The Keys to the Realms (The Dream Stewards) (33 page)

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

A
uthors owe eternal debts of gratitude to so many wonderful, supportive people—friends and family, who buoy us with words of encouragement (and the
occasional
meal or libation) to keep us from steeping too long in self-doubt, and fellow writers and colleagues, who tirelessly lend their hard-earned expertise so that we produce the best work we are capable of creating. I thank you all, but there are a couple of folks whose contributions to this book deserve special note.

That this series ever came into being at all is due in no small part to the kind and well-studied Lynn Lewis, a historical writer pursuing her own dreams of publication. Lynn studied history and art at the University of London, and recently completed a novel based on the life and career of Hans Holbein, court painter to King Henry VIII, entitled
Dance of Death
. Lynn’s generous sharing of her knowledge of the history, folklore, and culture of the Cornish and Welsh peoples provided me with the factual
fodder
I needed for my grand fantasies. Lynn, I cannot thank you enough, and hope one day to find a way to return the favor.

The other people I can never thank enough are my
editors
—
Alex Car, who brought me into the fold at 47North and made all of this possible; Jennifer McCord, who taught me the
publishing
industry from the inside out; and Betsy Mitchell, who knows just how to help me shape my amorphous creative pulp into something infinitely more artful and meaningful than I ever envisioned. Betsy, you are the Empress of Editorial Awesomeness, and I bow to your greatness.

And finally, to the ladies who guide my professional journey and keep me on course, I offer my most heartfelt thanks—my agents, Jennifer Schober (who started me off on this incredible ride) and Nalini Akolekar (who picked up the reins and continues to spur me on).

H
ISTORICAL
N
OTE

F
irst, let me just state straight out that this book should
not
be considered a work of historical fiction. It might loosely pass for historical fantasy, but it is in fact more myth than anything else. Although the Dream Stewards series is indeed set in a real-world historical context, the novels themselves are in no way intended as an academic interpretation of the political machinations of tenth-century Wales (Cymru). I am, at best, an armchair historian with a penchant for mythology and folklore—particularly Cornish and Welsh.

This is not to say that there is no actual history in this fantasy series. The world of the Dream Stewards is built in and around the life of a real king, Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good), whose significance is not widely recognized. This is largely due to the exceedingly few primary sources or official records from which to reconstruct the social landscape of this period. Even if it had been my intent to shed light on the military strategies and political maneuverings of the time, it would be extraordinarily difficult to do so. The
historical
documentation of the post-Roman era in the lands of the Britons (essentially Cymru and Kernow, which are known today as Wales and Cornwall) is scant. There is more unknown than known, and the surviving accounts are constantly being reinterpreted.

The ninth century was a transformational era for the Br
itons (as
the original peoples of this region were known).
Following
a particularly tumultuous half-century in which the northern kingdoms of Powys and Gwynedd fought to
maintain
their independence against both the conquering forces of
Mercia
and Wessex, which were under Danish occupation, a new era begins to emerge. By mid-century, Hywel’s
paternal
grandfather
, Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great) had established himself as the first High King of the Britons, having now claimed both
Gwynedd
and Powys under his reign. Rhodri’s far-reaching
control
established a foundation for relative stability between the smaller principalities and created a defensive alliance that all but repelled the Mercian threat and contained the Viking incursions in the east. Both Mercia and Northumbria continued to struggle against the Norse, whereas the
kingdoms
of the
Britons
were relatively unscathed. It bears noting that what is now known as southern Wales was never overrun by either Norse or Saxon raiders, due in large part to Rhodri’s success in defending his borders. However, Rhodri’s stronghold would be divided by his death.

In keeping with Welsh law, Rhodri’s holdings were divided between his three sons. His eldest, Anarawd, retained the
traditional
lands of the Merfynion dynasty and became the new ruler of the vast and powerful northern kingdom Gwynedd. Cadell was given lordship of the southern kingdom in
Ceredigion
, and Merfyn inherited Powys. This positioned the sons of
Rhodri
to maintain control through collaboration.
However
, having also inherited the cunning and ruthless ambition of their father, the elder sons were not content. In particular, Cadell campaigned for dominance, immediately killing his brother
Merfyn
to gain
control
of Powys. And by the time of Hywel’s birth circa 8
80
AD
, the relationship between his father and uncle was likely as
contentious
as it was cooperative.

Although the surviving sons of Rhodri were united in their vision of an independent nation of Britons, they were fierce rivals in the bid for who would control that nation. The record reflects few battles of note after Cadell’s death circa 905, but it is to be assumed that the struggle for power between Gwynedd and Seisyllwg was ongoing. The known history indicates that Hywel continued his father’s conquests. And though there is no evidence of a true rivalry between Hywel and his younger brother Clydog, given the family legacy I have assumed such for the
purposes
of storytelling. There is, in fact, evidence of
cooperation
between the sons of Cadell, as the two appear to have ruled jointly until Clydog’s somewhat mysterious death in
920
AD
. It is at this point that Hywel emerges as the most
powerful
king of the day.

