The Tribus elves conquered many human realms on Volkaran, using bribes and betrayal as well as the sword to divide and conquer. The humans saw their sons and daughters taken into slavery; they saw most of their food going into elven mouths; they saw elf lords slaughter dragons for sport. Eventually, the humans came to the conclusion that they hated elves more than they hated each other.
The two most powerful human clans, working in secret, formed an alliance, sealed by the marriage of Stephen of Volkaran with Anne of Ulyndia. The humans began to push the occupying forces off Volkaran, culminating in the famous Battle of Seven Fields, a battle remarkable for the fact that the loser ended up the victor.* The subsequent rebellion among the elves, led by the Prince Rees’ahn, forced the withdrawal of elven occupying forces.
*Defeated in battle, King Stephen was forced to surrender his army to Prince Rees’ahn. The elves took the humans prisoner and were marching them to slavery when a human minstrel named Ravenlark began to sing a song of defiance. The song turned out to have a powerful, almost magical effect on the elves. It transports all elves who hear it back to a time when they lived in peace, when their society gloried in all things beautiful. The elves threw down their weapons; many began to weep for what was lost. The king and his army retreated into a nearby castle. The elves left field of battle, returned to their ships. Thus began the elven revolution. Dragon Wing, vol. I, The Death Gate Cycle.
Alfred’s history concludes on a sad note:
Ulyndia and Volkaran are once again under human control. But now, once the elven threat is removed, the humans have decided it is safe to start hating each other again. Factions howl war and snap at each other’s throats. Powerful barons on both sides mutter darkly that the alliance of Stephen and Anne has outlived its usefulness. The king and queen are forced to play a dangerous game.
These two, in truth, love each other dearly. A marriage of convenience, planted in the muck of years of hatred, has blossomed into mutual respect and affection. But each knows that the flower will wither and die untimely, unless they can keep control of their followers.
Thus each pretends to hate what each most dearly values—the other. They quarrel loudly in public, cling to each other most fondly in private. Thinking the marriage and therefore the alliance is crumbling, the members of each opposing faction whisper their intrigues to king and queen openly, not realizing that these two are —in reality—one. Thus Stephen and Anne have been able to control and put out blazes that might have consumed their kingdom.
But now there is a new problem—Bane. And what we are to do about him is beyond me to figure out. I am afraid for the mensch, though. Afraid for them all.
The problem had been solved.* Bane had disappeared, purportedly carried off to a faraway realm by a man with blue skin —at least such had been the vague report given King Stephen by Bane’s real mother, Iridal of the High Realms.
*Bane’s story is told in full in Dragon Wing. vol. i, The Death Gate Cycle.
The farther away they took Bane, the better, was Stephen’s view of the matter. Bane had vanished over a year ago, and a curse seemed to have been lifted from the entire kingdom with the boy’s removal.
Queen Anne became pregnant again, and was safely delivered of a baby girl. The child was princess of Ulyndia and, though the crown of Volkaran could not now, by law, be given into female hands, laws had a way of changing over the years, especially if Stephen did not father any sons. King and queen both adored their daughter. Magi of the Third House were hired to stand guard day and night to make certain that this time no strange, fey changeling appeared in the cradle.
Also, during this momentous year, the rebellion of the Gegs of the Lower Realms further weakened the elves, depleted their forces. Stephen’s armies had managed to push the elves from their last toehold on the outlying islands of Volkaran.