The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom, and the Sea Princess

By Judy Carlson

Prince Lael must prove his strength and loyalty when challenged by an insidious enemy. The tragic loss of loved ones will only fortify his resolve to fight for the freedom of the lost kingdom. Clara and Ian, two kids from Minnesota, will join the adventure to free a captive Sea Princess, battle evil, and overcome lurking temptations. They will meet the legendary White Knight and along the way gain wisdom, love, and friendships.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nordskog Publishing Inc.
• Release date: Jan 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781946497024

Judy Carlson

Judy Carlson lives and gardens in northern Nevada. She was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder and her illness took her outside to feel the sunshine, admire the clean blue skies, and watch the birds sing and dance. The beauty of nature nurtured her. She shares her story in the hope of helping you.

Book preview

Judy Carlson has created a mythical fantasy world that showcases a palpable, heart-wrenching battle of good and evil. A vigilant hero, a mysterious mermaid, and the Ancient One who powerfully delivers justice make The White Knight, The Lost Kingdom, and The Sea Princess a must read for those with an imaginative soul.

— Julie Carobini, Winner of an ACFW award for editing Author of six novels, including Mocha Sunrise

The author’s easy flowing prose pushes us gently along through a magical world that unexpectedly prompts real heart-searching as the reader increasingly realizes how strikingly the fairy tale mirrors an authentic supernatural world.

In most fairy tales, the magical is expected and be- comes ho-hum. However, this is a fairy tale that mirrors Truth and drives us to look at the supernatural in a fresh way! Wow! So that is what my relationship to the White Knight really means!

This book lifted my spirits and increased my faith, especially at a time of living in precarious circumstances. I believe the message in this book is important for all.

— Kim Cone, Foreign Emissary Former student of the Author

* * *

THE WHITE KNIGHT, THE LOST KINGDOM,

AND THE SEA PRINCESS

by Judy Carlson

* * *

Copyright 2015 by Judy Carlson

Published 2018 by Noble Novels, a division of Nordskog Publishing Inc. at Smashwords

ePub ISBN: 978-1-946497-02-4 Kindle ISBN: 978-1-946497-03-1

Interior Design, French Flaps Design, and Production,

Desta Garrett, Managing Editor

Cover Design, Aaron Ford, Digicom Designs

Manuscript Editor, Emily Kirk Phillips

Editorial Consultant, Ronald W. Kirk

Copy Editor, Mary Malcolm-Moseley

E-Book Conversion, Michelle Shelfer, benediction.biz

The Anglo-Saxon Runes font

used herein by permission of the owner,

Daniel Steven Smith, copyright 1996, 2004 www.acondia.com.

Cover illustration, Clipper Ship, by world-renowned

Seascape Artist, Charles Vickery. Used by permission.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except brief quotations used in a review.

White Knight is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to past or current events or locales, or to past or living persons, is entirely coincidental.

MEMBER

Christian Small Publishers Association

* * *

Dedication

To Harold Timothy, my Soldier-prince.

And to our six children: Alida Raye, Elnora Lee, Elizabeth Christine, Kristian Lael, Nels Nathanael, and Annalisa Noelle. I often read children’s mythical fantasy to them. Thanks also to my grandchildren, from their Mor Mor Judy, for their special inspiration: Hannah, Kristina, Ethan, Clara, Lydia, Dorothy, Oskar, Ian, Joseph, Phillip, Kaya, Oliver, Erik, Annika, Hudson, Noel, Emmelyn, Judah, Ezra, and William.

Thank You.

Thank you, Nordskog Publishing for believing this story should be heard. Your insight, selfless gift of time, and expertise, were wings by which this book took flight. I am grateful, Jerry, for your enthusiasm and commitment. Ron, thank you for your steadfastness and attention to detail. Emily, your authentic life gave me added confidence in your fine editing work and made my story a better one.

Thank you to my husband Tim. You worked hours beyond measure in total support of this effort.

Thank you to my son Kristian, who, although a naval officer by profession, volunteered to become my agent and personal editor, and to his wife Damaris for faith in this undertaking and the gift of her husband’s time.

Also, a special thank you to Dr. Loren Wilkinson, my college professor of many years ago, who introduced me to mythical fantasy in his Creative Literary Movements class through authors such as George MacDonald, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis. He also suggested that I was an original mythmaker and encouraged me to continue writing.

