Author:
Alex McGilvery has been reading since before he can remember, and writing almost that long. He has published 18 books and is author and editor at his imprint Celticfrog Publishing. He lives in Kamloops with his dog and the stories clawing their way out of his head.

Ten year old Justine has lived with the loss of her mother for two years. Even while she misses her Mom, she is discovering the gifts they share. When bullying at school makes Justine’s life miserable, she befriends a tree she calls Drasil. It isn’t fair that life causes so much pain for Justine, so her father is happy when she makes a friend, even when that friend is a tree.

She tells stories of visiting a land where peace is valued above all else and hospitality is the primary virtue. Her father listens to her stories and marvels at how she changes, even as he wonders if her stories are true, or the fantasy of a lonely young girl. When the stories get darker and more dangerous, he worries that she is being hurt, even in this land of peace.

He has no idea how much they will both be changed as they get caught up in the struggle between a people who believe in peace, and those who trust in war.

Playing on Yggdrasil

"The seat left by the Final King. The Council of Regents has never filled it. Yet they are required by law to accept applications from any who feel they have a claim to the seat. My family had as good a claim as any. I had an ancestor who was a cousin of the King. There are many tests. I had to recite my family tree back to the original claimant for the throne. I had to prove my knowledge of the law and history of Pax. My dedication to the peace needed to be without reproach. Raston, who had just taken the robes of a Brother of the Goddess was my biggest supporter. He was sure that it was the Goddess's will that the Empty Chair be filled."


"You tried out to be King?" Patrick tried to keep his amazement out of his voice.


"Not quite," Davvad said. "I would have had to be offered the Chair, then after a year be ratified by the Council of Regents, then after another year by all the people of Pax with seven out of ten adults voting in favour."


Chapter 64