Shards of a Broken Crown Read online

  52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page i RAYMOND E. FEIST

  Shards of a

  Broken Crown

  52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page ii

  52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page iii To Jon and Anita Everson

  Who were with me from the start.

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  Acknowledgments

  AS IS ALWAYS the case, I am indebted to many people for the creation of this book: The original creators of Midkemia, Steve Abrams, Jon Everson, and the rest of the Thursday/Friday Night bunch. Without their creativity, Midkemia would be far less than it is today.

  My publishers for their belief and hard work.

  The enthusiasm and support is “above and beyond,”

  especially my editor, Jennifer Brehl, who is both good at her job and a friend.

  My good friend and agent, Jonathan Matson, for always being there.

  My wife, Kathlyn S. Starbuck, for more reasons than I can list, and for being the best first reader anyone can ask for.

  And for all of those out there who send me letters of praise or complaint, who let me know someone out there is reading the work. Time does not permit me to answer most of them, but they all get read.

  And to Sean Tate, who thought up the character of Malar.

  52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page v Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Characters List

  Maps

  Book IV - The Brother’s Tale

  Prologue:

  THE GENERAL KNOCKED.

  1 Winter

  THE WIND HAD died.

  2 Wilderness

  DASH SIGNALED.

  3 Confrontations

  PUG FROWNED.

  4 Underground

  DASH FLINCHED.

  5 Confrontations

  ARUTHA FROWNED.

  6 Choices

  NAKOR FROWNED.

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  7 Opportunity

  JIMMY GRIMACED.

  8 Preparations

  DASH SIGNALED.

  9 Negotiations

  JIMMY WAVED.

  10 Investments

  JIMMY FROWNED.

  11 Disposition

  ROO SNEEZED.

  12 Gamble

  ARUTHA POINTED.

  13 Calamity

  ERIK CHARGED.

  14 Consequences

  JIMMY WEPT.

  15 Betrayal

  JIMMY HALTED.

  16 Deception

  ERIK FROWNED.

  17 Assaults

  JIMMY POINTED.

  18 Revelations

  OWEN SQUIRMED.

  19 Decisions

  WIND SWEPT THE beach.

  20 Clash

  MEN SHOUTED.

  21 Mysteries

  THE DOOR OPENED.

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  22 Realization

  MEN STALKED THE woods.

  23 Decisions

  THE MEN WALKED softly.

  24 Attacks

  DASH RACED DOWN the street.

  25 Confrontation

  MEN SCREAMED.

  26 Discovery

  PUG’S ARM SHOT forward.

  27 Intervention

  THE HORSES PANTED.

  28 Division

  GATHIS BOWED.

  Epilogue

  PUG STOOD.

  The World of Midkemia: A Primer

  The Kingdom of the Isles

  Kelewan and the Tsurani

  Elvandar

  The Dwarves

  The Empire of Great Kesh

  Novindus

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  Bibliography

  About the Author

  Books by Raymond E. Feist

  Praise for the Serpentwar Saga

  Copyright

  Cover Image

  About the Publisher

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  Character List

  ACAILA—leader of the eldar, in the Elf Queen’s court

  ADELIN—elf in Elvandar

  AGLARANNA—Elf Queen in Elvandar, wife of Tomas, mother of Calin and Calis AKEE—Hidati hillman

  AKIER—Lieutenant on Royal Bulldog ALETA—young disciple in Temple of Acrh-Indar ASHAM IBIN AL-TUK—Keshian General AVERY, RUPERT “ROO”—merchant of Krondor AVERY, KARLI—wife of Roo

  BOYSE—Captain of Duko’s forces

  BRIAN—Duke of Silden

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  CHARACTER LIST

  CALHERN, THOMAS—acting Lieutenant of Palace Guard

  CALIN—elf heir to the throne of Elvandar, half-brother to Calis, son of Aglaranna and King Aidan

