The Irish Princess and the Pearls of Eetanam

By Jamie Scheid

All seems quaint and serene in the beautiful emerald isle, but alas, the Kingdom of Shaughnessy is confronted by a battle with the Vikings, an uprising of evil and an endless journey for one young woman to find her purpose.

Princess Cassidy Clarke is looking forward to her special thirteenth birthday celebration, but Queen Septani discloses a new quest for the princess that becomes the most challenging and influential time of her entire life.
Powerful pearls were secretly given away ten years ago and now the queen needs Princess Cassidy to locate them and make certain they are secure or the kingdom could be destroyed. The princess disguises herself as a peasant and lives among the villagers searching for the pearls, but unbeknown to her, just past Everlost Forest, is an evil that grows stronger and closer as it too is on the hunt for the pearls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Scheid
• Release date: Sep 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9780989999410

Jamie Scheid

Jamie Scheid lives in the Midwest with her husband and two sons, one of whom has autism spectrum disorder. She graduatedcum laude from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.Jamie is passionate about everything related to autism spectrum disorder. She encourages Awareness, Acceptance and Attitude in her book Hope Is Within Reach: Overcoming the Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has also created the LOOK & LEARN Book Series for Visual Learners as a tool for parents to teach their child in a fun and simple way.When not working with autism she enjoys writing fiction which includes her young adult fantasy The Irish Princess and the Pearls of Eetanam. She is working on other genres such as science-fiction romance and a middle-grade paranormal series.

Book preview

The Irish Princess

and the Pearls of Eetanam

by

Jamie Scheid

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Copyright © 2013 Jamie Scheid. Published at Smashwords. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this eBook, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

Cover Design:

Copyright © Phatpuppyart.com – Claudia McKinney

Copyright © Ashley @ The Bookish Brunette

Cover Art:

Copyright © Depositphotos.com # 11756355; 23122380; 5289415

All other images Copyright © Phatpuppyart.com

Visit the author website: http://www.jamiescheid.com

ISBN: 978-0-9899994-0-3

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my incredible Grandmother, who loved the rich history of her Irish heritage. Shortly after her death, I truly believe that she sent these amazing characters to me in a dream. I awoke the next morning eager to meet these characters and create their story. My passion for writing has grown ever since.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

The Kingdom of Shaughnessy

The kingdom had been in chaos ever since King Eirnin had taken the throne. Upon his death, the throne was passed to his only heir, a son named Mathius. He was recently married and hoped to live his life away from the wrongdoings of his father and was not interested in handling the affairs of an entire kingdom. He never spoke of his father’s past not even to his wife, Septani. He feared she would have never married him if she had known about the death and suffering King Eirnin had caused the kingdom.

King Eirnin was not a liked man by most and he knew that. He did not have respect and loyalty from the surrounding village people. During the king’s younger days, he was arrogant and lacked respect for those that he felt were beneath him which according to him was everyone. Because of that arrogance, the people in the kingdom grew weary of the well-being of their king. As he grew older and wiser, he realized that in order for his kingdom to prosper he must have people respect him. He knew it was too late for him but had hoped he could make a change for his son, Mathius.

Mathius! I have been searching the entire castle for you. What brings you up here? asked a young woman slightly out of breath.

The woman appeared elegant with a long gown, fitted at her waist that flowed gracefully in two layers to the floor. The sleeves were long and extended out at the elbows giving a dramatic flair. Her dark, reddish-brown hair was neatly braided and wrapped around to the back of her head.

The newly-crowned king looked across his land from the green hills rolling like large ocean waves, to the White River that separated the kingdom from Everlost Forest and the Mountain of Despair.

Septani, I gaze out at this kingdom and I am uncertain if I can undo the wrongs of my father. He left this castle and kingdom to me with the great burden of change and responsibility. These people had no faith in my father; he destroyed their trust and their will to honor him. Why should they think any differently of me?

Look at me, she said grabbing his arm. He reluctantly raised his head to look at her. She admired his incredibly strong face with its beard neatly accentuating the jaw line. Even his tall, muscular build seemed affected by his despair.

You will be a great king. You have a quality that your father lacked and that is empathy. You see people differently than he did. He was merely a king but you are a leader. He saw people as servants and you see them as fellow souls. I truly believe that at the end your father wanted a change for the kingdom and for you.

