The Gilded Chain
Dave Duncan [Duncan, Dave]As unwanted and
rebellious boys, they find refuge in Ironhall....Years later they emerge
as the finest swordsmen in the realm—A magical ritual of a sword
through the heart binds each to his ward—if not the king himself, then
to whomever else the monarch designates—with absolute loyalty.And the
greatest Blade of them all was—and is—Sir Durendal.
But a lifelong
dream of protecting his beloved liege from enemies, traitors, and
monsters is dashed to bits when Durendal is bonded till death to an
effete noble fop at his king's orders. Yet Destiny has many strange and
inscrutable plans for the young knight—for a mission, a contest, and,
perhaps, a treasure await him in a faraway land. But he soon finds
himself enmeshed in treason and foul intrigues, compelled to betray the
king he had hoped to serve. The Blades have ways to protect their own,
but death and madness haunt the path to salvation—and few ever return
unscathed.