This Scepter'd Isle

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2004 by Mercedes Lackey & Roberta Gellis
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.
A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
ISBN: 0-7434-7156-3
Cover art by Larry Dixon
First printing, February 2004
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lackey, Mercedes.

This scepter'd isle / by Mercedes Lackey & Roberta Gellis.
p. cm.
"A Baen Books Original"--T.p. verso.
ISBN 0-7434-7156-3 (HC)
1. Great Britain--Kings and rulers--Succession--Fiction. 2. Elizabeth I, Queen of
England, 1533-1603--Fiction. 3. Avalon (Legendary place)--Fiction. 4. Prophecies--
Fiction. 5. Queens--Fiction. I. Gellis, Roberta. II. Title.

PS3562.A246T48 2004
813'.54--dc22
2003022161
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Production by Windhaven Press, Auburn, NH
Printed in the United States of America

BARDIC VOICES

The Lark & the Wren
The Robin & the Kestrel
The Eagle & the Nightingales
The Free Bards (omnibus)
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
Bardic Choices: A Cast of Corbies
(with Josepha Sherman)

The Fire Rose
Fiddler Fair
Werehunter
The Ship Who Searched
(with Anne McCaffrey)
Wing Commander:Freedom Flight
(with Ellen Guon)
Lammas Night
(ed. by Josepha Sherman)
The Shadow of the Lion
(with Eric Flint & Dave Freer)
This Rough Magic
(with Eric Flint & Dave Freer)

URBAN FANTASIES

Bedlam's Bard
(omnibus with Ellen Guon)
Beyond World's End
(with Rosemary Edghill)
Spirits White as Lightning
(with Rosemary Edghill)
Mad Maudlin
(with Rosemary Edghill)

The SERRAted Edge:

Chrome Circle
(with Larry Dixon)
The Chrome Borne
(omnibus with Larry Dixon)
The Otherworld
(omnibus with Mark Shepherd
& Holly Lisle)

THE BARD'S TALE NOVELS

Castle of Deception
(with Josepha Sherman)
Fortress of Frost & Fire
(with Ru Emerson)
Prison of Souls
(with Mark Shepherd)

BAEN BOOKS by ROBERTA GELLIS

Bull God
Thrice Bound

Child of Dannae (Dan'-nay)

—applied to all Sidhe; deathly insult to say one of the Sidhe does
not
deserve the name

High King Oberon (O'-ber-on)/Queen Titania (Ty-tane'-ee-a)

—rulers of all Elves

King Huon (Hugh'-on)/Queen Melusine (Mel'-u-seen)

—rulers of French elves

Hen Ne(Hen-knee)

—man-chicken in Fur Hold

Eigg Oh (Egg Oh)

—head on legs with arms; Humpty Dumpty blurred face in Fur Hold

Kitsune (Kit-su'-ne) Matka (Mat'-kah) Toimisto (Toy-mist'-toe)

—fox-headed man in Fur Hold

Denoriel (Den-o'-ree-el) Siencyn (Sen'-sin) Macreth (Mac-reth') Silverhair (Silver-hair)

—known as Lord Denno Siencyn Adorjan (A-dor'-jan) in the mortal world; Christopher Atwood, name used when he was disguised as wine merchant

Aleneil (A-len'-ee-il) Arwyddion (Ar-with'-ee-on) Ysfael (Iz'-fay-el) Silverhair

—FarSeer, extraordinarily gentle for a Sidhe; Mistress Alana (A-lan'-a) in the mortal world

Kefni (Kef'-nee) Deulwyn (Deul'-in) Siarl (See'-arl) Silverhair

—father of two sets of twins; he was killed trying to rescue Pasgen and Rhoslyn.

