Conspiracy of Silence

Short story: approx 8,200 words.

Derian is a stable-lad in the royal castle of Gerroch. When the King and his court arrive at Gerroch, Derian encounters the famous Count of Trall for the first time. Youthful curiosity and a lack of common sense combine to put the lad in great danger as he overhears some terrible secrets. Yet this event plays a part in shaping the course of Derian’s life, as the prelude to his rise from the lowliness of the stables, to becoming lord of a baronial manor.