Hywel ap Cadell, who is both a foundational and a pivotal character in
The Well of Tears
and
The Keys to the Realms
, is arguably the most significant of all the Welsh kings. Hywel continued to gain control of lands and titles through inheritance, marriage, and brute force until 920
AD
, when he also claimed Gwynedd and established the kingdom of Deheubarth. He continued his reign over this new nation until his death in 950
AD
. Deheubarth did not long survive Hywel, and the individual territories eventually wrested back their independence.

However, Hywel did have a lasting legacy. Though it should be assumed that he accomplished his political feats with his fair share of ruthlessness and brutality, he apparently also had a sophisticated and far-reaching vision for himself and his peoples. Hywel understood the necessity of alliances in creating a state invulnerable to outside influence and invasion, and established a policy of conciliation with England that offered him the ability to maintain stability and a formidable line of defense. But perhaps his most laudable accomplishment was the codification of a body of laws that addressed issues of local governance, property rights, and social conduct, which remained in effect for many generations following his death.

The reign of Hywel Dda ap Cadell came to be known as the “age of peace,” which brought a heretofore-unknown era of unity and stability to a region that had existed for generations in an unending state of upheaval. The stuff, as they say, of legend.

Hywel’s is a story that begs to be told, and given the
mystery
surrounding his life, I began to envision the convergence of unknown forces that might give rise to such a remarkable reign. The lack of empirical evidence only made the place and period more appealing to me. So many holes in the reality to patch with fantasy—and yet still pay homage to the history that is known to be fact. In researching the world of the Dream Stewards, I spent more than ten years compiling and poring through the most reputable and generally recognized materials I could find (you will find a partial bibliography at the end of this book). Using the historical record and the natural world as a backdrop, I fabricated a magical realm adjacent to the mortal one and wove the threads together.

The Dream Stewards series is set during the formative years of Hywel’s reign and focuses on his rise to power. To the best of my ability, I have honored the rich cultural and political
legacies
of Cornwall and Wales, lands for which I have a personal
affinity
and familial connection. But being an author of fantasy, I have also imbued the known history and lore with a culture and
mythology
of my own making. Although the magic system and society
I ha
ve created may resemble any number of ancient
agrarian
-based
religions
(including Druidism), it is not a
reflection
or
extension
of any one in particular. Instead it is an amalgamation of
philosophies
, doctrines, beliefs, and practices that are common to all—resulting in a unique and original concept.

Suffice it to say, if you were looking for a story rife with bloody battle scenes depicting marauding Viking hordes overrunning the Britons, or an examination of the Druidic mysticism of the Celts (which did not actually exist in Cornwall or Wales), you did not find it in these pages. However, I am hopeful that the story you did find carried you away on a fantastical adventure that was both exciting and meaningful.

My true intent with
The Well of Tears
and
The Keys to the Realms
(and any future installments of the Dream Stewards series) is merely to pay tribute to an unsung hero by exploring how the mysterious and magical realms that exist alongside what we know to be real might have played a part in his real-life story. I hope you are enjoying the journey as much as I am.

Awen á bendithion…

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

Photograph © Brian Huntoon, 2000

Roberta Trahan is a former journalist and marketing professional who always wanted to write a book - and so she did. Her first novel, The Well of Tears, was published in 2012.

The Dream Stewards series was inspired by generations of Roberta’s
family
history originating in Cornwall and Wales, as well as the culture and mythology of her ancestral home.

A Pacific Northwest native, Roberta currently lives with her family near Seattle, Washington.

B
IBLIOGRAPHY

(a partial list of resources and suggested reading)

Alfred the Great: Asser’s Life of King Alfred & Other
Contemporary
Sources
. Transl. by Simon Keynes. (Penguin
Classics
edition
, 2003).

Berresford Ellis, Peter.
The Druids
. (Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans
, 1995).

Charles-Edwards, T. M.
Wales & the Britons, 350–1064 (
History
of Wales)
. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013).

Crawford, Christina.
Daughters of the Inquisition: Medieval Madness: Origins and Aftermaths
, 1st ed. (Tensed, ID: Seven Springs Press, 2004).

Herm, Gerhard.
The Celts
, 1st ed. (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1977).

Lloyd, J. E.
A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest
, vol. 1.
Wales—History to 1536
. (New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 1911).

Reston, James, Jr.
The Last Apocalypse: Europe at the Year 1000
A.D.
(New York: Anchor, 1998).

Roesdahl, Else.
The Vikings
, 2nd ed. (New York:
Penguin, 1998).