Dark One Rising: Book One

By Leandra Martin

The Kingdom of Aelethia has been quiet for five hundred years, but the Dark One is rising from out of the depths. All of Aelethia will perish unless the Chosen One comes forward to save them. Unfortunately, the Chosen One doesn't know her destiny in the world; she only knows she is odd and confused about where her destiny lies.

She wants to find love, but the men in her life that actually love her, she cannot have, and the only one that wants her is as evil as they come. The elves know of her destiny and must tell her and train her in time in order to fulfill the prophecy that has been laid out before her.

Can she become the person they have waited for? Can she, in time, destroy the evil that is threatening to overtake her kingdom? With friends to guide her and a man to whom she truly loves beside her, she may be able to save Aelethia from doom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781630014025

Book preview

PROLOGUE

In a quiet castle on the top of a grassy knoll, a man paced back and forth across the smooth stone floor, awaiting news of the birth of his new child. It was taking a long time, longer than the last time, and he was getting worried. What if something went wrong? He shook the thought away. He could not think that way. This child was a surprise, his wife now much older than what was normal for childbirth age, but she was healthy and strong. His concern still ate away at him. He was so caught up in his worry that he almost missed the small brown haired boy peeking at him from behind the curtains hanging on the doorway. He stopped pacing and looked over at his son, whose small brow was furrowed watching his father pace like a nervous dog. He smiled at his son to belay his anxiety. He was too young still to have to worry about such things. He would grow up and become his successor soon enough, but for now, he should be able to be a boy.

Come here, my son, the king said, motioning to the plump cheeked boy trying to keep himself hidden behind the curtains.

The boy came out and approached his father’s side. King Randor Breslin took his son’s hand and walked him over to the bench along the far wall, where people waited for an audience with their king. He sat down on the bench and patted the place beside him. His son took his place beside his father and looked up at him.

Why are you so worried, father? his son asked him, frowning.

What makes you think I’m worried about anything, Kevaan?

You only pace like that when you’re distressed, father.

The king smiled at his son’s intuitiveness.

I’m a bit worried about your mother and your new sibling that is on the way; that’s all.

Why?

Because it’s been more hours than normal, and I have heard no news.

Mother will be fine, father. So will the baby.

How do you know this?

Because I asked God for a brother to play with. I’m lonely. He won’t let me down.

There are plenty of children in the castle for you to play with. What about Fredrick and Rory?

They’re fine, but I want a playmate that I can teach things to, someone I can protect. I want to be a big brother.

The king laughed heartily now. I see. Well I guess you’re going to get your wish. I just hope it’s soon.

Be patient, father, these things take time.

He looked at his son with even more admiration.

How is it that you are so wise at ten years old? You’re telling me things I should be telling you.

He shrugged. I don’t know. I’m just repeating what mother said. She said she knew you would be anxious. She sent me to tell you that you need to be calm, that things will be alright.

The king really laughed now, slapping his son gently on the back. I get the message, son. Tell your mother I’m fine now.

Yes, sir.

The boy got up from his place at his father’s side and skipped across the sitting room and through the curtained doorway. King Randor smiled now and shook his head. His wife knew him all too well, and she knew how to calm him when he was anxious, even when she wasn’t in the room. She was his rock, his calm during the storm. He loved her deeply, and, if she wasn’t worried, he knew he shouldn’t be either. Instead of rising to continue his harried pacing, he stood and went to the window and looked out over the peaceful countryside. Spring was almost in full bloom, the trees budding, the many colored flowers dotting the lush green landscape. The fresh afternoon breeze blew through the open window and touched his face. It calmed him more, refreshed his soul. He took in a deep breath and let it out. Soon he would have another child.

His peace was interrupted by a servant who slid through the doorway, breathing hard. The king heard him enter and turned to him.

Your Majesty, he said bowing low, your wife is requesting your presence.

Is everything alright, Kaleb?

Yes. You have a daughter, Sire.

He smiled. A daughter?

Yes, Your Majesty. She is nice and healthy. Baby and the queen are just fine.

He pulled himself out of his distraction and followed the servant from the room.

