The history of the Marlovan royal families is obscure, as they did not, until they conquered the Iascans, have written records. They adopted the Iascan alphabet at the same time they adopted their castles and land-holding attitudes. The songs name the three families--Montrei-Hauc, Montredavan-An, Montrei-Vayir--as the first rulers. The Dei family’s private archives records a very early marriage with the Forest Leader (Davan-An) family of Halia, which the Montredavan-An family insists is their ancestral roots, before the Venn outcasts who fled south and became Marlovans intermarried with them. Thus their black and gold originates with Adamas Dei (which is also the claim later made by Matthias Lirendi, son of Lasva Dei the Beautiful: he did not wear Lirendi blue when he rode west making his empire, but Adamas Dei’s black and gold).

At any rate, by the time the ‘'montre'’ was adopted by the leading families, the Deis had crossed the Montredavan-Ans at least a few times, and the Montrei-Vayirs once, proof being the punning combination of ‘'monter'' or ‘'leader'’ and ‘'Dei'’ into ‘'Montrei'’ which was very much the sort of game the Deis would play.

There is no evidence that any of the Deis married with the Montrei-Haucs, who may have amended their names in an act of parity with the rising (and competitive) Montrei-Vayirs and Montredavan-Ans.'

In what might have been a last, desperate act to unite a splintering polity Bederian Feldeh—Iascan name—Montre-Hauc first led war against the Iascans, to get their steel, in the 3560s. Skirmish and piecemeal warfare, with some private treaties (the Algara-Vayirs marrying the Tenthan family’s only child, a daughter, and inheriting the principality, thus are enjoined to defend it, in 3572) until Savarend Montrei-Davan-An—charismatic son of Yvandred Montrei-Davan-An and Elenda Dei--married his single daughter and took over as his heir, consolidating the kingdom in a deliberate move 3675-82; that year, he married the Cassadas princess, which officially was accepted as a melding of the two kingdoms.

3693 Anderle Montrei-Vayir born. His family still wears gold, they are called Adaluin—prince—but their territory is nominal, that is, over the Marlovan plains, symbolic. His best friend is the Cassad son—they have shortened their name so it sounds better in Marlovan.

3700 Savarend Montrei-Davan-An born.

3718 Anderle Montrei-Vayir orders his brother Tlennen to assassinate the old king. He does it while the old man is sleeping in his royal castle in Darchelde. His wife and best friend both plead for the son, who is related to the Cassads, and so the treaty is made: the Montrei-Davan-An family will not be touched as long as they accept exile onto their own land for ten generations. They can leave the kingdom; if a brother is born, he must leave the kingdom. Their daughters cannot marry other families, but the heirs can still marry Marlovan girls—that was a compromise won by the women.

At New Year’s the shift to new royal city complete, new oaths: clan leaders confirmed as Jarls, many of them taking Vayir as a second name as gesture of consolidation. (Montrei-Vayir clan allies, such as Tlennens and Sindan-Ans, do not) The academy is established under Tlennen-Sierandael, the title becoming official, and Anderle calls himself Sieraec—peace king, instead of the old Harvaldar. Iascan is officially adopted as the court language, and he declares that every other generation, a princess from an ally will marry the royal heir.

3720 Anderle’s son Evred born—first Montrei-Davan-An king born in royal city; betrothed to Tlennen daughter.

3725 Anderle’s second son Hastred born; he will be second Sirandael

3768 Anderle dies, Evred becomes king.

3771 Old Savarend has a son by magic, causing nothing but mirth in royal city. Also called Savarend: a private resolve in that family that all the sons will be named Savarend until the exile treaty is over.

3778 King Evred’s son Aldren born; negotiations begin for a marriage with Idayagan king, falls through, marries a princess from Jayava, whose family becomes Java-Vayir under Marlovan protection

3781 King Evred’s second son Anderle born

3794 Aldren becomes new king

3802 Hastred Montrei-Vayir born; betrothed to Sindan-An daughter Tdanar

3803 Brother to Hastred, Evred, born

3830 Savarend Montrei-Davan-An (Fox’s father) born; his older sister, relieved of the responsibility of staying to birth an heir, runs away with her teen-aged beloved, who is slated to marry a hated cousin. They go to Sartor.

