Choices have consequences, whether it's studying for an exam, going out for that fancy job, or marrying in haste. Sometimes, the consequences are immediate, but they can also take an entire career to unfold or even centuries. See how just a few of the choices made by bankers, sorcerers, and monks can shape the future in these standalone fantasy short stories.
Home from the army and bored with war, Andras Byrne just wants to enjoy himself. But his mother, the most powerful duchess in Myrcia, has finally lost patience with Broderick Gramiren, the usurper. In a desperate move, the duchess sends Andras to arrange a marriage alliance with Princess Elwyn Sigor, who wants nothing to do with Andras or his family. Princess Donella, daughter of Broderick, isn't about to let Andras get away that easily. Torn between the courtly romances of her imagination and her duty to her friend, Donella will have to decide just how far she is willing to go to stop Andras from marrying the wrong person. And she will discover what happens when a princess stops being a lady.
Before a happily-ever-after, there are a lot of disappointments. These are stories of people struggling to find their place, but not quite finding it yet. Stories of people who know their place and are scared of losing it. And stories of people who discover themselves, only to find something quite unpleasant. Prequel stories to Reunion Vale.
Love is not necessarily any easier in a world with magic. From teenagers at school, just beginning to understand who they are and what they desire, to a twice devastated princess, these stories examine the love lives of the next generation of Myrcian nobility and the devastation love can sometimes leave in its wake. They also just might begin to hint at how those loves could one day change everything in kingdoms and empires.
Change is coming. After centuries of peace, came war; after war, came questions about the succession. What will come next? In Gilding the Lily: And Other Stories of Myrcia, see how some of the major players in the next phase of Myrcia's history became people willing to do anything to win the throne. (Includes a preview of Siege of Kings, Reign of the Eagle, Book 2! Coming soon!)
Dear reader, We welcome and encourage tourists of all kinds in Gwelf. The survival guide will tell you what to expect, what equipment to pack, who to trust and hire as a guide, and where to rest for the night in this magical land steeped in history and mystery. Tips and tricks on how to best enjoy your stay in the more populous areas and cities, together with crucial survival techniques for how to avoid or overcome haunts, ragteeth, mange, or raven machinations cannot be found in any other resource. As a bonus, you'll learn some Gwelf history and lore and get to know some of the locals and our culture. Indeed, so charming and wondrous is Gwelf that occasionally tourists decide to stay and become citizens, joining the ranks of the border patrol; settling in a town as a merchant, artist, or voyeur; or simply retiring to the country or farmlands. Tragically, there have been some that have stayed, but not by choice. We, the council, fear that this has cast a negative light on our beauteous realm. Rest assured that should you follow the precautions outlined in our guide, you will be quite safe, as it is the council's intention to provide this book as a resource so that future mishaps might be avoided . . .
The historical data and vast information in the historical sources is arranged in this book using software to make clusters of data and quantification. This serves as illustrative example for future research on how to apply such methods to historical research. The analysis of formation of new elites and powerful families, and the social networks they belonged to, serves to understand in the long run how groups and families in localities of southern Europe have consolidated their power and how political institutions (then and now) have served to the perpetuation of such families in the exercise of power. Disputes and rivalry between factions, elites and groups of power to control land (as main economic source of power) and political institutions have not ceased since the early modern period until today. Southern and Mediterranean Europe localities are a good example in which fierce struggles between elite groups have lasted across space and time.