  CALIS—“The Eagle of Krondor,” special agent of the Prince of Krondor, Duke of the Court, son of Aglaranna and Tomas, half brother to Calin CHALMES—ruling magician at Stardock CHAPAC—twin brother of Tilac, son of Ellia D’LYES, ROBERT—magician from Stardock DE SAVON, LUIS—former soldier, assistant to Roo DELWIN—constable in Krondor

  DESARDEN—swordsman in Krondor

  DOKINS, KIRBY—snitch in Krondor

  DOMINIC—Abbot of Ishapian Abbey at Sarth DUGA—mercenary captain from Novindus DUKO—General in the Emerald Queen’s Army DUVAL, MARCEL—squire from Bas-Tyra ELLIA—elf in Elvandar, mother of Chapac and Tilac ENARES, MALAR—servant discovered in wilderness ERLAND—brother to the King and uncle to Prince Patrick

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  XIII

  FADAWAH—former general commanding the Emerald Queen’s Army, self-styled “King of the Bitter Sea”

  FRANCINE “FRANCIE”—daughter of the Duke of Silden

  GREYLOCK, OWEN—Knight-Marshal of the Prince’s Army

  HAMMOND—Lieutenant in King’s Army HERBERT OF RUTHERWOOD—scribe in Port Vykor JACOBY, HELEN—Widow of Randolph Jacoby, mother of Natally and Willem

  JALLOM—Captain of Duko’s army

  JAMESON, JAMES “JIMMY”—elder son of Arutha, grandson of James

  JAMESON, DASHEL “DASH”—younger son of Arutha, grandson of James

  KAHIL—Fadawah’s intelligence chief KALEID—ruling magician at Stardock LELAND—son of Richard of Mukerlic LIVIA—daughter of Lord Vasarius

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  CHARACTER LIST

  MACKEY—Sergeant of Palace Guard

  MATAK—old soldier in Duko’s command MILO—owner of the Inn of the Pintail in Ravensburg, father of Rosalyn

  MIRANDA—magician and ally of Calis and Pug NAKOR THE ISALANI—gambler, magic-user, friend of Pug

  NARDINI—Captain of captured Quegan ship NORDAN—General in Fadawah’s army PAHAMAN—Ranger of Natal in Elvandar PATRICK—Prince of Krondor, son of Prince Erland, nephew to the King and Prince Nicholas PICKNEY—clerk at Krondor

  PUG—magician, Duke of Stardock, cousin to the King, grandfather to Arutha, great-grandfather to Jimmy and Dash

  REESE—thief in Krondor

  RICHARD—Earl of Mukerlic

  RIGGERS, LYSLE—the Upright Man, leader of the Mockers

  ROSALYN—Milo’s daughter, wife of Rudolph, mother of Gerd

  RUDOLPH—baker in Ravensburg, husband of 52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page xiii CHARACTER LIST

  XV

  Rosalyn, stepfather to Gerd

  RUNCOR—Captain of Duko’s army

  RYANA—dragon shape-changer, friend of Tomas and Pug

  SHATI, JADOW—Lieutenant in Erik’s company SHO PI—former companion of Erik and Roo, student of Nakor

  SONGTI—Captain of Duko’s army

  STYLES—Captain of Royal Bulldog SUBAI—captain of t
he Royal Krondorian Pathfinders

  TALWIN—spy for Arutha

  TILAC—twin brother of Chapac, son of Ellia TINKER, GUSTAF—prisoner with Dash, later Constable

  TOMAS—Warleader of Elvandar, husband of Aglaranna, father of Calis, inheritor of the powers of Ashen-Shugar

  TRINA—female thief, Daymaster of the Mockers TUPPIN, JOHN—thief with lumpy face, leader of Krondor’s “bashers”

  VASARIUS—Quegan noble and merchant VON DARKMOOR, MATHILDA—Baroness of 52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page xiv XVI

  CHARACTER LIST

  Darkmoor, grandmother to Gerd

  VON DARKMOOR, GERD—Baron of Darkmoor, son of Rosalyn and Stefan von Darkmoor, nephew to Erik

  VON DARKMOOR, ERIK—Captain of the Crimson Eagles

  WENDELL—Captain in Krondor

  WIGGINS—Patrick’s Master of Ceremony WILKES—soldier in Erik’s army

  ZALTAIS—?