Seren (Ser'-en) Teifi (Tee'-fee) Tynewedd (Tin'-weth) Silverhair

—Denoriel and Aleniel's mother; she did not want to live after her lifemate died and faded away when her children became "adult"

Eirianell (Ay-ree'-a-nell)

—Aleneil's eldest teacher, wears Atlantean dress

Rhonwen (Ron'-wen)

—Aleneil's middle teacher, wears Greek dress

Morwen (More'-wen)

—teacher who wears Tudor dress

Ieuan Hywyn (Ee-u'-an He'-en)

—student of mortal history

Mwynwen (Main'-wen)

—Denoriel's current lady friend; she is a dark elf (not in character, but dark skinned, dark eyed, with blue-black hair)

Ceindrych (Seen'-de-rich)

—old, powerful healer

Treowth (Tree'-ow-th)

—a Magus Major who had wanted Denoriel as apprentice. Superb skills and perceptions

Gilfaethwy (Gill-faith'-wee)

—a Magus Major who specializes in Gates

Miralys (Mir-al'-is)

—Denoriel's elvensteed; various colors

Ystwyth (Ist'-with)

—Aleneil's elvensteed; in the mortal world she is palomino

Lady Aeron (Air'-on)

—FitzRoy's elvensteed, silver-blue, silver mane

Rhoslyn (Ros'-lin) Teleri (Tell-ee'-ry) Dagfael (Dag'-file) Silverhair

—FarSeer in the Unseleighe court, creator of the not-horses and all kinds of constructs; in the service of Maria de Salinas (Catherine's maid of honor) she is Mistress Rosamund Scot

Pasgen (Pass'-gen) Peblig (Peb'-leg) Rodrig (Rod'-rig) Silverhair

—a mirror image of Denoriel; in the mortal world a human mage, Fagildo Otstargi. In service as advisor to Wolsey he is Sir Peter Kemp

Llanelli (Lah-nell'-ee) Ffridd (Frith) Gwynneth (Gin'-neth) Arian (Ar'-ee-on)

—the mother of Rhoslyn and Pasgen; she followed her twins into Unseleighe territory when they were kidnaped and after their father was killed trying to rescue them, she remained with the Unseleighe. She is utterly devoted but also possessive

Prince Vidal (Vee'-dahl) Dhu (Dew)

—current ruler of the Unseleighe Domain, Caer (Care) Mordwyn (More'-dwin). Thoroughly vicious

Aurilia (Awe-rill'-ee-a) nic Morrigan (More'-rig-an)

—Vidal's lover and supporter

Torgen (Tor'-gen)

—Pasgen's not-horse (clawed paws instead of hooves, tearing fangs, red eyes)

Talog (Ta'-log)

—Rhoslyn's not-horse

Henry FitzRoy

—born 1519; earl of Nottingham, duke of Somerset, duke of Richmond; an extremely nice young man, not too clever (and he knows it); he does not want to be king.

Kip Ladbroke

—FitzRoy's groom, devoted and paid off too by Denoriel; first Denoriel's servant

Shandy Dunstan

—FitzRoy's servant, like Ladbroke he first served Denoriel

Reeve Tolliver

—boy from workhouse, now subgroom under Ladbroke

Dickson

—one of FitzRoy's guards

Gerrit

—one of FitzRoy's guards

Nyle

—one of FitzRoy's guards

Shaylor

—one of FitzRoy's guards

Commissioners at Sheriff Hutton:

Henry Howard, duke of Norfolk (not in residence)
Sir Edward Seymour (also FitzRoy's Master of Horse)
Sir John Forrester
Sir William Fenwicke
Lord Henry Percy

Thomas Cromwell

—Wolsey's aide who takes over from Wolsey after his fall

Richard Croke

—FitzRoy's tutor

John Palsgrave

—FitzRoy's tutor

King Henry VIII

Princess Mary

—born 1516; innocent of malice toward Elizabeth in Book 1; she hates Anne

Margaret Pole

—countess of Salisbury, devoted to Mary

Anne Boleyn

—Born 1507; Henry VIII's second queen. Anne is highly Talented, but she is terrified of it, very sensitive to being called a witch; thus her Talent is totally untrained and makes her emotionally unstable and very vulnerable to mental influence.