***

In a high mountain pass in the Indriahs, a stooped over woman led a small boy through the zig-zagging trails of ice and slow melting snow, to a stone fortress hidden by a ridge. The boy was tired and dragging his feet, yawning in the waning daylight, the old woman pulling him along and berating him for his tarrying.

When they reached the road that led into the fortress they picked up their pace, scuffling faster up the cobbled lane. The main door was large with a depiction of a sorcerer’s dual carved into the wood grain. There was a bell pull near the entrance, and the old woman rang it, shivering in the frigid air of the mountains.

The door opened a few minutes later, and a man stood there. He motioned for them to step inside, and they did, the door closing loudly behind them, the echo bouncing off the stone walls.

The boy used the advantage of waiting, to look around at his environment. The walls and floor were stone; the floor, however, was polished shiny, and he could see his reflection in it. The walls were rough hewn stone and they looked cold, but the roaring fire in the large hearth warmed him, and he started to feel his hands again. There was uncomfortable furniture all over the room and the hallway and ornately carved wood cabinets and shelving lining the walls. There were large gold sconces along all the walls, casting eerie shadows of light from the flames into the room, and he danced around, smiling at his reflection as it moved on the floor. There were some tapestries and paintings on the walls but none that caught his attention enough to investigate further. What did was a bookcase that lined the entire back wall of the room, with leather bound books and tomes of every color and thickness. As the woman stood waiting for their host, shaking the numbness out of her frozen limbs, he went over to it and looked wide eyed at all the treasures. He loved books. His mother and father were lowland land owners and were not part of the king’s court, but they prided themselves on making sure they were well read, and in doing so, their child as well. He was only ten years old, but his appetite for reading was insatiable, and he wanted to take in all that he could. It didn’t matter what the book was about; he didn’t care, as long as the words on the pages filled his mind with knowledge.

He dragged his hand across the leather bound spines, looking at all the titles that jumped out at him. History, science, adventure, magic. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the last one he had touched. "The Fundamentals of Magic" was the title, and he touched that one again with his pointing finger. The spine of the book was warm to the touch, and when he reached out to pull it from the shelf, he felt a sensation run up his finger, all the way to his head. He pulled back from it in surprise, but his curiosity prevailed. He touched it again, tried to grab it and pull it from its resting place. The sensation shot through him again, and he felt a stirring in his soul. A voice behind him caused him to jump, and he pushed the book back in and turned.

A man was standing there, looking down at him with pale gray eyes which were behind small round spectacles resting precariously on his long thin nose. He was not scowling at him but rather studying him with an amused half grin. The boy looked up at him and tried to smile but was afraid he had done something wrong, and smiling would make the stranger mad, just like a dog thought you were snarling if you smiled at him.

The man continued looking down on him, then did smile, the firelight dancing in his eyes. He placed a gentle hand on the boy’s head and patted it. The man seemed to know what he was thinking, because he winked at him.

Knowledge is never a subject that should get you into trouble. Knowledge is power. The more you know the more power you obtain. And magical knowledge is the most powerful of them all.

The boy did not respond but continued to look up at the older man with the kind eyes. The man finally looked away and went over to the old woman, who was just now feeling warm by the raging fire. The boy followed him.

We appreciate you bringing him up here. I realize it was a long and treacherous walk for you. It would not have been wise for any of us to make the trek down the mountain into the city, you understand.

I do. Does this mean you will take the boy in?

Yes, of course. He has his father’s eyes and his mother’s curiosity. He will learn much from us, and one day he will be ready to go out into the world and conquer it. He smiled down at the boy again.

The old lady ruffled the boy’s hair and smiled at him through crooked teeth. This will be your new home, Fallon. Your mother and father wished it to be so if anything happened to them. They will take good care of you, and you will learn many things. This is Cephus, he will be your father now. Learn all you can and make your life count.

The boy started to cry a little. He had been with the old lady for almost a year now and was starting to grow found of her, even though she was crooked and smelled of cabbage.

Why must I stay here? Why can’t I stay with you?

I am too old to raise a child until manhood. I will be gone from this world before that. It is best for you to be with people who can care for you, give you everything you need, and who will teach you the things you need to know to make your way in this world.

But I don’t want to stay up here; it’s cold and dark.