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  B O O K I V

  The Brothers’ Tale

  Duty cannot exist without faith.

  —Benjamin Disraeli

  Earl of Beaconsfield

  TANCRED, BK. II, CH. 1

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  Prologue

  THE GENERAL KNOCKED.

  “Enter,” said the self-styled King of the Bitter Sea as he looked up from a hastily scribbled note just handed him by his Captain of Intelligence, Kahil.

  General Nordan entered and shook off the snow from his cloak. “You found us a cold land to rule, Majesty,” he said with a smile. He gave Kahil the briefest nod of greeting.

  Fadawah, former Commanding General of the Army of the Emerald Queen, now ruler of the City of Ylith and the surrounding countryside, said, “At least it’s a cold land with food and firewood.” He waved in a vague fashion to the south. “We’re still getting stragglers in from as far away as Darkmoor who paint a bleak picture about conditions throughout the Western Realm.”

  Nordan motioned to a chair and Fadawah nodded.

  While old companions, they observed the formalities, as Fadawah prepared to launch his spring campaign. The General still wore the ritual scars on his cheeks, marks given him when swearing loyalty to the Pantathians. He had considered attempting to 3

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  find a witch or healing priest who could remove them, for when he had finally realized that the Pantathians were as much dupes as he was, he had killed their remaining high priest. As far as Fadawah was concerned, he was no longer bound to anyone.

  He was his own man, and he was in a rich land with an army. But Kahil had reminded him the scars were intimidating and kept the men in awe of him. Kahil had served the Emerald Queen before she had been destroyed by the demon, but he had proven a valuable and trusted advisor since the change in leadership of the invading army.

  By last count over thirty thousand men had found their way into the south end of the province of Yabon. He had organized them, stationed them, and now controlled all the lands from Ylith south past Questor’s View, north to the outskirts of Zun, west to the city of Natal, which was now occupied by more of his own men than their own pitiful defenses. He had also captured Hawk’s Hollow, a small town, but one giving him control of a vital pass through the mountains to the east.

  “Some of the men don’t like the idea of staying,”

  said Nordan. The stocky soldier rubbed his bearded chin, and cleared his throat. “They’re talking of finding a ship and going back across the sea.”

  “To what?” asked Fadawah. “To a land burned out and overrun by barbarians from the grasslands?

  Besides the dwarven stronghold in the Ratn’gari Mountains and some surviving Jehsandi in the North, what is there left of civilization? Did we leave a city standing? Is there anything there to support us?” Fadawah scratched his head. He wore a single long fall of hair and shaved the rest of his head, 52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 5

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  another sign of his devotion to the Emerald Queen’s dark powers. “Tell any of the men who are talking this way that come spring, if they can find a ship and take it, they’re free to leave.” He looked off into space, as if seeing something in the air. “I want no one here who isn’t ready to serve me. We’re going to have a serious fight on our hands.”

  “The Kingdom?”

  Fadawah said, “You don’t think they’re going to sit idly by and not attempt to regain their lands, do you?”

  “No, but they were terribly mauled at Krondor and Darkmoor. The prisoners tell us they don’t have much of an army left to put in the field.”

  Fadawah said, “If they don’t bring their Army of the East over from Darkmoor, true. But if they do, we need to be ready.”

  “Well,” said Nordan, “we won’t know until spring.”

  “That’s only another three months,” said Fadawah. “We need to be prepared.”

  “You have a plan?”

  “Always,” said the wily old general. “I don’t want a two-front war if I can help it. If I was stupid, I could find myself in a four-front war.” He indicated a map on the wall of the room. They were currently occupying the estate house of the Earl of Ylith, dead by all reports along with the Duke of Yabon and the Earl of LaMut. “If our information is right, we face a boy up in LaMut.” He rubbed his chin. “We need to take LaMut as soon as the spring thaw begins, and I want Yabon in our grasp by midsummer.” He smiled. “Send a message to the leader in Natal . . .”