3835 Hastred arranges father’s death during a skirmish. Sends his uncle to Parayid Harbor to protect against pirates; he cannot leave under pain of death.

3851 Tlennen Montrei-Vayir born; negotiations begun for marriage with Adranis

3858 Anderle Montrei-Vayir born

3863 Tdiran Montrei-Vayir born—destined for marriage to the Adranis (marries into the Yvana-Vayir family instead; dies 3910, riding accident)

3874 Evred Sirandael dies in a northern skirmish

3877 Hastred-Siraec dies in a suspicious riding accident near coast, Tlennen becomes king

3879 Pirate attack on Tenthen castle, Joret Iofre and Indevan Algara-Vayir killed

3880 King Tlennen marries Wisthia Shagal (Tdiran was to marry her brother, but it fell through)

3887 Aldren Montrei-Vayir born (destined for Algara-Vayir daughter); Tanrid Algara-Vayir born

3890 Hadand Algara-Vayir born

3892 Evred Montrei-Vayir born; Tdor Marth-Davan born

3894 Indevan Algara-Vayir born

3911 Spoiler for The Fox: Tlennen, brother, son assassinated; Evred becomes king

Section removed until Inda Cycle is published

3981 Jarend Algara-vayir born. (Dies as a young man in skirmish)

           Also, Tlennen Montre-Vayir marries a daughter of the other branch of the Ola-Vayirs, the family having insisted that Starand had been an Idayago-Vayir, and thus did not count

'39823982 Tlennen has son Evred—he’s more Ola-Vayir by temperament than Montrei-Vayir, except he’s got the Montrei-Vayir passions. It is during Evred’s early teen years that the academy is shut down, due to his favorites causing violence among the boys, causing duels and threatening clan warfare.

3991 Kendred Algara-vayir born, becomes heir

Also, Hasta Montrei-Vayir dies, and Tlennen takes over

39953995 Tlennen is forced to close academy, infuriating son Evred; threatened civil war forces king to decision.

3997 6th Montredavan-An son Savarend born (sixth for treaty purposes)—dies in skirmish—he is a runner, key to action, which is why he dies. Little magics.

The Montredavan-Ans slowly take over the Runners, their daughters always runners now, and this helps accelerate their metamorphosis from messengers to diplomats-solicitors, a function increasingly needed due to the tensions between crown and jarldom: the concept of land ownership has traditionally been that the Marlovan people own the land they conquered. King and nobles thus reaffirm their vows every single year in war years, and at the king’s pleasure in peace years; if you don’t, without good excuse, you could find your land taken by the king, and someone else put in your place: the transfer accomplished by blood, and not by word and paper, as in kingdoms where the crown holds the land, and nobles are granted titles as guardians or even as courtesy.

But how land ownership and governing translates out into action—specifically laws—caused tensions. Laws, of course, must be given by the king—but what about local law? In early generations they got around it by calling laws 'custom; or 'tradition’—in a rapidly changing culture, the word 'tradition' took on extra meaning.

But when the crown and jarls clashed on some action, it was cause for violence—unless someone could negotiate and save everyone’s honor. The Montredavan-Ans were quick to see the advantage here, just as they had with magic: it was they who truly had the Long View. Name Senrid enters their family during this period.

So Runners became diplomats of sorts, with certain legal powers. And laws concerning land ownership, and what local government meant, began to be laid down.

3998 Montreivayir king Tlennen killed, possibly by step-son Evred--the women colluded, and it's not known if he took part or not. His wife is sent home, with his mother's definite collusion; she plays up his dislike of women so she can hold power. He has an Aldren type of personality; his buds are Companions, loyal only to him. The split of the kingdom begins under him; he alienates many of the older jarls, and the women begin to actively work against him and his allies--including his mother, who began with paying lip-service to good intentions, but really wants to hold power.

(Evred is killed before Convocation, and mother cancels Convocation, and academy. Strong queen—protects border with magic against something specific, which reinforces her power for her lifetime. She changes the name of the ruling family to Olavayir.

Vayir families drop hyphens, further signaling their 'special' status.

She is the last strong Olavayir; the rest increasingly grant more and more powers to jarls to keep them loyal, but what it really means is the jarls who pay lip service to the crown are ruling like petty kings. At first the Olavayirs send warriors against the most flagrant ones, but eventually even that stops, when they are beaten back once or twice: they no longer are getting the best to train, but the worst, and the academy descends into a time of flagrant favoritism, rowdiness, ill-training mostly for show, duels, and general trouble.