Mathius placed his hands on each side of her face. Thank you my love.

He continued to gaze into her eyes thinking that she would never understand how monstrous his father really was but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a messenger who ran into the king’s quarters startling them.

My king! he said gasping for air.

What brings you here with such urgency? asked the king.

My king, I have just received word that the Vikings are striking nearby villages, driving the people out of their homes and stealing their crops, livestock and possessions. I think they will be coming here next.

No! No! exclaimed the king. I refuse to let those barbarians take over this kingdom.

He took a moment to observe the people in his kingdom as they worked and as the children played.

My king, what shall we do? asked the messenger.

There continued to be a pause.

Mathius, what is your plan? asked the queen.

He continued to press his finger deep into his chin not saying a word. Suddenly, he turned to face the messenger and Queen Septani.

I will not allow these acts to fall upon my kingdom and my people. Send word throughout the land that we are searching for skilled swordsmen, archers and anyone that can build armor and weapons. The Vikings want a fight; then so be it.

The messenger ran through the castle to alert the other messengers.

The king continued to gaze out at the kingdom with a look of great fear.

My king what can I do to assist you? asked Queen Septani.

Take Cassidy and stay in the castle. Do not harbor in the courtyard until it is deemed safe. Give word to the servants to be on alert as these barbarians could be on their way.

The queen quickly ran into the castle searching for their daughter Cassidy. The princess was a beautiful, spunky ball of energy always flitting around the castle with squeals of joy. The queen and king had great pride in having such a magnificent daughter.

The request for skilled men was a test of loyalty. The king was uncertain with his father’s reputation that anyone would not only support his actions but fight and possibly die for their kingdom.

The next morning, the king looked into the courtyard; he was pleased with the turnout of nearly a hundred men. He watched as they exchanged names and stories of their journey to the castle. The king knew they could defeat the Vikings. He left his quarters and descended the staircase pondering what he could say to the men. He wondered what the men thought of him requesting their services.

"Would they be honorable and loyal or would they question my intentions to go to battle?" he thought to himself.

He reluctantly walked out into the courtyard where the men were talking among themselves. He walked up the stairs to a raised area and cleared his throat.

Gentlemen, he exclaimed.

The men stopped talking and faced the king.

My men, I am very pleased that you have come to fight for your kingdom. We will need to begin training immediately; we don’t have much time before we go after the Vikings. Please separate yourselves in groups based on your skill. Swordsmen come here in front of me. Archers can go over there under that tree and those that can build weapons and armor can meet there in the center of the courtyard near the well.

The men picked up their bags and congregated to their appropriate areas. The swordsmen practiced with one another trying to simulate the fight against the Vikings, the archers focused on their accuracy from various distances and those building armor and weapons discussed their ideas.

The king trained with the men and thoroughly discussed his plan. Those that were not in training helped prepare for the battle by making flasks and bags for water and food. Special armor called chainmail, a protective cover for the head and body, was also needed to protect the men from attack.

The king received word that the Vikings were heading towards the village of Claremoor. He instructed the men to gather their weapons and gear to begin their journey to battle the Vikings. Just outside Claremoor, there was an area that was covered with trees and shrubs making a perfect place to setup camp and wait. The men became settled into their tents while a few of the men stayed awake to keep watch, but luckily it was a quiet night with no sight of the Vikings.

The next morning they were awoken by animals and women squealing with horror. The men quickly put on their armor and with weapons in hand waited for instructions from the king. He peered through the shrubs to see what was causing all of the chaos, and his suspicions were correct. The Vikings had just arrived in the village terrorizing everyone.

The king told half of the men to go around to the other side of the village and spread out. His plan was to surround the Vikings before they knew that they were there. As the men were taking their positions, the Vikings were tormenting the village people. There were fifteen men breaking down doors and letting animals loose. Women were running out of their cottages with their children and animals were scattering all around the village. The men were laughing loudly as they ransacked each cottage grabbing whatever valuables they could find. They were quite intimidating with their stocky build and weapons. Two of the men seemed to be in charge as they instructed the younger ones to hit various cottages. They were definitely older with faces completely covered by sandy-brown, bushy beards and they seemed to share a sense of pride with their ability to bully the people and steal their possessions without a fight.

