While reading "Fire" I was always intrigued by Roen and her history. Especially the whys of her affair with Brocker. As Roen isn't the protagonist of "Fire" her full story has no place in that book. So here comes my version of Roen's history, starting when she is still in the northern Dells and probably ending around the time she leaves King's City again and returns to her home fortress. I'd really appreciate it if readers of this story would let me know what they think of it.

All characters lent from Kristin Cashore's novel "Fire" of course belong to her, I'm not intending to infringe any of her or the publisher's rights with this work. A very big "thank you" goes to Kate of Carlay, who agreed to function as beta reader for this story.

Chapter 1: Changes

"The Dells have a new king", her father murmured still reading the message he had just received.

The family was sitting in one of the smaller drawing rooms, which was mostly due to the evening's cold air; a fire could warm a small room better than a big one. Roen looked up from her own reading – a book of history – and her mother put her needlework aside, both looking at the speaker.

Roen's father needed some more time to finish the message, which had arrived just after dinner that day. Even after he had read the letter through and laid it on a small table standing beside his armchair he didn't look up but stared at the flames in the fireplace, pondering.

"My dear", Roen's mother addressed him after the pause had been lasting for some time.

He looked up, seemingly startled.

"Might we learn what's in the letter?" his wife continued, the faintest of smiles on her face. It was a common situation. Roen's father often forgot everything around him when he was thinking about the latest news.

Recognizing the situation and his lack of courtesy towards his two women, Roen's father grinned self-consciously, before enlightening them. "Nax was crowned three weeks ago. We have a new king."

"That's good news, but you look worried", his wife stated.

It was true, his smile had faded from his face quickly to be replaced by a small frown and worried lines around his eyes. Roen's father sighed. "It might be nothing", he elaborated after another pause. "But I'm not sure if Nax can keep up with the great work his father has done for the Dells. He is too young."

"He will certainly have advisers. The old king didn't make all decisions for himself. He had people to advise him, too. What of Cansrel, the son of our old king's most trusted advisor?" his wife put in, trying to console her husband.

Unfortunately her words had the exact opposite effect on Roen's father. Instead of putting aside his worries it only increased them. "Cansrel. Yes. Headley writes of him too." He tapped the paper with the message. Headley was a friend of Roen's father's in King's City and usually kept him up-to-date with news from the capital. "It seems as though Cansrel didn't follow in his father's footsteps, either. Headley writes of a rather terrible story of a young cooking maid in the palace. It seems as though Cansrel took her in his bed a few times. She boasted with it afterwards in the kitchens. Then, from one day to the next she walked out in a winter storm. Her body was found days later frozen on the shore of the Winged River."

Both Roen – who had listened silently but intent to her parent's discussion so far – and her mother looked shocked after those news.

"But surely no one can blame Cansrel for such a tragic accident", Roen's mother's voice was shaking.

Her husband snorted. "She had been perfectly fine and happy before. Headley has spoken to one of her friends and the girl mentioned that she suspected her to be pregnant. Of course there is no proof but Headley thinks – and I am inclined to follow his opinion on the matter – that Cansrel used his powers to compel the girl to kill herself. There is no other rational explanation for it."

This silenced Roen's mother and she reached for her needlework again, although her hands were shaking too much for her to accomplish anything that evening.

"Let's hope that your assessment of the situation proves to be wrong", Roen said in the silence that followed.

Her father sighed. "I'd like to think myself wrong on the matter, because otherwise the kingdom is going toward bad times indeed."

For a while no one spoke after that. Roen took up her book again without taking in any of the words on the page in front of her. Her thoughts were on the news she had just learned from her father. Somehow she felt that she, too, believed Headley's opinion. And even though the fire was spending enough warmth she was shivering.

Roen went to bed soon afterward. She couldn't concentrate on her reading anymore and felt no comfort in the drawing room. Although she doubted that she would be able to sleep easily after the news, she still felt her time better spent in at least trying to get some rest. Her parents' concern worried her more than any news that could reach this fortress from the far south.

xXx

After their daughter had departed from the drawing room Roen's parents remained for some time more. The silence was becoming depressing and Roen's mother was about to retreat to her sleeping quarters herself, when her husband spoke again.

