The Rulers of Hylor Series by Cherry Wilder, Katya Reimann

First, they murdered her parents... Even as the King and Queen lay dying, the armies of the Mel'Nir swarm across the borders. And so Aidris, Princess and heir to the kingdom of Chameln, must flee her land or herself be killed... or worse, made the wedded slave of a barbarian king. Thus begin the adventures of a maiden born to rule who must first learn the arts of survival in a world where every man's hand seems raised against her... moreFirst, they murdered her parents... Even as the King and Queen lay dying, the armies of the Mel'Nir swarm across the borders. And so Aidris, Princess and heir to the kingdom of Chameln, must flee her land or herself be killed... or worse, made the wedded slave of a barbarian king. Thus begin the adventures of a maiden born to rule who must first learn the arts of survival in a world where every man's hand seems raised against her. Only then can she control the Power that dwells within her and be ready when her people come to claim her as their Queen: ready to rule, ready to fight --- ready to die that her country may live free. For if she cannot or will not save them, then the people of Chameln will be slaves forever. less

Yorath, the son of a royal prince, was born with a deformity that marks him for death. The court physician saves him by convincing his family that he died shortly after birth and takes him to a distant forest where he thrives, unaware of his birthright and the dark prophecy that looms over him. But as he grows to manhood, Yorath can't avoid being drawn into the violent conflict that plagues the land... moreYorath, the son of a royal prince, was born with a deformity that marks him for death. The court physician saves him by convincing his family that he died shortly after birth and takes him to a distant forest where he thrives, unaware of his birthright and the dark prophecy that looms over him. But as he grows to manhood, Yorath can't avoid being drawn into the violent conflict that plagues the land. Becoming a soldier, he rises through the ranks until he becomes a reluctant combatant in the struggle for the throne. Even as Yorath wields the power of a kingmaker, the ways of the court are as much anathema to him as the brutality of war. If he is ever to escape the violence and machinations he so despises, he has but one choice: He must confront his heritage or lose the land he has come to love and the peace he so cherishes. less

Tradition demands that King Sharn Am Zor conduct himself with all the pomp and circumstance befitting a king of Chameln, but underneath the fine jewelry and the beautifully embroidered tunic he secretly hates, Sharn remains an impulsive, restless young man. After the suggestion of marriage provokes an angry outburst from Sharn during a formal ceremony, his beloved cousin and co-ruler, Queen Aidris Am Firn, promises to draw up a list of suitable maidens... moreTradition demands that King Sharn Am Zor conduct himself with all the pomp and circumstance befitting a king of Chameln, but underneath the fine jewelry and the beautifully embroidered tunic he secretly hates, Sharn remains an impulsive, restless young man. After the suggestion of marriage provokes an angry outburst from Sharn during a formal ceremony, his beloved cousin and co-ruler, Queen Aidris Am Firn, promises to draw up a list of suitable maidens. To everyone’s surprise, Sharn not only listens to her counsel; he proceeds to confidently select a princess from the land of the Eildon to be his wife. But courtship is far more complicated than Sharn had originally imagined, for in Eildon, neither the land nor the people are as they appear. While Sharn must compete against other suitors for the hand of the princess, the loyal companions who accompany him are faced with a series of magical attacks that begin as petty pranks but soon escalate into outright hostility with potentially fatal consequences. As Sharn nears the end of his quest, however, he learns that this predation may be the least of his problems. less

"Cherry Wilder's trilogy, The Rulers of Hylor, established a detailed and intricate fantasy world. Its warring kingdoms, treacherous advisers and generational conflicts are set in a world of rich physical beauty, vibrant life and a realism leavened with occasional and startling magic. Fifteen years after the third book in the series, Wilder returned to this world and was working on a draft of this volume at the time of her death in 2002... more"Cherry Wilder's trilogy, The Rulers of Hylor, established a detailed and intricate fantasy world. Its warring kingdoms, treacherous advisers and generational conflicts are set in a world of rich physical beauty, vibrant life and a realism leavened with occasional and startling magic. Fifteen years after the third book in the series, Wilder returned to this world and was working on a draft of this volume at the time of her death in 2002. Katya Reimann, creator of her own fantasy adventures and passionate admirer of the original trilogy, asked for the opportunity to complete and polish this last treasure of Wilder's legacy." "Gael Maddoc is the child of struggling peasant crofters, the guardians of the Holywell. She leaps at the chance for a better life when she is offered training as a kedran, a mounted soldier." After a simple assignment as a traveling guard goes disastrously wrong, she seeks aid from the Shee to rescue her charges. But the Shee - the dwindling, long-lived Fair Folk - now wish to recruit her for their own purposes. Her nascent magical talents and her resourceful survival skills show her to be the Wanderer, a legendary figure for whom they've been waiting. less