Alaric Morgan

Alaric Morgan is the seventh Duke of Corwyn and the Lord General of the Royal Armies of Gwynedd. He is a close friend and adviser to King Brion Haldane and his son Kelson.

The Childe Morgan Trilogy
Alaric's parents were Alyce and Kenneth, the Duke and Duchess of Corwyn. At the time of his conception, the King had been trying for quite some time to secure a Deryni protector for his young song, Brion. Some of those attempts by the kind included keeping Alyce from her husband. When Alaric is born they pledge him to the King. It is confirmed that he is not Donal's son - but strangely enough Alaric is born with 'Haldane' gray eyes, regardless.

When he is 3 years old, when  he is traveling home after an extended period (a year or so) of traveling their lands,  Alaric and his family encounter the remains of a Deryni who has been burned at the stake.

The day of his fourth birthday he watches his parents assist the king in a magical ritual, at Donal's request. It is that day that Morgan meets Brion - the boy who will become the man he will serve. The day after this, again at Donal's request, there is a ritual to bestow his magical name upon Alaric. The king himself arrives, interrupts the ritual and further (magically) binds Alaric into his plans.

That same year, before Alaric is quite five, Donal visits the family to further set triggers in Alaric's mind that will allow him to activate his son's Haldane (magical) powers in the future  Because Alaric is so young, his mother is also given those abilities. Donal dies before he returns to his own residence. Alyce, shortly thereafter, gives birth to her second child, a daughter. She is weakened by the birth and is only able to partially activate Brion's ability before the strain kills her. She dies in the arms of her husband.

After her funeral in Corwyn, Kenneth and Alaric travel back to  Rhemuth for Brion's coronation. The coronation is delayed for months due to the death of an Archbishop and an assassination plot. When it finally occurs Kenneth again pledges his son (and himself) to the protection of the Haldane line. Alaric is, at this point, six years (and some months) old.

When Brion is 18, and Alaric 7, Alaric moves into court and in service of the king. He is meant to be the king's guardian, protector, and advisor. The two are, at this stage and already, deeply magically bound together.

On Deryni: eryni, possessor of powers both feared and resented by ordinary folk—which meant that many feared who and what young Alaric was, and what he might become.

The Church, in particular, had made its position abundantly clear regarding Deryni, for those trained in that heritage were believed to wield extraordinary powers that could compromise another’s free will and even enslave the soul of the unwitting. Several of Gwynedd’s bishops, some of whom were present today, had been particularly vocal in their condemnation, and one of them had nearly been the death of Alaric’s mother before he was even born.

Arrival at court at 7 years old.Loyal and utterly devoted even then ; opening scene is carrying Brion's spurs and setting a cushion down for Brion to kneel on when knighted. He is reminded by his caregiver in the absence of his father (a young Corywn Knight by the name of Sir Llion Farquahar) that many of the people present at the knighting ceremony hate him  - for what he is and his position of safety within the court. Many of those people are from a neighboring kingdom with whom there are tensions, but not all. Some of the people who hate him are their own people. The reminder is given for his safety, and he accepts it but does not like it.

He participates in the games following the ceremony, doing particularly well with riding and working with a lance, even at seven. Both Llion and his father, Kennelth, are proud of him.. He is absolutely astonished and affrontedted when he's disqualified from winning a competition because of his age, leaving the prize to go to an older boy he'd done as well as. Then completely lights up when he and Duncan (cousin, friend) are recognized with another prize and praise.

He is wakened in the night by a priest  - and is already very much afraid of that priest because he is 'half-Deryni' and knows that the priest and church 'very much hold no good will' toward him. He is then compelled by that priest to not cry out and to relax, which shows that he is  Deryni. Then reveals he is Alaric's godfather. The man introduces himself as Sir Sé Trelawney, and shows Alaric the tattoos of crosses on his wrist,  asking if he knows what they mean. This prompts in Alaric a memory of his mother, before her death and heavily pregnant, drawing those crosses and explaining to him that they are the sign of the Knights of the Anvil, sworn to God to serve the Light. That he can trust this man.