* * *

Table of Contents

Praise

Dedication

Preface

Dramatis Personae Et Locorum

Part One: The Northern Provinces of Tundrand

1 The Vanquished Kingdom

2 Intrigue in the Islands of Ajar

3 Lael’s Longing

4 The Prince Goes Fishing

5 The Sea Princess

6 The Father and the Fugitive

7 Brenten’s Tale of Woe

8 The Change

Part Two: A Door Ajar

9 The Attic

10 The Door

11 The Lost Girl

12 The Tutor and the Nursemaid

13 The Bridge

14 The Clearing

Part Three: Into the Country

15 Sir Michael and the Prophecy

16 Rules of Engagement

17 The Forest Maidens

18 Ancient Pathways and Aryel’s Gifts

19 The Princess, the Tower, and the Grey Knight

20 The Pool and the White Knight

21 The Faun and Clara

22 The Tree Dwelling

Part Four: Dire Straits

23 Share and Beware

24 The Betrayal

25 The Forest Maiden and the Centaur

26 Safe Haven

27 Clara’s Choice

28 Nutall’s Charge and Ian’s Uphill Way

29 The Dragon and Petra

30 Ian’s Revenge

31 Sweet Dreams

32 The Rescue

Part Five: Hell's Wages, Heaven's Gate

33 Siege and Strategy

34 I Would Not Wish For

35 Battle Review

36 Aryel and the Captives

37 The Soldier and the Lady of the Woods

38 Love or Duty

39 The Maiden’s Ride

40 Brushes with Death

41 Sea Devils and a Mermaid

42 The Sailor, the Soldier, and the Princess

43 Estarianna Meets the King

Part Six: Lost and Found

44 The Journey Home

45 The Magic Picnic

46 The Vanished Angel

47 A Silent Farewell

48 Flying with Silverton

49 The Oak Tree and Friends

50 Thy Kingdom Come

Epigraph Sources

About the Author

Editorial Consultant's Word

Publisher's Word

Invitation from the Publisher

Other Quality Books by Nordskog Publishing

* * *

PREFACE

"You shall meet me, dear one....


But there I have another name.

You must learn to know me by that name.


This was the very reason you were brought to Narnia,

that by knowing me here for a little,


you may know me better there."

– Aslan, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader –

Legends, myths, fairy tales. These intriguing births of story have been the magical stuff of poets, bards, and writers for numberless centuries. As far back as the imaginative mind could put pen to paper, there have been stories of enchantments, heroes, damsels, villains, fantastic settings, and intrigue. These twice-told tales were the forerunners of modern novels spanning two-plus centuries.

Authors of many genres of literature have been my bookish friends and mentors for years. I have been especially tuned to the writers of mythical fantasy and poetry. Sadly for me and others, we will never meet most of these great minds. I have often pined that I could not meet them in some simple setting like a coffee house, a pub, or even a classroom and had some part in their discussions, verbal meanderings, and literary genius. Ah me, it was not to be. Or is it? Have I not—have we not—often done just that? I say a resounding, Yes! Surely, we have looked into the hearts and minds of Jane Austen or George Eliot, Christina Rosetti or Lord Tennyson, William Shakespeare or John Bunyan, not to mention the great mythmakers of the twentieth century such as the Inklings members, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and their contemporaries. I cannot fail to mention the ever-present influence of the Scottish storyteller George MacDonald, creator of Phantastes and Back of the North Wind.

I have often wished, as surely others have, that we could have been given just one more such story that wraps true goodness into its characters, bringing with it the wonder of new countries, where the players have victory over the insidious evils that threaten to undo them. In recent times I have been hearing (perhaps out of sheer longing) a mythical tale of my own making. My imagination has been baptized over and over by my mentors’ books as well as by the greatest book ever written. The story has thus forced my writer’s hand. Whatever my own stunted efforts are to those lofty writers, nevertheless I found that this story captivated me. I decided that I must do my best to tell it in their fashion. I do assert it was worth the pen and the ink, and I hope you, dear reader, might agree. I titled it The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom, and the Sea Princess. And so it is, indeed, a myth, a legend, a tale of make-believe.

Lastly, allow me to say, the day is coming when the one true saga which eclipses all the rest and by which every other legend or myth must stand or fall, whose author comes from the everlasting past, will collide with this finite world and make all things new. In that final day we read, And the books were opened and the court sat...and the Book of Life also, and anyone whose name was not found written.... May this story be one that leads to life, so when I go to the Eternal City and see the true White Knight, perhaps he will say, Well done, to a sometimes-mythical writer.

Judy Carlson

Huggins, Missouri

* * *

<< Table of Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE ET LOCORUM

List of Characters and Locales

LOCALES IN THE STORY:

The Eastern Islands – the general setting of the story, an archipelago close to the Mainland

Ajar – royal city of the Eastern Islands, formerly an island, now attached to the Mainland by an isthmus

Mainland

Neutral area beyond the Eastern Islands’ rule; also containing:

The Great River

The Park and the Bridge from where Ian and Clara enter into the story of the Eastern Islands

The Woods containing the White Knight’s Pool

The Encampment of the Liberation Army (the Clearing)

The Tree Dwelling/Summer Palace of the White Knight

The area through which the Liberation Army march

And further in, the Village of the Faun people

Northern Dominions – Ruled by the Benevolent Emperor Haroldson

Tundrand – The Royal Province boasting the northernmost port city Bergene

Bergene – Locale of Lael’s naval training; the palace of the royal family of Haroldson where Lael grows up

Byssmia

The dark waters of the underwater kingdom where the Sea Lord holds mermaid Princess Tritona captive

CHARACTERS:

From Our World

Halverson Family – St. Paul, Minnesota

Mor Mor Halverson – Norwegian family name for grandmother to Ian and Clara

Timothy Halverson – Grandfather to Ian and Clara

Ian Halverson – fourteen-year-old cousin to Clara Bennet; disappears from grandparent’s attic

Bennet Family:

Clara Mae Bennet – Cousin of Ian and granddaughter of the Halversons; disappears from grandparent’s attic with cousin Ian

Mother of Clara – Norwegian descent; deceased daughter of the Halversons

Father of Clara – British descent

Great Aunt Marilyn – British relative of Clara’s father

Great Uncle Jack – British relative of Clara’s father

Royal Family of the Eastern Islands

King Elmern – Ruler of the Kingdom of Ajar; good king; weakens his kingdom by permitting occult worship; murdered by the Lord Regent

Queen Maybella – Murdered wife of King Elmern, and mother of seven royal children

Five Sons – Unnamed; also murdered

Prince Loren – Son of King Elmern; leaves home before the execution of his family; known later as Lord Loren

Princess Estarianna – Daughter of King Elmern; youngest child of seven; the only daughter; disappears into the sea in a barge accident before the Lord Regent’s conquest

Servants to the Royal Family of Ajar:

Sir Nels – Tutor of the royal children; disappears from the city before the Lord Regent’s conquest; reappears in Norway in our world; becomes the tutor of young Ian Halverson

Lady Elnora – Nursemaid of the royal children; later becomes a part of an underground resistance movement in Ajar

Dianna – Maidservant to Queen Maybella before her death

Count Amas – Former high ranking officer in old Ajar; joins underground and raises a resistance army; eventually joins Prince Lael’s army

The Conquerors of Ajar:

The Lord Regent – Despotic ruler of Ajar; murderer of the royal family; tyrannizes the Eastern Island Kingdom for ten years

Black Guard – Evil soldiers/henchmen of unknown origin under the Lord Regent

Og – Chief of staff of the Black Guard; assassin for the Lord Regent

Royal Family and Court of the Northern Dominions—Province of Tundrand:

Emperor Haroldson – Benevolent monarch; friend of the White Knight

Empress Judith – Also often addressed as the empress or my Queen; mother of twin sons; friend of the White Knight

Prince Cristin – Elder twin son of Emperor Haroldson and Empress Judith; heir to the empire; married to Lady Maja

Prince Lael – Younger twin son of Emperor Haroldson and Empress Judith; strong attachment to the White Knight; heir to the Kingdom of Ajar upon the death of the emperor

Lord William – Steward and confidante of the emperor; guide in the emperor’s absence and guardian of the twin princes Lael and Cristin

Captain Ernest – Captain of the royal ship the Caravelle

Forest Maidens of the queen and empress of the Northern Dominion:

Lady Hanni – Captain of the original six Forest Maidens; has romance with Lord Brenten

Lady Dorothy – Second in command

Lady Alida – Romance with Sir David

Lady Vickilee

Lady Dawn

Lady Mandi

Lady Kristina/Tina – Former resident of Ajar, cousin and childhood playmate to the Princess Estarianna; years later escapes from the Lord Regent; rescued; trains as a Forest Maiden; romantic interest of Lord Loren

The Five Mighty Men of Valor – Greatest warriors of the emperor and of the Resistance Army; become the future King Lael’s top Five; hail from the Province of Gad in the Northern Dominions:

Lord Brenten – Head of the Five; becomes closest to Lael

The rest of the Five:

Sir Chad; Sir Danny; Sir David; Sir Justin

The Company of Thirty – Special forces to the Emperor who then serve under the leadership of Lael in the Liberation Army; from Gad Province, of the Northern Dominions

Supernatural Characters

The White Knight / Lord Aryel – Moves in and out of the story at will; the Divinity Figure who appeared to Lael at age 14; God Figure to Lael’s father the emperor; continues to befriend Lael later in his struggles to liberate Ajar and find his lost princess; Friend/brother figure to Ian and Clara

The Ancient One – Highest Divinity Figure in Story; close relationship with Aryel

Sir Michael – Captain of Lael’s Liberation Army; takes orders from the White Knight; knows Lael’s life events from childhood; Supernatural figure; befriends Ian and Clara

Mystery Characters

The Grey Knight – Courts the Princess of the Tower (Tritona of Byssmia)

The Sea Lord – Ruler of the Dark Underwater World of Byssmia

Dragon – Evil creature bent upon destruction and connected to Byssmia

Petra – Mer-woman whom the Sea Lord changes into the princess’s handmaiden

Mythical Characters and Talking Creatures

Mer-people

Joram – the Sea Lord’s faithful warrior

Keren-Huppach – friend to Tritona

Faun People

Lydia – Young female helper of Liberation Army; befriends Clara

Lydia’s Family Members

Eric T. – Cousin to Lydia

Great Uncle Mithredath – Supporter of Liberation Army; storyteller to Lydia and Eric T.