The king knew it was time; he motioned one of his men to give the signal to initiate the attack. The men on the other side of the village heard the signal and took their positions. The king climbed onto his horse and the rest of his men charged into the center of the village without a sound. The Vikings had no idea that there was an attack because they were being so loud destroying the cottages.

The Vikings ran out to the center of the village to get further instructions from the two older men but stopped immediately when they saw nearly a hundred men surrounding them with swords and bows drawn. A few of the Vikings raised their weapons as if they were going to fight but stopped when the king spoke up.

Give up you deviants your days of destruction are over. No more will villagers have to fear for their families and homes being destroyed.

The Vikings lowered their weapons and dropped them to the ground. They knew they could not defeat the king and his men and therefore surrendered. The king’s men quickly apprehended the Vikings and put chains on their hands and feet to prevent them from running away. One Viking had been hiding in the bushes when the king captured the others and decided to fight against the king to rescue the other men. He slowly crept out of the bushes and walked toward the men. They were listening to the king and did not realize that a Viking was right behind them.

The king was discussing his plan to bring all of the Vikings into confinement when he noticed a man running toward his men. The king pressed his feet into the ribcage of his horse causing the animal to charge at the Viking. The Viking was focusing on one man and didn’t see the king heading right at him. The Viking raised his dagger and screamed as loud as he could as he tried to strike one of the men.

The king leaped off his horse and lunged at the Viking striking him from the side, knocking him down and causing the dagger to fly out of his hand and fall to the ground. The king quickly kicked it to one of his men then ordered the Viking to be put in chains and placed with the others.

The king was a hero; he saved the life of one of his men. The man whose life was saved approached the king and bowed to him, but it was not a man but a young boy. The king looked oddly at the young boy. He had light brown, curly hair that fell into his eyes. He still had the face of a young boy with round cheeks, a few freckles on his nose and a dimpled chin.

The king, still a little winded from attacking the Viking, said to the boy, Young boy how is it that you are here with all of these skilled men?

Your majesty, I am an expert archer.

All of the men chuckled and whispered among themselves. The boy became upset and spoke up. Before my father died, he taught me everything he knew about shooting a bow. I may only be ten, but I have been in training for years.

The king sensed the tension in the young boy’s voice.

That is fine my son I am sure you are a fine archer. Now what is your name my young lad?

It is McGuire, Liam McGuire your majesty.

The king nodded as the boy spoke. Liam? the king questioned. What a fine name.

The boy smiled with pride.

So my boy, what are your plans now, since we have defeated the Vikings?

I will return home and continue fishing in the bay for my daily wages, he replied.

I see, said the king, definitely impressed that the young boy acted so mature. I am sure your family will be pleased to see you return.

The young boy put his head down, looked at the ground and grinned.

Yes your majesty they will be glad to see me.

The king patted the boy on his back.

Well my son, I am sure we will cross paths again one day.

The king looked around at the Vikings in chains then raised his voice. Now let’s take care of these Vikings, off to the confinement area. The sooner we are finished taking care of these deviants, the sooner we will celebrate our victory.

With that announcement, the men raised their hands and cheered loudly. The king and his men lead the Vikings to a nearby abandoned castle which was no longer housed by royalty but by prisoners. The Vikings were placed in barred quarters until the Duke arrived to process them for their crimes. The men waited outside the castle while the young boy kept a look out for the king and watched the door until he saw the king’s horse appear. Once the king was in plain sight, the boy cried out.

ALL HAIL KING MATHIUS!

All of the men raised their weapons and cheered for their king. He looked down from his horse, smiled with pride, raised his arm up and motioned his hand up and down to get the men to quiet down.

My brave men, we were fortunate this time that our weapons were not needed. I know you were well prepared to battle for your kingdom. As your king I have great respect for each of you for leaving your families behind for such a noble cause. Therefore your time spent will be rewarded with a great victory celebration. I have already sent a messenger to prepare for a great feast, he announced.

The men once again raised their weapons and cheered for their king. The king joined in by raising his sword and cheering with his men.

He lowered his sword and stated, Now let’s head to the village of Termonshan where we can rest and be well fed.