The man looked kindly at him and touched his shoulder. Tis not always dark and cold on the mountain. When spring arrives, you will see the splendor of colors the flowers make as they grow out of the cliffs.

Fallon sniffed. He had been angry that his parents left him, until he was told by the old lady that they had been killed by the king’s guards that pillaged the town and killed those that opposed the king’s rules. He vowed that when he got older he would get revenge, but, after time had gone by, his plan of revenge waned. Now, looking around this room at the shelf full of books, especially ones that spoke of magic, he was starting to think those thoughts again. Perhaps with the right teaching, he could very well learn things and grow up to dispense the justice for the wrongs done to his parents and his home.

He looked up at the man again, whose gray eyes were watching him intently, and said, Will you teach me magic?

The man continued looking at him then laughed. If you show promise in all your other studies, perhaps magic will be in your weekly lessons. He leaned over and whispered in the boy’s ear. Did that book speak to you, young Fallon?

Fallon swallowed, then answered, Yes, sir. I felt a tingling in my fingers when I touched the spine, then when I tried to pull it out to look at it, the tingling grew stronger. I felt it was speaking to me. What does that mean?

The man rubbed his chin, his gray eyes sparkling in the dancing light of the fire. It means that you have great potential, young Fallon. Stay with us, and your want for knowledge will never go unfulfilled. Learn what we have to teach, and you will see the full potential you have to be great.

The boy stood up straighter as if trying to show his bravery. Okay, I will live here with you. I want to show the world what kind of man I can be.

And you shall, young Fallon, you shall.

They spent the next few hours eating and talking. He fell asleep several hours later by the fire, a book on his lap. The servants took the boy up to his new room and put him to bed. In the morning, he would say good-bye to his old caregiver and say hello to his new life. A life filled with reading and knowledge, a life that he would embrace with enthusiasm and fervor. A life that would someday bring him ultimate power.

***

A horse and rider rode through the Dark Woods as fast as the wind. The rider sat low in the saddle, leaning forward so that his face was practically touching the pommel. He weaved through the trees as if he knew the forest by heart, every turn, every stump. He wore pants and shirt of a natural fiber, and his homespun cape flew behind him in the wind. His long black hair was pulled back with a cord, and his hood was pulled over his head, but his pointed ears poked through, the tips noticeable every time the wind caught his hood. He raced through the forest until he came to a waterfall cascading down the side of a sheer cliff. Tomaz Faolin dismounted and led his horse across a rocky outcropping and went in behind the falls. When he emerged out the other side, he was in a small clearing. He mounted again and raced across the glen and into a hidden forest. As he got deeper in, small houses built into the trees started to become evident and oil lanterns lined the paths through a village. A thatch-roofed hut sat in the center of the village, a fire burning just outside the doorway. He dismounted and gave the reins to a boy, who took his horse to drink and food after the long hard journey.

The rider entered the hut and stopped in front of three men who sat cross legged inside, then bowed. They were bare on top, with bright paint covering their chests and faces in intricate patterns and wore only light homespun pants. The men looked up at him and nodded.

What news do you bring to us, Tomaz?

The prophecy is true, Pyramus, the baby has been born.

And did you present our gift, the Elvin sword?

Yes.

Then the time for the Dark One to rise is near. This boy will grow and save Aelethia before the darkness overtakes the land.

Yes, but there is something you should know, Pyramus. The Chosen One is a girl.

The three men looked at one another in surprise. Pyramus looked back to his messenger. A female?

Yes, Pyramus, and it is the Princess.

And you are sure she is the one?

When I laid eyes on her and presented her parents with Tanith, I felt it. There was no mistake in the sword’s song, and there was no mistaking the aura around her. She is indeed the one we have waited for. It seems your intuition was right about her. She is indeed the legacy we have waited for. The Tanith Prophecy has begun.

I was hoping I was not right, but fate cannot be altered. I do not know how she can do what needs to be done. The road will be long and hard, and a girl could not possibly be strong enough do what will be needed to rid this world of the evil that will come.

There was no mistaking the power that emanated from her. She has the power within her. She is just born, perhaps we should give it time.

