The Royal Family: A Celebration

The Royal Family: A Celebration is a book written by Bryanne Eridiphal during the 25th anniversary of King's Graham reign, to salute the royal family, and their history. The Royal Family: A Celebration was a supplement in the official King's Quest 6 Hintbook by Lorelei Shannon.

This version influenced much edited version the A Summary of King's Quest found in the official KQ7 Hint Book.

Excerpts from "The Royal Family: A Celebration" by Bryanne Eridiphal, Scribe and Herald

In this, the twenty-fifth year of good King Graham's reign, we the people of Daventry wish to celebrate our good fortune. Our lands are rich and bountiful, our children strong and happy, and most of all our rulers are kind, brave, noble and just. It is to the Royal Family that we owe our prosperous lives. All hail Graham and Valanice! All hail Alexander and Rosella! We salute you!

The Royal Family

King Graham

Our noble king is a man of few words and many deeds. He is famed throughout the Lands not only as the beloved ruler of Daventry, but as a brilliant scholar and a fearless adventurer. Not once but thrice has he journeyed far from his home on perilous and incredible quests. Brave King Graham, we salute you!

Queen Valanice

It is safe to say that our beautiful Queen Valanice is loved by all. She won our hearts early on, and when she bore King Graham twins, beautiful girl and a strong, hardy boy, the whole kingdom went wild with joy. Her strength, grace, and wisdom are an example for the people of Daventry, both men and women alike. She is one of the finest scholars in the land and her writings grace the libraries of the Known World. Let us honor the woman who is both the strong backbone and loving heart of the Kingdom: We salute you, bright Lady!

Prince Alexander

Alas, we will never forget the terrible day that King Graham's tiny heir was spirited away from his cradle. For nearly eighteen years, Alexander had been enslaved by the evil wizard Manannan. Turning the wicked sorcerer's magic against him, the young and intrepid prince made his escape. Joyous bells rang throughout the land as young Alexander was welcomed back into the heart of his family! It is said, however that the poor prince did not escape his captivity unscathed. Sometimes Alexander wakes in the night with terrible nightmares, in which he never escaped the wrath of the evil wizard. On those nights, he may be seen walking the castle battlements, with a strange haunted, and somehow unsettling look in his eye. Despite, or perhaps because of this haunted quality the handsome Crown Prince has been the object of admiration for many young ladies of noble birth, but none seem to have captured his fancy. One thing is certain, on the day he chooses a bride, hearts will break all over Daventry, my own included. Prince Alexander, we salute you!

Princess Rosella

How can someone be so beautiful and delicate, yet so strong and brave? The Princess Rosella is all these things, and more. She was her father's darling and her mother's close companion during the years that her twin brother was missing. Imagine the People's horror when it was learned that Princess Rosella had offered to sacrifice herself to the Three-headed Dragon, to save her beloved Daventry. As we all know, that did not happen. She was rescued by her brother Alexander, but during the joyous celebrations, King Graham collapsed. The strong, valiant ruler of the land lay mortally ill. No one could believe it when his lovely young daughter set out on a dangerous quest to save his live. She returned triumphant with the Magic Fruit which saved the King's life. Rosella is still the beloved daughter of Daventry, but the people no longer think of her as just a pretty and charming girl. She is every inch the hero, and an inspiration to all. We salute you, Princess Rosella!

Their Deeds and Adventures

The First Adventure of King Graham (In which he Earns the Throne of Daventry, and Saves the Land from certain Destruction)

Sir Graham was a young man of nineteen years when he was summoned to appear before the beloved King Edward the Benevolent. The old King was dying, and he bid Graham, a promising young knight and the son of the King's best friend, to undergo a dangerous quest. It was known to all that many years prior the king had lost the three great treasures of Daventry; Merlin's Mirror, the Shield of Achille, and the Chest of Gold. Although he had searched ever since, King Edward had been unable to recover them. Without these mystical items, the kingdom had been in a steady decline. The king sent young Sir Graham forth to recover the treasures, promising him the crown if he were to return successful. There was an unspoken understanding between the two good men that to fail would mean the death of Daventry. With this heavy burden on his young shoulders brave Graham set forth. He journeyed across his own tortured land, made alien and frightening by the influence of evil. He met many terrifying creatures; witches, ogres, wicked sorcerers and the like, and dealt with all by force or by wit. He also made many good friends, who helped him on his way. The young knight at last returned to Castle Daventry victorious. Scant hours after Graham was crowned king, Edward the Benevolent slipped away into the long sleep of death. It is said the strong, brave King Graham wept like a child.