Lady Lee

—sister of Thomas Wyatt, Anne's only friend; Aleneil, called Mistress Alana, is her friend/companion.

George Boleyn (later Viscount Rochford)

—Anne's brother, provides Denoriel's access to court. George Boleyn's friends known to Denoriel; favorites of the king:

Henry Norris

Thomas Wyatt

—Denoriel likes him; he is intelligent and sensitive, a good poet; however Denoriel thinks he is hot-headed and impractical

Francis Weston

William Brereton

Francis Bryan

Henry Howard

—duke of Norfolk, FitzRoy's warden; deputy to FitzRoy when he was lieutenant of the Northern March: Under him were Henry Percy, duke of Northumberland; Thomas Fiennes, Lord Dacre (he had gout, his brother Christopher Fiennes was his deputy—kind of stupid, Denoriel runs rings around him)

Henry Howard (later earl of Surrey)

—son of the duke of Norfolk; childhood playmate of FitzRoy when they both lived under the care of the duke of Norfolk

Mary Howard

—also a childhood playmate of FitzRoy; he married her when he was fifteen or sixteen, she a year or so younger; she outlived him by many years

Princess Elizabeth

—born 7 September 1533; in Book 1 a toddler of two or so; adorable, precocious, the object of Henry FitzRoy's devotion

Lady Margaret Bryan

—Elizabeth's governess, truly fond of the child but unconscious of otherworldly influences

Blanche Parry

—nursery maid (changes diapers and such). Was nursery maid to Anne, known as a witch, called in when strange things began to happen in the nursery. A strong witch but fearful of being burnt hides talent; she recognizes the intrusion of Rhoslyn into the nursery

Christopher Atwood

—Denoriel in disguise

Catherine of Aragon

—Henry VIII's first wife, Mary's mother

Francisco Felipiz

—one of Catherine's Spanish servants

Maria de Salinas

—favorite Maid of Honor to Catherine

Inigo de Mendoza

—imperial ambassador

Paco and Nacho

—the two armsmen who tried to drown FitzRoy

Eustace Chapuys

—Spanish ambassador, Emperor Charles's man

Basilio Carlomagno

—servant

Enrique Porfirio

Martin Perez

—a human mage; servant of Charles V; violent partisan of Catherine

Seleighe (See-ly) Domain

—Bright Court Elves

Unseleighe (Un-see-ly) Domain

—Dark Court Elves, ruled by Vidal Dhu

Caer (Care) Mordwyn (More'-dwin)

—the Domain of Vidal Dhu

Elfhame (Elf'-hame) Logres (Low'-gres)

—home for Denoriel

Elfhame Avalon (Av'-a-lon)

—"capital" of Elfhames; Oberon and Titania's palace; various training centers, including one for Farseers

Academicia (A-cad-a-me'-see-a)

—training place and workplace for the Bright Court mages

Elfhame Csetate (Ses-ta'-te)-Boli

—the elfhame under Hungary

Elfhame Melusine (Mel'-u-seen)

—the main French division of Underhill

Llachar (Lah-har) Lle (Lay) ("radiant place" in Welsh)

—palace in Elfhame Logres

Gateways

—a neutral domain which has unnumbered Gates; it is a dangerous place to remain in because its wild magic alters anything in it; dangerous even to enter because its Gates don't go where they should

Wormegay (Worm-gay) Hold

—this is like a really bad shanty-town slum; drains power from anyone in it; the stronger the power the worse the drain.

Fur Hold

—a delightful place inhabited by human/animal mixtures and almost unimaginable beings (like Eigg Oh); the sky is painted blue; white clouds are painted on it; the sun looks like a sunflower with a face painted on it, the petals wave and sometimes the eyes wink. However the hold is not totally benign; unpleasant things can happen to visitors