Roberson, Jennifer - Chronicles of the Cheysuli 06 - Daughter of the Lion

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CHRONICLES

OF THE CHEYSULI:

BOOK SIX

DAUGHTER OF

THE LION

JENNIFER ROBERSON

DAW BOOKS, INC.

DONALD A. WOLLHEIM, PUBLISHER

375 Hudson Street, New York, NY I00I4

Cover art by Corey Wolfe.

Border design by Julek Heller.

Cheysuli Map by Liz Danforth.

A portion of this novel appeared in slightly different form as

the short story "Blood of Sorcery" in the DAW Books

by Marion Zimmer Bradley, editor.

DAW Book Collectors No. 770.

First Priming, February I989

56789

II R I N T ED I N T HE U.S. A.

The Chronicles of the Cheysuli:

An Overview

THE PROPHECY OF THE FIRSTBORN:

"One day a man of all blood shall unite,

in peace, four warring realms

and two magical races."

Originally a race of shapechangers known as the

Cheysuli, descendants of the Firstborn, Homana's

original race, held the Lion Throne, but increasing

unrest on the part of the Homanans, who lacked

magical powers and therefore feared the Cheysuli,

threatened to tear the realm apart. The Cheysuli

royal dynasty voluntarily gave up the Lion Throne

so that Homanans could rule Homana, thereby avoid-

ing fullblown internecine war.

The clans withdrew altogether from Homanan so-

ciety save for one remaining and binding tradition:

each Homanan king, called a Mujhar, must have a

Cheysuli liege man as bodyguard, councillor, com-

panion, dedicated to serving the throne and protect-

ing I he Mujhar, until such a time as the prophecy is

fulfilled and the Firstborn rule again.

This tradition was adhered to without incident for

nearly four centuries, until Lindir, the only daughter

of Shaine the Mujhar, jilted her prospective bride-

groom to elope with Hale, her father's Cheysuli liege

man. Because the jilted bridegroom was the heir of a

neighboring king, Bellam of Solinde, and because

their marriage was meant to seal an alliance after

years of bloody war, the elopement resulted in tragic

consequences. Shaine concocted a web of lies to salve

his obsessive pride, and in so doing laid the ground-

work for the annihilation of a race. Declared sorcer-

ers and demons dedicated to the downfall of the

Homanan throne, the Cheysuli were summarily out-

lawed and sentenced to immediate execution if found

within Homanan borders.

Shapechangers begins the "Chronicles of the Cheysuli,"

telling the tale of Alix, daughter of Lindir, once

Princess of Homana, and Hale, once Cheysuli liege

man to Shaine. Alix is an unknown catalyst bearing

the of d Blood of the Firstborn, which gives her the

ability to link with all lir and assume any animal

shape at will. But Alix is raised by a Homanan and

has no knowledge of her abilities, until she is kid-

napped by Finn, a Cheysuli warrior who is Hale's

son by his Cheysuli wife, and therefore Alix's half-

brother. Kidnapped with her is Carillon, Prince of

Homana. Alix learns the true power in her gifts, the

nature of the prophecy which rules all Cheysuli, and

eventually marries a warrior, Duncan, to whom she

bears a son, Donal, and, much later, a daughter,

Bronwyn. But Homana's internal strife weakens her

defenses. Bellam of Solinde, with his sorcerous aide,

Tynstar the Ihlini, conquers Homana and assumes

the Lion Throne.

In The Song of Homana, Carillon returns from a

five-year exile, faced with the difficult task of gather-

ing an army capable of overcoming Bellam. He is

accompanied by Finn, who has assumed the tradi-

tional role of liege man. Aided by Cheysuli magic

and his own brand of personal power, Carillon is

able to win back his realm and restore the Cheysuli

to their homeland by ending the purge begun by his

uncle, Shaine, Alix's grandfather. He marries Bellam's

daughter to seal peace between the lands, but Electra

has already cast her lot with Tynstar the Ihlini, and

works against her Homanan husband. Carillon's fail-

ure to father a son forces him to betroth his only

daughter, Aislinn, to Donal, Alix's son, whom he

names Prince of Homana. This public approbation

of a Cheysuli warrior is the first step in restoring the

Lion Throne to the sovereignty of the Cheysuli, re-

quired by the prophecy, and sows the seeds of civil

unrest.

