A High Fantasy novel by Sherwood Smith consisting of two parts, Crown Duel and Court Duel (originally released in 1997 and 1998, reissued in an omnibus format in 2002, and reissued again as an e-book in 2010 with additional scenes by a second narrator). The story is set in the kingdom of Remalna, where the people's agreement with the Hill Folk to not cut down trees or burn wood has altered the standard Medieval European Fantasy setting. A number of sequels and prequels set in the same continuity followed, including Inda and its direct follow-ups.
In Crown Duel, Countess Meliara Astair of Tlanth swears to her dying father that she and her brother will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, which threatens the very people they are trying to protect.
In Court Duel, Meliara is summoned to live at the royal palace, where friends and enemies look alike, and intrigue fills the dance halls and the drawing rooms. If she is to survive, Meliara must learn a whole new way of fighting-with wits and words and secret alliances.
This book provides examples of:
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: In part 1, Meliara attempts to plead for the life of her brother despite her obstinate attitude. Just as the villain catches on to her behavior, she reveals she was stalling for time as the Hill Folk arrive and save the day.
- Annoying Arrows: Averted. The whole continent has a pact against using archers.
- Barefoot Poverty: Though a noble, Meliara only ever wore cast-off clothes and only bothered with too-large shoes in winter.
- Big Damn Heroes: Nessaren and her riding show up just when the wagon drivers are about to kill Mel.
- Book Dumb: Meliara, at first, as her father had burned their library when she was young.
- The Dandy: Shevraeth has this reputation. He surprises everyone by being incredibly competent.
- Dead Guy on Display: What would happen to the Astairs if Galdran got to them.
- Every Proper Lady Should Curtsy: The first few chapters of part two involve Nee teaching Mel about Court etiquette.
- Evil Is Petty: This is what brings down Galdran, who insisted on fighting the rebels himself after Mel made Debegri look the fool.
- Fascists' Bed Time: The army imposes this on the towns they pass through while hunting for Mel.
- First-Name Basis: Savona asks Mel to call him by his first name after their first dance, which almost no one else at Court uses. Shevraeth also asks to be called by name once he and Meliara resolve their differences.
- Gambit Pileup: All over the place. Most of part one's unpleasantness could have been averted if Shevraeth had worked with the Astairs from the beginning.
- Go Through Me: Towards the end of part 1, Meliara stands before a large group of mercenaries and tells them that she knows she can't fight forty of them, but she's going to stand there and do it anyway because she took an oath to protect the Hill Folk. This visibly freaks them out."I know I can't fight forty of you, but I'm going to stand here and block you until you either go away or my arms fall off, because this, too, is an oath I took."
- Good with Numbers: After learning to read as a teenager, Mel takes over Tlanth's business and taxes.
- Heroic Willpower: Meliara is a queen of this. She rides for at least three days with no sleep and faces down forty wagoneers, even though she has no hope of defeating them in a fight, just to help the Hill Folk.
- Holding the Floor: At the end of part 1, Meliara attempts to plead for the life of her brother despite her obstinate attitude. Just as the villain catches on to her behavior, she reveals she was stalling for time as the Hill Folk arrive and save the day.
- Home Field Advantage: The Tlanthi led Galdran's army deeper into the mountains for this.
- It Was a Gift: The ring Meliara receives from an anonymous admirer, and still more the ring she had made to reciprocate, move the plot in several instances.
- Literally Shattered Lives: At one point, the Big Bad is trying to make a point to the protagonists, so he turns everyone at court into statues and smashes someone we haven't really heard from so far, just to up the dramatic tension.
- Ostentatious Secret: Meliara uses this to spread word and anticipation for Nee's adoption party.
- P.O.V. Sequel: While the original version is told in first person from a single POV, the e-book edition includes several bonus scenes written from the POV of the narrator's love interest; given that she misunderstands his motivations for most of the story, it's interesting to see his side of the story.
- Royal Blood: Mel and Bran's mother was the last of Remalna's greatest royal line.
- Technicolor Eyes: Flauvic has gold eyes.
- Tsundere: Meliara is Sweet to such an extent that Shevraeth has to resort to wooing her through anonymous letters.
