Droma Book 2: Kamalline

It is more than two years later and Kerma, being assured that the Valkiet presence in Droma is in capable hands, has returned to her old trade. One day she receives a message she cannot ignore. Duke Garnaz’s health is beginning to fail and his daughter Kamalline is summoning her and the rest of the old Resistance back to Dunleath. They prepare themselves for the likely reaction of Valkil to the possibility of a woman inheriting the dukedom.

Kamalline is made of stern stuff, however, and she does inherit. She also proves to be a very capable ruler; on the one hand keeping the peace with Valkil and on the other looking after the interests of the Dromans, who have never acknowledged any kind of rulership anyway. Valkil has problems brewing on its own shores, however: war. And it wants to involve Droma. Its demands for support are, of course, utterly repudiated by the Dromans and Kamalline, for which the latter is banished, but Valkil eventually finds it needs a different kind of assistance. This time Droma responds.

By this time the Dromans have subverted enough Valkiets of importance to provide a strong and stable refuge for those fleeing the war in Valkil, and the King even debates sending his daughter, now his only surviving child, to Droma for safe keeping. He does wonder, however, if he is handing Kamalline a hostage on a plate.