Legacy of the Sword focuses on Donal's slow assump-

tion of power within Homana, and his personal as-

sumption of his role in the prophecy. Because by

clan custom a warrior is free to take both wife and

mistress, Donal has started a Cheysuli family even

though he will one day have to marry Carillon's

daughter to cement his right to the Lion Throne. By

his Cheysuli mistress he has two children, Ian and

Isolde; by Aislinn, Carillon's daughter, he eventually

sires a son who will become his heir. But the mar-

riage is rocky immediately; in addition to the prob-

lems caused by a second family, Donal's Homanan

wife is also under the magical influence of her mother,

Electra, who is mistress to Tynstar. Problems are

compounded by the son of Tynstar and Electra,

Strahan, who has his father's powers in full measure.

On Carillon's death Donal inherits the Lion, naming

his legitimate son, Niall, to succeed him. But to fur-

ther the prophecy he marries his sister, Bronwyn, to

Alaric of Atvia, lord of an island kingdom. Bronwyn

is later killed by Alaric accidentally while in lir-shape,

but lives long enough to give birth to a daughter,

Gisella, who is mad.

In Track of the White Wolf, Donal's son Niall is a

young man caught between two worlds. To the

Homanans, fearful of Cheysuli power and inten-

tions, he is worthy only of distrust, the focus of their

discontent. To the Cheysuli he is an "unblessed"

man, because even though far past the age for it,

Niall has not linked with his animal. He is therefore

a lirless man, a warrior with no power, and such a

man has no place within the clans. His Cheysuli half-

brother is his liege man, fully "blessed," and lan's

abilities serve to add to Niall's feelings of inferiority.

Niall is meant to marry his half-Atvian cousin,

Gisella, but falls in love with the princess of a neigh-

boring kingdom, Deirdre of Erinn. Lirless, and with

Gisella under the influence of Tynstar's Ihlini daugh-

ter, Lillith, Niall falls prey to sorcery. Eventually he

links with his lir and assumes the full range of Cheysuli

powers, but he pays for it with an eye. His marriage

to Gisella is disastrous, but two sets of twins are born—

Brennan and Hart, Corin and Keely—which gives

Niall the opportunity to extend his range of influence

via betrothal alliances. He banishes Gisella to Atvia

after he foils an Ihlini plot involving her, and then

settles into life with his mistress, Deirdre of Erinn, who

has already borne Maeve, his illegitimate daughter.

A Pride of Princes tells the story of each of Niall's

three sons. Brennan, the eldest, will inherit Homana

and has been betrothed to Aileen, Deirdre's niece, to

add a heretofore unknown bloodline to the proph-

ecy. Brennan's twin, Hart, is Prince of Solinde, a

compulsive gambler whose addiction results in a tragic

accident involving all three of Niall's sons. Hart is

banished to Solinde for a year, and the rebellious

youngest son, Corin, to Atvia. Brennan is tricked

into siring a child on an Ihlini-Cheysuli woman; Hart

loses a hand and nearly his life in a Solindish plot; in

Erinn, Corin falls in love with Brennan's bride, Ai-

leen, before going to Atvia. One by one each is

captured by Strahan, Tynstar's son, who intends to

turn Niall's sons into puppet-kings so he can rule

through them. All three manage to escape, but not

after each has been made to recognize particular

strengths and weaknesses.

PART

One

I was aware of eyes, watching me. Marking every

step, every feint, my every riposte with the sword.

Thinking, no doubt, I was mad; or did she wish she

were in my place?

She had come before to watch me practice against

the arms-master. Saying nothing, sitting quietly on a

bench with heavy skirts spilling over her legs.

Before, it had not touched me, because I can be

deaf and blind when I choose, so focused on the

weapons. But this time it did. It reached out and

touched me, and held me, with a new intensity.

In the eyes I saw desperation.

It was enough to pierce my concentration. Enough

to get me killed, had it been anything but practice.

As it was, Griffon's blade tip slid easily by my guard

and lodged itself, but gently, in the buckle of my

belt.

