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Crowan

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'Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest' is the sixth and final book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series. It was released on October 5th 2010.

Like the other Knights of Arrethtrae books, Sir Rowan takes place parallel to the events of Kingdom's Edge, Kingdom's Call, and Kingdom's Quest of The Kingdom Series. It also emulates the books of that series in symbolizing actual and/or prophesied Biblical events, most notably those described in the Book of Revelation and in particular chapter eleven of that book.

Description[]

Knights Of Arrethtrae #6: Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest

A knight left for dead. A country on the verge of ruin. And an evil lord rising to conquer.
Sir Rowan is the most decorated tournament knight in Cameria, but when he is attacked and left for dead, his world collapses. Betrayed and lingering at death’s door, only a bizarre vision of his Prince and the help of a woman dedicated to the King keeps him alive. As Rowan heals, he finds new purpose in life through service to his King.

But his beloved land of Cameria has fallen victim to the tyranny of the Dark Knight.

Rowan’s countrymen need his help taking their cities back from the enemy, but all is not as it appears. The mysterious Sir Lijah insists Rowan’s purpose lies elsewhere—far away from Cameria, in an ancient city and for an ancient cause.

Rowan’s destiny is greater than he ever imagined. The final battle with the Dark Knight approaches, and he must choose where he will fight. Will he discover his true identity and purpose as a Knight of the Prince, or will the Dark Knight claim victory for eternity?

Chapters[]

  • Prologue: Cameria the Great
  • Chapter 1: Stable Boy
  • Chapter 2: Bread and Tournaments
  • Chapter 3: The Victory Cloak
  • Chapter 4: The Grand Trophy Quest
  • Chapter 5: One Hundred to One
  • Chapter 6: Prison With No End
  • Chapter 7: Journey of Dreams
  • Chapter 8: A Song in the Dark
  • Chapter 9: Homeward Bound
  • Chapter 10: The Work of One
  • Chapter 11: Mysterious Knight
  • Chapter 12: Bandits
  • Chapter 13: The Resolutes
  • Chapter 14: Flight of the Eagle
  • Chapter 15: Higher Calling
  • Chapter 16: The Battle for Laos
  • Chapter 17: The Conquest of Cameria
  • Chapter 18: A Hopeless Fight
  • Chapter 19: The Call of the Prince
  • Chapter 20: The Armor of the King
  • Chapter 21: Chessington’s Promise
  • Chapter 22: The Final Stand
  • Chapter 23: Life Like the Prince
  • Epilogue: Across the Great Sea

Summary[]

Cedric of Chessington begins another tale of the Knights of the Prince by speaking of the region of Cameria. During a great war against Chessington, the Knights of the Prince brought their message to Cameria. Many accepted, and Cameria joined the war against the Vincero Knight Adophal on behalf of Chessington’s people. Lucius, enraged, set his sights on Cameria, but found the truth of the Prince to be strong there. As such, he turned from force to subtlety, sending his Shadow Warriors and Vinceros to infiltrate Cameria and slowly but surely turn the hearts of many away from the Prince and Chessington.

Rowan, a young orphan working as a stable boy in the Camerian city of Laos, meets Sir Aldwyn, Knight of the Prince while tending to his horse. After seeing Rowan's natural aptitude for the sword, Aldwyn trains him as a Knight of the Prince. However, as he grows older Rowan becomes more interested in Camerian's sword-fighting tournaments, while are promoted by Lord Gavaah. Rowan eventually becomes a champion fighter with a great following but finds that his mentor, Sir Aldwyn, is not as thrilled by these developments as he is.

One day, Rowan is confronted by a man who easily defeats him and spoils his victory cloak, a ceremonial garment given to tournament champions. Though initially fearful, Rowan becomes angry and eager to repay the man for the perceived insult. He becomes similarly irritated when Sir Aldwyn condemns his loss of zeal for the Prince. While on his way to Kroywen for the Camerian Games, the greatest of the region's tournaments, Rowan is again confronted by the stranger and warned not to continue.

Not heeding the warning, Rowan and his entourage proceed only to be set upon by a massive band of marauders, who take Rowan as a captive. Rowan soon learns that the men hail from the south of the kingdom and owe allegiance to Lord Malizimar, and that they hate all Camerians for their region's past support of Chessington. Rowan is held prisoner for over a year in a cave where carnivorous moths and caterpillars bar his escape, starved until he is on the verge of death. His captors receive no ransom, however, and eventually leave him to die.