Se then reveals that he has come to see if he can awaken more Deryni skills in Alaric, to help the boy protect himself from those that would try to kill him before he is grown. He then asks for access to Alaric's mind, discovering that the boy already has good shields. He says that to awaken more ability in Alaric without hurting him, he must have Alaric's help and total trust.

Alaric agrees and Se learns that some more of Alaric's powers are stirring already and that while he cannot compel truth, yet, he will become increasingly aware of being lied to. When discussing with Kenneth, Se also mentions that he has reinforced the boy's instinct for self-preservation.

After this Kenneth leaves to visit a long ailing brother on his death bed, taking his leave of Alaric. Alaric is intended to leave in the morning with his cousin, Duncan, and Llion. The expectation is that they will arrive several days later. The journey is expected to take a week.

On this journey Alaric discovers that riding a full sized horse for serious transport is exhausting and physically uncomfortable, when you are not used to it. His response is only that it must take practice. Along this journey he also learns about different sorts and degrees of lies thanks to his growing ability, and spends quite a bit of time reflecting on that. He decides boasting lies and social lies are unimportant, and not worth mentioning. Also that he can tell the difference when deceit is achieved by telling a partial truth. The awareness of that partial truth leads him to tell Llion that they may have been sent the wrong way. Llion explains that they haven't, it is simply a matter of borders, but this is where Alaric's knight/caregiver learns that Alaric's abilities are growing and then reassures Alaric that he is not afraid of him - which Alaric very much needs.

There is also an encounter here with a common woman, who Llion treats with enormous respect. When Alaric questions him he learns of the unkindness the knight's mother experienced due to her birth, and of his own dedication to treating everyone with respect. This is pivotal in Alaric's mindset.

The rest of the journey passes without incident, and they arrive before Alaric's uncle (and Duncan's grandfather)  dies. It takes a full month for him to waste away and perish. After  the funeral it is clear that both Duncan and Alaric sense something that others do not. Duncan's mother reveals these presences to be 'archangels' who chose to come and could only be seen by Deryni.

They stop along their return journey at the court his sister is raised in and he helps her learn the alphabet and enjoys the time with her. He also spends that time determined to manage to ride a full sized horse as well as a pony. He falls, a lot, and he gets up a lot even when it hurts (also a lot)

They stop to visit his aunt along the way and stay for three weeks.

It is during this time that he is told of yet another way that being Deryni makes him a target. This time as a Duke, and to the destruction of his lands - but also specifically of a bishop who despises Deryni and in particular wants to see Alaric dead.

During this time he also learns to heighten his rapport with animals and learns, through that, that he has the ability to take away pain. To block it. He uses this on Llion who allows it, but the first time flinches away from Alaric's touch.

Just before they leave, Kenneth is given a locked with a portrait of his dead wife. This results in him hugging Alaric and his sister both, and also him telling Alaric that he's rapidly becoming too old/big for hugs.

They stop briefly at yet another household (Cyfyn) of a relative/Alaric's half-sister, where Alaric is introduced to more people who will someday be his vassals.

They are back in Corwyn in time for Alaric's 8th birthday. He learns at his 'feast' that a Lord he was fond of has died.

He is given, the next morning, an ivory hilted and richly engraved dagger that had once belonged to a relative, just before taking the role of unofficial page in a ceremony to celebrate Michaelmas. During this mass he has another glimpse of... something else. Another angel and a flamming sword.

Afterward there is another riding contest, where Alaric proves himself better than all but the squires to be knighted that day. He also watches a competition with more rings and asks for more training in that and is irritated when told it has not been arranged because of lack of personnel but cheered by the idea that it will be coming, soon. He is, at this time, given an important reminder that the purpose of all training is not to win a game, but to stay alive.

