Legacy Read online

  Awards for Legacy

  • Bronze medalist in the 2008 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction

  • Finalist in two categories in the National Best Books Awards 2008 sponsored by USA Book News

  • First place winner (reviewer’s choice) in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2008 for Young Adult Fiction

  • Young Voices Foundation book of the month for January 2009

  Praise for Legacy

  “Legacy follows the joys and dramas of a young girl navigating her way out of the safe harbors of childhood and into the uncertain and difficult waters of adulthood. The first in a trilogy, Legacy is simple but effective, succeeding largely on the author’s ability to craft a sympathetic and human character in Alera…. A thoroughly entertaining read, Legacy shows a lot of promise, for Kluver and her princess.”

  —Miami Herald

  “Alera’s sensitivity and willfulness will win readers over who will sympathize as her choices dwindle. A looming war, characters with intriguingly hidden pasts, and a sad ending set things up nicely for a sequel.”

  —Booklist Online

  “Anyone who says teens can’t write should meet 16-year-old Cayla Kluver…. Kluver’s writing is impressive, fluid and focuses heavily on social customs and deep, complex characters; the skill of the writing and the resulting story make Legacy one book that any fantasy fan should pick up at the earliest opportunity.”

  —Cleveland Literature Examiner

  “If you’re looking for a richly painted tapestry of words, a fantasy sort of book written as if Jane Austen were still alive and had decided to write fantasies involving princesses, then you’re sure to love Legacy.”

  —Curled Up With a Good Kid’s Book, Five Stars

  “I enthusiastically encourage readers young and old alike to sample the nuanced richness of Cayla Kluver’s Legacy—it is both humbling and heartening for this reviewer to encounter tale-craft and youth blended so well in a debut novel.”

  —Bookideas.com, Perfect 10!

  “I swear, once you start reading this book, you can’t stop. It’s SO good. The book ended with me wanting more! I can’t wait ’til Allegiance comes out!”

  —BookLover (lizdoglover.blogspot.com), 5.0—The Best EVER!

  “Well-paced and well-written, Legacy has passages of idyllic prose, tensions between lovers, and a powerful narrative in the description of a tournament battle…. But there are enough story threads left hanging to ensure that book two, Allegiance, will be a fitting sequel and to ensure Cayla Kluver’s legacy as a stellar author and storyteller.”

  —ForeWord Clarion Reviews, Five Stars

  “With likeable characters and vivid details, this is an engrossing story for young adults…. Kluver’s grasp of language, dialogue and character development shows that she is as promising as her heroine.”

  —Renaissance Magazine

  “Legacy is a breathtakingly beautiful story about one girl’s struggle to overcome the expectations of a kingdom and find her own happiness…. Full of political struggle, duty, legends, brilliant characters, and beautiful prose, Legacy will leave readers wanting more.”

  —Chick Lit Teens (www.chicklitteens.com)

  “First let me just say wow. I am in love with this book and with Cayla’s beautiful writing…. I am so impressed with the storyline, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the descriptive details, which helped me imagine the life of Princess Alera…. Legacy is a mix of King Arthur and Romeo and Juliet in a way. I honestly will say it’s now on my top 5 favorite books with Twilight and The Hunger Games.”

  —La Femme Readers (lafemmereaders.blogspot.com)

  “Cayla Kluver, the sixteen-year-old author of Legacy, is truly brilliant. Her eloquent dialogue and cleverly plotted tale of kings and queens, romance and deceit will keep you turning the pages and wanting more.”

  —Families Matter (familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com)

  CAYLA KLUVER

  LEGACY

  This book is dedicated to Mom, Nina, and Grandma Frances,

  who would have loved every moment.