In his despair, Rowan remembers the call of the Prince and cries out for forgiveness, wishing to make up for the time he misspent in search of glory. He experiences a vision of the Kingdom Across the Sea and speaks with the Prince, who offers both forgiveness and encouragement and informs Rowan that there is a mission waiting for him in Arrethtrae. Awaking from the dream back in the cave and still in bonds, Rowan receives unexpected help from a young woman named Mariah. She proves to be a widow and another Knight of the Prince and begins the process of nursing Rowan back to health.

Rowan eventually feels compelled to return to Laos and reclaim his estate, but upon arriving in the city he and Mariah find harsh new laws in place. To make matters worse, he arrives at his estate to find that Balenteen, his old financial advisor, has seized his property and money for himself. With law enforcement searching for them both, Rowan and Mariah make their way to the home of Sir Aldwyn, which they find empty but for a woman named Zetta. They soon learn from her that many citizens of Cameria, calling themselves Resolutes, having fled into the Boundary Mountains in response to the growing tyranny in the cities. Among these are Mariah's father and brother and Sir Aldwyn, who left Zetta behind to assist any Resolutes who might come looking for help.

After an all too brief respite, Rowan realizes that Balenteen will send men after him to Sir Aldwyn's. The first to arrive on the scene is not one of the new Camerian sentinels, however, but a tall and powerful man who helps fight off those that do arrive. He introduces himself as Sir Lijah, a Knight of the Prince from Chessington who has come looking for Aldwyn. With his help, Rowan and the women escape the sentinels, and Rowan tries to send them off to safety in the mountains.

Mariah, however, returns for Rowan and takes him back to the farm to continue his recovery. As time passes, Rowan finds himself developing feelings for Mariah, but he keeps a distance out of respect for her late husband. Rowan begins helping around Mariah's farm, and fights two bandits before sharing with them the story of the Prince. Afterwards, Rowan decides to leave out of respect for Mariah's feelings, only to learn that she has come to love him as well.

The two marry and remain on the farm until word reaches them that the Knights of the Prince have been outlawed. Following guidance from Zetta, the pair make their way into the Boundary Mountains and eventually find the Resolutes. Many of these are Knights of the Prince, and they soon find Mariah's family and Sir Aldwyn among them. All are overjoyed by Rowan and Mariah's arrival, and soon bring them into their plans to invade Laos in the hopes of using it as a base to retake the rest of Cameria.

Rowan soon learns that Lord Gavaah now rules over Cameria, apparently in league with Lord Malizimar's domain in the south of the kingdom and a new enemy, Alexander Histen, who has come to power in Chessington. Sir Lijah is also among the Resolutes, but refuses to take part in their preparations. When Rowan attempts to persuade him, the other man engages him in a duel, both of them proving to be masterful swordsmen. Lijah then reveals that he was sent to Cameria in search of Rowan: the two of them are twin brothers.

Where Rowan was given into the care of a family that eventually relocated to Cameria, Lijah grew up in Chessington and also became a Knight of the Prince. A Silent Warrior gave his adopted mother a key and a scroll containing a mysterious, unfinished rhyme that set Lijah on the quest to find his brother. He informs Rowan that his original name was Mosiah, and that the two of them are called to return to Chessington. Rowan, however, refuses to accept this, wishing to stay and fight alongside the people of his adopted home, even when Lijah informs him that the Prince Himself told Lijah how to find Rowan.

Later, Rowan is perturbed to learn from Mariah that there is further confirmation of Lijah's story: a birthmark located on the back of his shoulder. Despite this, Rowan remains determined to fight for the liberation of Cameria. This includes learning how to operate an Eagle Glider, which many of the Resolutes will use to fly into Laos and thus bypass Gavaah's ground forces. Rowan tries to convince Lijah to join their efforts one more time, but Lijah responds by calling Rowan to the mission the Prince has truly set him upon.

On "Freedom Day", the Resolutes mount their attacks on Laos, only to find that Gavaah-now revealed as a Shadow Warrior-has anticipated their attack and prepared for it. Outnumbered and outmatched, they are either killed or imprisoned, with Rowan eventually being brought before Gavaah in the hopes that he can be convinced to return to his life as a tournament fighter. Though Rowan briefly contemplates the notion, he soon rejects it, but is told he will either fight or face death. Rowan prepares for this fate, even though the crowds in Gavaah's stadium recognize him and many protest his announced execution.