"You realize that we have to show our respect to the new king, don't you?"

She tried to argue with that. "We're in the far north. I'm sure he doesn't even think of the Little Grays or our holding most of the time."

"Sure enough. But he is our king and what would it look like if we didn't honor him and his ascension to the throne? And that the king doesn't think of us most of the time doesn't mean that he won't think of us at some time."

His wife opened her mouth – and closed it again without having spoken a word. She couldn't argue with his logic. He was right, after all. And he was her husband and lord, even though they treated each other with respect, he had the right and power to enforce his wishes if he so chose.

"I'm riding south as soon as the roads allow for it." Roen's father hesitated before speaking again. "And I think … that Roen should accompany me."

This time she spoke almost hastily, compared to her previous, hesitating and well-contemplated words. "What has she to do in King's City? She is only a child."

A sigh escaped his lips. "I'm not completely satisfied with it, either. But Roen isn't a child anymore. She is a young woman, a lady. She is intelligent and strong-minded and I don't think that a life in the north is the right thing for her. She should at least visit the king's court once in her life. And who knows, perhaps she'll even catch the eye of a rich lord, who'll marry her and promote her to the greatest happiness." His last words had a joking undertone. It was difficult for both of Roen's parents to accept that she had grown well out of childhood and would eventually marry and leave them. She was their only child and all the dearer to them. The only way her father could mention that occasion was in a joking manner that allowed him to not consider it seriously.

Roen's mother seconded her husband's sigh. "I suppose you're right, again."

So it was a decided matter that Roen would accompany her father south to King's City once the roads cleared from this year's snow.

xXx

The roads needed less time to clear than expected. The letter with the news of King Nax' coronation had arrived in late January. A month later the snow had melted enough that travel in the north seemed a possibility.

"Do you have warm clothes? I know the weather seems to be warming and you're travelling southwards, but the nights can still be cold and it's still early in spring." Roen's mother regarded her daughter worriedly.

"Yes, mama. Ava packed warm things. She made sure I've all I need on the journey." Roen threw a thankful glance at her personal maid, Ava. The girl would accompany her mistress, both to care for her on the road and to keep her company.

Apart from Roen and Ava the travelling group included Roen's father and a dozen guards.

"My dear, Roen will be fine", Roen's father told his wife.

"If only I could accompany you."

He took her face in his cupped hands and kissed her. "My dear, you have not been feeling well lately. A journey of three weeks in this weather would be too much. And someone has to be here for our people."

Roen's mother sighed and took her husband's hand. "You're right. As always." A small smile appeared on her face. "Take good care of yourself and our daughter."

"Of course." He embraced her once more before stepping over to his horse and mounting the black stallion.

Then her mother turned to Roen and she noticed that tears were glistening in her mother's face. "Roen. Have a good journey and listen to your father. You'll write often, won't you? You know your father is good in receiving letters but a very bad writer for himself."

Roen returned her mother's hug. "Of course, mama. I'll write as often as I can. And you know I always listen to what papa and you tell me. We'll be fine."

Following her father's example Roen mounted the fine-boned brown mare standing waiting for her. Both she and Ava would ride on this trip. A carriage would be difficult in the terrain of the Little Grays and even when they had let the hills behind them it would slow them down. Apart from that Roen preferred riding herself to being carted around in a carriage, where she saw little of the surrounding landscape and didn't really sit more comfortable than on a horse's back.

xXx

The company travelled slowly. Hard riding would tire riders and horses alike and was only bound to prolong their journey instead of making it shorter, because the horses would need more time to rest when they were exhausted from hard riding. Still they made good way and weren't troubled much by raptor monsters or bandits.

Roen had never left the Little Grays before. There the landscape was rough with little green. Mostly it was gray stone, with only small patches of brown in winter and green in summer. She was surprised and captivated when their company neared their destination and she saw wide green expanses of grass and even the first flowers of the year, announcing the arrival of spring. Somehow it seemed like a good sign to her. With such beauty surrounding King's City the king's court must be a delightful place and she was sure to have a wonderful time there. She nearly felt like a little girl again, giddy with eagerness to see the palace. The worries over the king and his adviser had been pushed aside by the charming view.