," Éoin replied. "Father couldn't even give me counsel. He has his suspicions as to who's behind it all, but he doesn't know for sure — he didn't know for sure."
Éoin put his face in his hands. It tortured him to think of Father in the past tense, to think that his existence was finished, and would fade further and further from the present with each passing day.
He heard the soft sound of cloth moving. Mother clasped her hands gently about his neck and pressed her lips to the little bit of his forehead that was exposed at the tips of his fingers.
"I would never have wished this trouble upon you Éoin," Mother said. "Let us trust that all things will come out as they rightly must, and my dear son, oh my dear son, let us pray Aifos survives this intact."
Éoin pulled his face out of his hands and looked at Mother, who had fresh tears running down her cheeks; she raised a hand and cupped it over his cheek before sliding it across and curling it under his chin to raise his head.
"May you have somehow been readied for such a time as this," Mother whispered.
He sagged back against the chair. The darkness of the future as Father had presented it sapped him. Father had possessed more questions than answers, which left him with nothing on which to stand.
Mother looked at him sympathetically, her face gathered with sadness. Éoin forced himself to his feet and wrapped his arms around her gently. She embraced him in return, setting her head on his collarbone and sagging with all the weariness he felt.
He was without his father, a man who was presumably murdered, and he had to find out who had done it, why, and what their ultimate plans were, and he had to make sure that nothing threatened the young Queen-Princess, on whose birthday he would be installed as Viceroy of Derwent, after she herself had been installed Queen of Aifos.
Pronunciations:
Derwent: derwihnt
Derwynton: derwihntihn
Aifos: ayefaws
Caerwyn: kayrhwihn
Aniger/Ænígr: ahkneezhehr
Éoin: ehoheen
Magnys: magnihz
Vaelynt/Vælynt: vaylihnt
Ureonaiea: yourohneighah
Aifosians: ayefawshenz
Æthelfríd: aythehlfreed
Außtöst: 'ousetossed
*does not correlate to the real-world years of 1325–1326 AD.
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