Cross Purposes (Chronicles of Ylandre, Book 5) (2 page)

-Ashrian
“Ash”
Mithani
thar
Essendri, Aeldan’s younger brother.

Ilmaren

Seat of Clan Arthanna, the fief of Ilmaren is located in the upper midlands of Ylandre. Its capital is Althia.

-Reijir
“Rei”
Arthanna
thar
Essendri, cousin to Rohyr Essendri, he is the Herun of Ilmaren despite being the second son of his predecessor.

-Keiran
“Kei”
Arthanna
thar
Essendri, a popular instructor at the State University and Reijir’s older brother.

-Naeth Orosse, an orphaned youth who becomes Reijir Arthanna's legal ward following an altercation in a south district tavern in Rikara.

Khitaira

One of Aisen’s five continents, Khitaira is the westernmost continent, lying across the vast Rualan Ocean from Vihandra. Adjacent to the smaller continent of Lydan, the climate and seasonal cycle of Khitaira are similar to North Vihandra’s save in the south where it is warmer and more humid. Possessed of almond-shaped eyes, Khitairans range in coloring from dark-haired and ivory-skinned in the temperate north to lighter-haired and golden-complexioned in the balmy south.

Losshen

Seat of Clan Calanthe, the fief of Losshen is located in the north of Ylandre. The capital city is Syvonna.

-Gilmael
“Gil”
Calanthe
thar
Essendri, a cousin of Rohyr Essendri, he heads Ylandre’s Intelligence Ministry and is the younger of the Herun of Losshen’s twin sons.

-Zykriel
“Zyk”
Calanthe
thar
Essendri, heir apparent to the Herun of Losshen and Gilmael's twin brother, he is also the Chief Royal Archivist.

Lydan

The continent lies across the Samaran Sea from the Vihandran landmass and is smaller than the neighboring continent of Khitaira. Its climate is similar to Khitaira’s save for a single longer wet season. The Lydani are ruddy-skinned, dark-haired and sloe-eyed.

Midlands

The region comprising Central Ylandre is roughly divided into the upper and lower midlands. Ilmaren is the principal fief of the upper midlands while Edessa holds sway in the lower territory.

North Vihandra aka North Continent

The most powerful of Aisen’s five continents, North Vihandra was where the migrating Naere made landfall. Comprising the northern portion of the Vihandran supercontinent, it is more commonly referred to as the North Continent. North Vihandra has a temperate climate with two monsoon seasons during the year. The populace is largely fair-skinned with a wide diversity of hair and eye coloring.

Qimaras

A royal fief that was invested on Rohyr Essendri's uncle and his heirs in perpetuity, Qimaras is located in the southeast of Ylandre. The fief was long held by a cadet Essendri line, but when the last of that line’s Herune died without issue during the reign of Rohyr’s grandsire Joren, the latter bestowed Qimaras on his second son Imcael. The capital city is Faqar.

-Imcael Essendri, Herun of Qimaras, he is Rohyr Essendri’s uncle and the only brother of Rohyr’s sire, the previous Ardan Keldon Essendri.

Rikara

Capital city of Ylandre and ancient seat of House Essendri, Rikara is a melting pot of Deira from different regions. Rikara is divided into five main districts: (1) the
north district
wherein the State University is located along with the homes of the city’s aristocracy and affluent citizens; (2) the
east district
, a largely middle-class enclave with the Citadel occupying most of the northern portion of the district; (3) the
west district
which is home to Rikara’s artisans and working-class and the location of the main market and the famed Quarter, the city’s center of entertainment; (4) the
south district
which is the poorest and seediest area of the city; and (5) the
central district
, main location of the country’s government offices, commercial establishments and various financial institutions including the major banks.

-Eiren
“Ren”
Sarvan
thar
Essendri, cousin to the Ardan of Ylandre, he is the kingdom’s foremost healer and Rohyr Essendri’s personal physician.

-Shino
“Shin”
Essendri, cousin to the Ardan of Ylandre, he became Rohyr Essendri's legal ward upon being orphaned.

-Vaeren
“Vaer”
Henaz, an officer of the Royal Army, he was the first prefect of the regional constabulary base in eastern Velarus. Rohyr Essendri later appointed him head of the Ardan’s Guard, a company of soldiers accountable to the Ardan alone.

