Lady Shilight Series - Giant Slayer

By Sheril Lee

Lady Shilight Series - Giant Slayer (includes books 4, 5, 6)~~~ Lady Shilight's odyssey continues. Her life is forever changed when the king is pressured into reducing her influence in the king's court. Feeling snubbed in her own kingdom her decision to travel to the Land of the Giants puts her life in untold danger. Her skill with a sword, however, is noticed by Prince Dellgon of Condinmire who pursues her romantically. Unfortunately the prince is betrothed to another. When his future wife learns she has a rival, things turn ugly. Lady Shilight's relationship with the prince is further threatened when Lady Shilight is unable to reverse a witch's curse. Upon hearing her home in Dovonshar is under attack from the cruel and unyielding Giants, Lady Shilight attempts to save her homeland by rallying help from two distant kingdoms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329590588

Book preview

LADY SHILIGHT

series

Includes

GIANT SLAYER

A REGAL DILEMMA

THREE KINGDOMS

by

Sheril Lee

This edition includes

books 4, 5 and 6 in the

Lady Shilight Series

~ ~ ~

First three books

in the Lady Shilight Series

Lady Shilight – Lady Warrior

Lady Shilight – Royal Auditor

Lady Shilight - Taskmaster

Latest book

Lady Shilight - Lady Cobra

~ ~ ~

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

Three wonderful people helped me edit my books. Thank you Dune, T.J.O., and C.A.T.

My beautiful book cover came from

Cover Design by Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers

1st Edition

Copyright © 2014 Sheril Lee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-329-59058-8

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike3.0 Unreported License. To view a copy of this license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

or send a letter to:

Creative Commons

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USA

http://www.lulu.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, without the written permission of the publisher, Sheril Lee, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in the context of reviews.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LAND MAP

Book 4 - GIANT SLAYER

Chapter 1: Return to Dovonshar

Chapter 2: Idzot Arrives

Chapter 3: Black Stallion

Chapter 4: Great Hall

Chapter 5: Land of the Giants

Chapter 6: River Rescue

Chapter 7: First Battle

Chapter 8: Kingdom of Condinmire

Book 5 - A REGAL DILEMMA

Chapter 1: New Life in Condinmire

Chapter 2: Prince Dellgon

Chapter 3: A Day of Celebration

Chapter 4: Phottla Confronts Me

Chapter 5: Countryside Dog Training

Chapter 6: Royal Accusation

Chapter 7: Redemption

Chapter 8: A Scarf and a New Man

Book 6 - THREE KINGDOMS

Chapter 1: The Truth Be Known

Chapter 2: Time To Regroup

Chapter 3: Lost Items Found

Chapter 4: Two Hearts Apart

Chapter 5: A Battle Plan is Formed

Chapter 6: Three Kingdoms Unite

Chapter 7: Victory Is Ours

Chapter 8: Tying Up Loose Ends

Appendix: Land Map

GIANT SLAYER

BOOK 4

CHAPTER 1

The Giants were hot on my heels. I dare not slow down for they were close behind me. They had chased me through a forest and out onto a wide open meadow. I could hear the sound of their horses’ hooves pounding the ground as they pursued me. The horse I was riding was a young black stallion. He was strong and swift of foot. I hoped he could outrun the Giants.

I urged my horse to run faster as we raced across the meadow. That is when I noticed something was wrong. I was running out of ground. The meadow ended at the top of a steep cliff. I started reining in my horse as I approached the edge. The cliff dropped off sharply to a river below. I looked down at the other side of the river. It was lined with tall mature trees. The spring rains had made the river a rushing body of foaming water. I was trapped. There was no place for me to go but down. I could ride south along the top of the cliff, but the Giants would catch me. It would mean certain death if they did.

The riders were getting closer. I had to make a decision now! Run or jump! I dug my heels into the stallion’s side and urged him to jump, but he balked. The Giants were closing in on me. It was now or never. I spun my horse around in a circle and again I dug my heels into his side. This time I slapped him with the tail end of my reins and screamed at the top of my lungs JUMP!

How did I get into this dangerous encounter with the Giants? To help you understand my current situation I must take you back in time and explain the events that led up to this day.