Uncle Meremoth – Guardian of Lydia, father of Eric T.

Aunty Aurelia – Guardian of Lydia and mother of Eric T.

Kadmiel, Ithiuel, and Hudson – Faun Helpers from Lydia’s Village

Other Talking Creatures

Silverton – Talking white-winged pegasus

Sir Nutall – Squirrel; squire and self-appointed protector/aid to King Lael

Cloud – Dog; loyal servant to Lael, and guide to Ian and Clara

Snowy – Cat; loyal to Lael, friend of Cloud, and close to Clara

Adrian – Horse belonging to King Lael

Etherian – Horse of the White Knight

* * *

<< Table of Contents

~ 1 ~

The Vanquished Kingdom

Under the Laws of Providence

We have duties which are perilous.

– Austin Phelps –

Affliction is a treasure,


and scarce any man hath enough of it.

– John Donne –

A deathly pall hung over the palace and the city of Ajar as the threatening presence of the insidious Black Guard escalated.

Hurry! called the Queen to her maidservant, Come quickly, Dianna!

Yes, Your Majesty!

The trunk is in my wardrobe closet. Count Amas has ordered two of his trusted men to secure it for me. They will take it to the cottage of the nursemaid Elnora and secret it there. We only hope they can avoid discovery.

Yes, madam, the girl answered in a trembling voice.

Disguise it with this linen cloth, Dianna, and lay flowers upon it. If noticed at all, a covered table will arouse less suspicion than a royal trunk. The Queen of the Eastern Islands paused and lowered her head for a moment. Then glancing up at the servant girl, she said, If evil befalls both Lady Elnora and me, reveal the trunk’s whereabouts only to a trusted friend. Perhaps my son Loren still has breath somewhere in this dim world and will come thither to claim it one day.

But, Your Majesty, surely the Lord Regent would not dare to hurt you! The girl began weeping. Queen Maybella took her by the shoulders, fighting back her own tears.

Forgive us, maiden, for we allowed evil to enter our beloved kingdom. Weep not for us. If we perish, we shall go to the White City. Weep for those who remain here in this place. The lady’s voice became intense. "You must flee the palace if we are . . . removed. This wicked Usurper will come to his undoing some day. Yet as for you, without my protection, you will be. . . . Please, you must flee. Trust no strangers, Dianna. Aryel the White Knight will return. Be strong until then."

(The increased power and control of the Lord Regent and his Black Guard had rendered the king and his advisors only figureheads. The royal family were little more than prisoners in their own palace. Fear of the attacks of a horrible dragon had spread like an epidemic over the citizens of the Eastern Island Kingdom of Ajar. In as much as it seemed only the Lord Regent had power over the fearsome beast, they had capitulated. Kneel or perish was his mantra. They were a free people no more. The few citizens who rebelled were killed, and so the underground resistance was born.)

The handmaiden of the queen did as her mistress bid her. When the soldiers came to take the trunk, it appeared to be a bench or table adorned for a summer tea. Several hours later, there came shouts and then screams from the royal family’s quarters. King Elmern’s voice was commanding, but to no avail. Do not harm my sons! Take me only!

A thunderous voice roared back, Silence, you fool! If I would destroy you, why then would I leave an heir! Following a tortuous silence, the Black Guards’ boots stomped through the halls. Then they paused behind the chapel door. The door shook from their pounding blows. The maidservant yet stayed by her mistress.

Hide, Dianna! The girl ran behind a curtain and flattened herself against the wall. She could hear the cruel voice of the Lord Regent, low and menacing.

"Seize the pious queen from her prayers! The door burst open. Seeing her kneeling, he threatened in a loud voice, You do not pray to Nisroche in this defiled place? You know there is no other god but him!"

The lady arose from her knees, trembling yet stated calmly, But you are mistaken, my lord. The Ancient One has just spoken to me here, this very forenoon.

Strike her, Og! the tyrant screamed in rage.

Dianna could see out of a narrow opening in the curtain. The huge Black Guardsman stepped forward with his sword raised. She covered her face in horror. The Lord Regent forced the Queen of the Eastern Islands to her knees. "Now you will kneel and die, thrall! The maid shut her eyes tightly and heard the sword’s sickening impact! A hushed exhalation came from the queen. Then a deathly silence filled the room. Moments later a voice snarled, Drag her out and leave the blood trail. It shall be a red carpet welcome for the others!" Dianna heard wicked laughter as they left, but she knew no more until she awakened from her faint. Ashen and weak with fear, she crept out of her hiding place and fled the horrible scene. Terrible bloodletting and carnage followed the execution. The cruel reign of the Lord Regent over the Eastern Islands and Ajar had begun.

Ten Years Later

I will take care, Father! May the Ancient One also guard you! The prince waved as the shore boat pushed off from the beach, carrying the Emperor of the Northern Dominions of Tundrand.

Catch some supper for the lads, son! the emperor shouted, as the rowers propelled him toward his ship. The Caravelle was the finest sailing vessel in all the ports of call in the dominion.

