Rebellion

By AJ Cooper

For centuries, the House of Bayne has ruled in the Kalamar Forest. Its many generations have lived in Bayne's fortress, and its sons have sat on Bayne's throne. But now, the household is dreaming vivid dreams, and an air of tension has spread throughout the kingdom. One stray spark may lead to open rebellion. One misstep, and a challenger might try for the throne. Volume Four of Enchanted Forest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Realms of Varda
• Release date: Aug 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005871703

AJ Cooper

Cursed at birth with a wild imagination, AJ Cooper spent his youth dreaming of worlds more exciting than Earth. He is a native Midwesterner and loves writing fantasy, especially epic fantasy set in his own created worlds. He is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop and the author of numerous fantasy novels and novellas. His short stories have appeared in Morpheus Tales, Fear and Trembling, Residential Aliens and Mindflights, among others.

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Rebellion: Enchanted Forest, Volume Four

Copyright © 2020 Andrew James Cooper

Published by Realms of Varda

www.vardabooks.com

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any print or electronic form without permission.

Table of Contents

Episode 1: Oath Keeper

Episode 2: Fat Lips

Episode 3: Two Sisters

Episode 4: Bayne’s Fortress

Episode 5: The Breakaway Kingdom

About the Author

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Rebellion

Enchanted Forest, Volume Four

AJ Cooper

Episode 1: Oath Keeper

From the heights of Mount Doogan, a wind blew.

Cold and crisp was it, and it rustled the leaves of trees in the late summer air. Against its gust adventurers turned their heads and foresters gasped; and at last the wind reached Bayne’s Dain, and for once the business of the townsfolk ceased, the blacksmiths stopped striking with their mallets, the gossips halted their whispered talk.

The wind had blown; but quickly it was forgotten. Summer was ending; and on the edges of the leaves there were traces of brown and gold.

I.

Pirosha, King of Kalamar, was the source of much gossip in Bayne’s Dain. He was standing at the height of his porch, and looking down into the town streets below. Behind him he sensed a presence, and before he turned and saw her face, he knew it was Imowyn, his dearest friend and herbalist extraordinaire.

Imowyn, he said. I feel the people of my own kingdom don’t respect me… they look at me in an odd way, like I’m lesser than my father, like—

I think I know why that is, Imowyn said. Do you want the honest truth?

I always do, he said.

But did he?

You are old for a king, not to be married.

Yes, said Pirosha. I suppose that’s true.

The process of wooing terrified him, and where he could wield a sword, it seemed in many avenues, he could not wield his tongue. Besides, he was short for a norg, and the courtiers even dared call him Shortsprout to his face.

I am old, said Pirosha, or getting there. But what fair young maiden is there for me?

The first one who came to mind was the maiden named Lolly, who had betrayed his hopes, whom Imowyn had warned him against. Who was there? Who?

Who would marry me? said Pirosha.

I would marry you, said Imowyn.

Pirosha’s silence said it all, and Imowyn’s expression became that of hurt, then of somber acceptance.

You will have to find someone, said Imowyn. There are many maidens in the Kalamar Forest who would love to be wed to you.

To the Big People of the south, norgs appeared to be children, the old among them wizened children with gray hair. A fair maiden in the height of her youth was what Pirosha wanted, a fair maiden, healthy, strong, to perpetuate the House of Bayne and ensure that it would not fall into ruin.

That was what he needed, that was what he wanted above all. Lolly he could not and would not have; and he had just the idea, now.

~

Some time later, Pirosha was again on the grand porch, again looking over the town of Bayne’s Dain, but this time it was evening, and the sun was shining in gold and red colors over the rooftops, and from the fortress of Bayne dozens of riders on ponies were galloping out toward the gate, and trumpets were signaling their importance. They were riding, bearing letters, to the four chief towns—to Goldborough, to Honeymead Village, to Duskville and to as far as Aureleum. A pageant had been announced to take place two weeks from now, a pageant of beauty and dance—the prize, the queenship of Kalamar.

II.

The night was late, and the whole hog—having been roasted on a spit—was nearly fully eaten. Pirosha was in the great hall, and the courtiers and maesters and visiting noblemen were on the verge of sleep, and the light in the hearth was flickering. All had glutted themselves on boar and cider. But in the distance a shadow was moving, and amid the dim light Pirosha strained to see. At long last there was a spurt of flame, a glimmer of light cast by the hearth, and he could now see that it was Yeown, his servant, about whom there was a secret only he knew. She was not a norg, but a bogey, a spirit from the dark side of Faerie who liked to present herself as something else, who wanted more than anything to live among mortals.

She was a servant now, a servant in the House of Bayne, and she was going from table to table, scrubbing down the silver pots and pans, and throwing the trenchers to the dogs. She was Pirosha’s most diligent worker, and though she was not what she appeared to be, she strove every day to please her master, and from dawn to midnight she did nothing but work. Black Bett, some had called her, but Pirosha considered her a friend. He knew of her state, and those who didn’t only knew her as the hardest working of the House of Bayne’s servants.

Yet as she scrubbed the silver, the fire in the hearth was lighting in her eyes, and she was looking directly at her master, Pirosha, the King of Kalamar. From the robes of her pockets she was drawing something, from the folds of her robe, something that glittered with gold.

Yeown walked up to her, and gracefully she walked, as if her feet barely touched the ground. My master, she said and smiled, I beg of you a moment of your time.

Those members of the court who were not sleeping had their eyes shut, and of everyone in the great hall, only Yeown and Pirosha were alert.

She drew near him. She spread out her hands and the gold chain of a necklace glittered. It was fixed with a locket. My king, said