In the King's Service
Encyclopedia
In the King's Service is a historical fantasy
novel
by American
-born author Katherine Kurtz
. It was first published by Ace Books
in 2003. It was the fourteenth of Kurtz' Deryni novels
to be published, and the first book in the fifth Deryni trilogy, the Childe Morgan trilogy
. The events of this trilogy are a direct prequel to the first Deryni trilogy, the Chronicles of the Deryni.
, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms
. Gwynedd itself is a medieval
kingdom similar to the British Isles of the 11th century, with a powerful Holy Church (based on the Roman Catholic Church
), and a feudal
government ruled by a hereditary monarchy
. The population of Gwynedd includes both humans and Deryni
, a race of people with inherent physic and magical abilities who have persecuted and suppressed for almost two centuries. The novel begins one hundred and fifty-four years after the conclusion of The Bastard Prince
and thirty-eight years before the beginning of Deryni Rising
. The plot revolves around the court of King Donal Haldane, where several Deryni secretly work in service to the king. While Donal risks everything to secure a Deryni protector for his young son and heir, a new generation of Deryni, including Lady Alyce de Corwyn, struggles to find their place in the dangerous political and religious environment.
congratulate Lord Sief MacAthan on the birth of his son, Krispin. However, when Sief returns to Rhemuth later that night, he discovers that the child is actually the bastard son of King Donal Blaine Haldane, who fathered the child on Sief's wife, Lady Jessamy MacAthan, in an attempt to breed a Deryni
protector for his sons and heirs. When Sief angrily attacks the king with his powers, Donal is forced to kill the Deryni lord with his own arcane abilities. The Camberian Council later investigates Sief's death, but they are unable to confirm their suspicions regarding the paternity of Jessamy's son.
In August of the following year, Jessamy welcomes Alyce and Marie de Corwyn, the daughters of Earl Keryell of Lendour to the royal court. Alyce and Marie spend several months in the service of Queen Richeldis before leaving Rhemuth to continue their education at Notre Dame d'Arc-en-Ciel, a royal convent where they meet Lady Zoë Morgan, the daughter of one of Donal's military aides, Sir Kenneth Morgan. Over the next several years, Alyce, Marie, and Zoë remain at the convent and pursue the common studies of ladies of noble birth.
In October of 1086, rebellious Mearans attempt to assassinate Price Richard Haldane, the king's younger half-brother. Although the plot is unsuccessful, Earl Keryell is slain and his eldest son and heir, Lord Ahern, is seriously wounded. Alyce and Marie return to Rhemuth to tend to their injured brother, and the three siblings escort their father's body back to Cynfyn shortly thereafter. While Ahern adjusts to his new role as Earl of Lendour, Lady Vera Howard reveals to the sisters that she is actually Alyce's twin sister. Alyce and Marie return to Rhemuth in February and soon secure a place for Vera in the royal household.
Torenth
i raiders strike across the border into Corwyn in the summer of 1088, and Ahern, as hereditary Duke of Corwyn, travels to Coroth to deal with the situation. Donal joins Ahern several weeks later, and the young earl impresses the king with his natural leadership skills. Meanwhile, in Rhemuth, Marie is poisoned and killed by Lady Muriella, a lady-in-waiting to the queen who is jealous of Marie's developing relationship with Sir Sé Trelawney. Alyce escorts her sister's body to Coroth, and later returns to Rhemuth after the funeral.
Several months later, Ahern is summoned to court to advise the king on the increasingly tense situation in Meara. In April of 1089, Ahern accompanies Donal when the king mounts a military campaign to put down a growing rebellion in Meara. Ahern further distinguishes himself during the campaign, but he becomes seriously ill while returning to Rhemuth in June. Kenneth rushes to fetch Alyce and Zoë, but Ahern soon dies, shortly after marrying Zoë.
With Ahern's death, Alyce is now the sole heiress to the Duchy of Corwyn. An assassination attempt on the king in November fails, but Kenneth is badly wounded in the attack. After Alyce nurses Kenneth back to health, Donal decides to marry the two and announces the betrothal in January of 1090. The following day, tragedy strikes the castle when Krispin's dead body is discovered in a well. Donal commands Alyce to probe the dead boy's mind, and she succeeds in identifying the murderers, one of whom is a priest and the brother of a bishop. Although Donal executes the murderers, the fact that he does so without the consent of the Church results in excommunication
for both the king and Alyce. Donal eventually resolves the rift, and Alyce and Kenneth are married in June.
Donal decides to once again attempt to father a Deryni protector for his sons, and convinces Jessamy to assist him after he chooses Alyce as his next target. Donal keeps Kenneth away from Rhemuth for much of the summer and autumn, but Jessamy's death in November creates an additional delay in the king's plan. Prior to her death, Jessamy reveals the details of the plan to Lord Siesyll Arilan, a member of Donal's council who is also a member of the Camberian Council. Donal finally attempts to bed Alyce in late January of 1090, but Alyce stops him. Alyce and Kenneth inform the king that Alyce is already pregnant, and the pledge their son to the king's service, promising that their child will be raised to be the Deryni protector Donal has sought. In September, Alyce gives birth to her first child, Alaric Anthony Morgan
. Several weeks later, Siesyll covertly confirms that the child is not Donal's.