More than a month before, the company travelled from their northernmost city of Bergene in the Tundrand Province. They voyaged with a clandestine purpose, to the City of Ajar and the Eastern Islands, the Kingdom by the Sea. The emperor had begun a systematic look at each of the three main islands and several islets. These expeditions, masked as pleasure jaunts for his ship’s company, in fact sought signs of loyalists in hiding. The disguised soldiers of the emperor left maps indicating the secret meeting place for a council of war. Surveying the islands was a dangerous undertaking. Betrayal or discovery could mean their endeavors would be lost, bringing their mission to naught.

Father, I insist on being a decoy on the island. Every day the enemy suspects us more and more. Everything depends on continued secrecy. If I remain alone here each afternoon to relax, the deception of our pleasure cruise will be vastly more believable.

My son, should a prince be sacrificed for show? But secretly the emperor also knew his son’s ruse could be helpful to this indispensable mission.

Trust me, Father. I shall row back every evening. Each morning the shore boat will bring us back to cavort again on our island holiday. In the end, we can only hope our charade is convincing. The emperor knew the Lord Regent’s spies were watching their every move. He knew they had only a slim hope.

The Caravelle could not come any nearer to the island. It was by far the largest and fairest ship of the dominion’s mammoth fleet. Hiraman, of a family of long-distinguished ship architects, built it. The vessel, seaworthy and magnificent, boasted the finest cypress and cedar timber. The finely crafted living quarters were beautifully paneled. When spread full sail, with its colorful flags flying, the ship took one’s breath away. It was indeed legendary. An almug wood figurehead of the emperor’s twin sons completed its regalia. The emperor himself specified particular attention to the design and comfort of Empress Judith’s quarters. Such detail highlighted the emperor’s very great devotion toward his bride. The Caravelle was primarily a pleasure craft. However, known only to a few, it could hold its head high in any sea battle. Yes, the Caravelle played an important part in the charade.

Much of Prince Lael’s young life was spent upon the mighty sailing vessel. Prince Lael and his twin brother Cristin were born to their parents in their later years. Emperor Haroldson appointed the first-born infant Prince Cristin his direct successor. The latter born, Prince Lael, would govern the next kingdom to unite with the Northern Provinces of Tundrand, likely an alliance among the lands of the southern ocean. Command of the Caravelle would thus pass to the second son. Accordingly, Lael received, in the northernmost port and capital city of Bergene, a rigorous naval military training. By both heritage and preparation, love for the sea deeply impressed Prince Lael during his early years.

Lael watched the shore boat gently breaking the waves as the rowers steered skillfully back to the ship. The island waters bore a strikingly similar character to the inlets of the Northern Provinces. They differed primarily in that these lacked the great mountains towering above them. They also supported accessible beaches. Of the several greater and smaller islands comprising this island kingdom, Lael stood upon one of the three inhabited islets. The City of Ajar sits upon what was once one of the islands, but is now a peninsula. A narrow isthmus, formed by the adjacent river mouth and the tides over many years, now connected the city’s land to the Mainland.

The sea breeze blew against Lael with a light mist. His dark hair curled tightly from the dampness of the ocean air. Sighing with the relief of solitude, he nonetheless glanced cautiously around. The island felt deceptively quiet. He could see no ship, fishing craft, or even small boat anywhere. No oceangoing commerce graced the seaside City of Ajar or the Eastern Islands anymore. News traveled that the new despot blockaded all trade routes and closed the Port of Ajar. This tyrant now reigned absolutely by his Black Guard. He haughtily and mysteriously titled himself as the Lord Regent. The people knew not from whence either he or his dastardly guard had come. When Lael questioned the empress, his mother, about their origin, she breathed out, Sorcery brought them forth.

The young prince stooped down, and, smoothing the warm sand with his hands, spied an unusual shell protruding. Pulling it out from its partial sand cocoon, he straightened up and moved toward the water to wash it. Glancing out at the inlet waters, he watched his father’s shore boat advance to the Caravelle. Lael’s mind went back in time to his first journey to the once thriving Kingdom by the Sea. That voyage, made so many years ago, was meant for a far more pleasant purpose than this one.

Lael smiled as he thought of his early years. Optimistic and adventuresome, he also recognized a special destiny awaited him —a destiny for which he was now well prepared. (Often the strength and energy of the young is wasted on the mundane and the trivial.) Though only fourteen, the prince knew precisely why his parents made that early voyage, and he trusted their design. His mischievous eyes twinkled as he agreed to the arranged marriage. Yes, Father, I will accept the little princess of the island kingdom. But Mother, I trust she will like to fish! She and Lael were distant cousins through his mother’s line. Earnest family conversations confirmed his attachment to her family before the princess was born. Her parents and six brothers often visited them in Bergene. The baby girl’s birth came as a surprise. The two sets of parents discerned a special bond might well form between their two children and began to plan and hope for a future union.

