Children of the Great King

By Julia Blackowicz

In a society where the king is an honorary father to all, a devoted young woman is kidnapped and forced to face an uncertain future. On a long road of self-discovery and hardships, she has to ask herself, which side is she truly on? And is it worth fighting for?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Julia Blackowicz
• Release date: Dec 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311141231

Julia Blackowicz

A student of life, Julia is a single mom of a son, a cat, two dogs, and countless fish. She attends church regularly and tries to bring life Bible stories to the children.She can regularly be found on her blog, Lady J's Library, where you can find her responses to random literary challenges and assorted poetry.

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Children of the Great King

By Julia Blackowicz

Copyright 2014 Julia Blackowicz

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The image for the book cover is called Juha on the Road, collected from Flickr's Creative Commons.

Table of Contents

Meeting the Accepted

Greet Ye the Rebel King

Presentation of a Gift

A New Mission

The Little Elephant

Meeting Again

What is in a Name

Gift Giving

A Second Meeting

Getting Ones Bearings

A Month Later

Ultimatum

A Taste of Freedom

Reactions

Friends Old and New

On the Road

Arrow's Flight

The Road to Demas

Attack

Tied Up Again

Creeping and Crawling

Coming Home

Healing

About the Author

Meeting the Accepted

Silhouetted on the horizon by a bolt of white-hot lightning was a rearing black stallion. Scattered on the hill around him were several mares of his herd, each plainly prancing about, and some even starting to run. The inky blackness of the scene gave a foreboding sense to anyone watching.

Anna Marie hummed happily, as she placed the newest of her delicate ceramic vases on the window display. She had spent all night crafting new products for her shop and the morning pulling vases from the kiln. The vases were still cooling on wooden tables behind her counter. Now a month after opening her own shop, she had finally fallen into a routine. The evenings she would create new projects and right before bed she would change out them out in the kiln, leaving the finished items on her table in the shop. Come morning she would place the dried, painted items on the shelves, while throughout the day she would be painting the baked items. People would come across the city to buy her products. She loved being able to make the things that others valued. Occasionally, people would even ask her to make whole sets for special occasions. There was not a wedding held in the city that she did not know about, mainly because it was traditional for mothers to give daughters table settings in recognition of their marriage.

Thoughts of her current project flitted through her mind as she placed the last of her new vases on the shelf. Her best friend's mother had come to her shop late the night before and had made a request for a table setting in honor of Marcy's wedding to her longtime boyfriend, Joshua. The first of the plates were still in the kiln, baking. Anna Marie was looking forward to working on the pattern for them. Marcy had always loved the color of a pale blue and Joshua seemed to find simple line patterns fascinating. Anna Marie was thinking that something with a pale blue lined pattern would be perfect for the two. She made her way to the counter and settled herself on her rickety wooden stool. Dragging a piece of used parchment closer, she began doodling what would eventually end up being her latest pattern, specifically, Marcy's pattern.

She hummed a soft lullaby as she worked diligently, not even noticing the front door opening or even its closing.

Making your little doodles once again? Anna Marie's head jerked up and she gave her most welcomed guest a big grin.

Marilee! You've come home! I've missed you so much! She leapt off her stool and darted around the corner to give her friend a strong hug. She had not seen her friend since she had left on her honeymoon just a couple months ago. It was an extraordinarily long time for a honeymoon, but no one thought anything of it as Richard had wanted to show his new bride off to his distant relatives and show her the places where he had grown up. They had all been surprised when the Great King had approved the marriage. Not many marriages between people from distant cities worked out and the Great King rarely gave His approval of them. In fact, many who were trying those unconventional relationships would take up with the forest rebels. Her heart sank for a moment as she drifted into her memories.

We were delayed coming back. Marilee hesitated, clearly troubled by what had happened.

Marilee glanced out the shop window, her action betraying her nervousness.

What happened? Her friend shook her head and smiled suddenly at Anna Marie.

Honestly, I still cannot quite believe it. On our way back from Richard's birth town, the villagers in one of the towns stopped us. I think it may have been Babilyn. She absently walked over to Anna Marie's shelf full of delicate vases and began picking them up and turning them over in her hands. They told us all sorts of stories of fighting and destruction happening here at home. She laughed for a moment and set down a vase decorated with the colors of the sunset. She shook her head in bemusement. I had to hold Jeff back in his enthusiasm for defending his new adopted home. And it's a good thing too. Turns out that it was only stories being passed around by the rebels. Anna looked at her friend in surprise.

I did not think that the rebels were that serious of a problem? Surely there aren't enough of them to cause us any problems, Anna exclaimed. That is what they were all taught in school. Faith and belief in the Great King would keep them strong and no one could stand against that.

Sure there is not a full army, but if we ignore the problem for too long there might be. The rebels have already convinced many of the villagers of Babilyn. Soon as we arrived home, we immediately went up to the Crystal Palace to talk to the Great King. We did not even wait to unpack. Marilee sighed and picked up another vase, running her fingers along the designs set into glazing.

So what is He going to do? Is the army heading out? Anna was starting to worry. Surely the Great King would not allow a threat exist that might harm their future.

We did not even get a chance to speak with Him. Marilee laughed humorlessly as she went on to examine another vase. The Speaker of the palace insisted that the Great King was aware of the rebels and that they were not a problem. The locals could handle any threats. I mean, honestly, would it kill Him to just help out even if it was not life or death? She ruefully shook her head and snorted. Richard just agreed and took us home. He has told me repeatedly since then that I just need to let it go. I am not entirely sure that I can this time. It hurts. His not caring, I mean. Ann Marie walked around the counter and wrapped her arms around her friend. They had been close friends until Richard had started dating her. Anna Marie hoped that eventually it would be her turn to loose herself in a relationship like theirs.