Later that day, a day late, he is given a key to the ducal library and becomes even more determined to apply himself well. Another gift he is given is a cardounet (chess ) board. He is eager to learn, play, and to best adult men.

Shortly after that he is taken into regency council meetings by his father,  to learn how a ducal estate operates. Far from disappointed, Alaric is pleased with this, and excited by it. ...then finds it exhausting and is relieved not to have to return for the afternoon session. He is much more eager to find he will be allowed to visit the library he was given a key to, and to join pages in their training.

The training continues and increases in difficulty and Morgan continues to excel. He also continues to form a tight friendship with two older (10 and 12) year old boys, Jernian and Viliam.

Throughout this there is, unknown to the characters, a brewing plot against the king.

They prepare to leave again, leaving his friends behind acknowledging that when they arrive properly at court of the king, he will have no friends. The parting gifts from his friends are a copied page of strategy from a book in the library. Written in the language of the kingdom's 'enemies', that Alaric will have to learn more of.

His friends are able to accompany him along part of the journey, and on the way they encounter a horse that was afraid to be loaded. This angers Alaric and he intervenes, shouting for them to stop. He then uses his hands, voice, and mind to calm and load the horse.

Afterward he and his party - sans his friends and accompaniment - load the ship and say goodbye. He is allowed to steer the ship briefly and in typical child fashion is thrilled but quickly hands the ship back to her master.

He trains along the journey, finds a steersman, Kirby,  who reads Torenthi, and who plays cardounet. During their first game  Kirby references knowing that Alaric is Deryni, and Alaric is instantly defensive. Fortunately it quickly becomes clear over the course of the game that he is not resentful or hateful and quickly proves himself a very good teacher. He even reminds Alaric that this is yet another game that mimics real life and that pieces lost can be men lost. They become friends and play often during the journey.

At journey's end unloading the frightened mare again requires Alaric's help. As it is accomplished it is made clear that the horse belongs to a Bishop who shouts for them to take their hands off his horse. It then becomes even more clear that the bishop is  Oliver de Nore, the Bishop of Nyford, the man who in particular hates Deryni and specifically despises Kenneth and his son.

At the point of recognition of Kenneth and Alaric, the Bishop calls Alaric Deryni spawn of a Deryni witch. Then declares his horse contaminated by Alaric's help, refuses an offer to buy her and orders her slaughtered. When Alaric is distressed, Kenneth tries to intervene. The Bishop laughs and makes it clear that he can't kill Alaric but he can kill his own property and will do so. This is where we learn that the source of the hatred is the killing of the Bishop's brother, based on Deryni (filthy Deryni) testimony. The testimony of Alaric's mother.

The horse is slaughtered in front of Alaric, held back by Llion and several of his father's men. Llion leans down and tells Alaric that he cannot stop it, but he must not let the Bishop see him cry. He stops struggling and goes from crying to icy hatred for the man doing this. Once back aboard the ship, however, he collapses into tears in Llion's arms. When he asks his father why he would do that without reason, Alaric learns of the execution of the Bishop's mother, before he was born, on testimony from his mother.

His practice and training intensify then - from anger, from guilt, and from the increasing awareness of the danger he is in, everywhere, how many people hate him and the willingness of others to kill simply to spite him.

They finally make it back to the King's court, and he becomes a page, put through his paces and then assigned private quarters - thanks to his father's rank and to the resentment of others. None of the pages like him. Not for his status, not for his attractiveness, not for his skill - and not for being Deryni. This frustrates and hurts him enough to seek advice from Llion, who tells him that all he can do is be the best person he can be. To be kind, to never do less than his best, and to realize that when he grows up he must live with these boys who dislike him and with luck the men they will become remember how he has treated them now.

He understands and tries, but his primary consolation is the expectation that he will be assigned as page to his uncle Jared, and will return to the comfort of that household.