King Graham's Second Adventure (In which he wins himself a Bride, and the Kingdom a Gracious Queen)

Some say that the young King Graham was enchanted by a vision in the magic mirror of the beautiful maiden, Valanice of Kolyma, as she languished away in the confines of the Crystal Tower. Those who know him, know better. It was true love the King felt, and no mere enchantment. He looked into the lovely face of Valanice and lost his heart. Much against the advice of his councilors and elder knights, he set forth to find his love. He wandered that lovely tropic island kingdom for many days, searching for the three arcane doors that lead to his lady's prison. Along the way, Graham encountered wonders that the rest of us can only dream about. He met and befriended one of the mythical Merfolk and enjoyed an audience with Neptune, the noble King of the Sea. Graham then managed to enter into the very lair of Hagatha, that most powerful and evil of witches (and poor Valanice's captor), and rescue a magical nightingale from under Hagatha's wicked nose. Graham freed a magnificent winged horse from an evil spell, which had transformed the poor beast into a snake. During his journeys our king even faced the angry, restless spirits of the dead. At last Graham set foot on the Enchanted Island, where his beloved awaited. His final challenger was a mighty lion, which the king defeated without spilling a drop of the noble beast's blood. Valanice was free. The King and the maiden looked upon each other in a heartbeat, they fell in love. Graham and Valanice were immediately married in the warm heart of Kolyma. May they live and love forever!

The Adventure of Prince Alexander (In which he Discovers his True Identity, defeats a Mighty Wizard, and saves his Royal Sister from a horrible Death.)

Our poor prince! Imagine his plight, reader if you will. Snatched from his home as a tiny infant, he was enslaved by the evil wizard Manannan for almost eighteen years in the Land of Llewdor. He didn't even know his own name, for the wizard called him Gwydion. The young prince was forced to care for the wizard's home and beasts, prepare his meals, and perform the rudest of tasks. He was brutally punished for smallest of transgressions, whether real or imagined. Manannan taught Gwydion to read, not for any love of the boy, but because he could not tolerate the presence of ignorance. That was a fatal mistake. For you see, the noble youth had discovered that Manannan planned to kill him upon his eighteenth birthday. That usually happy event in the young man's life was but scant days away for the prince. In a desperate bid to save his life, the boy used the wizard's own magic against him. Using a forgotten spell, he transformed the terrible Manannan into a mangy and ill-natured tomcat! Oh, imagine the boy's delirious sense of freedom. After a rather dangerous journey, Alexander found himself on an unknown shore. Little did he know he had found Daventry, his long lost home! He met a wise gnome who told him of his heritage—and of his sister's eminent sacrifice to a fire-breathing dragon. Alexander rushed to the scene. It was a terrible sight; his sister bound and helpless, about to be burned to ashes by the dread beast. Alexander called upon all of his newly-found arcane knowledge and with a mighty spell, vanquished the creature. The joy and wonder of the Royal Family's reunion is still celebrated by the whole kingdom each year on the anniversary of Alexander's and Rosella's return.

The Adventures of Princess Rosella (In which she saved the Life of her noble Father, and delivered the land of Tamir from sure Destruction)