Bardeth, a young soldier and my lover, had planned a trip to Zarhaven. He was going there to look at a black stallion and I was going to go with him. Our ruler, King Kuandel, heard of our upcoming trip and he ordered me to perform my official duties of Royal Auditor and Royal Taskmaster while I was in that city. When my group of assistants and accompanying soldiers arrived in Zarhaven the gate to the city was closed.

When I asked for the gate to be opened, I was shot in the chest with an arrow. I was taken into the Earl’s residence for treatment. Unbeknownst to me the Earl of Zarhaven wanted me dead. He had received news of my travels and he did not like what he heard. He was told that I had caused chaos and trouble in every place I had visited. That upset him greatly. He wanted to make me suffer for my meddling ways, so he decided it was time to stop me. The Earl ordered his henchmen to give me small amounts of arsenic in my food. Each day I grew sicker and weaker.

With Bardeth’s help I drank a brownish liquid from a jar he had found in my saddle bag. He had no way of knowing that Ommalo, the witch, had given me that jar. On your trip drink it. were her words to me. I had no trip planned at the time, so her words made no sense to me. I had no idea when or why I was supposed to drink it, until I became ill in Zarhaven. I remembered her words and drank the liquid.

Did Ommalo know I was going to be poisoned?

The day I was to receive the final deadly dose of poison, Bardeth whisked me out of the area in a carriage. He had learned of a plot to kill me, and under the cover of darkness helped me escape out of Zarhaven.

We hurried away as fast as we could. Bardeth sat with his arms holding me tightly as the carriage rocked back and forth on the bumpy road. He hoped no soldiers would pursue us. The Earl’s original plan was to tell everyone I had died of gangrene poisoning. His Royal Physician would back him up by saying he had found it deep within my arrow wounds. The Earl’s story would not ring true if I was hunted down and killed on the road.

On the way home to Dovonshar, I continued to fall in and out of consciousness. Bardeth had the driver push the horses to near exhaustion. He wanted as much distance between us and Zarhaven as possible.

We traveled non-stop that night and throughout the next day. We finally had to stop to rest for the night. When everyone was asleep I was transported to Hevarah’s place. Both witches were there. Hevarah and Turloola were in the middle of a heated argument.

See what you have done? Turloola screamed at her sister. She is going to die and her death will be your fault!

Hevarah had never seen her sister this angry. She tried to calm her down by assuring her that I was not going to die.

The liquid she drank is neutralizing the poison and she will be fine… eventually.

Hevarah turned to me and snarled, Where did you get the liquid? Who gave it to you?

Before I could answer, Turloola snapped at her sister, Do not change the subject, Hevarah. You always distract me to get me off a subject. Not this time!

Turloola’s last statement must have sounded like a challenge to Hevarah because she shouted, Why do you care about this rat?

Right before my eyes she changed me into a rat.

No, no! I shouted, but my words came out sounding like the squeal of a rat.

A livid Turloola screamed, She is not a rat!, and changed me into a white rabbit.

I hopped over to the floor length mirror to see what I looked like. A tug-a-war of wills began between the two sisters as they each took turns changing me into a rat, or back into a rabbit. Objects on the shelves began to vibrate the madder they became.

Leave her alone, snapped Turloola.

As the argument escalated, things began flying around the room. One of the objects, a boot, hit me and caused me to flop over onto my side.

You killed her! screeched Turloola.

I did not, yelled Hevarah.

Shaken but unharmed, I sat up on my haunches. Turloola looked at me and saw I was okay.

Filled with a smoldering anger, Turloola turned to her sister.

Her eyes narrowed and she declared in a cold no-nonsense voice, If you ever interfere with my forewarnings to Shilight I will leave this place and never speak to you again.

I had to suppress a smile when I heard Turloola’s words. That was the first time I had ever heard her stand up to her sister. With a wave of Turloola’s hand I was turned back into my human form and returned to the camp. Her final words played over and over again in my head as I fell asleep.

Days later, when our carriage arrived in Dovonshar, Bardeth carried me into the castle. Others offered to help him but he refused. One of the soldiers had ridden ahead to Dovonshar to make sure a physician would be waiting to examine me the minute I entered the city.

