I never imagined such a beautiful thing-to gaze with every eye of the forest, feel and hear through every leaf and fern. It was only once, years after the battle.

It happened where the tyrants once stood, the great ironoaks Aspar loved so well. They were all fallen, but acorns had sprouted, and for those first years things grew with unnatural speed. So many of the trees were already four or five kingsyards high, slender young things, but already starting to shadow out the underbrush, reconquering their territory.

A woman came there, still young, her face rosy from the winds, for that year was cooler. She was bundled in a wool coat, and she wore elkhide boots. I knew her, of course, for I once thought I loved her, and I did in a way.

Holding her hand was a girl of perhaps six or seven years. She had a bright, intelligent face that was full of wonder as she stared about the place.

"Here he is," Winna told the girl. "Here is your father."

And, through him, I felt every tree strain, and shudder, and yearn toward them, and all the birds sang at once.

It was the last truly human thing I ever felt from him, and not long after that he slept, as sleep he must.

When he slept, I awoke, and found the world changed.

-The Codex Tereminnam, Codex Tereminnam, Author anon. Author anon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

GREG K KEYES was born in Meridian, Mississippi, to a large, diverse storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of was born in Meridian, Mississippi, to a large, diverse storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of The Briar King, The Charnel Prince, The Blood Knight, The Briar King, The Charnel Prince, The Blood Knight, and the Age of Unreason tetralogy, as well as and the Age of Unreason tetralogy, as well as The Waterborn, The BlackG.o.d, The Waterborn, The BlackG.o.d, and the and the Star Wars Star Wars New Jedi Order novels New Jedi Order novels Edge of Victory I: Conquest, Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, Edge of Victory I: Conquest, Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, and and The Final Prophecy. The Final Prophecy. He lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife, Nell, and son, Archer. He lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife, Nell, and son, Archer.

By Greg Keyes

The Chosen of the ChangelingTHE W WATERBORNTHE B BLACKG.o.dThe Age of UnreasonNEWTON'S C CANNONA CALCULUS OF A ANGELSEMPIRE OF U UNREASONTHE S SHADOWS OF G G.o.dThe Psi Corps TrilogyBABYLON 5: D 5: DARK G GENESISBABYLON 5: D 5: DEADLY R RELATIONSBABYLON 5: F 5: FINAL R RECKONINGStar Wars: The New Jedi OrderEDGE OF V VICTORY I: C I: CONQUESTEDGE OF V VICTORY II: R II: REBIRTHTHE F FINAL P PROPHECYThe Kingdoms of Thorn and BoneTHE B BRIAR K KINGTHE C CHARNEL P PRINCETHE B BLOOD K KNIGHTTHE B BORN Q QUEEN

The Born Queen is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fict.i.tiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fict.i.tiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.