-Yandro
“Yan”
Vaidon, an orphan of unknown parentage and the first Half Blood to serve as a senior diplomat's aide when he was appointed Ambassador Jareth Hadrana's adjutant.

Royal House of Ylandre

House Essendri has ruled Ylandre since the kingdom's founding about four centuries before the Inception and throughout its expansion into one of the most powerful nations in Aisen.

-Rohyr
“Roh”
Essendri, Ardan of Ylandre, head of House Essendri and a powerful templar. He is the youngest Essendri ever to rule the kingdom having come to the throne upon the sudden death from an accident of the previous Ardan, his sire Keldon Essendri.

-Dylen
“Dy”
Essendri
il
Teris, the product of a premarital liaison between the late Ardis Dyrael and a Rikaran
hethar
, he is Rohyr's half-brother and adjutant to Gilmael Calanthe, Head of the Intelligence Ministry.

-Vyren Essendri, Rohyr’s firstborn, he is Crown Prince of Ylandre.

Sidona

Seat of Clan Deilen, the fief is located southwest of Rikara. Its capital is Nivare.

-Keosqe
“Kes”
Deilen
thar
Essendri, a cousin of Rohyr Essendri, he is heir apparent to the Herun of Sidona and head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

-Riodan
“Rio”
Leyhar, a prominent Ylandrin ambassador and one of Rohyr Essendri’s trusted counsellors, he is the son of a distinguished diplomat.

-Tristen
“Tris”
Marante, younger brother of Veare Marante,

-Veare
“Ver”
Marante, a Sidonan
thein
and Keosqe’s closest childhood friend.

South Vihandra

Comprising the southern portion of the Vihandran supercontinent, South Vihandra has a warmer climate than the North Continent. It rains throughout the year ranging from sporadic showers during the bulk of the Aiseni year to stormy during the monsoons that mark the transition between seasons. The South Vihandrans are similar in physical appearance to their northern neighbors but slightly darker in complexion, generally ranging from olive-skinned to light copper.

Vireshe

A royal fief that is invested on the Ylandrin Crown Prince upon attainment of his majority, Vireshe is located on the western coastline of Ylandre and north of Glanthar. It was carved out of the defunct nation of Varadan after that kingdom’s defeat and conquest by Ylandre. Its capital is Lythaen.

-Rysander
“Rys”
Seydon
thar
Essendri, a cousin of Rohyr Essendri, he is one of the heirs to the Cordona banking family fortune.

-Yovan Seydon
thar
Essendri, Rysander’s sire and Rohyr Essendri's uncle, he is the Royal Chief Counsellor. He is wed to Mered Cordona whose family owns one of the largest banking networks in the North Continent.

Ylandre

The richest and most powerful realm in the North Continent, Ylandre was one of the first nations to be established in Aisen. The kingdom is bound by the
Samaran Sea
to the west, the
Nazcan Hegemony
in the northwest, the principality of
Teraz
and the
Ballar Dominion
in the north, the sovereign duchies of
Morave
,
Lithuana
, and
Hamaldi
and the principality of
Cattania
in the east and the
Paravian Grasslands
that lie between Ylandre and the South Vihandran kingdom of
Asmara
in the south.

Ziana

Seat of House Hadrana, Ziana is a wealthy city-fief located in the northwest of Ylandre. A protectorate of the Crown, the city is the site of the oldest temple to Veres still open for public worship.

-Tenryon “
Ten”
Hadrana, Herun of Ziana and chief of the templars of Ylandre, he was Rohyr Essendri's mentor in the mind arts and remains one of his trusted counsellors.

-Jareth
“Jath”
Hadrana
thar
Essendri, Ylandre’s foremost ambassador, he is Tenryon’s younger half-brother through their sire's second marriage to a cousin of the previous Ardan Keldon Essendri.

Prologue

Solace

Nivare, Sidona in the 2994th year of the Common Age

One of the obligations Keosqe Deilen disliked carrying out as the heir of a Herun was standing in for his sire at vigils for the dead. Unfortunately, it was expected of an Ylandrin fief-lord or his duly authorized representative to attend such occasions if the deceased Deir was a ranking blueblood under said fief-lord’s rule. Thus, every once in a while, Keosqe would travel from Rikara, Ylandre’s capital and seat of government, to his home fief of Sidona and extend his family’s condolences to bereaved kith and kin.

