Together, Alanna and Jon are able to combine their magics and defeat them, but not before the beings make Alanna's clothes disappear, revealing her true gender to the astonished prince. There, the two confront the Ysandir, strange beings of old who try to kill them. Alanna realizes that Roger means to trick Jon into going there and follows the Prince to the city. Later, on a trip that is supposed to be for squires only, that Alanna is allowed on because of Jonathan, Roger warns the squires and page not to go anywhere near a city of black stone, the Black City. Roger is shocked and noticeably nervous when he notices the sword. She suspects that Roger sent the fever and is trying to hurt Jon.Īlanna acquires, on a mystery-filled trip to ruins near the home of Myles of Olau, a sword possessing the magic of the Old Ones that she dubs ' Lightning'. Later, she learns that Roger is second in line for the throne, next to Prince Jonathan, since Queen Lianne of Conté is unable to bear anymore children. For a reason unbeknownst to her, Alanna hates the outwardly handsome and charming man from their first meeting. Soon after, Roger of Conté, a powerful mage, comes to Corus in order to teach the pages and squires how to use magic. Only after all of the city's healers are exhausted does Jonathan, the heir to the kingdom, fall fatally ill.Īlanna uses her magic to save Jonathan.

However, he manages to convince her to stay.Īfter a time, an unnatural fever, one that drains healers of their power and can kill them, falls upon Corus. After a few days being a page, she decides that this is too hard and she'd rather go home, and tells Coram Smythesson, her manservant, so. She particularly becomes friends with Jonathan of Conté, Gary of Naxen, and the King of the Rogues, George Cooper. Alanna cuts her hair and disguises herself with the name Alan of Trebond and goes to Corus to try for knighthood.Īlanna makes both friends and enemies at the palace immediately.

The twins switch places, and Thom goes to the temple where Alanna was to go, planning to study sorcery. However, this is what their father, Alan of Trebond, a man absorbed completely in his studies since his wife's death, has ordered for them.Īlanna and Thom take matters into their own hands. Who told me to talk to Claire' -Dedication taken from the Kindle edition PlotĪlanna of Trebond does not want to be sent away to learn to be a lady any more than her brother Thom wants to be a knight.

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