  He turned to Kahil. “What’s his title?”

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  “The First Councilor,” supplied his Captain of Intelligence.

  “Send the First Councilor our thanks for his hospitality in providing billets for our men this winter, and send him some gold. A thousand pieces should do.”

  “A thousand?” asked Nordan.

  “We have it. And we’ll get more. Then withdraw our men and bring them here.” He looked at his old friend. “That will at least keep the First Councilor on our good side until we return to Natal, take and keep it.”

  He pointed to the map. “I want Duko and his men down in Krondor by then.”

  Nordan raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

  Fadawah said, “Duko makes me uneasy. He’s an ambitious man.” He frowned. “It was only chance that put you and me first and second on the Pantathian’s roles, else we could be taking orders from Duko.”

  Nordan nodded. “But he’s a good leader, and he’s always obeyed without question.”

  “That he is, which is why I want him at the front.

  I want you down behind him, in Sarth.”

  “But why Krondor?” Nordan shook his head.

  “There’s nothing there.”

  “But there will be,” said Fadawah. “That’s their Western Capital, their Prince’s City, and they will move back there as quickly as they can.” He nodded to himself. “If Duko can keep them busy until we seize all of Yabon, then we can turn our sights on the Free Cities, this Far Coast region.” He pointed to the western coast of the Kingdom. “We’ll reoccupy Krondor and move back toward the old battle line.

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  What’s that place?”

  “Nightmare Ridge.”

  “Well named.” Fadawah sighed. “I’m not a greedy man. Being King of the Bitter Sea is enough.

  We’ll let the Kingdom of the Isles keep their Darkmoor and the lands to the east.” Then he smiled.

  “For now.”

  “But first we must retake Krondor.”

  Fadawah said, “No, first we must make them think we want to retake Krondor. These Kingdom nobles are not stupid, they are not self-consumed
like those of our homeland.” He remembered how shocked the Priest-King of Lananda had been when Fadawah and his army had refused to heed his order to leave his city. “These are smart men, duty-bound men; they will come at us, and they will come hard.

  We must expect that.

  “No, let them think Krondor is the prize, and when they realize we are firm in Yabon, perhaps they will negotiate, or perhaps not, but either way, once we have control of Yabon, we are here for good. Let Duko get punished lest he become ambitious.”

  Nordan stood. “If you permit, I’ll tell the men those who wish to leave in the spring may.”

  Fadawah waved his permission.

  “Majesty,” said Nordan, leaving Fadawah alone with Kahil.

  To Kahil, Fadawah said, “Wait, then follow Nordan and see who he speaks with. Mark the men who are the leaders of these dissidents. They will have accidents before the thaw, and then we can put to rest this nonsense about returning to Novindus.”

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  Nordan down in Sarth.”

  Fadawah said, “Design?”

  Kahil leaned over, putting his arm around Fadawah’s shoulder, and he whispered, “Put all your disloyal commanders to the south, to insure that when the enemy exacts their price for our conquest, those we can most afford to lose pay it.”

  Fadawah’s eyes became unfocused, as if he was listening to something in the distance. “Yes, that is wise.”

  Kahil said, “You need to surround yourself with those who can be trusted, those who are loyal beyond a doubt. You need to return the Immortals to a place of prominence.”

  “No!” said Fadawah. “Those madmen served dark powers—”

  Kahil interrupted. “Not dark powers, Majesty, but vast powers. Powers that can insure your rule not only in Yabon, but in Krondor, too.”

  “Krondor?” asked Fadawah.

  Kahil clapped his hands twice, and the door swung open. Two warriors, each with ritual scars on his cheeks that matched Fadawah’s, entered, and Kahil said, “Guard the King with your lives.”

  Fadawah repeated, “Krondor.”