Cederik Blackspeare

Cederik Blackspeare or "Rik" is the second son of Myre Blackspeare, the younger brother of Yaron and older brother of Taibalte and Kevān Blackspeare. He is the Founder and Patriarch of House of Blackthorn and the Lord of Odon. He is the father of Oleg Blackthorn and his wife Avis is currently pregnant with his second child. He is a recurring character in the series, however in some books he plays large roles.

Appearance and Character
Cederik has the thick and wavy black hair of the Blackspeare and has the grey eyes of the Norby's (which he inherited through his mother Lyann Norby). He is tall and broad however he is smaller than his brother Yaron but not by much. He keeps his hair trimmed short and his beard shaved to maintain a young appearance.

He is a gifted archer and is probably one of the best archers in The Rivoc Isles, winning his first Archery tournament at the age of eleven at the Tournament of Sünsgard. He Understands his position in the House and what he must do to benefit the family and always does his fathers bidding, for example when he married Lady Avis Thorn he was in love with another, but he married her because his father told him to and he understood that it would benefit the Blackspeare name. Now he loves his wife and his son Oleg. He has taken on his fathers hatred for the Fortaines as he was very fond of his uncle Willhem, and King Henri Fortaine had him executed.

Early Life
He is the second son born to Myre and Lyann Blackspeare, being younger than Yaron and older than Taibalte and Kevān. He was born on the 15th of Bareground 481 NE at the Castle of Westerforte as his father was not yet High-Lord of The Rivoc Isles so they did not live at Falconsreach. Like the rest of his brothers Cederik was trained in fighting with weapons - he showed a knack for Archery - and was taught the ways of politics and the Geography of Armerle.

At the age of eleven his father entered him into an archery tournament at Sünsgard to show off his sons skills, Cederik won the tournament with ease. He was a boy of fourteen when his brother Yaron almost won The Tourney of Alderstone Castle and claims that he felt "unimaginable pride" when he saw his brother knock Prince Victar from his horse in the semi-final joust.

The Obsidian War
Cederik was sixteen when the war broke out, and pleaded his father that they support Jasper Goodyere's war effort, however his father remained neutral for the first year of the rebellion until Jasper died at The Battle of Blackforest, leaving his son Tysopher to lead the rebellion. When the Goodyere men were being blockaded in Vyre, Myre and Cederik's older brother sailed south to rescue him from the Royal Forces. Cederik wanted to go with them however his father ordered that he remain at Falconsreach, obediently he stayed put at Falconsreach with his two younger brothers and mother. When his father and brother returned with his new sister-in-law Kristel, Cederik felt jealous as he thought that Kristel was brown-haired and beautiful. However these feelings were soon forgotten as his father asked him to join him the fight against the crown and to gather as many men as possible. He went south to Ragroth and Odon and requested that they rally men to the Goodyere cause and returned to his father with 3000 men. Pleased with this his father ordered him to come with him to war. Cederik fought valiantly at The Battle of The Great Fortaine however was taken captive at the Battle of Aldsea, and did not escape until his father took the Blackspeare forces and attacked the Royal Army at Goldshore camp, where he was being held captive. Once they had won the war at Alderstone Bridge Cederik was ordered take a party of men and chase King Henri down and execute him, along with Queen Helena, Prince Artys, Princess Lamia and his infant Prince Gregor. Cederik chased him all the way to the Port Arien where the royal family managed to escape.

The Blair rebellion
36th of Leafbare 406 NE, Blair troups begin their rebellion by burning small villages loyal to The Blackspeares along the Southern coast of Stormgard. Myre sends a small troup of 50 men to deal with the rebellion, who he believes to be a small Peasant Uprising. The Blackspeare troops are massacred, Lord Aingar Blair writes a letter in the blood of their commander Arvus and sends it to Myre on the back of Arvus' horse, along with his head. Myre reads the letter, upon finding out that his is Lord Aingar's hand he is enraged that he has accused him of getting rid of Rivocian Culture. Since the letter had been sent Lord Aingar had taken over the towns Rivoporte and Rivoforste and was looking to be a threat to Myre's Rule over the Rivoc Isles, in order to avoid being made to look a fool Myre sent a letter to his childhood friend Makar Thorn, asking him to be eyes and ears on the inside of the Blair rebellion. Not being a fan of the way Aingar was handling things Makar is happy to oblige. After learning that the Blairs intend to take the mining town of Irendale, knowing that Irendale is an important strategic position Myre sends Yaron and Cederik out with 2000 troops each to destroy the rebellion. They clashed with the Blair force (3000 men) in the fields just outside of Irendale in a place which is now known as "the Red-Rivoc Field" because of the amount of blood that seeped into the ground and supposedly into the Rivoc mines below Irendale. That day Cederik and his brother destroyed the Blair forces and established their fathers absolute authority over the Rivoc Isles. A month later Cederik was made to marry Avis Thorn in gratitude for her fathers help during the rebellion, even though he was in love with another at the time Cederik obeyed his father as he knew that it would do the family good and he would become Lord of Odon. Instead of remaining part of House of Blackspeare and entitling his family "House of Blackspeare of Odon", his father advised him that he create a cadet branch of the family mixing the names Blackspeare and Thorn together to please his new father in law by showing the importance of the marriage. He entitled the Cadet Branch "House of Blackthorn", his son Oleg being the first of House of Blackthorn.

Children
After his marriage to Lady Avis Thorn on the 2nd of Vehmon 306 NE he had a new castle built in the Town of Brambleton (Brambleton Keep), he then made Brambleton the capital of Odon so that he could have his family live there instead of Blair Fort the Castle in which the Blair's had lived. He then Had most of Blair fort knocked down to get rid of the last remnants of Blair rule over Odon. Whilst Brambleton Keep was being built his wife Avis conceived his son Oleg, who would be born on the 18th of Bluesky 308 NE. Cederik is very close with his son.