| Marcius Al Nieren | |
|---|---|
| Alias |
Malcius the Bricklayer |
| Title |
Prince of the Unified Realm |
| Culture | |
| Family |
Janus Al Nieren (father) |
| Book(s) | |
Prince Malcius Al Nieren is the son and heir to the throne of King Janus Al Nieren of the Unified Realm. He is the brother of Princess Lyrna Al Nieren.
Appearance and Personality[]
Prince Malcius has grown almost as tall and broad as his father. He is considered by many a serious, studious and dutiful young man, but his father fear that he doesn't possess the hard and cold heart needed to be King.
History[]
In his youth, Prince Malcius was trained in state craft and diplomacy by his fathers First Minister, Artis Al Sendahl. During that time he got to know Artis's son, Nortah Al Sendahl, and the two would frequently horseride together.
Blood Song[]
Prince Malcius is attending the Summertide Fair in Varinshold, to witness the execution of Artis Al Sendahl, the First Minister. He witnesses an ugly confrontation between five brothers of the Sixth Order and a company of Realm Guard Cavalry. He recognises Nortah Al Sendahl, the son of the man due to be executed, and quickly realises the cause of the disturbance. He uses his authority to calm the situation, allowing the brothers to leave; before the go, he expresses his regret that Nortah's father is to be executed.
Prince Malcius commands a division of the Realm forces, sent to the neighbouring Alpiran Empire in order to annex the ports on the northern coast into the Unified Realm. Prince Malcius is assigned to hold the city of Untesh. Untesh eventually comes under assault by the Alpirans. It would have fallen on the first day, but for the valient leadership of Brother Frentis. However, after three days the city falls to an all out assault by the Alpirans, with dreadful loses on both. Prince Malcius himself is taken captive. At the end of the war, the Prince is exchanged in return for the man who killed The Hope, Vaelin Al Sorna.
Shortly afterward, his father dies and Malcius was raised to the King of the Unified Realm.
Tower Lord[]
As King, Malcius wants to forge a different path to his ruthless father. He prefers to build bridges, libraries, and healing houses to give the people a Realm fit for living; some call him Malcius the Bricklayer. He has also abolished the strictures on Denier beliefs. However, he is quite an ineffectual King, who surrounds himself with advisor, taking months to make decisions, and is paranoid about plots everywhere.
The Realm is deeply troubled, with conflict between factions that are ardent to the Faith and those more tolerant like the King; Queen Ordella is a particular bone of contention with some saying that she is a denier herself. King Malcius summons Vaelin to an audience when he returns to the Realm after five years imprisonment by the Alpirans. Fearing that Vaelin will become a tool of one of the factions, the King names Vaelin the Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches, after the recent death of Vanos Al Myrna.
Later, another famed hero of the Alpiran war, returns to the Realm, Brother Frentis, who claims to have escaped from the slave pits in the Volarian Empire, and stowed away on a ship to Varinshold. Frentis and his female companion, Elverah, are brought to the palace, and greeted warmly by King Malcius. When Malcius embraces him, Frentis clasps the King’s head between both hands, breaking his neck with a loud crack, killing him instantly.