During this time his father attempts to gift him a horse, which Alaric likes and enjoys but declines because the other boys are so resentful and his own nerves. Kenneth understands and gives the horse to Llion,  Technically. To allow some room for Alaric to not be yet better positioned than his peers, while still being trained on the horse and having her. He also reiterates 'never let anyone see you cry'.

Alaric does eventually manage to make a friend among the pages - Paget Sullivan. However he is reminded by Llion to be sure to watch his back and Sullivan's and that doing so could be worth their lives. This is where he is reminded that Cornelius, another page, despises him and that Cornelius is the nephew of the Bishop that wants Alaric dead.

The two boys do manage a friendship of sorts, though not an open one. The two have a discussion of the likelyhood of another war with Torenth and Alaric's worry about that as a future Duke. Hope that it will not come to be. Shortly after that conversation Cornelius appears, flings Deryni as an insult and attempts to take a manuscript Alaric has been reading from him. When Alaric refuses he swears not to forget the incident.

He meets Arilan here, and learns that the transcript of battle plans and strategy he has been attempting to translates has a translation. Arilan's involvement brings attention to Morgan's ability with planning and understanding tactics to the attention of his teachers. As a result of this he is called a fominable weapon, in his presence, if they can keep him alive. Alaric is  removed from lessons with the other boys.

Not training with the others separates him from the beginning of a friendship with Sullivan, but in the end they are friends with Sullivan telling Alaric that he doesn't understand why others are afraid, declaring himself Alaric's friend and taking his hand.

A week later there is an incident when a squire is cut badly by his sword. Alaric, compassionate as he is, rushes in to help and to block the pain. He is stopped in the moment and then taken aside by King Brion's uncle to remind Alaric of his danger at court and to not use powers openly lest someone take it upon themselves to eliminate him. Immediately afterword Llion tells Alaric that the help he wanted to give would have 'tainted' the squire for life, at least according to others.

This breaks Alaric into tears, again, leaving him sobbing. At which point he is reminded that he did nothing wrong, his heart is true, but that he must use discretion.

The day he was meant to be made page, along with his cousin Duncan, a knight died during the ceremony - of natural causes - and so their own becoming of pages was delayed.

That delay comes to an end before Brion, Jared, and others travel yet again for a... political purpose. At that time, Alaric not only enters into the household but swears fealty to Jared, after the King and his father. The reason for this is simple: He knows that there are people who want him dead and recognizes the danger he represents. So he gives an oath of fealty and in return receives one.

They leave the next morning, but not before he passes on his translation of battle plans to Sullivan, further cementing that friendship.

As a page he is no longer able to go with his father when he travels to visit Alaric's sisters - he has further duty and training. Alaric accepts this easily, as it is only a week. When his father returns he brings his younger sister with him, to Alaric's delight.

Two weeks after this, two weeks of domestic bliss, Brion arrives with his party for an expedition prompted by a marriage - that would restore a throne long since gone. Both Alaric's father and Uncle Jared leave with that expedition.

While they are gone and dealing with politics, Alaric is truly happy. Studies in academic matters, dancing, court manners are all subjects he learned, along with more physical pursuits like lances, riding, and swordmanship.. There were also matters of Deryni, with his cousin Duncan. They learn to conjure light together, and other things, but never without a warning that they both be careful - particularly Duncan who is not known to be Deryni.

Here is also bonded more and more with his now five year old sister; they adored one another and were only now within the same household for any length of time.

They began to receive letters from the expedition eventually, and about their progress or lack of in political matters. Appropriate passages were shared with the children. Mostly, even with rigiorous studies, the children had free time and took advantage to go on their own explorations.

One such adventure involved chasing sheep, pretending them to be spies. They are caught by an old woman  (to whom the sheep belong) who yells at Bronwyn. Alaric instinctively comes to her defense but all the old shepherdess wants is the sheep rounded up again.