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born author Katherine Kurtz
Katherine Kurtz
Katherine Kurtz is the author of numerous fantasy novels, most notably the Deryni novels. Although born in America, for the past several years, up until just recently, she has lived in a castle in Ireland...
. It was first published by Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
in 2003. It was the fourteenth of Kurtz' Deryni novels
Deryni novels
The Deryni novels are a series of historical fantasy books written by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. The first novel in the series to be published was Deryni Rising in 1970, and the most recent novel in the series, Childe Morgan, was published on December 5, 2006...
to be published, and the first book in the fifth Deryni trilogy, the Childe Morgan trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
. The events of this trilogy are a direct prequel to the first Deryni trilogy, the Chronicles of the Deryni.
Plot introduction
The novel is set in the land of GwyneddGwynedd (Fictional)
The fictional Kingdom of Gwynedd is the primary setting of the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.There had been a historical Kingdom of Gwynedd, an important part of Wales with a long history of its own...
, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms
Eleven Kingdoms (Fictional)
The Eleven Kingdoms is a fictional collection of nations that serve as the primary setting of the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz. Although the exact number of sovereign kingdoms varies through the literary history of the novels, the term remains in use throughout the series.-Bremagne:The Kingdom...
. Gwynedd itself is a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
kingdom similar to the British Isles of the 11th century, with a powerful Holy Church (based on the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
), and a feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
government ruled by a hereditary monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
. The population of Gwynedd includes both humans and Deryni
Deryni
The Deryni are a fictional race of humans who possess a variety of psychic and magical abilities in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz...
, a race of people with inherent physic and magical abilities who have persecuted and suppressed for almost two centuries. The novel begins one hundred and fifty-four years after the conclusion of The Bastard Prince
The Bastard Prince
The Bastard Prince is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1994. It was the twelfth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her fourth Deryni trilogy, The Heirs of Saint Camber...
and thirty-eight years before the beginning of Deryni Rising
Deryni Rising
Deryni Rising is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the nineteenth volume of the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in August, 1970, and was reprinted at least ten times over the next three decades...
. The plot revolves around the court of King Donal Haldane, where several Deryni secretly work in service to the king. While Donal risks everything to secure a Deryni protector for his young son and heir, a new generation of Deryni, including Lady Alyce de Corwyn, struggles to find their place in the dangerous political and religious environment.
Plot summary
The events of In the King's Service span a period of nine years, from 1082 to November of 1091. The novel begins as members of the Camberian CouncilCamberian Council
The Camberian Council is a secretive group of highly-trained Deryni adepts in the historical fantasy novels of Katherine Kurtz. Originally formed in the early tenth century to maintain peace between the races by controlling the actions of disaffected Deryni nobles, the Council's goals soon expand...
congratulate Lord Sief MacAthan on the birth of his son, Krispin. However, when Sief returns to Rhemuth later that night, he discovers that the child is actually the bastard son of King Donal Blaine Haldane, who fathered the child on Sief's wife, Lady Jessamy MacAthan, in an attempt to breed a Deryni
Deryni
The Deryni are a fictional race of humans who possess a variety of psychic and magical abilities in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz...
protector for his sons and heirs. When Sief angrily attacks the king with his powers, Donal is forced to kill the Deryni lord with his own arcane abilities. The Camberian Council later investigates Sief's death, but they are unable to confirm their suspicions regarding the paternity of Jessamy's son.
In August of the following year, Jessamy welcomes Alyce and Marie de Corwyn, the daughters of Earl Keryell of Lendour to the royal court. Alyce and Marie spend several months in the service of Queen Richeldis before leaving Rhemuth to continue their education at Notre Dame d'Arc-en-Ciel, a royal convent where they meet Lady Zoë Morgan, the daughter of one of Donal's military aides, Sir Kenneth Morgan. Over the next several years, Alyce, Marie, and Zoë remain at the convent and pursue the common studies of ladies of noble birth.
In October of 1086, rebellious Mearans attempt to assassinate Price Richard Haldane, the king's younger half-brother. Although the plot is unsuccessful, Earl Keryell is slain and his eldest son and heir, Lord Ahern, is seriously wounded. Alyce and Marie return to Rhemuth to tend to their injured brother, and the three siblings escort their father's body back to Cynfyn shortly thereafter. While Ahern adjusts to his new role as Earl of Lendour, Lady Vera Howard reveals to the sisters that she is actually Alyce's twin sister. Alyce and Marie return to Rhemuth in February and soon secure a place for Vera in the royal household.