3999 Savarend's sister Shendan born, calls herself 7th of treaty, after brother killed, deliberately finessing the "generation" of treaty into "title-holder"; the government accepts her on the grounds that she accept exile--she's bright, beautiful, charming, and considered very formidable--and so she goes to Sartor to study magic, remaining there 25 years. When she returns, has son, Senrid—4051, considered 8th; she teaches runners mage tricks, and organizes them.

4026 Indevan Algara-Vayir born, leaves to become mage in Sartor, never returns.

4030 Linden-Fareas is heir, holds Choraed Elgaer, which is allying southward and protecting northern border against increasing trouble from plains and above.

4051 8th son, Senrid, born to Montredavan-An mage; he becomes chief runner captain, which is now custom: the Montredavan-Ans are now officially Runner Captains, in charge of the training and organizing of Runners. Everyone wants one of their Runners, who are discreet, extremely well trained in writing, speaking, as well as defense of their patron. They are also mages, which is less known. (And meanwhile they are controlling information.) The Crown really thinks that confirming them as Runners shifts their interest from ruling. (The Algaravayirs know better, but they remain firm allies of the Montredavan-Ans, and say nothing--but they send their young to the latter for training.)

4061, 4063 Linden-Fareas Princess has two daughters, who marry southward, as kingdoms officially secede from Iasca Leror; the ties are thus firmly bound south, and the daughters, in taking the names of their new families, mean the end of the Algaravayir family in Marlovan eyes.

4098 9thh son, Savarend, born to Montredavan-Ans; again, runner captain.

4148 10th son Kethadrend born, and treaty is considered done by family. His first son killed at age one in a mysterious "accident"--their second son Ivandred, born ’62, is raised in secret.

4185 Ivandred gets Hessa by a marriage treaty. Has a daughter, Ndaren raised as mage, holds Darchelde and Hessa against the wilderness of tiny principalities that Iascan Leror has become; the jarls basically become petty kings, if they can hold their homes; warfare is constant. Academy has dwindled to the sons of kings and favorites--and is closed.

4207 Ivandred is killed.

4216 Senrid born; Ndaren raises her son on old academy teachings; she is leader of Runners, and holder of every single communication, which is duplicated. Runners now trained at the academy, and are boys and girls--more often girls, boys being tapped for war leaders, though Jarlans are raised to be war leaders.

4246 Senrid begins the process of recovering splintered kingdom, by harking back to old Marlovan days. Only now the Jarls are governors and military leaders, and once again Convocation is restored, and the games, only now adult.

Academy restored, along the lines set down by his ancestor Savarend (Fox) Montredavahn-An in his memoir. This is when the memoir is essentially separated: the training and academy portion is kept apart, as a secret training manual. The rest of the memoir is recopied with an eye to restoring Marlovan glory

Senrid comes to the conclusion that women have far too much power, and yet he loves his mother; he is the one who ends the betrothal custom, which makes a whole lot of young people happy—you pick at age 25, basically. The older women are appalled because there go their chances to control things through their own alliances.

He has to fight off Matthias’s drive west—only one who finally stops him, and that, in turn, consolidates his power; Alored Elsarion, considering him a cousin, helps him, and in return gains Enaeran, separating off from the Adrani half of that area.

4277 Senrid calls himself king.

Senrid begins process of separation of language, as a necessary part of national identity. His heralds isolate Marlovan—now Marloven—from Iascan roots—called Dolos Frengyol by Marlovens afterward, to avoid the implication that Marlovan had nearly been subsumed into Iascan, and bind them by magic, in a massive and complicated spell; as earls swear in, the language shift--new pronunciation--is taken back by them to their land, and to hear it once is to understand it, a little like the Universal language spell, which was still in its rudimentary stages of development.

The royal family name is now Montredaun-An. Kingdom of Marloven Hesea. 'Vayir' becomes 'vair'. Tlennens forced into own province, as subordinates, and out of Marloven Hess; Fox Banner goes back to M-A family, the Eagle banner becomes that of the kingdom. Royal city now Dhelerei—as opposed to the Telyer Hesea of the Cassads south. Cassads are princes now—that was treaty of recombination in the south.

