Rose of Glendarra — Patricia Ward

Lira is a Princess on the brink of becoming a young woman and soon fit to be a Queen in her own right. At last her people are at peace with the evil warlord from across The Boundary and a new era is at hand. Or so they all thought, until as all of Glendarra was celebrating peace at last, Suo-Gan invades the Palace and demands Lira be given to him as his Queen, and as dowry, the sacred talisman, the Rose of Glendarra! Lira acts as she must and taking the Rose for safe keeping, one day to return it to its rightful place in the palace once more, she escapes into the night.

Lira and Kashi, a young orphan boy from the palace, journey to Whitecastle, the legendary place of solitude and refuge, to keep the Rose out of Suo-gan's hands. But a lone Knight, traveling a solitary path, sees the travelers and by his vow as a Knight, cannot allow such injustice to happen and he intervenes and agrees to escort the travelers to their journey's end.

But Lira knows she must return to Glendarra, for herself, her father and her people. Can she do it? Can she save them all? What about Sir Gavilan, the brave knight who has stood by her, defending her with his life? Lira must find the real power of the Rose deep inside her to set them free from the power of the Horde forever.