"Dead," he said calmly. "On your feet, but dead.

And all your royal blood spilling out of those proud

Cheysuli veins."

Ordinarily I might have cursed him cheerfully, or

retorted in kind, or made him try me again. But I

did not, this time, because of the eyes that watched

in such mute, distinct despair.

"Dead," I agreed, and left him to gape in surprise

as I walked past him to the woman.

She watched me come in silence, saying nothing

with her mouth but screaming with her eyes. Green

Erinnish eyes, born of an island kingdom very far

from my own. But born into similar circumstances;

bound by similar rules.

Though foreigners, we were kin. She had married

my brother. I would marry hers.

Aileen of Erinn, now Princess of Homana, looked

up at me as I stopped. Standing, we are similar in

height; Cheysuli are taller than other races, but she

comes of the House of Eagles, where men are often

giants. But she is red-haired to my tawny, green-

eyed to my blue. Equally outspoken, but without

knowing the frustration I so often faced, because we

wanted different things.

But now, she did not stand. She sat solidly on the

bench, as if weighted by stone, with both hands clasped

over her belly. Looking at her, I knew.

"By all the gods," I said, "he has you breeding

again!"

I had not meant it to come out so baldly, not to

Aileen, whom I liked, and whom I preferred not to

harm with hasty words. But I am not a person who

thinks much before speaking, being ruled by temper

and tongue-; inwardly I cursed myself as I saw the

flinch in her eyes.

And then her chin came up. I saw the line of her

jaw harden, that strong Erinnish jaw, and knew for

all she was wife to the Prince of Homana, he did not

precisely rule her.

But then, being Brennan, I knew he would not

try.

Aileen smiled a little, though one corner curved

down crookedly. "In Erinn, bairns often follow the

bedding. 'Tis the same in Homana, I think."

I glanced over my shoulder at Griffon, due more

honor than I gave him, but I was thinking of Aileen,

and of things better kept private. "You may go," I

told him. "But come again tomorrow, at the same

hour."

Briefly, so briefly, there was a glint of something

in brown eyes, but hidden instantly. I regretted my

tone, but did not know what I might say to lessen the

insult, since it was already given. He was far more

than servant, being my father's personal arms-master,

and therefore in service to a king. And he owed no

service to me, since only men are trained in the arts

of war. He had agreed to train the Mujhar's daugh-

ter only because he had lost a wager. In winning it, I

had won him, and all that he could teach.

He cleaned his sword, sheathed it, bowed to

Aileen and left. Giving her the courtesy he might

have given me, had I been deserving of it. But for

now, Aileen's welfare was more important than

Griffon's feelings.

"He might have waited," I said curtly. "He has a

son already, and you nearly dead of that." Grimly I

caught up a soft cloth, cleaned the blade, drove it

home into its sheath. "You have been wed but eigh-

teen months, and a child of it already. Now there

will be another?" I shook my head, speaking through

my teeth. It was their business, not mine, but I could

not help myself; Brennan and I are not, always,

friends. "Aileen, he gives you no time—"

" Twas not entirely up to him," she told me sharply,

giving me back my tone but in her Erinnish lilt.

"D'ye think I had no say in the matter? D'ye think

I'd let him take me against my will, or that he would

try?" Aileen rose, absently shaking the rucked up

folds out of her skirts. "Are ye forgetting, then, that

women can want the bedding, too?"

It silenced me, as she meant it to. Aileen and I are

close, nearly kinspirits, and she knows how strongly I

feel about women being made to do certain things

merely because they are women. She knows also I

have little interest in bedding, being more concerned

with freedom. In body as well as in mind.

"He might have waited," I said again. "And you

might have let him."

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CHRONICLESOFTHECHEYSULI:BOOKSIXDAUGHTEROFTHELIONJENNIFERROBERSONDAWBOOKS,INC.DONALDA.WOLLHEIM,PUBLISHER375HudsonStreet,NewYork,NYI00I4Copyright©I989byJenniferRobersonO'Green.AllRightsReserved.CoverartbyCoreyWolfe.BorderdesignbyJulekHeller.CheysuliMapbyLizDanforth.Aportionofthisnovelappearedinslightl...

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