The Knights of Princess Rhonwen
Publisher: Mladá fronta, Ikaros edition
Release Date: 2004
Cover: Martin Zhouf
No illustrations included
SUMMARY
After the adventures in Skátrávíd, Halldor settled down in Mortaluna. Dreaming about the priestess envoy, whom he had to leave in Golfadur, time dragged on insufferably slow. Just until an unexpected visitor appeared in Mortaluna – one of the Reborn, Arslan the Fairhair, who died during Halldor’s expedition to the Rocks, but who meanwhile discovered a method how to begin a new life in another way than in a cradle and how to maintain the appearance of the preceding life, since he was excessively fond of his last appearance. He persuaded Halldor to set out south to the city of Pergnalach, where Aralt was born, and to take Aralt with him back to Mortaluna. In Pergnalach, Halldor and Aralt got unintentionally involved in intrigues which had some connection with a long-ago murder, Jeschuté, a witch in love, and with demons who were coming to the town from the Garden of the Imps. The judge of Pergnalach forced Halldor to get rid of the demons which he achieved successfully. Together with Arslan and Sveneld (one of the Pergnalach townsmen), he got even that far as to the forest palace of the witch. There they found a nameless youth, whose memory was removed by her. Halldor took him along as a page and named him Torgný after his friend from Skátrávíd. Moreover, because of him, he underwent a fight with the Duke of the Cynibrenians Dagodurnus whom he killed. In Cynibrie, it aroused struggles for the throne and rather quickly it had brought the land under dominance of the House of Sutriwax. Having arrived back to the north, Halldor visited the castle of duke Kergendur where he was introduced to the secret plans by Kir of Lestná. Since Kergendur had no son, his only heir was his daughter Rhonwen, the choice of her husband became an urgent matter. The Dukes of Aurix derived their origin from Aurix, the son of first people – Tyrgel and Ytia, and no other noble family could compare to them. Whoever of Aurixs married Rhowen, he would only be the first among equals and no one would have the respect a duke of noble blood needed. Kir and other Kergendur’s knights were worried about possible internal conflicts and the duchy would be an easy prey for the Sutriwaxs. Therefore they agreed that they would stand by Rhowen – as soon as she marries and gives birth to a son, they will eliminate her husband and let her reign as the regent of the underage prince conditioned by their protection. The situation radically changed when the king of the Sutriwaxs Ane exacted the hand of Rhowen for his second born son Udi...
(Translation: Tereza Štěpánová)