Due to affairs of state before and after her birth, the families had not reunited for eight years. Finally, Prince Lael and his family set sail for the Eastern Islands. Memory of that voyage was not happy, for tragedy robbed the expectation of the cousins’ happy weeks together. They planned the festivities for the families to unfold upon the eighth birthday celebration of the little princess. The day Lael’s family arrived, her entourage aboard a royal barge were to meet them at anchor. She and her family would board the Caravelle and together cruise the Islands. Instead, the day the emperor arrived, the darling of Ajar fell from the royal barge and was lost to the sea.

After remaining there some time and offering what help and solace they could, the emperor’s family and court sadly set sail for home. The loss of the little princess, the treasured, betrothed bride of their son, gravely affected them. Her fate would later profoundly affect the life of the young Prince Lael of Tundrand.

Some two years later, the families again came together when Prince Loren, son of the slain royal family, made a surprise visit to the Bergene palace. Loren left his family home at a young age for sea duty and still knew nothing of the family tragedy. Responsibility to tell Prince Loren of the sad loss of his only sister fell to the emperor. With regret in his heart, Lael also shared with Loren about the marriage plans between him and the little princess. Their mutual loss forged a special and lasting bond between Loren of Ajar and Prince Lael. However, as it happened, no one heard from Prince Loren again after he journeyed north once more from Bergene.

The loss of the princess was only the first agony for the unfortunate kingdom. A few short years after this calamity came the disappearance and execution of the royal family. The shock tore the hearts of the emperor and his family. The news spread throughout the Empire of the Northern Provinces of Tundrand. As knowledge of this evil tyrant’s acts of terror grew, Emperor Haroldson often contemplated intervention and vengeance against the Lord Regent.

Ten years had passed since the Emperor of the Northern Provinces received the news of the horrible murder of that royal family, and now the time was ripe. As Prince Lael stepped upon the island shore, he thought again of the reasons for his presence there. The Emperor had received bidding from the White Knight. Somehow, Lael knew that justice for the royal family and liberation of the Eastern Islands at last had begun.

* * *

<< Table of Contents

~ 2 ~

Intrigue in the Islands of Ajar

But mercy is above this sceptred sway,

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;

It is an attribute to God himself.

– William Shakespeare –

Lael recalled how upon a grim resolution to execute justice, his father began preparations for a secret invasion to liberate the captive kingdom directly. Emperor Haroldson immediately exchanged necessary royal courtesies with couriers from Ajar. He finally obtained, with great difficulty, permission to navigate within their waters. The benefit to the Lord Regent for allowing such a voyage was the promise of gifts from the Northern Dominions. While disallowing trade for years, the Lord Regent’s greed still demanded more and more treasures. What he stole from the people was not enough. In exchange for gifts, he consented to the emperor’s junket. One such gift was gold from Ophirah Province. No more beautiful could be found. He also gave exotic northern furs and casks of the extremely rare kingberry wine. Yet, the Lord Regent demanded more—even some of Bergene’s nautical secrets. The emperor conceded, as no price was too great in bribing his way into the island kingdom. Emperor Haroldson believed the Lord Regent’s brutality and sorcery so abhorrent that it disturbed all of heaven. The day of reckoning had begun.

The light wind on shore reminded Lael of the many days he spent at sea as a youth. He recalled one such time on board the Caravelle with his father several years ago. While sailing, he bitterly erupted over the murder of his relatives. His father responded, My son, the White Knight has power over the sorcerer, but he has allowed the usurpation of power. When sorcery first gained entrance in Ajar years ago, I warned King Elmern to weed it out. Some of the people practiced evil abominations—such as spells and curses, divination, and even child sacrifice. Though few practiced the worst evils, many passively accepted other great wrongs. King Elmern feared to interfere, lest he stir division among the people. Perhaps his heedless inaction forfeited protection of the Ancient One. Now great tragedy hath resulted.

How can the Lord Aryel allow such savage evil and not stop it! Lael stormed.

His father’s hand rested on Lael’s shoulder, Abide in peace, my prince, the emperor said. Remember that vengeance belongs to the Ancient One. He alone knows the end from the beginning. His father’s words did not assuage Lael’s anger.

Walking along further, Lael looked out on the inlet where he might later cast his net. As he thought about his forthcoming task to provide a meal, he recalled the peaceful joy of his youthful fishing outings. Soon his thoughts led him to another memory—one which greatly affected his attitude toward war. One day while still a youth, Lael and his brother Cristin were fishing with William, their guardian and their father’s steward. They discussed a recent report of continued violence in Ajar and the surrounding islands, inciting another angry outburst from Lael.

The steward loved Lael, but cautioned him over his passion for revenge. William revealed that he voluntarily went to war as a new father, leaving his young wife and baby before the required year with his family was complete. While away in battle, a marauding gang murdered his wife and son. This tragedy afflicted William for many years.

He warned the youths to consider war solemnly, One day you will both be rulers. Never confuse courage with aggression. A good man seeks neither war nor war’s violence. An honorable man will fulfill his duty when required. But woe unto him who battles recklessly of his own will, apart from Divine presence! Lael recalled going off to a lonely place and weeping (as was the custom in the Dominions) over the loss of William’s family. From that day came a gradual change within Lael regarding violence and warfare.