Inside the castle the physician asked everyone to leave my bedchamber. Bardeth stayed in the room, for he would not leave my side.

The physician had been alerted to my condition and knew I was suffering from arsenic poisoning. His examination concluded that my condition was not as dire as he had expected. In his opinion I had survived the worst part and was slowly on the mend. Bardeth was worried about the gangrene and asked if it had spread. To his relief the physician could find no trace of gangrene in any of my wounds. That did not mean I was out of the woods. Only time would tell if I had suffered any long lasting affects from the poison.

Color started coming back into my cheeks as I improved. My appetite slowly returned and I showed improvement day after day. Through one of the king’s manservants I learned that King Kuandel wished to speak with me as soon as possible about my official duties. No doubt he wondered when I might be well enough to resume them.

My mother and father came to see me. The worried looks on their faces touched my heart. I did not wish to add to their anxiety, but I was too weak to even fake being well. My father told me Salturn, the Coachman, and Gusplat had returned to the city. I had been in charge of those men and I felt responsible for them. News of their homecoming lifted a weight off my shoulders. When I arrived home without my men the king had chastised me for leaving them behind. With their safe return I hoped the king would see that incident in a more favorable light.

The day I was able to sit up in bed the king came to see me. He sat down beside my bed.

Lady Shilight, we were all worried about you when you were brought into the castle. It pleases us greatly to know that you are on the mend. It is urgent that I speak with you about your royal duties.

He proceeded to list all of the unsettling news he had heard about me from every place I had visited. His advisors and his staunchest military commanders had begged him to end my duties as Royal Auditor and Royal Taskmaster. He could not ignore the rumblings and discontentment he was hearing.

He put his hand on my arm and told me, Lady Shilight, you know how much I admire and respect you. You are a dear friend to me and the queen. However, as much as I respect you, I must listen to those who advise me. Some of your actions have caused ill will toward my leadership amongst the military hierarchy. It would be reckless of me to ignore this disquietude that has strained the kingdom. I must not put the welfare of one person above the welfare of many. This inflammatory situation must be halted before it begins to weaken my authority. I regret that things have come to this, but effective immediately I must relieve you of all your duties as Royal Auditor and Royal Taskmaster. Do not try to change my mind. What is done is done.

I was too weak to argue with the king, so with a sigh of resignation I replied, As you wish, Your Majesty.

The matter of Taskmaster was finished for now, but there was another more important matter I wished to discuss with the king.

I asked, Your Majesty, what actions have you set in motion against the Earl of Zarhaven? He tried to have me killed.

King Kuandel looked deeply into my eyes and told me sternly, Bardeth has already spoken with me about this matter. He informed me that you had been shot and poisoned by the orders of the Earl. I asked him for proof, but he had none.

The king continued, The Earl himself told you that your arrow wound was an unfortunate accident. The old musician could not identify the two men whose conversations he had overheard outside your bedchamber door. No one has admitted to poisoning you, so you have no proof of anything. Perhaps you had food poisoning. I believe Bardeth, but it would be his word against the Earl’s and that would not be enough for me to accuse the Earl. You of all people should know that, Lady Shilight.

I shook my head in agreement. He was right, of course, but the king’s words still stung. We said our goodbyes and I watched him walk out of the room.

In a way I was relieved to be rid of the horrid duty of Royal Auditor, but I was furious at losing the title of Royal Taskmaster. When my mind was sharp again I would approach the king and explain my actions. Certainly he would see that he had made an error and he would reinstate me as the Royal Taskmaster.

Soon after the king left my bedchamber the queen showed up in my room. One of the queen’s handmaidens had seen the king enter my room and had reported his whereabouts to Her Highness. Entering the room Queen Bonasha wanted to know everything that had been discussed. She told me the king had been moody and distant since I had returned from Zarhaven. She knew something was weighing heavily on him and she wanted to know what it was. The queen knew it had something to do with my travels. There were whispers and rumors circling around inside the castle about my handling of certain situations. The queen had overheard denigrating remarks about me from some of the military commanders and she wanted to know what I had discussed with the king.

My best friend in the whole world