4288 Tdanerend born; the academy is again reformed, girls closed out, but they can be Runners. The idea being that rank only comes to those who are tough enough to win.

4307 Tdanerend becomes king, on death of father. He’s 19.

4320 He has a son, Haldren, who kills his father in 4344, when Prince Haldren is 24. Haldren's academy now has become secret, the idea being that the king not only be the strongest, but forges a band dedicated to the kingdom…Haldren oversees the training himself. It's the most ruthless and cruelest it's ever been, but academy-trained fighters are unbeatable, and unswervingly loyal to the king, who rewards them well for their loyalty. They recover some of their old lands, as no one can stand against them.

4378 Ivandred born—when King Haldren is 65. Unknown to the king--fostered by the King's Sigradir, or mage--the loyalty in the training is to the king's heir . . . in his person. The symbolism for kingdom doubles as loyalty to Ivandred himself, especially as he is tall, extremely adept, smart, and loyal himself. He is so competent that the Sigradir works hard to bind Ivandred in loyalty . . . to himself.

4408 Ivandred gets throne; vision to reunite Marlovens to old borders; first to use black magic, taught him by the Herskalt. It's efficient to use it for war--saves lives in the end, Ivandred is taught. He ends Restday celebrations; now all celebrations are Kingdom days, such as anniversary of battles, etc. Ivandred marries Lasthavais Lirendi of Colend. Who has no influence—at first.

(Earlier, Ivandred rides east to escort his sister Therais to Remalna, to marry the Calahanras heir; their aunt came from Enaeran, and enabled the meeting. He then rode north to Colend to try for the beautiful princess he heard of there.)

Son Kendred born in 08; Lasva hopes it will settle him, but it sets Ivandred off to conquer a kingdom worthy for his son to inherit.

(During this period the cavalry are wearing the hair of conquered and killed officers on their helms; as Ivandred carries war farther, the notion of wearing hair short so the Marlovens cannot use it as trophy spreads all over the subcontinent, and thus the idea of short hair for the military takes hold. (Some time after Ivandred, it is also adopted by the Marlovens--a rejection of Ivandred actually, but they, in reorganizing the academy, yet again harken back to old custom, the shearing of the lambs, binding the cadets as insiders. The short military cut persists until the Norsundrian war in ’59.)

4418, Kingdom is in serious trouble--and the Sigradir is in trouble, having caught the eye of Detlev of Norsunder. Ends with Ivandred's infamous ride into Norsunder, after he kills six earls who won’t agree to expansion plan. He carries the family's Fox Banner, which is no longer raised in the land.

Marlovan Hess quiet under Ivandred’s wife, Lasva of Colend, and her favorite; girls are allowed back into the academy. Their regency ends, and Ivandred’s son Kendred takes over; Lasva retires to what will be called Vasande, in honor of her new spouse, Vasalya, who is given the name ‘Hessa’ or of the plains, instead of his family name, Lassator. Their son marries a Tlennen, who inherits that entire area, beginning the Tlennen-Hess family. They have a daughter who later marries the crown prince of Lorgi Idego—she adopts that family name, which is a royal name. Lasva and Vasya then have twin boys who know they won’t inherit anything, so they adopt their sister’s name and go adventuring south. . .they end up establishing themselves as wine traders in Sartor, spying for their cousin (Vasya’s older son) in Colend. They begin the Rensselaeus family—the idegans later change that to Rensselar.

The brothers’ descendants switch allegiance to Sartor and its environs, one of them getting his own princedom. Their maintain their enormous correspondence, and become sellers of information.

Kendred’s daughter is Sharend, who is raised between academy and Vasande and her grandmother’s enlightened ways (she is even sent to Colend to meet her cousin) ; the son, Senrid, grows up under specter of Ivandred; without Lasva’s protective influence the Herskalt's influence remains.

4488 Sharend Montredaun-An destroys Brotherhood of Blood’s second incarnation. She becomes queen when Senrid captured by Chwahir and presumed dead. She marries Vasande Tlennen-Hess of Crestel. When brother reappears, they won’t fight, though brother has been changed, and for the worse; The two part for ever, rather than fight; Tlennen changes its name to Vasande Leror, and declares itself a kingdom; Senrid permits it, but that is his last benign act.