Now that he would actually participate in the battle soon to come, he gave solemn thanks that his father’s mission of war was the will of the Ancient One.

Lael sighed and stretched his arms above his tall frame, twisting at the waist, and shaking off his heavy musings. The cries of the sea birds brought the prince back to the present. Dropping his arms, he quickly scanned the horizon. He realized he could no longer see the Caravelle at anchor. Forsooth, they are gone to the Mainland to find the lay of the land. With his hands in his pockets, he sauntered a few steps forward and astutely surveyed the beach. He must make certain intruders had not disturbed the birds. Everything looked as before. He felt mildly disappointed that not even a small danger challenged his presence there. He could not know that he would soon face the harshest gauntlet.

The prince walked close to the water’s edge and grabbed the end of the rope attached to his little dinghy. Looking out a fair distance, he saw the large rock the men spied while rowing in that morning. They claimed the deep waters near that rock could be home to a delectable fish called capatani. His father nudged him and whispered, Try to catch some later, son. Lael began to feel the elation of no duty and no royal protocol. He was alone with his only occupation—catching fish. Leaving his shoes in the sand, he rolled up his pant legs, pushed the small boat down into the water, and climbed in. The wood of the oars felt good in his hands; the labor helped clear his mind. As he rowed, feeling his arm and back sinews doing their easy work, he looked toward the rock, ready for his fishing venture. Soon, as he skimmed over the water, his mind drifted back to the mission at hand.

Aboard ship, the Company of Thirty, a group of gallant soldiers from the Province of Gad, prepared for the coming task. Every man had thoroughly proved himself with spear and shield. Each singly could defeat fifty men. Over them were the Five, mighty men and officers to the emperor. Known for valor, each of the Five could defeat five hundred men. One of the Five killed a giant with six fingers on each hand. The giant’s spear shaft was as long and wide as a weaver’s beam. The warrior wrenched the spear away from the giant and killed him with it. Another one fought five lions and killed them all. All thirty-five of the Gadenes were left-handed but could throw with perfect accuracy from either hand.

Only months ago, the Emperor of the Northern Provinces called a secret meeting of his War Council, which included his sons. Princes and Council of Tundrand: As I slept in the night, I received a vision from the White Knight Aryel. He did hand me a scroll, upon which was written a prophecy. These were the words on the scroll. Emperor Haroldson proceeded to read:

Aryel’s Prophecy

From a world’s high door

The disenchantment they bore

To shatter the power

Of the Dragon’s dark tower.

A princess and a prince,

The Knight bringeth hence.

They come from afar

To fight for Ajar.

The sea maid to free,

A queen she shall be

For a knight, not a knave,

Betrothed and brave

Will sit on the throne.

A kingdom to own,

The King and his Bride,

For aye shall abide.

The council members looked at one another, and then at the emperor, in shock. They all spoke animatedly with Prince Cristin and his father. Prince Lael sat silent, with tears in his eyes. Emperor Haroldson called for order in the room. My sons, and elders of Tundrand, you are wise and understand these times of great evil in the Eastern Islands. Are we all in agreement that this sign from Aryel bids us finally to liberate these lands? Let us put it to a vote. The council voted unanimously.

The council agreed that the Ancient One now called the Tundrand Dominion to war. The wise ruler knew that delivering Ajar from its evil tyrant would also serve to protect the surrounding lands, including his own, from attacks. He well knew the threat from the Eastern Islands grew. Evil always spreads until a stronger force curtails it. He firmly believed, with the confirming wisdom of his council, that war was now the only choice.

The soldiers of the Tundrand Dominion held unreserved loyalty for their emperor, who repeatedly proved himself a friend to those under his authority, as well as a fearless defender of the peoples’ rights. Emperor Haroldson risked his own life in numerous battles. Once he returned to the field of heated danger solely to retrieve the body of a fallen soldier. Another time, he searched alone for hours to seek a single man missing from the theater of battle, and found him lying helpless with a broken leg. Many warriors now wished to join the mission, but the tactics of stealth and secrecy demanded a small military force. The full military force of the Tundrand Empire could easily overthrow the Lord Regent of Ajar, but many friends and relatives lived in the island kingdom. The little intelligence coming from Ajar these past ten years indicated that the Lord Regent pressed all able citizens into his army, a huge force, run by the Black Guard. A full scale battle would cost the lives of many forced citizen soldiers, not to mention civilians. The emperor hoped he might find many still faithful to the former kingdom, though forced to serve otherwise. He thus sought to avoid a large death toll from the hostage kingdom.

Though few beheld the figure of the White Knight Aryel in recent years, rumors spread that some saw the Knight abroad in the forested Mainland near Ajar. The emperor’s heart leaped when he heard this. He referred to it while talking with Lael one day aboard ship, I pray the presence of the White Knight will give renewed hope to the resisting army formed about Ajar. Perhaps their numbers will even have increased by the time of our arrival.

