AN: I've always thought our dear Zedar never got to justify his actions fully. Plus he's a good character and I like him. OK so he's a traitor and has massive problems with a little grey stone, but he's a tragic hero same as Macbeth and Othello and they got entire plays to themselves. Zedar didn't even get a book! And I reckon his version of events might be quite interesting. All right, enough self-important dribble. Let's get on with this

Oh yeah, one more thing. I'm not David Eddings, I don't own this, chances are I never will. Happy now? Good

Riva, ten years after the defeat of the dark prophecy

Belgarion of Riva looked curiously at the small parcel that had arrived from his grandfather that afternoon, courtesy of Captain Greldik. Carefully hoisting one of his tiny, red-haired daughters off his chair he tore off the wrapping. Inside was a note

Garion, (it read)

This just materialised (and I really do mean materialised) on my table last week. I've read it, and as I don't need it now, you can have it. It seems to be something similar to what you and your devious wife coerced out of your Aunt and me a few years ago, except written from Zedar's perspective.

Anyway, see what you make of it. I'm going to see if I can't discover the reason for the mountains before my eight-thousandth birthday (but with you and Ce'Nedra around that sometimes seems unlikely).

Belgarath

Garion was intrigued. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to read Zedar's autobiography, this was the man who stole the orb after all, and no mean sorcerer. Mind you, Belgarath would not have sent him a dangerous book - deliberately that is. Trouble was, Belgarath sometimes had an incredibly warped idea of what 'dangerous' was.

At that point, Queen Ce'Nedra entered his study. "Ildera! GET OFF DADDY'S DESK!" Garion winced. Evidently he'd been just a little careless when he lifted his second daughter off his seat. Fuming, Ce'Nedra turned around. Really she wasn't that much taller than Ildera, but in his mind she was a hundred feet tall. "Well!" she demanded. "What have you got there?"

"Zedar's book," Garion said in a commonplace voice. Ce'Nedra's fiery disposition evaporated immediately.

"Ooh, let me see it!" Not waiting for an answer, she simply snatched the parcel away from him. "It's not quite as long as Belgarath's was," she said critically. "But it's still rather substantial."

"I'm not entirely sure we should read it to the children just yet," Garion said rather slyly, Ce'Nedra thought. "At least," he added, "not until we've read it."

"No, we wouldn't want it to be a bad influence." Tearing off the wrapper fully, husband and wife began to read the story of the man who (when you come to think about it) actually brought them together.

AN: OK, so it's short, but it's just a prologue. Why not give me a review and tell me what you think? I'd really really like to know. I appreciate this hasn't taken off yet (if it ever will remains dubious) but still, feedback is appreciated. (PS: It's rather a good thing Zedar's book isn't as substantial as Belgarath's and Polgara's...or I'd still be writing this twenty years from now Please review -Charli