The Harp of Kings (Warrior Bards) Read online

  PRAISE FOR JULIET MARILLIER

  AND HER FANTASY NOVELS

  The Harp of Kings

  “This big-hearted novel completely transported me to the wonder and enchantment of ancient Ireland—and its resonance lingered long after the final page.”

  —Callie Bates, author of The Waking Land

  Den of Wolves

  “Marillier’s evocative, poetic prose, coupled with her finely crafted delineation of personality in even the most minor of her characters, makes this a thoroughly convincing and touching journey into her mystical, imaginative world.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “There’s just something so riveting about Marillier’s writing; her stories have a way of drawing you in, making you forget yourself and lose all sense of time and reality . . . like stepping into a fairy tale.”

  —The BiblioSanctum

  Tower of Thorns

  “Kudos to Marillier for improving on the first book in an already quality series. . . . Realistic psychology, matched with a twisty, often dark story, makes for a superb, strong continuation.”

  —RT Book Reviews (top pick)

  “Enchanting and haunting. . . . Rich and incredible. Marillier has the world-building down to a science!”

  —The Eater of Books!

  Dreamer’s Pool

  “An enchanting tale grounded by [Marillier’s] damaged and compelling protagonists, Blackthorn and Grim, who rise above adversity to become a formidable team.”

  —Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of Miranda and Caliban

  “A fabulous read, a rich tale that resonates of deepest myth peopled by well-drawn characters who must sort out their personal demons while unraveling mysteries both brutally human and magical.”

  —Kristen Britain, New York Times bestselling author of the Green Rider series

  “A simply gorgeous story with wonderful, intriguing, and complex characters. . . . This is a tale that will tug at your heart and, like the fable that it draws upon, linger in your head and soul for days afterward.”

  —Karen Brooks, author of The Brewer’s Tale

  Also by Juliet Marillier

  The Blackthorn & Grim Novels

  DREAMER’S POOL

  TOWER OF THORNS

  DEN OF WOLVES

  The Sevenwaters Novels

  DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST

  SON OF THE SHADOWS

  CHILD OF THE PROPHECY

  HEIR TO SEVENWATERS

  SEER OF SEVENWATERS

  FLAME OF SEVENWATERS

  The Light Isles

  WOLFSKIN

  FOXMASK

  The Bridei Chronicles

  THE DARK MIRROR

  BLADE OF FORTRIU

  THE WELL OF SHADES

  HEART’S BLOOD

  PRICKLE MOON

  For Young Adults

  WILDWOOD DANCING

  CYBELE’S SECRET

  SHADOWFELL

  RAVEN FLIGHT

  THE CALLER

  ACE

  Published by Berkley

  An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

  penguinrandomhouse.com

  Copyright © 2019 by Juliet Marillier

  Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.

  ACE is a registered trademark and the A colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Marillier, Juliet, author.

  Title: The harp of kings / Juliet Marillier.

  Description: First edition. | New York: Ace, 2019. | Series: Warrior bards; 1

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019003845 | ISBN 9780451492784 (paperback) | ISBN 9780451492791 (ebook)

  Subjects: | BISAC: FICTION / Fantasy / Historical. | FICTION / Fantasy / Epic. | GSAFD: Fantasy fiction.

  Classification: LCC PR9619.3.M26755 H37 2019 | DDC 823/.914—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019003845

  First Edition: September 2019

  Cover art by Mélanie Delon

  Cover design by Adam Auerbach

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Version_1

  To my grandson Tycho

  CONTENTS

  Praise for Juliet Marillier

  Also by Juliet Marillier

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Character List

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  CHARACTER LIST

  This list includes some characters who are mentioned by name but don’t appear in the story.

  Note: kh is ch as in Scottish loch.

  SWAN ISLAND

  Cionnaola (kin-EH-la): island elder

  Archu (ar-khoo): chief combat trainer. Mission name: Uncle Art

  Brigid (breed): senior trainer for covert missions

  Haki (HA-kee): ex-Wolfskin; trainer in maritime combat

  Eabha (EH-va): trainer in lock picking and concealment

  Illann (ull-an): island warrior; trained farrier. Mission name: Eoan (ohn)

  Eimear (EE-mer): works on island in support role; plays whistle

  Trainees

  Liobhan (LEE-vaun): singer and whistle player. Mission name: Ciara (KEE-ra)

  Brocc: Liobhan’s brother; singer an
d harpist. Mission name: Donal

  Dau (rhymes with now): a chieftain’s third son. Mission name: Nessan

  Hrothgar: a Norseman

  Cianan

  Yann: an Armorican

  ON THE JOURNEY

  Juniper: storyteller and wisewoman

  Storm: her dog

  Oschu and Maen: couple at a “safe house”

