Lady Shilight - Two Loves

By Sheril Lee

This edition includes the 10th and 11th books in the Lady Shilight Series - Lady Shilight is abducted on her way home to Dovonshar. When she escapes, she is pursued by a man who wishes her dead. Arriving in Rydolke she learns King Kuandel and his family are being held prisoners there. Their sickly child was taken from them and pronounced dead, but where is the body?
The queen, tired of waiting for Shilight and Bardeth to tie the knot, urges Shilight to set a wedding date. She agrees, but there is something she must do first. Shilight travels to a distant kingdom to reclaim her black stallion, and finds herself facing a spiteful witch.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359582365

Book preview

LADY SHILIGHT

TWO LOVES

Books 10 and 11 in the

Lady Shilight Series

by

Sheril Lee

1st Edition

Copyright © 2019 Sheril Lee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-359-58236-5

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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San Francisco, California 94105

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.

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

To my three editors, Dune, C.A.T., and T.J.O.,

who have helped me from the start,

I thank you.

Books in the

Lady Shilight Series

by Sheril Lee

Lady Shilight – Lady Warrior

includes

Lady Shilight – Royal Auditor

Lady Shilight – Taskmaster

Lady Shilight – Giant Slayer

includes

Lady Shilight – A Regal Dilemma

Lady Shilight- Three Kingdoms

Lady Shilight - Lady Cobra

includes

Lady Shilight - Adrift

Lady Shilight - Homeward Bound

Table of Contents

LAND MAP

shield

BOOK 10 WEEPING CROWNS

Chapter 1: Abducted

Chapter 2: Who Are You?

Chapter 3: Escaping A Mine

Chapter 4: An Enemy No More

Chapter 5: Brothers

Chapter 6: Fighting Skills Honed

Chapter 7: Rescue Plans

Chapter 8: Dissenters Unite

Chapter 9: The Queen Grieves

Chapter 10: Horse Or Ghost Child

Chapter 11: Fireballs

Chapter 12: A King Rejoices

shield

BOOK 11 TWO LOVES

Chapter 1: A Fortnight or Two

Chapter 2: Quindel

Chapter 3: Bristilla's Surprise

Chapter 4: Searching For Bardeth

Chapter 5: Hoot Owl Tavern

Chapter 6: On the Road to Rydolke

Chapter 7: Havinca the Bold

Chapter 8: Farbadden

Chapter 9: Reclaiming My Stallion

Chapter 10: Headed Home

Chapter 11: White Lace Vows

LAND MAP

LAND MAP

WEEPING CROWNS

BOOK 10

CHAPTER 1

The sorceress was out of control. Lady Shilight had never seen anyone this angry. Even Kilmire looked visibly scared of her.

Get back! If you force me to, I will kill you! she screeched.

Lady Shilight turned to Kilmire and shouted,

She is out of control! We must do something to distract her and stop this dangerous ranting! If we stand here and do nothing, someone is going to die. Quick, give me a hand.

She pointed to the ground. Together they reached down and grabbed a handful of rocks. They inched their way closer to the witch.

To help you understand what led up to this moment, I must take you back in time. Sent by King Kuandel on official business I traveled across the Torarks Sea. Halfway to our destination I was kidnapped by pirates, forced to walk the plank, and lost my memory when I hit my head on the side of the ship. Luckily I survived and found a new life in the city of Bricktun. There I fell in love, married, and sadly, buried my husband. The trauma of watching my husband die in my arms triggered the return of my memory. I yearned to return to my home in Dovonshar, so I traveled by land along the edge of the sea until I arrived in the harbor city of Gladebend. It was there I learned King Kuandel had been overthrown in a battle waged against Lord Pardorg. To my displeasure Lord Pardorg was crowned king of Dovonshar.

Faced with an empty treasury, King Pardorg doubled the amount of taxes he imposed on every person in the kingdom. Flexing his newly acquired power he unmercifully clamped down on dissidents. Upset with the new king, the harbor cities of Gladebend and Harborfel banded together. I joined these soldiers on their way to Huntirrplan, a city occupied by those willing to go to war to dethrone the newly crowned king. After marching halfway to Huntirrplan the soldiers were allowed to stop and rest in the city of Grunpland.

I was warned that King Pardorg had put a price on my head, but in one unassuming moment in Grunpland, I let my guard down.

That fateful day I had borrowed an old pair of pants from one of the traveling actors whose troupe was traveling along with the soldiers.

Alone at the time, I walked to a nearby creek. I leaned over the edge of the water in an attempt to wash my hair. Someone came up behind me and pushed my head under the water. At the last minute the same hand pulled my head out of the water. Coughing and gasping for air I was gagged, and a sack was pulled over my head. Two men lifted me onto the back of a horse. Before I knew it, I had been abducted by unknown assailants.

What happened? Who are these men? Why have they grabbed me? Where are they taking me? were many of the thoughts that raced through my mind.

Their frenzied ride away from the encampment continued until the group had traveled several miles to the east. The men slowed their horses to a walk, allowing them to rest for the time being.

We must keep moving. Who knows when someone will notice she is missing and come after us, announced a man in an arrogant sounding voice.

That voice sounds familiar, I thought.

Let me kill her. Then they will have only a body to find, growled a young man in an angry voice.