We cannot interfere until the time is right, Pyramus said.

No, but when the time comes we will know it. There will be many years before the time she is needed. By then, we will be ready, and if she is not, we will know what to do.

You are wise, Tomaz Faolin. Keep a watchful eye on her. Do not make yourself known but keep her safe. She is our hope, the savior of Vallis, the savior of Aelethia’s future.

Tomaz bowed to the elders. I will do what is asked. He turned from them and left the hut.

Many years later….

In a room only illuminated by ten candles in a old rusted candelabra, two figures moved about, casting powder into a large cauldron. One was young, with a muscled torso, black hair and matching goatee, with the dark eyes of someone who had seen more than he should have. The other old and grizzled, with gray hair hanging to his waist, and an even longer matching colored beard. His eyes were gray and wizened, his body stooped, but still spry.

Water bubbled from the pot in the center of the room, and there was an acrid smell that permeated the walls. The younger man was standing with his arms raised over the pot, eyes closed, chanting a spell in a language no one had spoken for centuries.

As he spoke, the gray haired man looked on, smiling proudly as he watched his apprentice perform the spell he had waited many years to teach him. The final lesson in his years of training.

The wizard was proud of his apprentice, so adept at the arts, almost more so than himself, and he could not wait to see what the world thought about their new nemesis.

The sorcerers had been cast out, sent away into hiding, never being able to show themselves to the world. And it had been that way for nearly five hundred years. The kings of the past decided the magic was too dangerous for the simple people, so they exiled the sorcerers to the far reaches of the land, never being allowed to join civilized society.

He was the last real sorcerer left, save for Sol, but he was of no consequence. All of the others like himself had died off or been killed by those who thought they knew better. They would suffer for their arrogance. He would have an apprentice that was more skilled than any that had come before him, an apprentice who could take over the world and avenge his teachers.

The younger man put down his hands and opened his eyes, now glazed over in a trance. He danced around the pot and the bubbles roiled higher.

Suddenly there was a glare of light so bright, they had to shield their faces against it. Then a tremor rocked the room, which shook the walls and caused some of the dirt and debris to loosen from the floors above. A crack appeared on one wall and moved quickly up and across the ceiling. The room shuddered again, and then a dark hole, encompassing almost the entire room, opened up. The pot fell through the floor, and then there was silence.

The two men, young and old, peered over the edge of the hole, looking down into the depths. There was light there, a reddish hued light that gave the room an eerie muted glow. There were noises coming from below, voices in a language that was undecipherable to a human ear. The old man smiled at his apprentice and placed a proud hand on his shoulder.

You have done well, my son. You have brought the darkness to light. The pact with the Dark One is almost complete. You must now offer a sacrifice in order to obtain the full use of your new power.

The younger man smiled back at his mentor, placing his hand on the old man’s shoulder. His lips split into a sneer, and his eyes turned darker.

There is only need for one master in this world. I will be the one to avenge the dark sorcerers who were cast out of this land. I will take it where you left off and be the most powerful in history. Me and me alone. I thank you for your instruction and guidance, Cephus, but there can only be one master. I’m master now.

He gave the old man a shove and pushed him into the dark hole. The ground shook again and the room rumbled. Debris fell from the ceiling again. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. A voice spoke from the depths, gargled and deep, like someone speaking through a mouthful of something sticky. What is it you ask of me?

The man knelt in front of the hole and hung his head. I wish to be the ruler of this land, the ruler over all its people. I will avenge my dead brothers and take back what should have been theirs.

You have done well. For bringing me back into the light, I will reward you as you ask. You will need help to do so, and I will provide. Soon, I will tell you what you need to do in order to accomplish your goal. Do you pledge your eternal allegiance to me, Fallon Tab Rommel?

Yes. I will do as you command.

Good. Then prepare yourself as you have been instructed. Soon I will reveal all to you. Your soul is no longer your own. It belongs to me.

I hear you. It shall be as you instruct.

There was laughter from somewhere below, shaking the walls and the earth under the man’s feet.

It was done. His deal with the Dark One was made. He would enlist the people of this kingdom to join him, and if they refused, they would perish. This world belonged to him now and everything in it as well. It was time for the reign of man to end, and the reign of gods to begin.