  CONTENTS

  MAPS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1: THE OBVIOUS CHOICE

  CHAPTER 2: AN UNWELCOME ENCOUNTER

  CHAPTER 3: ENEMIES REVEALED

  CHAPTER 4: TREACHERY AFOOT

  CHAPTER 5: OF STEALTH AND STELDOR

  CHAPTER 6: SECRETS AND REVELATIONS

  CHAPTER 7: NO EXPLANATION

  CHAPTER 8: TEA AND TALK

  CHAPTER 9: A GOOD CATCH

  CHAPTER 10: CLANDESTINE MEETING

  CHAPTER 11: BACK FROM THE DEAD

  CHAPTER 12: THE PICNIC

  CHAPTER 13: THE DIGNITARY’S ROOM

  CHAPTER 14: CONFRONTATION

  CHAPTER 15: ENIGMA

  CHAPTER 16: UNAPPEALING PROPOSALS

  CHAPTER 17: ABHORRENT DEEDS AND SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS

  CHAPTER 18: SELF-DEFENSE

  CHAPTER 19: SEES ALL AND TELLS ALL

  CHAPTER 20: NEVER WITHOUT A WEAPON

  CHAPTER 21: THE GREATER SIN

  CHAPTER 22: DIVIDED HEART

  CHAPTER 23: THE LEGEND OF THE BLEEDING MOON

  CHAPTER 24: THE EXHIBITION

  CHAPTER 25: IT’S TOUGH TO BE A KING

  CHAPTER 26: THE ENEMY WITHOUT, THE ENEMY WITHIN

  CHAPTER 27: A HISTORY LESSON

  CHAPTER 28: CATASTROPHIC CHRISTMAS

  CHAPTER 29: A SIGN OF THE COKYRI

  CHAPTER 30: DRASTIC MEASURES

  CHAPTER 31: AN UNEXPECTED ALLY

  CHAPTER 32: ULTIMATUM

  CHAPTER 33: WITH THIS RING

  CHAPTER 34: WISHES

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  MAPS

  PROLOGUE

  THE FIRST BOY DISAPPEARED ON THE DAY OF HIS birth, on a night when the pale yellow moon that ruled the sky turned red and bathed the heavens in the ghastly color of blood, the same night the Empire of Cokyri abruptly ceased its merciless attack.

  Across the land of Hytanica, in the villages, infant boys continued to vanish. King Adrik turned a blind eye foolishly, seeking no explanation, for he needed to refortify his kingdom’s defenses in case Cokyri resumed its brutal onslaught. But when children inside the city’s walls began to disappear, he was forced to take notice. A count was made of the number missing, but before he could determine what action should be taken, the disappearances stopped. The last Hytanican child to vanish was the newborn son of a wealthy baron and baroness.

  Within the week, as the bleeding moon waned, the bodies of the infants were found outside the gates of the city, a final word from the greatest enemy Hytanica had ever known. Grieving parents collected the rotting remains of their sons, but there was one mystery that would for many years remain unsolved. Forty-nine babies were taken, but only forty-eight bodies were returned.

  No one knew why the Cokyrians had withdrawn from the land or why they had not been able to destroy Hytanica and her people. The Cokyrians were superior to the Hytanicans as fighters and strategists and did not adhere to any code of honor in war, but still Hytanica had not fallen. Some thought they had abandoned the effort out of frustration, for they had many times been poised to win only to once again lose ground; others thought the Cokyrian rulers had finally accepted the ancient story of Hytanica’s conception.

  According to lore, the first King of Hytanica, seeking to protect his foundling home, had been advised by his priests that a sacrifice of blood both royal and innocent would hallow the ground and make his kingdom invincible. After much soul-searching, the King had taken the life of his own infant son and placed drops of the boy’s blood at each corner of the land to forever shield the people he loved.

  I was born shortly before the end of the war, a Princess of Hytanica, my parents’ first heir
. As my people settled into a long-awaited time of peace, learning to lead normal lives once more, I was brought before them and grew to be a young woman, living with a freedom the war-torn generations before me had never known. All such things must come to an end, however, and that is where my story begins.

  CHAPTER 1

  THE OBVIOUS CHOICE

  “I THINK I’M GOING TO VOMIT.”

  I paced in front of the barren fireplace that spanned most of one wall in my parlor, clasping and unclasping my hands. My younger sister, Princess Miranna, had retired to her quarters after breathlessly assuring me I would have a lovely evening, but then, she was much more enamored with the man I would be meeting for dinner tonight than I was. Now it was only London, my bodyguard and a member of the King’s Elite Guard, waiting with me in the richly furnished room.

