Heir Apparent

A Short Story by Robert Bloch

Edition Used for Analysis:
[Tales of the Witch World 1] (1989) Published by TOR, PB, 0-812-54757-8, 978-0-812-54757-3, $3.95, 343pg ~ cover by Victoria Poyser

Synopsis:

Lord Ulric of Ulmsdale wishes an heir to follow him in the Lordship of Eulmsdale.  To this end, he marries the Lady Tephana, who brings with her her chamberwoman, Maug.  Maug seems to carry with her an aura of black menace, and many of the keep's people avoid her if they can.  Though Lord Ulric treats Lady Tephana with all honor, she refuses him the marriage bed because, as she tells Maug, he only wishes to use her to begat an heir.  Maug devises a plan wherein Tephana will conceive, but the child will not be Ulric's and can be raised to be loyal to her alone, thereby acting against Ulric's wishes and bringing Lady Tephana to dominion over the keep.  However, their plan goes awry, and the boy child turn out to be truly Ulric's son, but marked by one of the Old Ones, who interferred with Maug's plan.  Tephana proclaims him monster and insists he be reared apart from the keep.  Maug, for her part in the plotting is banished from the keep--but maybe it wasn't because she plotted, but that she failed.
NOTE:  The other side of the story about "The Getting Of Ulm's Heir"  Bloch did a decent job of this--really is a WITCH WORLD story. ~ SL

Timeline Points:

Concerns the birth of Kerovan from Maug, his mother's evil Wisewoman's, perspective.

Companion piece to Of the Shaping of Ulm's Heir.

The Sorcerer’s recommend that you read next: Rampion