CHAPTER 1

Melenthia Eryn Breslin, Princess of Aaralyn, rode her horse across the meadow, the wind blowing back her long red hair which glistened in the setting sunlight.

She was dressed in her usual attire, riding pants and linen tunic, her knee high brown boots dusty from the afternoon in town, a small dagger tucked securely in her boot. Not an outfit that was most becoming a lady of nobility, but certainly more her favored attire, comfortable and plain.

The sun was going down and in an hour it would be dark. She was late getting home again and knew that her father would be angry with her for missing dinner with him again.

There were so infrequent warm days now, and she was determined not to miss any of them sitting inside a dark dank castle. Her father didn’t understand her need for freedom. He didn’t understand why she was always on the go. But then again, he didn’t understand her at all. He wanted her to be demure and ladylike, and she fought hard to be who she wanted.

The winter was hanging on, and it seemed to be getting here sooner each year. She wondered what was happening in her realm. Strange things were afoot, things she had no explanation for. Besides the shorter spring and summer, and the longer and colder than usual winter, there had been occurrences all over the realm that made her wonder just what kind of spell had been cast over Aelethia.

She had talked to some farmers in Tamerlane that showed her their fields of crops that had withered almost overnight, and she had ridden through Barden where people told her about the cattle that had died without any indication of sickness.

She reported everything she had seen and heard to her father, but he brushed it off as odd and nothing more.

There was more, so much more that she had seen and heard, but most of the other events were too weird for her to even mention to anyone, even her beloved brother Kevaan. She hardly thought that the events were normal, but she dared not spout off about them without sounding like a imbecile. Her father was already displeased with her for wandering across the realm alone, saying that she was just asking for trouble on the road without armed escort.

She was not afraid of her realm. The people loved her and trusted her, and she felt pity for them when they were suffering. She wanted to help them, and getting her father to see their plight was sometimes impossible.

He was not always like this. He had just started acting strange the past year. She would find him muttering to himself, pacing across his throne room like an anxious pup. There was something bothering him these days, but he would not tell her what it was, and when she pleaded for Kevaan to ask him, he told her that it was just normal problems of state that plagued any king.

She knew that Kevaan was wrong, but if both of them refused to see what was really happening, they would never listen to her. She was a woman after all, and although Kevaan respected her and her opinions, she knew that he would never allow her to get involved in things that only men should deal with.

Kevaan, even as much as he doted on her, still saw her as a silly girl who doodled instead of studied and rode horses like a man instead of sidesaddle which was proper.

She was educated. She could read and write, and that was only because Kevaan had allowed it to happen, mostly behind his father’s back while he was too busy to notice. She understood the laws of the land and how the realm was supposed to work. The king held the seat over the provinces, and the dukes and earls held seats over their villages and cities. But she was seeing things that did not make sense in the order of things. The Duke of Xenos, for instance, in the south western corner of Aelethia, owned more land than anyone felt he deserved but won over her father with his meticulous accounting. She knew, however, that Fallon had a cunning tongue, and he was able to smooth talk his way through most things. She had had the awful pleasure of meeting him once, and he was no one she wanted to deal with again. He could flatter and compliment, but his eyes held a menace that made her shudder. He was evil, she knew it, but proving it would be impossible.

She had heard more disturbing accounts today in town, but she would keep them to herself until she was sure she could prove them. Her father would never believe they were more than just rumors. If only he would ride his countryside more often, he would see what was happening and maybe he could deal with them.

She rode under the arched entrance just as the guards were lowering the gate for the night. She galloped into the bailey and dismounted, handing her reins to a stable boy who came out to greet her.

The Captain of the Guard, Gerard Rainer, stepped in front of her and frowned. Being outside the castle walls without escort, Your Highness, is against the rules.

She glared at him. Who are you to recite the rules to me?

I’m the Captain of the king’s guard, and I’m here to protect the king and his family, and that includes you, Melenthia. I cannot do so when you sneak off without permission.

What I do or where I go is none of your concern. I will do what I feel is necessary for the people of this kingdom. I have a duty to them, to hear their concerns and needs and report them to my father. I must be out among them to do that.