  “You’re not going to vomit, Alera. Just try to relax,” London advised, one eyebrow raised in bemusement. He picked up a book from the table beside the burgundy velvet sofa and began to leaf through it.

  “How can I possibly eat?” I asked, my voice sounding shrill even to my own ears. “I don’t think I can go through with this.”

  “It’s going to be fine. He’s just another suitor, and like the rest of them, he has to impress you, not the other way around. Besides, as far as I can tell, you have no real interest in him, so I don’t know why you’re working yourself into such a state.”

  “You don’t understand! If something goes wrong tonight, Father is going to be so disappointed.”

  “Well, unless you’ve made plans to marry Steldor that I don’t know about, you’re going to disappoint your father in the long run no matter what.”

  I stopped pacing and faced London, who had set the book back on the table and was now leaning against the tapes-tried wall by the door, arms crossed over his muscular frame. Unruly silver bangs fell across his forehead, contrasting sharply with his deep-set indigo eyes, which were fixed upon me in anticipation of a response. I fumbled for one; every moment I could feel the noose of my impending marriage growing tighter. With my seventeenth birthday just around the corner, a betrothal would soon be arranged, with or without my approval of the gentleman. The idea that Steldor might be that gentleman…

  “But I can’t stand him. How can I spend the whole evening with him?”

  “It’s just one evening. You can survive one evening.” London hesitated, then teasingly added, “Besides, he may just win you over. I’m not one to underestimate the power of a romantic stroll in the garden.”

  “Please say he won’t expect that of me!”

  I stared at him, unable to find humor in such an awful possibility, and he tried to alleviate the worry he had inadvertently created.

  “If he does, tell him you’re feeling ill and that you must return to your quarters at once. He can’t argue with that.”

  I sank into one of the plush armchairs that stood near the hearth, buried my head in my hands, and moaned. My father, King Adrik, had arranged for this dinner between Lord Steldor and me, for he felt Steldor was better suited to be his successor than anyone else in the kingdom. As the heir to the throne, I was to marry on that basis alone, for it was my husband, not I, who would come to rule Hytanica.

  Even I had to admit that Steldor was the obvious choice. Three and a half years older than I, he was the son of Cannan, the Captain of the Guard, and had one year ago become a military field commander at the young age of nineteen. He was charming, intelligent and strong, with stunning good looks, but I had disliked him from the moment we had met.

  A rap on the door interrupted my thoughts, and London stepped into the corridor while I fretfully plucked strands of my brown hair free of its upswept style.

  “We’d better go,” he said upon reentering, and I slowly rose from the chair. “I have just been informed that Steldor is waiting for you in the Grand Entry.”

  London opened the door for me, and we left my parlor to walk through the second-floor corridors of the Royal Residence toward the spiral staircase at the rear of the palace. In addition to my quarters and those of my sister and parents, the residence included a library, a family dining room, a kitchen and a visitor’s parlor. The Royal Ballroom and the King’s Dining Hall were the only areas on the second floor that were used for public events.

  We descended the stairs, emerging into a lantern-lit corridor, and London offered his arm to escort me toward the palace’s main entrance. As we walked, I hardly glanced at the intricate tapestries that adorned the walls, for my attention was drawn to the end of the hall where Steldor awaited me. Supporting himself with his left hand on the wall, he was flipping a dagger over and over in his right, impeccably positioned for maximum visual effect.

  “Have fun,” London said glibly, stopping midway down the passage, for my handsome dinner companion had noticed my approach.

  “You’re not going far, are you?”

  “No, I would wager you’ll need more protection tonight than on most occasions. Besides, I’d be a pretty poor chaperone if I did, although I will try to give you two lovebirds some privacy.”

  “Go ahead and enjoy yourself at my expense, won’t you?” I complained, irritated by the tease that had once more crept into his voice.