The pure delight of the prince's homecoming and Rosella's rescue was fated not to last. During the happy celebrations poor King Graham collapsed, clutching his chest. The day's events had been too much for his stout heart to take. Just when it seemed that he would surely die, the beautiful fairy queen Genesta appeared to Rosella in the magic mirror. She told her of a magic fruit in the land of Tamir which would save her father's life. Genesta had been injured by the evil fairy Lolotte, who wished not only to kill her, but to take all of Tamir for herself. Lolotte had stolen a powerful Talisman from Genesta, which gave her the power to do just that, and perhaps take the rest of the world as well. Genesta lacked the strength to bring the fruit to Rosella, but she magically whisked the princess away to Tamir. The resourceful Rosella found the fruit fairly quickly (after befriending seven dwarves, evading a troll, and charming a snake, that is). Her triumph was cut short when Lolotte had Rosella snatched away by her flying minions, and taken to her castle. Clever Rosella convinced the wicked fairy that she was a mere peasant girl, so she was not killed outright. Instead, Lolotte demanded that Rosella bring her three treasures that Lolotte herself could not lay her hands on. With much effort, Rosella obtained each of the three treasures, and returned each to Lolotte. Poor Rosella! Despite her success, the Princess was greeted with the news that Lolotte intended not to set her free, but to give her to Edgar, the fairy's deformed son. Rosella was terrified. But much to her surprise, the kind youth Edgar provided her with a means of escape. Rosella slipped into Lolotte's chamber and pierced the fairy's black heart with cupid's arrow. The love carried on that golden arrow killed the evil fairy instantly. Rosella took the talisman from Lolotte's neck and began the arduous journey back to Genesta's island. With the talisman she healed the fairy queen. Genesta returned Rosella to Daventry, but not before healing Edgar's twisted form. She could not heal his pure heart, though, as it had broken for love of Rosella. The brave princess healed her father and all was well in the kingdom once more. For a little while, anyway.

The Third Adventure of King Graham (In which he Rescues the kidnapped Royal Family, recovers his missing Castle, and vanquishes the dread wizard Mordack)

King Graham was strolling through the forest one fateful morning, on his way to take a swim in Lake Maylie, as he has done every day for the past twenty years. A thunderous blast of evil magic sent him running back home, faster than he had ever run before. But King Graham no longer had a home. Castle Daventry, and his family with it, had disappeared. The grief stricken king cried aloud, desperate to know who had taken them. His call was answered by a good-hearted owl named Cedric who told Graham the name of his family's kidnapper; Mordack, brother of Manannan. Cedric took Graham to the good wizard Crispinopher in the land of Serenia, where the king hurriedly prepared for his journey to Mordack's island. Crispin sent Graham off with a bit of whitesnake for communicating with the natural world, a battered magic wand, and a reluctant Cedric. Graham and his companion stopped in the fair capital of Serenia for supplies and then, after a few strange encounters, started off across the burning desert. Graham and Cedric nearly perished of thirst and barely evaded the wrath of vicious bandits, but somehow they managed to emerge alive. After bartering with tricksome Gypsies, they ventured into the Dark Forest. There they a wicked witch who nearly ended their journey then and there, and a sprightly, cunning elf. Once out of the forest, their journey became more and more perilous. North they went, and still further north, into the icy mountains. The two were captured by the cold-hearted Icebella, Queen of Winter, but cleverly staved off her anger. Graham and Cedric made haste from the icy mountains, and came upon a shore where they found a sailboat. Happily they took to sea. They had not reached end of their trials, however, and were cast ashore on an island populated by terrible, flesh-eating harpies. They barely escaped whole and uncooked, and poor Cedric was terribly wounded. Taking his injured friend, Graham sailed ever onward toward Mordack's island. In a stroke of marvelous luck, Graham was able to get help for Cedric. At last the two travelers reached Mordack's castle. The determined king got past the wizard's enchanted gates and navigated a baffling maze, desperate for just a glimpse at his family. In Mordack's prison of a palace, Graham encountered the beautiful princess Cassima, who had been enslaved by the wizard. He vowed to free her. At last Graham was rewarded with the sight of his family——who had been shrunk down to the size of insects, and were held captive in a glass bottle! Graham quickly dealt with the still feline (and still evil) Manannan, and recharged Crispin's wand in a wondrous machine. The final battle was on! Bards still sing of the mighty magical duel that took the place that between the wizard and the king. Woe to all of us if good Graham had been defeated! As we all know, he won, thank the heavens. But the glory is to be shared: Let it be known to all that our king would have died if it were not for the noble Cedric. When at last it was over, Princess Cassima was freed. King Graham reversed the spell that took his family and his castle from him, and gladly returned home to Daventry. The young Prince Alexander alone seemed not to share his family's joy. He was quietly suffering; he felt responsible for his family's ordeal. Had he not angered Manannan and Mordack in the first place? But King Graham is gentle as well as brave, and he and Valanice worked together to calm their son's tormented heart. All was happy in the kingdom once more. All is still happy in the kingdom, so let us pray that it stays that way, shall we? Our beloved Royal Family deserves some peace and tranquility!

