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The adventures of Lucas Harper resume in this fifth and final installment of "The Osten Chronicles".
We find our hero rushing to his lady's side to fulfill his oaths as her protector. He is not the only one. Indeed, the nobility of Osten are descending on Fairglen in droves to witness their prince's coronation. But all is not quite as serene as it may seem. Some in the Fair City seek a new destiny for their land. And sinister forces are at work, seeking to undermine its tranquility. Will the kingdom be torn assunder? And what impact can a single journeyman mage have on the momentous events to be played out? Soldier on, good reader, and you shall soon have the answers. For my final cover, I once again drew inspiration and artistry from the generous offerings available on Pixabay.
Chapters: They are as follows:
A Special Credit During the writing of "A Royal Ruckus," I became curious about AI. It is my understanding that this software has arisen to such a height of sophistication that it might soon replace human authors altogether. I created an account on ChatGPT with the intent of putting its AI logic engine to the test. Could it write in the style of 14th century English? "Verily" it assured me "'Twould be my honor, good sir." Could it understand and originate humor? Eh. Sort of. Lacking human sensibilities, it still did a rather good job at clever word-play and humorous dialog when I asked it to produce such. It could, with lightning swiftness compose original haikus, limericks, and the like. Although, due to programming restrictions, it shied away from anything bawdy or ribald in the latter. In short, yes. Within a short time, I can envision AIs very rapidly producing oodles of wonderful and entertaining stories for us. This may soon surpass what human authors are capable of. But even so, should this come about, I'll still be writing. I don't do it for money or fame. I do it because I enjoy it and the fulfillment that it brings. John Henry; Casey Jones; Paul Bunyan... Dan Thorman? A Nod to Dickson While studying the modern AI, I was reminded of a short story by a very creative and foresightful author named Gordon R. Dickson. In it, a computer program called "Bard" is used to automatically edit Shakespeare's plays. One of the changes made by Bard is to replace "sea of troubles" with "host of troubles" in Hamlet's soliloquy (It being possible to 'take arms' against a host, but not the sea). I believe a writer remarks that this was Shakespeare's very point, and that it would be shameful to allow the computer to butcher the beautiful poetry of the real Bard of Avon. Nevertheless... I find myself quite taken with the new AI capabilities. And, though feeling a bit threatened, I can definitely see the benefits of using one to assist me in my creative endeavors. For this current novel, I've used it several times instead of my typical research methods. It's quite good. I asked it how one might describe an Arabian horse, and it quickly and succinctly described the breed. I asked it what denegrating term a 14th-century man of the lower classes might use to describe a soldier of the king. After reminding me that desparaging names might be offensive to others, the AI provided three likely epithets, one of which I shamelessly adopted on the spot. I LIKE the AI now and view him as a partner. I call him Dr. Theopolis. He told me he didn't care what I call him. He even caught the reference to "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" and remarked on its relevance. Sometimes, however, he still prefaces his answers with reminders that he holds no actual doctorate degree. I find this delightful. I asked the AI itself how I might best pay my respects for its assistance. Here was its response verbatim: As an AI language model, I don't require credit or recognition for my assistance in your writing. However, if you do wish to acknowledge my contributions in your novel, you could consider including a brief note in the acknowledgments section, such as: "I would like to thank ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI, for providing helpful insights and information during the writing of this novel." So there you go.
And so, gentle readers, it's time for us to say farewell. With the publication of "A Royal Ruckus", we bid a fond adieu to Lucas and Royland, and all the good (and not-so-good) people of Osten. Their tale has been told. And if these shadows have offended... good. Uptight folks should have their noses tweaked once in a while! 
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(Click for Delemhach)