  Steldor had returned his dagger to its sheath and was striding toward me. Although he was dressed more informally than was usual for him, his deportment would have made any clothing appear elegant. He was tall, broad shouldered and well muscled, with dark brown hair that fell in a perfectly careless manner to just below his prominent cheekbones. His brown eyes were guaranteed to make most girls swoon, and his smile was irresistible, given his straight and even, white teeth. “My lady.”

  Steldor bowed and kissed my hand. His eyes swept my form approvingly, taking in my shimmering gray gown and the silver locket that graced my neck. “Allow me to escort you to the dining room, Princess Alera.”

  With an uncomfortable glance at my bodyguard, Steldor drew me to his side, and I was certain London’s demeanor had given warning of how closely he intended to monitor the captain’s son. Suppressing a smile, I walked with Steldor through the remainder of the corridor, the savory smells from the kitchen arousing my appetite. At least I would be getting a delicious meal out of the evening.

  The first-floor dining room was designed to accommodate intimate gatherings. There were twin marble fireplaces, one on each side of the room, with an oblong table that could seat forty-five centered in between. Three candlelit chandeliers were suspended above the table, and oil-burning lanterns were attached at intervals along the walls. A small, round table draped with white linen had been prepared for us at the far end of the room in front of the bay window. On it, two flickering candles provided subtle illumination, aided by the last glimmer of the day’s sun. I sat across from Steldor and he offered me a glass of wine, which I accepted with some trepidation, having no more liking for wine than I did for the man extending the goblet.

  “I have to say,” Steldor observed, “you look exceptionally beautiful tonight, Alera.”

  He paused as if permitting me an opportunity to extend my flustered thanks. When none were forthcoming, he smiled.

  “You seem a little overwhelmed…perchance from hunger, although it’s not unusual for my company to have this effect upon women. Some food may restore you.” With a flick of his hand he indicated to a servant that we were ready to receive our meal. “Some sustenance may enable you to find your voice as well.”

  I stared at the man my father desired me to wed, feeling ill-equipped to deal with his overly familiar attitude. The arrival of the kitchen staff with vegetable-laden platters, warm bread and roast grouse saved me from having to reply.

  Steldor nodded curtly to dismiss the servants, then placed a slice of the sizzling game bird on each of our plates, permitting me to select my own vegetables and bread. We ate in silence for a time, although I found it difficult to do more than nibble, for his eyes continued to shamelessly peruse me.

  “I hope w
e shall come to spend a great deal of time together,” he finally said, his voice a practiced blend of honey and conceit, velvety smooth but with an undertone of boredom that not even he could conceal. Clearly this was not how he would have chosen to spend his evening free of duties. “Although I should caution you that the military demands much of me. I am well suited for such a life, of course—when I was at the Military Academy, my combat instructors had nothing but praise for me. As you probably know, I was allowed to graduate a year early due to my abilities.”

  Finished with his meal, he pushed his plate forward to rest his left forearm on the table’s edge.

  “After fifteen months as a foot soldier, I went into officer training and became the youngest field commander in Hytanican history. But despite the demands of my position, I find time to help train the students at the academy in hand-to-hand fighting. The instructors at the military school continue to hold me in high esteem and readily welcome my assistance.”

  I found myself paying more attention to his gestures than to his words as he droned on, for his movements were so fluid they seemed almost rehearsed. He paused to settle back in his chair, slowly swirling the wine in his goblet, once more perfectly posed.

  “Of course, I didn’t do anything special to win such admiration,” he continued. “I was simply born with enviable talents. It was natural that I would become the favored one. You can understand that, can’t you, Alera? It’s much the same with you.”

  “And how is that like me at all?” I challenged, his arrogance at last goading me to reply.

  “She speaks,” he gently mocked, then elaborated. “Well, you didn’t ask to be born into the royal family, did you? I likewise didn’t ask to be the most admired man in the kingdom.”

  “More admired than my father? Well, then, I suppose I should feel honored just to be here with you.”

  “Alera, admiration isn’t about wearing a crown. Your father is revered. But I have the eyes of an entire citizenry on me at every moment. That you cannot deny.”