The Kingless Crown Read online

  The Kingless Crown

  Kingdom of the White Sea Book One

  Sarah M. Cradit

  Contents

  Introduction: The Kingdom

  Northerlands

  Southerlands

  Easterlands

  Westerlands

  Hinterlands

  Duncarrow

  Midnight Crest

  The Consortium of the Sepulchre in the Skies

  Wastelands

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Fealty and Secrecy

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  The Silence of Cowards

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  The Moon Alone Hearing Our Treason

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Where All the Unasked Questions Live

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Epilogue

  Also by Sarah M. Cradit

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2020 Sarah M. Cradit

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Regina Wamba of ReginaWamba.com

  Editing by Emily A. Lawrence of Lawrence Editing

  * * *

  Publisher Contact:

  [email protected]

  www.sarahmcradit.com

  Introduction: The Kingdom

  There exists a kingdom set upon an isle, surrounded by a sea that no one has ever traveled beyond. The Kingdom of the White Sea it is called, or simply The kingdom, for they have no other name for it. The kingdom consists of Five Reaches: Northerlands, Southerlands, Easterlands, Westerlands, and Hinterlands, with an honorary, if one can call it that, Reach referred to as the Wastelands, for reasons that will become quite clear.

  The kingdom is nearly two thousand miles long, half as wide at its widest point, and far less so at its narrowest, an inlet dividing north from south called the Wulf’s Neck. Travel within the kingdom happens along the Compass Roads, and to some extent, by sea, though this is not the type of sea where travel happens easily, or safely.

  Following the death of his father, King Eoghan of the Rhiagains has recently taken his place as the wearer of the crown, though he was not the intended, and many suspect his involvement in the death of its rightful bearer, his twin brother, Darrick. The Lords and Ladies of main Four Reaches (the Fifth, the Hinterlands, living by laws that predate all other current inhabitants) have long enjoyed varying degrees of amity with the Rhiagain crown, but Eoghan and his father, Khain, have pushed the kingdom to a point never seen before in all its history.

  Two decades earlier, King Khain designed a ceremony upon the back of deception. When the Lords and Ladies of the Four Reaches arrived to what they believed was a celebration of the birth of his heir, they were instead commanded to give over their children, sons and daughters, and a series of marriages proceeded without hesitation. These marriages united families that were sometimes at war—families that had previously only wed within their own Reach. Khain claimed this clannishness was the cause of their enmity, though it wouldn’t become clear what his true motivation was for the Epoch of the Accordant until he was dead, and his second son ascended.

  The parents and grandparents of the brides and grooms would not live to learn this for themselves, for within two years of the Epoch, all were dead of mysterious illnesses. One by one they fell, and with each death, the enmity between the Rhiagains and the Reaches flourished to levels never seen before in the history of Rhiagain reign. The fervent denials issued from the crown of their involvement only gave the new ladies and lords of the Reaches confirmation of the truth they already held in their hearts.

  We enter this story only a fortnight away from the culmination of Khain’s ultimate vision: The Right of Choosing, wherein the young, but cruel, King Eoghan will exercise his right to take the eldest daughter from four of the unions born at the Epoch of the Accordant, and where the Lords and Ladies of these great houses are expected to comply without recourse.

  But the Rhiagains were not always the kings of this kingdom, and there are many who still pass down tales of a time before them… a time where the Reaches ruled unto themselves, and where tyrants had no place. And somewhere in Duncarrow, the seat of the Rhiagains, there are those who know the true fate of Darrick Rhiagain.

  As the Derehams, Blackwoods, Warwicks, and Quinlandens prepare their daughters—some willing, some not—to be queens, not all is well.

  Not all is well at all.

  Northerlands

  The Northern Reach

  Lord and Lady:

  Lord Holden Dereham & Lady Gretchen Quinlanden Dereham

  * * *

  Capital:

  Wulfsgate

  * * *

  Standard:

  The jagged mountaintop

  * * *

  Children:

  Christian, 19

  Drystan, 17

  Lisbet, 14

  Pieter, 13

  Nyssa and Torrin, 10

  * * *

  Greater Families/Stewards:

  Aldenwood, Turick, Hardeham, Frost, Horne, Arranden, Wynter, Haddenfoot, Claybourne, Weatherford

  * * *

  Key Towns:

  Whitecap, Midwinter Rest, Westport, Eastport, Salthill, Darkwood Run, Witchwood Cross, Wulfshead Haven, Torrin’s Pass, Dunwoode

  * * *

  Landmarks:

  Northern Range, Icebolt Mountain, Torrin’s Pass, Forest of Lycana

  * * *

  Notable Northerlanders:

  Alric Dereham & Earwyn Blackwood Dereham of Wulfsgate

  Aylen Wynter of Witchwood Cross

  Southerlands

  The Southern Reach

  Lord and Lady:

  Lord Khallum Warwick & Lady Gwyn Dereham Warwick

  Capital:

  Warwicktown

  * * *

  Standard:

  The crested wave

  * * *

  Children:

  Ransom, 19

  Esmerelda, 17

  Niall, 15

  Garrick, 12

  * * *

  Greater Families/Stewards:

  Strong, Rutland, Bradford, Clayton, Garrick, Holton, Leecaster, Law, Nye, Thorpe

  * * *

  Key Towns:

  Sandycove, Iron Hill, Sandymount, Whitecliffe, Stone Mawr, Blackpool, Leecaster Bay, Hornsea, Goldthorpe, Port Worthing

  * * *

  Landmarks:

  The Golden Coast, The Warwick Throne, Drummond’s Cock

  * * *

  Notable Southerlanders:

  Hamish and Andrija Strong, & sons Jesse and Ryan of Sandycove

  Lem Garrick of Iron Hill

  Barne Holton of Sandymount

  Samuel Law of Port Worthing

  Erran and Marie Rutland, & daughters Agnes and Esther of Whitecliffe

  Easterlands

  The Eastern Reach

  Lord and Lady:

  Lord Aiden Quinlanden & Lady Maeryn Blackwood Quinlanden

  * * *

  Capital:

  Whitechurch

  The Resplendent Reliquary of the Guardians is located in Riverchapel

  The Consortium of the Sepulchre in the Skies is located in Briarhaven

  The Council of Universities are in Oldcastle

  * * *

  Standard:

  The oaken tree

  * * *

  Children:

  Eavan, 18

  Assana, 17

  Cian, 16

  Breandan, 13

  Dorrin, 12

  * * *

  Greater Families/Stewards:

  Oakenwell, Sylvaine, Forrest, Skylark, Rowan, Rosewood, Waters, Edevane

  * * *

  Key Towns:

  Streamstowne, Rushwood, Riverchapel, Oldcastle, Everleigh Pike, Everhart Thicket, Greenfen, Briarhaven, Bythesea, Oak Hill

  * * *

 
Landmarks:

  Fionn’s Pass, Gap of Ever, The Sparkling Beck

  * * *

  Notable Easterlanders:

  Drystan “Ash” Sylvaine (deceased) of Rushwood

  Joran Rosewood of Greenfen

  Mads Waters of Bythesea

  Wyat Edevane of Oldcastle

  Westerlands

  The Western Reach

  Lord and Lady:

  Lady Asherley Blackwood & Lord Byrne Warwick

  Capital:

  Longwood Rush

  * * *

  Standard:

  The providing mother

  * * *

  Children:

  Hollyn, 16

  Emberley, 15

  Gabrianna, 12

  Brandyn, 11

  * * *

  Greater Families/Stewards:

  Tyndall, Glenlannan, Ashenhurst, Bristol, Blakewell, James, Stanhope, Richland, Derry, Wakesell

  * * *

  Key Towns:

  Wildwood Falls, Pine Bluff, Windwatch Grove, Whispering Wood, Valleybrooke, Greencastle, East Derry, Greystone Abbey, Newcarrow, Whitewood

  * * *

  Landmarks:

  The Seven Sisters of the West, The River Rush, Whispering Wood, The Whitewood, The Hidden Cave

  * * *

  Notable Westerlanders:

  Easlan James & son Kaslan, of Greystone Abbey

  Clarrisant and Griffath Tyndall, & son Marsh of Wildwood Falls

  Glen and Fleur Ashenhurst, & children Meadow and Brook of Windwatch Grove

  Jasmine and Mason Wakesell, & daughter Storm of Whitewood

  The Great Rush Riders

  Hinterlands

  The Land of the Medvedev

  Chieftainesses:

  Yseult de Medvedev, Drumain Clahnn

  Ohsmha de Medvedev, Saleen Clahnn

  * * *

  Clahnns:

  Drumain

  Asgill

  Mayke

  Saleen

  * * *

  Yseult’s Children:

  Kian, 17

  Kael, 15

  * * *

  Other Notable Medvedev:

  Yanna de Medvedev of Clahnn Drumain (sister of Yseult, deceased)

  Duncarrow

  Seat of the Rhiagains

  King:

  Eoghan Rhiagain

  Standard:

  The crossed swords

  * * *

  King’s Family:

  Khain- Father (deceased)

  Florian- Mother (deceased)

  Assyria- Sister

  Correen- Sister

  Darrick- Brother (deceased)

  * * *

  Notable Rhiagains of Past:

  King Carrow the Original

  King Carrick the Dreamer

  King Karsein

  King Fynne the Good

  * * *

  Landmarks:

  The sky dungeon, Isle of Belcarrow

  Midnight Crest

  Haven of the Ravenwoods

  High Priestess & Priest:

  Varinya & Argentyn Ravenwood (brother and sister)

  * * *

  Castle:

  The Rookery

  * * *

  Sigil:

  The raven

  * * *

  Children:

  Alasyr, 17

  Ravenna, 15

  Ryandyr, 13

  Ashara, 10

  Nyana & Nevyn, 8 (twins)

  * * *

  Landmarks:

  Courtyard of Regents

  * * *

  Notable Ravenwoods:

  Adynora & Alasyr (Ravenna’s grandparents)

  Aryc & son Sandyr

  Ailyn

  Rhosyn (defected)

  The Consortium of the Sepulchre in the Skies

  The Academy of Magic and Ruling Council of Elders

  Head Magus:

  Head Magus Tymagen

  * * *

  Location:

  Briarhaven, in the Easterlands

  * * *

  Adherents- students

  Enchanters/Enchantresses- magic practitioners who have finished their studies and been assigned into the world. May also be called by their discipline (i.e. Healers, Seers, etc.)

  Magi- Instructors of magic at the Sepulchre

  Elder Magi- A position of tenure that allows access to the Sacred Halls

  Head Magus- The head of the Sepulchre

  * * *

  Notable Magi:

  Magi Christian Dereham

  Magi Aylen Wynter

  Elder Magi Rorric Dereham

  * * *

  Notable Adherents:

  Brandyn Blackwood

  Esther Rutland

  Wastelands

  Crown Labor Camps

  Land seized by the crown and turned into prison labor camps, including Camp Atonement.

  * * *

  Notable Prisoners & Their Number:

  Cap- WCNM999

  Hill- SHNT1

  Andy- SCST8769

  * * *

  Prisoner Numbers Decoded:

  City- Reach-Crime-Number Correlating to Crime