The empress agreed with her husband’s counsel. She would abide in the capitol in Bergene, as much danger loomed on this voyage. However, she assigned six of her well-trained Forest Maidens to accompany the voyagers. Oh, Hanni! Dorothy cried in excitement, "Empress Judith hath chosen us! We sail to Ajar and the Eastern Islands on board the Caravelle!"

Lady Hanni led the Forest Maidens. The empress appointed Lady Dorothy second in charge. Beginning at age fifteen, many hopeful girls of the Northern Provinces applied for the honor of becoming Forest Maidens. Each year, the empress chose eighteen applicants of age sixteen. The empress’s Ladies of the Court trained and mentored the young ladies for special service to the kingdom. Strict qualifications required prior knowledge and skill in music and the humanities. The program mandated physical strength and stature, as well. After two years of training, the young women began their three-year term of duty. According to the kingdom’s best custom, following their service, these highly accomplished young women usually married. They would then share their skills and training in their homes and communities. In this way, the empress hoped profoundly to affect the character of the dominion for the good.

The White Knight appeared one day to the empress and instructed her concerning these ladies. You must entrust six maidens to my care, he said. He listed them by name. These are essential to the mission of liberation in Ajar. Aryel then promised the empress that he would keep the Forest Maidens under his supernatural protection while there. Empress Judith went immediately to her husband with this intelligence. The emperor quickly complied with Aryel’s request and vouchsafed the maidens’ protection on the voyage to the Eastern Islands.

The White Knight, however, had not granted a promise of protection to all. The emperor kept secret a recent dream. The dream revealed the outcome of the upcoming battle. In it, he watched the men celebrating victory, the prince upon their shoulders. Still, even in victory, tears stained Lael’s face and saddened his countenance. Emperor Haroldson thought little of the dream, concluding its meaning would come clear to him in due time. That day came in Bergene as they readied to board the Caravelle for the Eastern Islands.

The emperor caught a glimpse of the empress as she arrived at the docks. She seemed as beautiful to him then as she was in the blush of maidenhood. A sudden, great anxiety came over him as he gazed upon her stepping down from the carriage in her royal garments and silver-braided hair. Lightly jesting with her about nearly missing their good-byes, the emperor kissed her hand, looked into her eyes, and said, My lady, you are all to me in body and soul. I would that we could live two lifetimes together.

Her eyes filled with tears as he held her face in his hands. Please come back to me, my husband, she pleaded.

He replied with forced bravado, Fear not, my dear Judith. We shall meet again soon. He touched his lips to hers in farewell, and held her close as his dream flashed before him. This was not the last time he would recall the dream or hearken to the empress’s request.

Some days into their voyage, the ship’s company joyously predicted the brevity and victory of their mission. Remaining silent, the emperor seemed less than persuaded. This troubled Lael, and he questioned his father soon after. "My prince, we must not presume fully to grasp the plans of the Ancient One. When his words come cradled in mystery, we may

Reviews for The White Knight, the Lost Kingdom, and the Sea Princess

[rubyandthetwins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It has been a decade for the people of the Kingdom of Ajar; a decade since their beloved ruler - the benevolent King Elmern, and the entire royal family - were brutally murdered - and the malevolent and despotic Lord Regent ascended to the throne. During his tyrannical reign, the Lord Regent and his infamous Black Guard have effectively held the citizens of Ajar captive by dark sorcery and killed anyone who would openly oppose their new King. There are a brave but determined few who have created an underground resistance to the Lord Regent's tyranny, but they are beginning to lose hope that they will ever be liberated from their captivity.According to an ancient prophecy, freedom will come from the neighboring Northern Dominions - from the demesne of the benevolent monarch, Emperor Haroldson. Since childhood, Prince Lael and Prince Cristin - the twin sons of the Emperor - have both been raised with a strong sense of righteousness and a deep knowledge of their royal duty. In an effort to fulfill that duty, Prince Lael will undertake a perilous quest to prove himself worthy of his subjects' continued fealty; he must first prove his strength and loyalty when he is challenged by an insidious enemy. The tragic loss of loved ones will only fortify Prince Lael's resolve to fight for the freedom of the Lost Kingdom.Cousins Clara Mae Bennet and Ian Halverson - two children from Minnesota - suddenly find themselves dropped into the mystical realm of the Northern Dominions, and immediately swept up into an incredible adventure. Together, the cousins will search for a way home again; joining in the quest to free a captive Sea Princess, battling evil, and conquering lurking temptations. Clara and Ian will eventually meet the legendary White Knight - Lord Aryel - and along the way the children will gain better insight and wisdom about themselves, experience enduring love, and form the most extraordinary friendships.I have always enjoyed reading mythical and epic tales of fantasy, and this book was certainly no exception. In my opinion, it was an intricately-woven and well-developed story that moved along at a leisurely, yet intriguing pace. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading a fantasy with strong Christian themes - I would give it an A!