However, Gavaah has a cruel trick up his sleeve: he has captured Mariah and offered various men gold to kill Rowan and her in the arena. Forced to fight for the sake of his beloved, Rowan proves a formidable opponent but is unable to save Mariah unaided. Unexpectedly, Lijah appears and joins in the fight, and Mariah is freed and briefly fights alongside them. The weight of numbers proves too much, and Mariah is mortally wounded and dies.

Enraged, Rowan condemns the people of Cameria for going along with Gavaah's blood sports, and his passionate words inspire a mob uprising. Rowan and Lijah, with the aid of a pair of Silent Warriors, make their escape. They soon meet more Silent Warriors and the Prince, who offers Rowan comfort before bidding the pair to travel to Nedehaven, the ruined palace of Peyton and Dinan. He then bids the brothers to carry His message to Chessington, and gives them bitter wine to drink to strengthen them for the ordeal that lies ahead of them.

Rowan and Lijah discover hidden chambers beneath Nedehaven, and using Lijah's key find a completed version of the rhyme from Lijah's scroll and learn that they are fated to "fall" in Chessington. Though Rowan is troubled, Lijah's determination fires him to be willing to die if that is what the King and the Prince have called them to do. Guided by the rhyme, they find an image that matches Rowan's birthmark, which opens an alcove containing armor and swords not of Arrethtraean origin. Thus armored and armed, the brothers make their way south towards Chessington.

Along the way, Rowan and Lijah proclaim the message of the Prince and face Shadow Warriors, Vincero Knights, and others loyal to the evil forces of the Dark Knight. Their words and deeds provoke a number of reactions, from inspiring fellow Knights of the Prince and bringing many to become Followers to terrifying and enraging those unwilling to accept their proclamations. In Chessington itself, they proclaim the Prince in the very square where He died and rose to life again and continue to face attacks from Histen's loyalists.

Many days pass, and despite being threatened by Alexander Histen himself, the brothers continue to face his minions and share their message. Silent Warriors defend them from Shadow Warriors, and many among the people bring them food and water as they continue their work. Eventually, Histen issues a proclamation declaring himself to be king of Arrethtrae, and Rowan and Lijah realize that he is none other than the Dark Knight. Shortly thereafter, as a crowd gathers in the square to hear from them, Lucius and a force of Shadow Warriors arrive to put an end to them.

With no Silent Warriors appearing to aid them, Rowan and Lijah fight alone, slaying many Shadow Warriors before being slain themselves. Their bodies are left in the square, and many wicked people rejoice over their deaths while others hide in fear. However, like the Prince Himself, the brothers find themselves restored to life again by the power of the Life Spice infused in the bitter wine that they drank. To the horror of those who celebrate their fall, they rise, and make their way to the docks of Chessington.

There they find a ship waiting for them, and the Prince commends them for all they have done in His Name. He informs them that soon the rest of the Knights of the Prince will be gathered from across the kingdom so that the Prince may take them away from the tyranny of Lucius and his minions. The time will come, however, when He and His knights shall return to Arrethtrae to liberate it from Lucius. Much to Rowan's joy, the brothers are not the only ones to return from death, as Mariah is also aboard the Prince's ship.

Cedric concludes his narrative, praising the willingness of Rowan and Lijah to lay down their lives in the Price's cause. He then notes that, as the Prince had promised, His Followers from across the kingdom-including Cameria-were brought that night to His ships. Rowan and Mariah were thus reunited with their loved ones, and they sailed across the sea to prepare for the day when the Prince would lead them back to Arrethtrae to bring an end to the rule of Lucius.

Appearances[]

Characters[]

Groups[]

Animals[]

  • Algonquin
  • Biscuit
  • Sierra
  • Mountain asps

Objects[]

  • Armor of the King
  • Eagle Glider
  • Life Spice

Events[]

  • Freedom Day
  • Great war against Chessington
  • The Rising of Lucius

Locations[]

  • Kingdom Across the Sea
  • Great Sea
  • Arrethtrae
    • Altica Valley
      • Cameria
        • Amion
        • Berwick
        • Elttaes
        • Kroywen
        • Laos
          • Eastgate
        • Rock Forest
        • Sanisco
    • Attenbury
    • Boundary Mountains
      • Eagle’s Nest
      • Thunder Mountain
    • Bremsfeld
    • Chandril
    • Chessington Valley
    • Daydelon
    • Frates River
    • Keighwick
    • Nan
    • Nedehaven
    • Northern Mountains
    • Nyland
    • Thecia
    • Tisgri River
    • Wasteland
  • Sedah
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