The dislike turned to loathing when the deceased was someone he knew. Such was the case with the late Tyrel Marante and his spouse Jaron. Worse, Keosqe had not only known the baron and his consort, he counted their eldest son as his dearest childhood friend. Now Veare Marante was
thein
in his sire’s place, guardian to his only brother and custodian of the family fortune. What was left of it.

Tyrel had been a devotee of the gaming tables and, as a result, lost monies and properties needed to maintain the family’s standing. While not reduced to poverty, the Marantes had been forced to scale down their way of living. They had moved to a modest residence in a town west of the Sidonan capital of Nivare and retained but a fraction of their domestic staff.

The town was prosperous enough to boast a number of minor gentry and well-off merchants. But it could not compare to Nivare—neither in appearance and sophistication nor in the presence of families of high lineage. The Marantes upon their removal to their new home had become the town’s first representatives of the aristocracy. However, due to their reduced circumstances, they had perforce purchased a house little bigger than the town’s richest resident, a mere trader.

How humbling it must have been to move to this nondescript residence from one of the largest and loveliest houses in Nivare, Keosqe thought. To forego the esteem of fellow bluebloods was an even greater blow. And all on account of Tyrel’s gaming habit.

The fall from society’s grace further revealed itself in the somewhat worn furnishings of the family home, the less-than-sumptuous cold buffet laid out for mourners, and the paucity of highborn Nivarens who attended to console the Marante sons. Most of the visitors thus far were the Marantes’ fellow townsfolk though, it being only the second day of the customary ten-day vigil, perhaps more aristocrats would arrive before week’s end.

He knew Veare spread word of his presence, a potent incentive for many of the fief’s prominent citizens to pay their respects. But it took at least three days for letters and goods to reach the capital from this little-known town. He only learned of the tragedy through the faster but costly delivery of letters by courier bird. And in any case, not all bluebloods possessed the ability to travel by translocation.

Keosqe turned his attention from the faded draperies and scuffed carpets to Veare. The new
thein
was standing before the caskets, conversing with guests. But where was his brother? Looking around, he spotted a slender figure huddled on one of the corner divans.

He made his way to the divan and sat down beside Tristen Marante. On the brink of adolescence, Tristen was slender of build and small in stature. And while his features were similar to Veare’s, he did not have his older brother’s coloring. Tristen’s tawny skin came from their swarthy Arvaldin birthing father whereas Veare shared their sire’s fair complexion. On the other hand, Veare bore Jaron’s sandy locks while Tristen inherited Tyrel’s dark hair. If they both did not have the dark green eyes of their Marante forebears, they would not be taken for close kin, much less brothers.

He laid a hand on the grieving youth’s shoulder and rubbed it soothingly. Tristen averted his face, hiding his tear-streaked cheeks.

“There’s no shame in grieving over a great loss,” Keosqe murmured.

Tristen gulped a few times then shuddered in an obvious effort to control his weeping. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and turned to look with red-rimmed eyes at the older Deir.

“It was just a short ride,” he whispered.

“But conditions were ripe for an accident,” Keosqe quietly replied.

The hillside road had been badly gutted by rain. Indeed, once the left front wheel of the Marante carriage splintered upon dropping into an exceptionally deep rut, there had been no hope of keeping the coach from sliding over the edge of the road. Miraculously, the hardy steeds that had drawn the vehicle survived when their old harnesses had come apart in the fall, as had the coach driver, who’d been flung from his seat. But the Marantes had been battered to death inside the coach as it tumbled down, rolling over several times before coming to rest at the bottom of the incline.

Tristen closed his eyes. “If only
Aba
hadn’t insisted on going. He knew the road would be damaged by the rains. But he didn’t want to miss that stupid wedding.”

Keosqe grimaced. That was the most lamentable part of the story. The Marantes had been on their way to the nuptial ceremony of a friend’s son. The most prominent aristocrats of Sidona had been invited to the affair. To be counted as one of them by his presence would have helped polish the baron’s tarnished reputation. So the couple made their ill-fated journey, tragically unaware that due to the foul weather the wedding had been postponed to a later date.