Behind the scenes

King's Quest Companion references

This summary contains several references to material from the King's Quest Companion.

The first reference although not necessarily strictly a King's Quest Companion reference is the 25th Anniversary reference. In the King's Quest Companion, KQ6 is said to take place between 20 or 25 years after KQ1.

The second reference is the reference to Valanice being one of the greatest scholars in Daventry and her works be read throughout the world. This a reference to Valanice having written one of Chronicles of Daventry telling the events of King's Quest IV. In the chronicle she explains that she makes sure that she and her family are well read in all the classic literature. It is also a reference to a comment made about Valanice in the An Encyclopedia of Daventry in the second edition.

The third reference is the reference to Graham being the son of the king's best friend. In the companion it is said that Graham was the son of the King's best friend, Sir Hereward, another knight of Daventry.

The fourth reference is the fact that the Three Treasures of Daventry are referred to as the Shield of Achille, Merlin's Mirror and Chest of Gold, which are the names the companion gave for the three treasures. In the games they are were known simply as the magic shield, the magic mirror, and the magic chest.

The fifth reference is the fact that the quartz tower in KQ2 is referred to as the Crystal Tower, the name for the tower originating out of the Companion.

The sixth reference is that island where Valanice was being kept is referred to as the Enchanted Island, this is a name originating out of the companions. In KQ2 and other source its just called an island in an enchanted realm, or described as an "enchanted isle/island".

The seventh reference is that it says that Manannan taught Gwydion how to read because he "could not tolerate the presence of ignorance", this is a fact originating out of the King's Quest Companion, and not mentioned in KQ3 itself.

The eighth reference is the reference to Lake Maylie, which was the name for the lake just north of Castle Daventry in the King's Quest Companion, named after King Edward's late queen.

The ninth reference is the reference that states that Graham has been taking daily walks to swim in Lake Maylie for the last twenty years. According to the companion, it says that he started taking daily walks to the shores of Lake Maylie since the day the royal twins were born.

Inconsistencies

Like similar summaries made in other sources, there are sometimes inconsistencies with assorted source material. This one is no exception. Here are some of the differences;

The account of KQ1 implies that Graham multiple witches, ogres, and wicked sorcerers on his journey. In the game it is certain he only met one witch. Other accounts suggest he only met one sorcerer, and one ogre.

This account suggests that Graham entered into Hagatha's cave while she was inside, and took the nightingale under her nose. In the companion account, she was was not in the cave when he entered (he was under the effects of the fairy spell), and encountered her outside the cave as he left.

This account suggests that Alexander was snatched from his home, whereas account in KQ companion had him snatched from the shores of Lake Maylie.

This account suggests that Princess Rosella had offered to sacrifice herself to the Three-headed Dragon, to save her beloved Daventry. However, in the game, it was the Dragon who ordered her sacrifice specifically, and she had not been completely agreeable with the decision (she at least 'tried to be brave' about it). In the Companion, its said that it was Gerwain that advised Graham to agree to the Dragon's demands, and Graham who had ultimately made the decision. Valanice was completely against it, and had stood in front the entrance to Rosella's room, trying to prevent Graham from taking there child away. It's also suggested that Rosella went bravely, as her father took her to the dragon's lair and tied her up. It is also said that Rosella forgave her father for his terrible choice.

Edward is said to have died hours after Graham's return, although in game it is shown to be moments after his return.

Cedric follows Graham into both the Endless Desert and the Dark Forest, an action he doesn't take in the game.

Short timeline

This is quick run down of the dates given in this source (and approximations based on context). Specific dates from the article are highlighted.

• 19 GC

Graham's birthday

• 1 GC

Graham becomes king.

• 6GC

Graham begins his daily journeys to the Lake Maylie.

• c. 19 GC (Approximately 23 GC)

KQ3/KQ4 (...nearly eighteen/about eighteen/eighteenth birthday...)

• 26 GC

Anniversary of King Graham's reign.

KQ6 (six month date appears in KQ6/1 year date in KQC)

KQ5's point in time is not given in the material (though most sources place it one year after KQ4 or 24 GC). This does have some timing issues with the limited time given between KQ5 and KQ6 of about six months' and KQ5 being set in spring (which would mathematically leave KQ6 at 24 GC as well).

References

King's Quest VI official Hintbook by Lorelei Shannon.