After doing so and a nap Alaric climbs a tree to consider, and in attempting to give an apple core to a squirrel falls from the tree and breaks his arm - his sword arm. She shepherdess reappears to offer help while the older boy in charge of them rides for help.

Alaric's ability to know truth or lies saves him from drinking what she claimed to be pain relief but was poison. He feels her hostility and she manages to somehow drain his energy and force the drink on him while he asks why, pointing out he's never harmed her.

She has a moment of conscious and then tells them that she is sorry, that her love was a Deryni who died to save another.

She then helps Alaric and sets his broken arm, and he passes out. Reinforcements (other adults from the household) arrive. The last thing he tells the old woman is that he will try to carry on the good work of the man she loved, and lost.

The injury prompts training in how to control his own pain. but the injury takes months to recover from and, ultimately, earns him yet another strong warning from Llion about the number of people who will hurt him.

As he heals he writes to his father, but the letters in return are few and make no indication that Kenneth knows of his son's broken arm.

That first is because they must be careful, but ultimately, because while on this political journey of disputed thrones and boundaries, his father dies in his sleep. Alaric is then 9.

A month after his death,  Kenneth's aid rides into the household that his children are living at, and within. Alaric is told and, of course, is shocked and grief-stricken. He is told that Brion is on his way with his father's body, with the help of a preservation spell. This is also when he learns that he will be going back to the king's court far, far, sooner than had been expected.

When his father's body arrives he and King Brion speak in the tomb that houses his mother and will, for one night, hold his father's body. They speak - of the duty his father did in dispatching a mortally wounded Deryni, and of the fact that the son of that Deryni had been responsible for the preservation spell to get his father back, to be laid to rest ultimately on Morgan land.

Brion also tells him of the nature of that attack - that the man was stabbed through the chest with a Narwhal tusk, for both being Deryni and being loyal to King Brion.

He visits his father's body alone the next morning and speaks to it, saying that he still needs him, and that he will have a picture of his father painted to go into the locket beside his mother. He also gives his father pictures of himself and his sister, painted in miniature.

After the funeral he learns that he is going to court and that he may be spared weeks or months due to his arm, he will be there permanently after the first of the year - which is very, very close - in spite of previous plans to wait for a few years. He is told by Llion who says that he will always be his knight, and his friend.

The King, responding to the concerns of Alaric's extended family, that Alaric will be under his personal protection. Alaric listens to these arguments and says nothing for a time, but when he does break in it is simply to say that he is willing to go, and has always known that it would be a challenge to keep him alive. He asks then that Llion be allowed to continue to be his knight, so that he may have more than simply the king to know that he can trust.

Brion not only agrees, but steps in saying that Alaric will be his Duke and Advisor and that he expects Alaric to speak his mind. That he was right in his concern and that he realizes the pressures he will face are far beyond any other page or squire in court can face.

The months between this and his return are spent with training and recovering strength lost while inactive due to his still broken arm. His other studies and Deryni training as well, with recurrent warnings that him simply existing is dangerous and to serve the king with those abilities but to be discrete.

They travel back to court in snow and ice, to discover that the quarters that had been his father's have been assigned to him and to Llion - who would not have ranked them, alone, but Alaric did. At dinner that first night he is served by Duncan, the first time his future rank and who he would be - and the change in his household - was more than theory.

The following day he pledges himself not to just service of the King, but service to the king above all others.

Afterward, Brion's mother asks that Alaric be her page and he discovers far more anonymity and safety there than a ducal heir or direct service to Brion. He is reuinted with his friend Sullivan and even manages to make a new one in a boy, and another page and prince of some stripe, named Cormac. He warns that new friend that his own enemy, the nephew of the Bishop who hates him, will try to prevent that. Cormac is not impressed.