"I do not fault you for your dedication to the people of this realm, Your Highness, but on your lack of judgment. You can do your duty with armed escort."

She had her hands on her hips now and was scowling at him. Are we done?

For the moment.

She growled and turned on her heel, stalking away. Tomas, the new young squire in the guard, saw her heading for the front door into the castle and stopped her in mid-stride.

Coming home a bit late again, Your Highness?

I lost track of time, if it’s any business of yours.

She liked Tomas. He was handsome and funny, and he always covered for her whenever she came in late, or came home from somewhere she should not have been. Unlike Gerard, he understood her need for freedom. She knew she would get an earful from her father about the late hour of her return, and she already heard it from Gerard. She did not want to hear it from him as well.

I don’t see an escort coming back with you. Perhaps you left him behind on the road when he could not keep up.

I don’t need an escort. I’m perfectly able to protect myself.

Aye, that is true, Your Highness, but it’s best if your father knows otherwise.

I’m sure Gerard has already told him.

Perhaps, but it would be best if we pretended we didn’t know that.

She smiled at his implication. Well then, did you enjoy your ride into town, Squire Tomas?

Quite, Your Highness. ‘Twas a fine day to be out and about.

She smiled at him, and he smiled back. He would cover for her. Again. She started to head up the stairs but he cleared his throat. I believe His Majesty is in his sitting room at this moment. It would probably be best if he was not disturbed.

She caught his meaning and turned instead and went in the rear door through the kitchen. He called to her again. I believe there is a trencher waiting in your room. I’m sure, Your Highness, that you are famished after your long ride.

She smiled again. He had gone so far as to get a servant to bring supper to her room, knowing that in her father’s ire, he would demand she go straight upstairs, that dinner was over.

As you were, Squire Tomas.

He bowed to her and went back to his gate post. She went into the kitchen and trotted up the back stairs. Her father was waiting for her at the top. Busted.

You missed dinner again, Melenthia. Where have you been?

In town, father. I have been talking to the citizens of Kingswell about how they are faring these days. I lost track of the hour.

That is the third time this month you have left this castle without escort and been late coming in.

She became a bit rebellious. I’m not a child anymore, father. I am perfectly capable of coming and going by myself. Besides, I did have escort. Tomas was with me.

Do not take me for a fool, Melenthia. I know Tomas likes you and covers for you often. If only you could charm a baron or a count so easily.

She frowned. If men of nobility were so easily charmed then I wouldn’t have a problem, but they only see what they want.

You are a lovely young woman, Melenthia. I wish you’d act more like a lady. He looked down at her attire, then at her wind blown hair. Look at you, you look like a ruffian.

I don’t need the pomp and circumstance that my station requires to know who I am. I have opinions and feelings, and I should not be brushed aside as if I were nothing. I am not some giddy child who follows around a handsome face like a love-sick puppy.

All this nonsense comes from education. Your brother had you study behind my back. Just one more thing he chose to do without my consent.

Maybe he felt it was important for me to know how my world works in order to understand the people in it. I’m able to help if you’d just give me a chance.

They are not your people, Melenthia, they are mine. I have Kevaan to help me in the affairs of state. It’s not for you.

She scowled at him and crossed her arms over her chest. What did mother do? Sit next to you and look pretty; a rose and her thorn. Did she not help make decisions to shape the kingdom that she shared in?

She was my wife, yes, and there were certain things she understood, but she didn’t overstep her bounds. She knew when to speak up and when to remain quiet, a skill you have yet to emulate. She didn’t parade around the kingdom in the open and make promises to the people that she could not fulfill. You just don’t understand the responsibilities that I have, Melenthia.

Yes, father, I do. Your responsibilities are the people under your guidance and protection, and they feel you’re failing them. They are suffering and are frightened, and you don’t know it. There are things going on that you don’t see because you refuse to look closer.

There will be no more discussions about this, Melenthia. You will not leave the grounds again without permission. Are we clear?

But, father, won’t you just…

His voice rose. Are we clear, Melenthia?

Yes, father, we’re clear.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. I love you child, but I swear you are going to be the death of me. When I don’t know where you are, I’m scared for you. Why do you do things to make me fret so?

