In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

his swordplay. Magi were highly valued in the kingdom of Askela but only if they were a registered member of the Shan's Elite Magi Proctors. Unregistered Magi were hunted by the Magi Proctors and forced to join. When a Magi joined the Proctors, to ensure loyalty only to the Shan and the Proctors, the Proctors insisted all family ties be broken. To breed stronger Magi, the Proctors choose a mate for you. It mattered little to the Proctors if the Magi 'recruited' was already married, in a relationship or if they even liked their assigned partner. Had she been a registered Magi, Kathlea would never have been allowed to marry Maxton who had no Magi Talent. If the Proctors caught her now, they would try to force her to mate with a male Magi they had chosen, and her children would be tested for Magi talents. Any of her Magi gifted children would be separated from her and sent to a special school where they would be brainwashed in loyalty to the Proctors above all else. Maxton would be killed outright.

Not all Magi were in favor of being required to join the Proctors. Years ago, the rebellious unregistered Magi of Askela had formed a network called the Magi Cadre which was organized to enable Magi to escape the nets spread by the Proctors. Travelers like the Mabinogion family picked up Magi hiding from the Proctors and aided them to escape to neighboring countries where the Magi Laws were different. For the truly desperate, there was Ironlyn Keep and a Gate to another world. As the spymaster for the Cadre, Lewys Mabinogion, Kathlea's father, traveled around the kingdom eking out a living selling spices, potions and medicine to various villages. While Lewys and his family worked at overseeing the Cadre network, Lerrys Mabinogion, a cousin with few Magi abilities held Ironlyn for them.

Magical in itself, for many years Ironlyn had defied attempts by the Shan and the Magi Proctors to force their way into it. Unable to break the wards or decipher the spell that created them, the Proctors continually searched for members of the bloodline in the hope they would be able use one of the blood to force a way into the Keep and control the Gate.

Kathlea had born Maxton three children, Rebecca, age ten and the twins Catrin and Owen, age four, all of whom were showing signs of nascent Magi talent. There was also hope of a fourth child, but on that fatal day when the Proctors found them, Kathlea hadn't yet shared that news with her family.

The Proctors found them on Rebecca's tenth birthday. Her grandparents had driven their wagon into a nearby village to meet their contact and pick up a Magi hiding there. Kathlea and Maxton had stayed behind because it was rumored the Proctors were in the village, and Lewys Mabinogion thought two Traveler wagons would draw too much attention.

Rebecca and the twins had been playing under the wagon when Kathlea stood up and looked towards the town.

"What is it?" Maxton demanded.

"He's coming!" Kathlea gasped. "I feel him. He knows I'm here."

She turned to Rebecca. "Go! Hide where we found the berries. Be quiet, and keep the twins quiet also. Don't come out whatever you see or hear. Promise me!"

"I promise," Rebecca said. She grabbed Catrin and Owen's hands and ran into the bushes. They barely made it before the Proctor and his men thundered into camp.

Unknown to Rebecca, her mother cast a shadow spell on the children to keep them from being noticed. While her attention was diverted, the Proctor cast a Binding Spell on her to keep her from using her Rainbow Magic to help her husband as he fought the Proctor's guards. Rebecca could see the bubble of magic over her mother push outward as Kathlea tried to break through it. Hidden in a hollow in the brush with her hands covering the mouths of her brother and sister, she watched in terror as her father fought the guardsmen who came with the Proctor.

Catrin whimpered. "Hush!" Rebecca breathed and the children obediently stilled.

The Proctor had brought ten guards with him. Maxton fought like a demon to reach him, slaying all but four of his guards before an unlucky strike brought him down. Kathlea screamed.

"Shut up woman!" the Proctor yelled. "You are Magi and a strong one. I will let him live if you do not resist."

Sobbing, Kathlea allowed herself to be led away, the bubble binding her to the saddle. The remaining guards loaded up their dead and wounded comrades and followed their master.

Rebecca made the twins wait until the Proctor and his men had disappeared before they came out of hiding. Maxton was unconscious but alive. Anghard, Rebecca's grandmother had just begun to teach the girl healing, but she bathed and bound her father's wounds as well as she could, applying a poultice of crushed bayberry and skunkweed to stop the bleeding.

Lewys and Anghard had been forced to watch as the Proctor led their captive daughter through the village, arriving back at the camp to find Maxton alive but still unconscious.

As soon as he recovered, Maxton left to follow them and rescue his wife from the Proctors. The family packed up and left the area, traveling in a roundabout way toward the Capitol city of Khios where the Proctors were headquartered, hoping to be able to help their daughter and her husband.

Lewys learned through his contacts that Kathlea had arrived there and been taken into the inner courts for training, but he could discover nothing more. Almost a year later, news came saying Maxton and Kathlea were both dead.

"It is a tale of love and defiance to inspire rebels against the Proctors for generations," the woman, an escaped Magi, brought the news. "He fought his way in to her, and they defied the Chief Magi Proctor himself, but they were trapped on the highest tower of the castle above the ocean cliffs. They kissed each other and jumped into