The Key Holders: A Novel

Torn from their everyday lives, Princess Crete and her infant twin children, Asterion and Asteria, are forced to flee the murderous wrath of her half-brother, Minos. Lost to the wilderness, they finally discover a new home lying far to the north of the known ancient world, where the realm of Thulium is founded. After centuries of harmonious and peaceful existence under the protection of The Powers, two factions arise to contest the rulership: 'The Black Kites', led by Thulia, and 'The Red Boars', led by her twin brother Thulias. Thulium is destroyed and what few survivors there are scatter. But it doesn't end there. Thulia and Thulias' descendants confront each other through the ages in a seemingly never-ending power struggle. Who will win? Rumour holds that a winning hand will only be dealt to those who hold the remaining heirlooms of the lost realm: The Key, The Sword of Sovereignty and The Banner. These are kept hidden and passed down in each generation by the descendants of the Guardians, formerly counsellors to the Thulian rulers, representatives of The Powers, and now keepers of the Ancient Thulian history and traditions. Can these relics be found by the right side and used to win this never-ending destruction?