Although the race of Men would have been content to let the Fairies rule them indefinitely, Aldhairen gathered the Fairies together to find a successor king. They crowned a man from the house of Deirdre, Siawn Shieldbearer, who himself was married to one of Night's stars, Aetalia, who had refused to join her sisters on the trek to see what lay beyond the Mountains of Morning, in order to marry with a man. For their part, the Fairies retired to their keeps to serve as advisors to the High King and to maintain the peace in their own nations.
Unfortunately, man's ability to rule himself was ever fraught with petty jealousy, usurpation, murder, incest, curses, and - occasionally - a benevolent ruler. Beginning with King Gavron, the Fairies own moral compass began to fall with Malinka cursing Rhianna, before having her own powers stripped by Gavron. Maelgwenn fell after, giving his life to spare the Princess Niamh from the Wolf King. And on and on and on, until only Urdur remained hidden in the Shadowless. As the Fairies fell, the lords of the nations began to wonder whether they were better if they governed as kings themselves. Civil War began to brew again. Read about Gavron, Niamh and Maelgwenn in Niamh and the Hermit, available now! |
Notable Monarchs of the Twelve Kingdoms
Ages of the Twelve Kingdoms
Explore the Twelve Kingdoms
(c) Emily C. A. Snyder