Marlovens now turn to black magic, and stay that way; too many threats perceived not to--it’s after one of their forays out that all the neighboring kingdoms ally and force the Code of War at least to their borders. There is relative peace outside of Marloven Hess, except when Detlev of Norsunder is trying various experiments with kingdoms, causing the struggle for possession of the dyra. This occurs roughly between the years 4625-35, then history on the southern continent subsides into an uneasy peace, with mostly internal strife: much of this resulting from the summary release of hastily hired or scraped together armies hired to fight Detlev if he tried an incursion. When it became apparent that Norsunder was not making a general foray, hirelings thus dismissed tended to become mercenaries, paid caravan guards--or marauders.

Marloven Hess's academy is discontinued a second time, after the Code of War is forced on the kingdom--along with a new polity, Ene Rual, which is formed ostensibly to unite the western harbors under one flag, but actually to deny Marloven Hess coastal access without stiff tolls and fines.

The academy is begun again in secret--and for a while, those raised there mostly watch one another. The balance of power between jarls and king and between the jarls themselves remains uneasy but even. Gradually the kings regain the ascendancy as the neighboring kingdoms cease their watchfulness. It takes Kethadrend Montredaun-An, who is smart, fast, charismatic, to bind the academy boys and girls to himself, with great talk of regaining their former glory. Since there have been pirate problems in Ene Rual, and various minor troubles elsewhere, to the Marlovens it seems that a military government could restore order, especially northwards, where marauders, hiding in the mountains, seem impossible to root out.

4690s Kethadrend Montredaun-An makes forays against his neighbors. It's only when his son Kendred, who shows signs of brilliant ability but unstable temperament, begins rallying the young Marlovens around him that Kethadrend turns his attention home again. There follows a period of much marching around and threats and counter-threats, with occasional skirmishes here and there, as no one is quite willing to embark into all-out civil war. Kendred is finally ordered home to submit to direct supervision from his father: the result is his spectacular ride for freedom over the border, chased by assassins.

4700 Indevan Montredaun-An is born, his brother Tdanerend two years later. His upbringing is carefully supervised by his father, who is delighted with the boy: the old man becomes less crusty and more human, and for a time the kingdom seems about to enter a relatively peaceful period.

This especially seems possible to achieve when the eighteen-year-old prince Indevan, accompanied by his brother, makes a tour--a first--through the southern kingdoms, where he falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the descendants of the Cassads, Lesra Harmarath. She was the middle daughter, not the heir: grave, kind, artistic. Not to be left out, Tdanerend professed to be in love with her younger sister Caras, who was both frivolous and silly, and bent on marrying a prince--any prince. As it happened, the southern kingdoms had plenty of princesses and a dearth of eligible princes (which is why there were royal families with three and even four offspring, in an effort to get a son) so Caras accepted Tdanerend's suit, though everyone could see that it was no more than lip-service, followed by a stream of expensive gifts meant to impress not her, but the court.

Marriage with Lesra brought a treaty of mutual trade, as well as relatives in Toth and Perideth, as the kingdoms had intermarried much over the years. She returned in great celebrations to Marloven Hess--which had no court--and promptly began bringing art and taste to the military kingdom. At New Year's Convocation, she gave parties that people exclaimed over when they returned to their jarlates.

4720 Senrid Indevan Montredaun-An was born, and two years later, Tdanerend and Caras married, immediately producing--a daughter, named Ndand. Tdanerend made jokes about all those girls in the south, girls in the academy (Kethadrend's two female cousins had been his staunchest light cavalry commanders), girls taking over the kingdom with all their art and music. His jokes seemed to be meant to be funny, but weren't; no one knew that Tdanerend foresaw the diminishment of Marloven Hess, through the benign influence of these southerners, into a weak kingdom of poetry spouters and wastrels. They did not see trouble even when Caras apparently choked on wine and died, as she was known to be a little too fond of drink and pastry. She certainly wasn't fond of her husband, though she liked being the princess of a vast kingdom; not being all that popular, not too much fuss was made over her death.

But when, shortly after, Lesra was found strangled, and two months later the king died with a knife in his back, and the Marlovens who had agreed with Tdanerend moved in to secure the kingdom and prevent the foreigners to stop rotting them from within, the people finally understood that Tdanerend, now Regent, was determined to preserve the Marloven way of life at any cost.

Senrid had just turned five.