  COURT OF BREIFNE (BREF-neh)

  Rodan (ROH-dan): son of the late King Aengus

  Cathra (ko-hra): regent

  Brondus: chief councilor

  Bress: second councilor

  Niall (NEE-al): lawman

  Garbh (gorv): Rodan’s bodyguard

  Buach (boo-akh): Rodan’s bodyguard

  Cruinn (krin): Rodan’s friend

  Coll (koll): Rodan’s friend

  Máire (MAH-reh): nursemaid

  Aislinn (ASH-lin): aged 6

  Mochta (MUKH-ta): court farrier

  Loman: a groom

  Finn: a groom

  Osgar: a man-at-arms; married to Banva

  Dana (DAH-na): washerwoman/seamstress

  Grainne (GRAH-nyeh): washerwoman/seamstress

  Banva (BAN-va): washerwoman/seamstress

  Maeve (mehv): washerwoman/seamstress

  Bryn: the stable dog

  THE NEMETONS

  Marcán (mork-ahn): Chief Druid

  Farannán (FAR-ra-nahn): High Bard

  Olann: a druid

  Odhar (ohr): lore master

  Faelan (FEH-lahn): novice druid

  Ross: novice druid

  Sioda (SHEE-da): novice druid

  Flann: novice druid

  GLENDARRAGH

  Tassach (toss-akh): chieftain; kinsman of the late King Aengus

  Eithne (EH-nyeh): his wife

  Brion (bree-on): aged 10; their elder son

  Tadhg (like first syllable of tiger): aged 8; their second son

  Padraig: Tassach’s adviser

  OTHERWORLD REALM OF BREIFNE

  Eirne (EHR-nyeh): queen of the fey realm of Breifne

  Rowan: her protector

  Nightshade: her sage

  True

  Moth-Weed

  Little-Cap

  Thistle-Coat

  OTHER CHARACTERS MENTIONED BY NAME

  Galen: Liobhan and Brocc’s older brother; bodyguard and companion to Aolu

  Aolu (AY-loo): crown prince of Dalriada

  Mistress Blackthorn: mother of Galen, Brocc, and Liobhan; a wisewoman

  Master Grim: father of Galen, Brocc, and Liobhan; a master thatcher

  Seanan: Dau’s eldest brother

  Ruarc: Dau’s second brother

  Snow: Dau’s childhood dog

  Garalt: Dau’s mentor

  Aengus (deceased): former king of Breifne

  Dáire (deceased): his wife

  Béibhinn (beh-veen): queen of the Fair Folk in the tale of the Harp of Kings

  Íomhar (EE-var): name of Ciara’s fictitious father

  Cliodhna (KLEE-en-a): Aislinn’s toy, named after a queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann

  1

  LIOBHAN

  A pox on Archu! Why must we fight in a wretched downpour? I hook my left leg around Brocc’s right and throw my full weight backward, toppling us both to the ground. We roll, coating ourselves with mud. Shit! Who would want to do this for the rest of their life? I must be crazy.

  The wind gusts in, straight off the northern sea, driving the rain sideways. Brocc curses. There’s a little catch in his breath. I’ve almost got him.

  “Go for his nuts!” someone shouts.

  “Grab her hair!” yells someone else. Dau, I’m guessing. He likes to see me lose.

  There’s no need to look at Archu, even if I could turn my head. I know what he’s thinking: This isn’t some brawl behind the drinking hall, it’s training for the real thing. You’ve got advantages. Use them.

  Superior height, I tell myself as Brocc fights his way up onto one knee and, for a moment, loosens his hold on my right arm. Stronger will to win. Sheer bloody-mindedness. I claw up a handful of mud and throw it in his face. He swears, releases his hold, puts his hands up to his eyes. I twist onto my knees and deliver a well-calculated punch to his jaw. And he’s down.

  “Cease.” Archu lifts his hand. “Bout goes to Liobhan.”

  It’s over, thank the gods of wind and weather. There’s a scattering of applause from our drenched comrades, who are required to observe all bouts, no matter what the weather. Archu believes there’s always something to learn, especially from watching people make mistakes. I hold out a hand to Brocc and haul him to his feet.

  “Should’ve seen that coming,” he mumbles, swiping at his face with his mud-soaked sleeve.

  What can I say? We’ve been sparring together since we were children. He knows I’ll use dirty tricks to win if that’s what it takes. More often than not I do win against Brocc; he’s too honorable for his own good.