I'm sure that the Great King is keeping track of the situation.

Marilee frowned and was about to speak when the shop door opened again. They both looked over and saw a tall thin man with delicate glasses enter the shop. Anna Marie smiled kindly and watched as he glanced over the room before his gaze settled on Marilee. He smiled kindly at her and walked over to her. Marilee grinned up at him and offered the vase she was holding. Anna Marie idly noticed that it was the sunset vase that she had originally picked up.

I think this would look lovely in our welcoming hall, said Marilee. She looked up at the tall man and kissed him gently. Anna Marie smiled and made her way back behind the counter. The man, Richard, turned the vase around in his hands, inspecting every inch.

I do not see why not, he told her, not missing the way her eyes lit up. He turned to Anna Marie, How much? Anna Marie frowned at him and steeled herself for a bargaining battle.

I won't accept money from friends, she said determinedly. Most of her friends argued with her about her terms, but it usually worked out in the end. Her friends were usually willing to help her when she needed it. She got enough business from strangers that money was never really a big problem. And her friends would bring her anything from handmade clothes to pieces of furniture to strings of fresh fish.

Knowing this, Marilee rested her hand on her husband's arm and shook her head. My friend has always been like this. She won't take money from friends. But you are a good carpenter and I am a decent seamstress. I'm sure we can figure something out. Marilee glanced around the shop before her eyes rested on the rickety stool that Anna Marie sat on. It was clearly only good for firewood. Perhaps you could build her a new stool and I'll make a cushion for it. Anna grinned and carefully shifted her weight, causing the stool to creak ominously. Richard nodded instantly.

I shall get started on it immediately, he announced, smiling at his wife and offering her another kiss. We need to get home soon though. Your mother is planning on joining us for dinner. Marilee nodded and walked over to grasp Anna Marie's hand tightly.

I'll see you soon, Annie. Please take care of yourself. Anna Marie nodded mutely and watched her friends leave her small shop. Sometimes she wished to be like them and have a soul mate by her side. Other times she knew that it was not in the great plan for her. Once, a long time ago she had had someone close to her. She had thought that he might even have been the 'one.' Yonas had been from a far off city, perhaps even farther than the one Richard had come from. Anna Marie sighed and leaned against the counter as she picked up her pencil and started drawing again. Yonas had even approached her mother to ask the woman's permission to ask for her hand in marriage. The poor older woman had been shock at the boy audacity. It had been the first time that Anna Marie had noticed the great difference between the people of the city of the Great King and those of the cities outside the kingdom. Her suitor had been shocked that he would have to ask the Great King for permission, not only his beloved's family. Anna Marie could still remember the sad smile on her mother's face.

Arrangements such as these are not for us to decide. I have no experience with those from outside our gates, how could I know if you would be a rightful match for my daughter? The Great King makes all final decisions when a match is proposed from those outside our city. Occasionally, he even grants them, the older woman told him as gently as she could and patted his hand apologetically. She had nonetheless granted her approval of petitioning the Great King. It had been both the greatest and saddest day of her life.

Anna Marie sighed as she looked down at the paper in front of her. Next to the design for Marcy's table settings was the rough figure of her Yonas. She was surprised that her memory was still good enough to pull off such a good likeness of the young man from her past. She almost threw the paper in the trash before realizing that she would need the images of the table settings. Instead, she slid the paper under the counter beside the cash box. She folded her trembling hands together and tried to calm herself, upset at the memories invoked that morning.

Eventually she pulled herself together and began painting the untreated ceramic pieces waiting on the table behind her counter. She made her way through several pieces before someone else entered into her shop. This time it was a wealthy woman from the outer edges of the city. Anna Marie thought she remembered something about the woman's husband being a trader and their having a somewhat clumsy child. The child, a son if she remembered correctly, has been the cause of the last four table settings ordered by that household. They chatted idly until the woman finally admitted to having come in to look at serving bowls. According to the woman, something mysterious happened to the last one and would need to be replaced before her next party. Anna Marie just nodded and asked if she wanted a particular pattern, or if she would be choosing something off the shelf. After looking around for a while, she finally surrendered a sample plate from her last set of dishes and asked Anna Marie to go ahead and make a few more bowls. She smiled knowingly as she sketched the image from the plate before handing it back. She promised to get started on the bowls that very evening and asked if the woman would like to purchase one of the ready-made bowls as a temporary solution. The woman sighed but nodded and eventually selected a large serving bowl and matching platter. Anna Marie just nodded and quoted the price for the woman. It was not her beloved sunset pattern, but it was a nice pattern that almost matched the pattern on the woman's current table setting.

Anna Marie smiled as the harried woman left the shop with her new purchases carefully wrapped in paper. She still remembered when the lady had first come back for replacements settings. The lady had attempted to pretend that she had merely wanted to add to her current set. The entire city was aware of her rowdy and careless son. In fact, the child himself had informed the city about his mistake before his mother had ever showed her face in Anna Marie's shop.

Three painted pots later and a third customer came in. This time, a young man looking for a present for a girlfriend. Anna Marie just pointed him to the selection of figurines in the back corner and watched as he picked up each one and set it back down. Eventually he picked and paid for the figure of a girl sitting next to a large oak tree. It was one of her favorites also and she was glad to know that someone else would be enjoying it. She did not create figures much as most of her work came from useful items for households. As much as she enjoyed the creative side, she did have to look to making a profit. Little trinkets were nice, but they did not pay enough for her supplies of clay and paints. Especially when the trinkets tended to sit on her shelves for months at a time. She promised herself that every batch of items that