I don’t mean to make you worry, father.

He smiled down at her with all the love in his eyes she knew he felt. I came to tell you your brother is on his way here. He should arrive by tomorrow.

Kevaan is coming? She was suspicious. What’s wrong? Why is he leaving Charbonneau?

There are things I need his help with, things he and I need to talk about.

Why can I not help you?

Lord, child did we not just have this discussion. There are issues of state I need him for. Nothing you need to worry about. Enjoy him while you can, and don’t worry over the reason why he’s here.

She was not completely convinced but knew she could get it out of Kevaan if necessary. He would tell her anything if she asked; he could never resist her.

How long will he be here?

I don’t know. A few weeks perhaps. You will have plenty of time to spend with him. Now since you missed dinner, I asked the servants to bring a bite to your rooms.

"You asked them?"

He smiled down at her, knowing exactly what she was wondering. He continued. Next time you miss, I will not be so generous and you will go without.

She glanced up at him, slightly embarrassed.

And don’t think the kitchen staff will turn their heads when you steal from the larder again.

She was busted. He knew about it all. She decided admitting the truth was better. What about Tomas?

Her father eyed her. I will allow his disobedience to me to slide this one time, but I would suggest you tell him not to lie for you again, or I will find a punishment suitable. I don’t think you want anyone to get in trouble for you, do you?

No, father, I don’t.

Good. No more talk tonight. Eat and sleep, for tomorrow you and your brother will have much catching up to do.

He turned from her and went down the hall, leaving her alone in the dimly lit corridor. She bit her lip and went into her room, closing the door.

***

King Dainard Llewellyn Grayson, ruler of Azlyn, was sitting in his private lounge with one leg thrown haphazardly over the arm of one of the chairs, one arm draped over a blond, his other over a brunette. The women were both buxom and were giggling and blowing in his ears as they fed him from a silver platter filled with fresh fruit and cheese.

His dirty blond hair was neat except for a stubborn lock that always fell on his forehead. His pale blue eyes were bloodshot, and there was a hint of a leftover black eye on his left, put there the previous week in a scuffle at a party gone awry. They also drooped from lack of sleep and nights of partying and debauchery. He wore black hosen and calf high black boots. His white shirt was ruffled down the front and his red silk brocade doublet was unhooked halfway down, showing off a good portion of his broad chest.

The women leaned on him. One had her arm looped around his, the other woman had hers draped in his lap. The brunette handed him his glass of ale and held it to his lips as he drank, then sipped the pungent Keiran ale after him. The blond plucked another piece of ripe fruit from the stem and fed it to him. He sucked on her fingers as she was removing them from his mouth. She looked up at him underneath sensuous eyelashes, and he smiled down at her, lifting her face to his. He kissed her lightly on the lips. He then leaned over and lightly kissed the other woman the same way.

The party had ended long ago, but he held these two back. He had watched them all night making moon eyes at him and blowing him kisses from across the room.

He had no intention of bringing either of them to bed, but he enjoyed their attention nonetheless. He had had way too much to drink tonight, more so than normal, and his eyes burned and his head spun.

He had dismissed his Prime Minister hours ago, and he hadn’t seen Alekzand’r Morgan, his Royal Advisor and Bounty Hunter, for days. He was restless and needed something to occupy his thoughts and his hands for a bit. These two had been eager to spend time in his favor, so he invited them to stay for private entertaining. He was getting sleepy now and wanted to retire, but the excitement of these ladies held him back.

The door to the room opened just as the blond was feeding him another grape, and Alekzand’r strode in, eyeing the ladies and his king sprawled out casually. He scowled.

Ah, Alek, you’ve returned from yet another trek into the unknown. Welcome home.

Alek still scowled but said nothing as he stood stiffly, arms crossed over his chest. Dain sensed Alek’s annoyance and swallowed the last of his ale. He moved his arms from around the beauties and kissed them each in turn.

I’m afraid the night has come to a close, ladies. It seems I have some business to attend to.

The women both pouted, standing up from the chairs they occupied and batted their eyelashes sensuously at him as they exited. He watched them both leave, their curvy forms sashaying out of the room. When the door was closed and all was quiet, Alek finally spoke.