  “Untidy bout,” says Archu. “Brocc, you had the advantage there briefly, but you let it go. Don’t let your thoughts drift off, especially in these conditions. Sharpen your eyes, sharpen your ears, feel what’s going on in every part of your body. Even as you counter her move, you should be anticipating her next. If she catches you unprepared, you’re gone. Make an error like that in a real situation and you might be dead. Which would be less than useful to whoever’s paying for your services. Here.” He fishes a disreputable cloth from some hidden corner of his voluminous fur cloak—the garment is almost legendary—and passes it over. “Wipe that stuff off your face.” He turns toward me. “Liobhan, quick thinking there. I hope you haven’t done your brother any damage. There are cleaner ways you could have ended that. Tell me some.”

  I’ve been running over the fight in my mind, since Archu always asks this. “If I’d been quicker after we both went down, I could have thrown my full weight across him. Or earlier on, when I did the lock-and-throw move, if I’d placed my feet wider I could have blocked him from doing that spring back up.”

  “The spring was well executed.” Archu’s hard gaze goes to Brocc, and he gives a brief nod of approval. “You’re nimble, no doubt of that.”

  “He’s cut out to be a strolling player.” Dau again, supercilious bastard. “A man of many talents: singing, harping, tumbling, and tricks.”

  I clench my teeth over the withering retort this comment deserves. Self-restraint is part of the Swan Island code, and Archu is present—Archu, who will in time help decide which of us trainees become permanent members of the warrior band and which are dispatched home with the weight of failure on their shoulders. As for Brocc, he says not a word.

  “You’d be surprised,” Archu observes, “what talents a Swan Island warrior can use to strategic advantage. Some of them, you might not think of as combat skills. Should any of you be fortunate enough to stay the course and find a long-term place on the island, you’ll find that the services we offer are diverse. It’s not all heading out festooned with shiny weapons and killing the other fellow before he kills you. Though you need to learn that as well. Anyone else have any observations?”

  They do, of course. Our group has been on the island for two turnings of the moon, and the training’s been intense. We work every day and often nights as well. We need to be capable under all conditions. Archu is chief combat trainer on Swan Island, but others also teach us. There are experts in swordsmanship, archery, fighting with staves and with bare hands, as you’d expect at a school of war-craft. We learn the best way to scale rock faces, and what to do if someone gets stuck or falls, and how to fight off attackers when you’re halfway up a cliff and hanging on for dear life. We’re taught the care and maintenance of our equipment, from weapons to boots. Checks occur at irregular intervals, and if one of us is found with an ill-
cleaned knife or muddy footwear, we all pay the price. A mouse-like woman named Eabha teaches us how to open locked doors and to hide effectively right under folk’s noses. That is harder for a tall, sturdily built person than a slight one, as I have cause to know. The color of my hair—a vivid red—doesn’t help.

  One skill we can’t learn on the island is mounted combat. Horses can’t be kept here—there’s not much level ground, and all of it’s taken up by the training facilities and living quarters. The remainder of the island—steep rises, sudden dips, sheer cliffs—is given over to sheep, seals, and puffins. Swan Island has a fleet of small boats, some for fishing, some to transfer people and supplies between island and mainland, and some, as we’ve discovered, kept so we can practice fighting on a shifting deck without falling overboard. Our trainer for that is Haki, a giant Norseman.

  We never forget that we’re on trial here. Exercises to test us can happen at any time of the day or night. And all the time, our tutors are watching us. Who is the best, the strongest, the most promising? No point in asking who wants it most. All of us do, or we wouldn’t be putting ourselves through this. Brocc and I prepared for months to win places in the training course, from which maybe two or three out of the twenty will be chosen to stay as permanent members of the Swan Island force. Nobody wants to be sent home.

  If I was doing the choosing, I’d pick Dau. He may be the least likable of the trainees, but he excels in all the physical tasks, and he’s clever at solving puzzles and devising strategies. Brocc isn’t the strongest fighter in the group, but he has other skills that might prove to be assets to Swan Island. It seems to me our trainers recognize his unusual talents, though none of them says anything. My brother has a remarkable ability for keeping other people calm under testing conditions. And he has a way of using his senses that goes beyond the ordinary, not just when he’s playing music, but all the time. As for me, I know I’m good enough. But although there are quite a few women working and living in the Swan Island community, and several female tutors, the elite fighting group has only two female members. That’s two out of a force of more than fifty. And in this group of trainees I’m the only woman. The odds are not in my favor. But I will prove myself. I didn’t come here to fail.