Chapter Two

 

With Michael's exile from Arkovia, a young woman called Morgan became Alys' first knight. No one knew where she'd come from. Morgan first arrived in the kingdom, stowed away on a pirate ship, at the age of thirteen, dirty, disheveled, and disguised as a boy, her blond hair lopped off. In time, though, her skill with a sword outweighed the disadvantages of her small stature and her gender.
Alys implicitly trusted Morgan, far more than she ever trusted Michael even though he was family, and for her part Morgan was fiercely loyal to Arkovia and the crown itself. She took a silent oath to protect Alys from all who would harm her.
"Morgan, I need you to do something for me." Every time Alys called, Morgan was there. She had to be.

 

Morgan enjoyed her military strategy barnstorming sessions with Philip, the resident castle spy. "So," Philip began, "if we set up our troops along the coast, when Ivan Stormcloud and the Nimbans attack we'll be ready."
"How do you know they'll attack?" asked Morgan.
Philip grinned slyly. "This is Ivan Stormcloud we're talking about. This is what he does. Besides, I have methods of finding these things out."

 

One of Morgan's duties as captain of the royal guards was training soldiers. In the afternoons Philip and her squire, Moses, joined her upstairs in the barracks for a serious physical workout.
"Let's go, boys, stronger, faster! We have to be ready for the Nimbans!"
"I can't go another minute," grumbled Moses.
"You want to be a knight, right?" shot back Morgan. "You can't do so without a lot of work."