What is the matter with you, Dain? This is the third time in the last two weeks I have found you inebriated and entertaining company at all hours of the night. Did you forget that you had audiences to hear tomorrow?

No, I have not forgotten. How could I forget anything with you constantly reminding me all the time? he said curtly, rising from his chair and going to the window. He leaned on the sill and took a deep breath of fresh pre-spring air.

The evenings were still chilly, but he did not notice most of the time, for the cold seemed to fit his melancholy mood of late. Spring was coming and the days were warmer, the nights still crisp, but the fresh smells were starting to permeate the air. It smelled of moist earth and wood smoke that traveled on the wind from the town laid out in the valley below. He could see a few twinkling lights burning at this hour from windows still stirring with life. He turned back toward Alek, who was now sitting in a chair that one of the ladies had occupied only moments before.

Dain knew that he was out of line again, but he just couldn’t seem to help himself. The affairs of state and the monotonous string of complaints and requests that came in every week made him irritable. It wasn’t that he didn’t care for his people, or want to understand their plights, it was just that he didn’t know how to help them the way he knew he should.

He had obtained the throne way before he was ready, and he hadn’t quite gotten the knack of what he should do for the province that now belonged to him. The province he had inherited too many years too early.

He sighed. If he was to be honest, he didn’t really try very hard. He rode through his cities and villages and made himself available to the people he governed, but when it came to changing laws or making edicts, he was way too inexperienced. Emerick usually handled all of that, and Alek gave him advice on what he thought should be done. Without them, he would be nowhere. Hell, his throne should have been overthrown by now from his lackadaisical way of ruling and his apathetic attitude for all of it. He looked at his Royal Advisor and best friend, and frowned. He knew Alek was disappointed in him for his behavior, but he never really ever came out and said it. It was actually worse not to hear his opinions out loud but rather to see it on his face instead.

The silence was broken suddenly, and Dain was glad for it. I have to remind you all the time for if I didn’t, you would be late or not show up at all for your appointments.

Dain just looked at him, his face hot with drink, his eyes bloodshot and dry. His head was reeling now, and he was beginning to even forget the names of the ladies that had been by his side only minutes before. Or maybe he didn’t know them in the first place. He berated himself for his lack of self-control and held up his hand in agreement. I know, Alek. If not for you I would have lost my throne long ago. I owe you my life, you know that.

Then why don’t you listen to me? I have tried to tell you these things and have tried to get you to see the path of destruction you are on, but you continue to ignore my warnings.

I’m sorry, Alek. I cannot seem to be able to help myself. I enjoy hiding from my responsibilities in drink and beautiful company.

The responsibilities are always there whether you hide from them or not. You cannot escape from them even when you try. You are king of Azlyn, and you have responsibilities to your people, and to yourself. His anger was abating somewhat, but his tone was still stiff.

Dain sighed. I know.He turned back toward the window, not wanting to endure the hard stare that Alek was giving him, disappointment gleaming in his eyes.

What’s wrong, Dain? You can talk to me.

I don’t know. I feel a cold wind blowing, and I feel something coming, something that I cannot put words to. I fear there is a menace threatening to overtake us, but I’ll be damned if I can put my finger on it. Maybe it’s just the alcohol induced coma that is causing me to feel a cold wind blowing into my realm, seeping into my soul.

I’m glad you’re feeling them; at least I know you’re paying attention. I have felt them too. That’s why you must snap out of this mood you have slipped into. You have to be alert in order to be ready if these phantoms are indeed out there. I have much to do and cannot do my duty if I have to worry about your soul.

Dain finally walked away from the window and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. I don’t mean to make you worry so, Alek. I’m a grown man and can take care of myself.

From where I stand the view is quite different.

All kings have indulged themselves in drink and beautiful ladies.

Yes, but you are indulging enough for several kings. This path can only lead to heartache and loneliness. I hate to see you so unhappy.

Am I unhappy?

"Yes, whether you admit it to yourself or not, you are indeed unhappy. The drink and the ambitious women can only fill your time and your soul for so long. After it all wears off, you’re going to wonder where your life went. I want to see you strong and