When Cormac's knight is called back to his own father,  with the king's permission (and encouragement) Cormac moves into the quarters Alaric is sharing with Llion. This deepends their friendship, as training resumes as a top priority in light of better weather and Alaric's healed arm. Otherwise, life at court slipped into a comfortable routine for him

That spring word comes that Bishop Loris is tightening the anti-Deryni rules  the laws of Ranos - in his jurisdiction. Given his frequent presence with the King, Alaric becomes aware but hopes that if he keeps his headdown Loris will never know of his existence. Llion warns him, strongly, to never let his guard down; there are too many people who would like to see him dead.

As he turns ten Brion begins to treat Alaric as more than a page and much more of an equal. He includes Alaric increasingly in his plans. This is echoed when discussing the Bishop and the slaughter of a horse to spite him,  Llion acknowledges that Alaric hates him and challenges him to do something about it. Alaric says he's a boy and Llion points out  Alaric will soon be a man, a duke, and is already Deryni.

That conversation makes Alaric ever more aware of not just his duties to the king, or that his destiny was entwined with Brion's - he had always know that - but of his greater potential for influence. He continues to grow, to mature, and to use those skills he has trained for, though still only in training.

At a ... fraught affair with people who would like to remove Brion from his throne Alaric nearly attempts to investigate the mind of one of the Torenthi guests, after Brion expresses a wish that he could. .  He is stopped abruptly by his godfather, Se, who chides him thoroughly, asking if he wants to be mind ripped. Alaric does not but cannot imagine refusing the king. A plan is made for Se to visit near Christmas, to speed the process of his training along.

When that encounter happens it is not a matter of lessons or training but of the transfer of pure thoughts and concepts that will allow Alaric's skill to grow more rapidly, and a more practical example of warding. There is also a very, very firm lesson that sears into Alaric's brain and that is that prudence and respect are important and that one does not  restrict or remove the freewill of another unless it is for their own protection or protection of another.

After Cormac leaves, Alaric finds no similar aged friend leaving him only with the older, now squire, Sullivan. Time passes with more training and routine. The archbishop dies and, and Bishop de Nore (the one who hates Deryni and Alaric in particular) is elected to replace him. Alaric is spared the need to attend his enthronement by the death of his Aunt Claara.

It is during that visit for her funeral that he reunites again with Duncan who makes it clear that he intends to join the clergy. In spite of the knowledge of how dangerous it will be, should he be discovered to be Deryni - or half Deryni. He would be burned to death. The conversation ends with Alaric offering an eventual place in his household and them going riding, together.

When they return to court a situation with a delegation for Torenth goes very, very wrong with one of the Torenthi men coercing a marriage  (mentally coercing sex from her, at the very least) from one of the elderly Queen's daughters and attempting to force Alaric's mind. Alaric uncovers this to the court and king, but the king, while furious, can think of nothing to do. Alaric is horrified by this cold attitude by the king and others, but is told to drop it and has no choice himself. The marriage between the King's sister and the Torenthi man, Count Sigismund, happens and the Torenthi party leaves, with their new bride.

Afterward life again returns to routine and, for Alaric, routine means training and service, and a trip back to his own lands to visit and see how things are being run (and reconnect with a few of his old friends).

During this time, Brion is searching for a wife. Alaric is aware of this but has no knowledge of specifics or over involvement. As a squire he becomes more aware of the king, and goes with him in search of a wife. It is during this trip that they meet Jehane. Brion is smitten and Alaric and the other squire, Alaric's friend Sullivan, fall a bit under her spell as well.

The squires join the squire of King Meyric's court during the time King Brion is thoroughly absorbed in courting Jehane and being visiting royalty. Both Sullivan and Alaric gain quite a few female admirers, and Alaric gets the first hint of attention of that sort. He is not comfortable with it, but becomes more so as his experience and exposure grow.