The men gathered their belongings and began their journey travelling a full day before arriving at Termonshan. They were tired, but were greeted by cheering villagers as they walked into the village. Baths were prepared so the men could clean up before the feast, villagers brought special delicacies and musicians arrived to provide entertainment.

As the night wore on, the feast and celebration began to wind down. The king was exhausted and decided to turn in early. He stumbled toward a large tent and was excited with the thought that the next day he would be home to see Queen Septani and little Princess Cassidy. He lied down on the cot and thought of the little princess’ smile and laugh as he drifted off to sleep.

Some of the men were still celebrating the next morning when the others awoke and began to pack their belongings to prepare for their travel home to their families. The young boy McGuire looked around to see if anyone was watching as he walked up to the king’s tent. He just wanted to thank him once more for sparing his life. He stood just outside the king’s tent.

King Mathius, he called. Your Majesty?

There was no answer. The boy was puzzled.

"Maybe he woke early this morning and headed to the castle," he thought to himself.

The boy opened the tent just a little to peek inside. He saw the king still asleep on the cot and he thought that it was odd that the king was still asleep. He walked slowly into the tent.

King Mathius, he whispered so he wouldn’t frighten him awake but no answer.

He walked closer to the king until he was standing right next to him.

King Mathius, he said again but still no response.

The boy then grabbed the king’s shoulder and shook it slightly.

Your Majesty, he said with a raised voice, but the king still did not move.

The boy bent down to look at the king’s chest for a moment but it was completely still. He stood up, took a few steps back, placed his hands over his mouth and gasped. He was in disbelief.

How could this happen? he said.

He ran out of the tent and screamed as loud as he could.

The king has been killed! The king has been killed!

The boy dropped to the ground completely out of breath and sobbing. Everyone stopped immediately and swarmed the king’s tent. They questioned the boy what had happened while one of the men, who had experience with medicine, tried to push his way through to see the king.

Please gentlemen, let me in. I can investigate the king’s death, the man announced.

The men quickly moved out of the medicine man’s way creating an open path. He carried a large bag and slowly entered the tent. The men waited anxiously for him to reveal his findings. After a few minutes, the medicine man came out of the tent looking puzzled.

Was it a Viking? asked a man.

Was he stabbed? asked another.

The medicine man raised his hand to get their attention. The king has no wounds, no visible injury. I don’t know how he died. It appears that he died in his sleep. We will need to prepare the king for his final journey home. A messenger needs to alert the queen of the news of her king.

The men were completely still and in disbelief that their king was dead. The boy was especially distraught over the king’s death; he gathered his items and ran off into the woods. None of the men noticed that the boy had left because they were too busy getting their own items together and helping the medicine man with the king. The boy walked slowly through the woods thinking how the king had saved his life. He tried to fight the urge to cry but it was too strong. He fell to the ground and sobbed. All he could think about was the queen and the little princess without a father. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one. He lost both of his parents to the Black Death when he was only eight years old. He had no family, he was all alone and he felt the loss that he knew the queen and princess were about to endure.

After a few moments, the boy regained his composure, stood up and started his journey home. He kept reliving the moment the king saved his life and at the same time the moment he found the king dead in his tent. He was beginning to wonder if the king’s effort to save his life was the reason why he died. Part of him was grateful that his life was spared but another part was angry that so much misery and death seemed to surround him. As he walked, he thought about what the king would think of him and he knew the king would not want him to grieve over his death.

I must move on, make an honest living and enjoy my time that the king has given me, a new life, he said out loud.

His plan was to arrive home and continue his labor as a fisherman in the bay earning his daily wages just as he had told the king.

CHAPTER TWO

Creature in the Bay

The young fisherman was out in the bay fishing as usual, but oddly the nets caught more fish than normal. He decided to head in early. He was getting closer to the shore when he saw something lying on the sand near the rocks. It looked like a fish but he had never seen one that large in the bay. He rowed closer to the shore and his dog began barking excitedly, almost leaping out of the boat.

As he came closer, the creature looked somewhat human. He rowed into the shallow water, jumped out of the boat and pulled it onto the shore. He struggled against the tide to pulling the boat onto the shore. He didn’t want to frighten