NO! You will not kill her. Stop talking stupid, a third man said. His voice was low and raspy.

Who are you calling stupid? shouted the angry one.

Both of you shut up, yelled the arrogant man.

Efrunt? Was that Efrunt’s voice? I wondered.

The horses began to canter. Each stride took us further and further away from Grunpland.

Back at the encampment, Bristilla was becoming more and more frustrated. The pretty young woman was an accomplished actress who had joined a traveling pageant show. Wagons carried her across the land from town to town as she, and her fellow actors, put on plays and skits to entertain the local townsfolk.

Bristilla had befriended Shilight and had told her she would join her at the creek, but the actress was terribly late. After looking through all three of the troupes’ wagons, she finally found her hairbrush.

When ready, she walked to the creek with a towel draped over her arm and a small jar of lavender oil in her hand. She looked forward to putting the fragrant oil in her hair. Bristilla could envision her friend tapping her toe and wondering why she had taken so long. Shilight would probably tease her, and quite rightfully, for dragging her feet.

When Bristilla arrived at the creek she did not see Shilight. She walked up and down the edge of the creek thinking her friend had moved to another area of the creek. Suddenly she froze in her tracks. There on the ground was the cloth Shilight had brought with her to dry her hair. Where was she? Bristilla repeatedly called out her friend’s name, but there was no answer.

Filled with dread, Bristilla ran back to the campsite. When she got near the pageant wagons she began screaming for help.

I cannot find Shilight! She is not by the creek. I do not know where she is. I was suppose to meet her there but she is nowhere to be found! gasped a semi-hysterical Bristilla.

Calm down, Bristilla, urged Sir Pagnt, putting his hands on her shoulders. Did you check all the wagons? he asked.

What is going on? Sterbent inquired, as he ran to Bristilla’s side.

Several soldiers, including Nowellar, walked closer to the wagons upon hearing the commotion.

Shilight is missing! She went to the creek and I was suppose to meet her there, but she is gone! Where is she? Bristilla sobbed, with tears welling up in her eyes.

Sterbent, come with me and we will go look for her, urged Sir Pagnt.

All of us will go, Sterbent insisted. Someone find Angle. He will want to know about this.

The actors followed Bristilla to the creek. Sterbent found multiple boot imprints in the ground around the edge of the creek. There were at least three different sized boot prints. They also noted numerous hoof marks in the ground that showed more than one horse headed east across the creek. Bristilla grabbed the cloth off the ground and held it in the air.

This cloth is dry. Shilight came here to wash her hair. She would not have left this here, she moaned, clutching the cloth to her chest.

When the group returned to camp, Sir Pagnt went to speak with the Duke. He requested his help in finding Lady Shilight.

My soldiers are prepared to leave for Huntirrplan and Lady Shilight is aware of that. I am sure she is in another area of the camp and will show up soon, responded the Duke.

The next morning when Shilight had not returned, Sir Pagnt approached the Duke for a second time. The Duke was informed of the hoof marks, the boot prints, and the cloth that was left on the ground. Sir Pagnt implored the Duke to send some of his soldiers to look for her.

The Duke was sympathetic to Sir Pagnt’s plight but refused to change his plans. He was ready to seat his horse and lead his men onward to Huntirrplan.

Telling Bristilla the bad news was not easy for Sir Pagnt. He had fond feelings for Shilight but he needed to fulfill his agreement with the Duke. He had promised His Grace that the troupe would provide entertainment for the soldiers. Sir Pagnt could not go back on his word. Bristilla begged Sterbent to stay with her in Grunpland until Shilight returned. Sterbent found himself torn between his loyalty to Sir Pagnt and his love for Bristilla.

The last battalion of soldiers were ready to leave Grunpland. Soon every soldier would be gone. Sterbent begged Bristilla to leave with the troupe. What could she do on her own to find Shilight? She had no friends or allies in the village. She had already scoured the creek banks and found nothing. Repeating her search would yield nothing new.

Bristilla knew Sterbent was right. What could she accomplish on her own? Tears streamed down her face and Angle’s face as the pageant wagons followed the last group of soldiers out of the village.

CHAPTER 2

The four riders continued riding in an easterly direction. They needed to get as far away from the camp as possible. The sun was sinking low in the sky, so the men decided to stop for the night.

Help her off the horse and take the sack off her head, commanded the arrogant sounding man who Shilight had decided was the leader.

Remove that sack and I will kill her, warned the angry man.

Stop with your threats and help her off the horse, ordered the leader.

Shilight was roughly grabbed, yanked off her horse, and shoved to the ground.

Your days are numbered, the angry man whispered into her ear. I suggest you leave your head covering on, or your end will come quickly.

Get away from her and get us some food, the leader ordered.

What about her? asked the man with the raspy voice.

She can go without for a day or two, the angry man answered.

Shilight did not sleep well that night. Her hands were tied around the base of a small tree and the men had left the sack tied around her head. The next morning she was lifted onto a horse, and the group moved on.

The next night Shilight asked for water. She had worked the gag off of her mouth long ago but she had feared to speak until now.

Take the sack off her head and give her a drink of water, the leader ordered.

The moment the sack was off her head, the young man began punching her in the head. Over and over he let his fists fly. An older man with a rugged face grabbed him and threw him down on the ground.

Get her some water, he snapped.

Shilight could finally see her abductors. The voice