Brion asks for Jehane's hand in marriage and arrangements are made (compromise) that the marriage will take place at the first of May. The entire party stays, grows more comfortable and... experience in both training and sex grow as well. He loses his virginity there, to a maid. When it is pointed out that pregnancy may be a very good thing for her given that Alaric is a duke,  but a diplomatic incident, Alaric is appropriately sheepish. He then gets a very quick run down on other pleasurable activities that do not risk pregnancy. From Llion. Which is as awkward as one may expect. He is, however, more restrained going forward - far more restrained.

The marriage occurs without incident, they return to the routine of court somewhat more popular for foreign travel and life carries on. Morgan spends a week at Morganhall with his sister Bronwyn for his sister in the fall. After his return to court it becomes known that the sister who was married, potentially against her will, was pregnant, a possibility with great risk of political upheaval around a throne that was, technically, Brion's now.

Much later, after much more routine and without incident, Sullivan leaves court and with him Alaric's only friend beyond Llion and Brion. He is sad to see him go, but knows that at least he will have an ally in Sullivan and his family. For him, that is a comfort.

Then there is more training, more growth, more learning of skills and greater strength. Brion's sister dies in childbirth. This devastates and infuriates her mother - and the Queen. Alaric and Llion are sent with her to Torenth, when no one is able to convince her not to do so.

On the trip he is once more reunited with his godfather, Se. Se and other knights of the anvil accompany them into Torenth, in service to the Queen- and Alaric, to whom he teaches more, in this case how to use telepathy at distance. They manage to retrieve the Princess's body and that of her child, and return them to Brion's court.

Where Alaric decides that celibacy is wise for the time being, and is warned that the new Queen does not like Deryni and he should keep a low profile. His relationship with other squires and pages cools further, because of more knowledge of what he is and being allowed to accompany the Queen on the mission to recover her daughter's body. For the first time. Alaric elects to keep the situation largely to himself, and to handle it himself.

He is called back from his yearly, summer, visit to his home and family (including Duncan who is increasingly determined to become a priest) by the King, who speaks of a disturbing development that may affect Alaric. That disturbing development is that de Nore has discovered a man attempting to join the clergy and is having him tried as a hertic, and planning to execute him. Alaric is sickened but reminded that the law was broken and nothing can be done. He hates it. He does not hate it less when he is warned that public hostility toward Deryni will likely increase after the public execution by burning of a Deryni.

The king warns him there to do nothing to draw attention to himself and to stay close.

As time passes more acts of hostility are reported against Deryni, tensions rise - around and within Alaric. He learns more of the man being executed and his very real innocence, before he is predictably condemned to death. It is then reported that the bishops intend to interrogate and torture the man, in hopes of discovering how he had managed to infilitrate their ranks.

Alaric is physically sick about this, but can do nothing but continue to train. His birthday passes during this, and shortly thereafter there arrive two priests seeking audience with the king. They are de Nore's chaplins. They come and 'order and require'  Alaric, specifically, attend the execution. For the good of his immortal soul 'in as much as Deryni have souls'. Brion and others attempt to refuse but Alaric himself blurts out that he will go.

There is another conversation in private between the King and Alaric, where Brion tries very hard to protect Alaric, and Alaric very much refuses to be protected. He insists it is something that he must do, both to prevent internal unrest in the country. Brion agrees, but makes clear he will go as a Duke, in spite of his age, and be accompanied by the king's men of rank -- and that there will be dire consequences if Alaric is harmed.

At the execution Alaric is shocked and dismayed at the number of priests come to witness the execution, as well as devastated and traumatized deeply. He comes very near both vomiting and fainting. However, as the Deryni is burned, he reaches out to do something instinctively and feels another presence that, mercifully, ends the condemned man's life.

Afterward he and Brion have a conversation where Brion is grateful for the sacrifice but Alaric points out  there was nothing else they could do. That he knows better. That he will not allow the king to have caused the rift that would have come with a rift between the King and Church itself. Brion promises to work toward a better, safer, place for Deryni. Someday. Brion then offers to give Alaric time at 'home' and away from court. Alaric, full of determination, says he will not give de Nore the satisfaction of seeing him run away.