Torenth
Torenth
Torenth is a fictional kingdom in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. It lies to the east of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and the rulers of the two kingdoms often oppose each other, with the Torenthi monarchs serving as antagonists to the Haldane kings that are the...
i raiders strike across the border into Corwyn in the summer of 1088, and Ahern, as hereditary Duke of Corwyn, travels to Coroth to deal with the situation. Donal joins Ahern several weeks later, and the young earl impresses the king with his natural leadership skills. Meanwhile, in Rhemuth, Marie is poisoned and killed by Lady Muriella, a lady-in-waiting to the queen who is jealous of Marie's developing relationship with Sir Sé Trelawney. Alyce escorts her sister's body to Coroth, and later returns to Rhemuth after the funeral.
Several months later, Ahern is summoned to court to advise the king on the increasingly tense situation in Meara. In April of 1089, Ahern accompanies Donal when the king mounts a military campaign to put down a growing rebellion in Meara. Ahern further distinguishes himself during the campaign, but he becomes seriously ill while returning to Rhemuth in June. Kenneth rushes to fetch Alyce and Zoë, but Ahern soon dies, shortly after marrying Zoë.
With Ahern's death, Alyce is now the sole heiress to the Duchy of Corwyn. An assassination attempt on the king in November fails, but Kenneth is badly wounded in the attack. After Alyce nurses Kenneth back to health, Donal decides to marry the two and announces the betrothal in January of 1090. The following day, tragedy strikes the castle when Krispin's dead body is discovered in a well. Donal commands Alyce to probe the dead boy's mind, and she succeeds in identifying the murderers, one of whom is a priest and the brother of a bishop. Although Donal executes the murderers, the fact that he does so without the consent of the Church results in excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
for both the king and Alyce. Donal eventually resolves the rift, and Alyce and Kenneth are married in June.
Donal decides to once again attempt to father a Deryni protector for his sons, and convinces Jessamy to assist him after he chooses Alyce as his next target. Donal keeps Kenneth away from Rhemuth for much of the summer and autumn, but Jessamy's death in November creates an additional delay in the king's plan. Prior to her death, Jessamy reveals the details of the plan to Lord Siesyll Arilan, a member of Donal's council who is also a member of the Camberian Council. Donal finally attempts to bed Alyce in late January of 1090, but Alyce stops him. Alyce and Kenneth inform the king that Alyce is already pregnant, and the pledge their son to the king's service, promising that their child will be raised to be the Deryni protector Donal has sought. In September, Alyce gives birth to her first child, Alaric Anthony Morgan
Alaric Morgan
Alaric Morgan is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.-Character introduction:Alaric Anthony Morgan is the seventh Duke of Corwyn and Lord General of the Royal Armies of Gwynedd. He is a close advisor and friend of both King Brion Haldane and...
. Several weeks later, Siesyll covertly confirms that the child is not Donal's.
Characters in In the King's Service
- King Donal Blaine Haldane: King of GwyneddGwynedd (Fictional)The fictional Kingdom of Gwynedd is the primary setting of the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.There had been a historical Kingdom of Gwynedd, an important part of Wales with a long history of its own...
, husband of Queen Richeldis, father of Prince Brion - Queen Richeldis MacFaolan-Gruffud: Queen of Gwynedd, second wife of King Donal Blaine, mother of Prince Brion
- Duke Richard Haldane: Prince of Gwynedd, Duke of Carthmoor, half-brother of King Donal Blaine
- Prince Brion Haldane: Prince of Gwynedd, eldest son and heir of King Donal Blaine
- Lady Jessamy MacAthan: wife of Lord Sief MacAthan, mother of Krispin MacAthan
- Lady Alyce de Corwyn: sister of Ahern and Marie de Corwyn
- Lady Marie de Corwyn: younger sister of Alyce and Ahern de Corwyn
- Lord Ahern de Corwyn: Hereditary Duke of Corwyn, brother of Alyce and Marie de Corwyn
- Lord Michon de Courcy: member of the Camberian CouncilCamberian CouncilThe Camberian Council is a secretive group of highly-trained Deryni adepts in the historical fantasy novels of Katherine Kurtz. Originally formed in the early tenth century to maintain peace between the races by controlling the actions of disaffected Deryni nobles, the Council's goals soon expand...
- Lord Seisyll Arilan: member of King Donal Blaine's council, member of the Camberian Council
- Sir Kenneth Morgan: aide to King Donal Blaine, father of Zoë Morgan
- Lady Zoë Morgan: eldest daughter of Sir Kenneth Morgan
- Lady Vera (de Corwyn) Howard: secret twin sister of Alyce de Corwyn
- Earl Jared McLain: Earl of Kierney
- Lord Krispin MacAthan: sole surviving son of Jessamy MacAthan
Release details
- 2003, USA, Ace BooksAce BooksAce Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
ISBN 0-441-01060-1, Pub date 4 November 2003, Hardcover (first edition) - 2004, USA, Ace BooksAce BooksAce Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
ISBN 0-441-01209-4, Pub date 28 December 2004, Paperback