After this and with return to his training, his youthful joy is replaced by adult focus. His other duties, primarily in service to the Old Queen remain and she warns him that Jehane is wary and the chaplain she brought with her is ... less than trustworthy. She warns him strongly to be careful.

In spite of that warning he likes the young woman, and is well aware that Brion is totally in love with his bride. He is also, that year, proposed to by one of the King's sisters, which he rebuffs firmly because of what he is and that neither the country nor church would ever accept it.

After this, news come that his cousin and friend Duncan is determined to join the clergy - more so than ever. This is something Alaric finds distressing but, again, there is nothing that he can do. His training in all aspects both physical and strategic continue and intensify, greatly.

He begins to take part in strategy planning and hypotheticals with the knights and most often on duty directly for the king. This draws him into a situation of unrest in the eastern part of the kingdom. Followed by knowledge later than the Earl of that eastern county had begun to invade a neighboring one with his son in law, defying royal writ.

Alaric is taken along, over the objections of Jehana for what he is. On that trip - and battle to assist - a man is mortally wounded. Alaric eases his passage to death with his mind, and his words.

He is likewise present when Brion passes down a sentence of drawing and quartering to the traitor - but showing mercy by hanging him beforehand and only carrying out the rest after he has passed.

Afterward, saying that he does not want to execute everyone, Brion asks Alaric to stand beside him and truth read them as they take oaths of fealty again.

On the return Brion rides off and Alaric follows him, helps him bathe, and they talk more of themselves and the need to be alone and of exhaustion. They bathe together and then he helps Brion to dress again and takes care of repacking his armor. He then builds fire and feeds his king and takes first watch-

Which is interrupted by a rider bringing news that there has been a direct challenge to his throne. They acknowledge that that challenge will not be physical, but magical.

Alaric unlocks the King's Haldane, magical, potential. He does what he was bound to King Brion as a child to do.

They leave for battle from there, caught up in chaos and melee. It is Alaric's first real battle, and the first time he kills a man. The battle does eventually turn arcane, man to man, and Alaric can do nothing but watch. but Brion is successful and defeats his opponent.

They return slowly, a small group of men - Llion, Brion, Alaric, and two lancers - separate from the rest with a detour through Alaric's lands. It is on this detour that he is confirmed an Earl. At this time he is also told that upon age 18 he will be knighted and declared and confirmed as Duke of Corwyn.

Upon their return to the Court proper, routine resumes - except Jehana realizes that Alaric helped to awake the King's potential. Unfortunately, from her point of view, she has endangered his immortal soul. She was wary and disliked him, she now hates and fears him in particular. She is also furious with her husband. Jehana retreats to a convent.

Alaric has no qualms in helping the King and acknowledges that it is not his fault that he is Deryni but thinks the King must hate him as well for he kept his kingdom and lost his queen. He is wrong. However, in order to get the Queen to return, Alaric must go, so he goes to take up the mantle as earl for the time being. Because his duty is to serve the king and this is the way he can serve -for now.

That is exactly what happens, though Brion does visit to declare Alaric Duke of Corwyn after years, and to make clear that Jehana abhors Deryni in general and him in particular. He is no less grateful to Alaric, and Alaric again swears an oath to be in service of Brion, always.

The King stays to ride the lands he has entrusted to Alaric, and two weeks later gets news that Jehana has delivered a son. When the baby is six weeks old, Alaric swears an oath to also protect that baby, named Kelson.

The Deryni Chronicles
Alaric continues to stay out of court in deference to Jehana in coming years, but the friendship between the men does not fade. When Brion is killed and Kelson sends for him he comes. He arrives shortly before Kelson's coronation and is met by a hostile Jehana. He stays, in spite of this, and in spite of her hostility being such that she attempts to have him imprisoned - and likely then executed.