A Mother's Warning: The Chronicles of Nadine

By Kim Vermaak

How far would you go to save your kingdom?

A Prequel Novella for the Chronicles of Nadine

 

The Lords have chosen King Radolf, a powerful ruler with a troubled past as a strategic match. Isabella senses something sinister about King Radolf, but her history of melancholy after the death of her sons makes her warnings fall on deaf ears. King Radolf and his adviser have plans that not even Isabella can sense. They are searching for something that will alter the balance of power that King Radolf craves. If he finds it in Isabella's Kingdom, he will unleash his plan that will explode into the Medieval Fantasy series, The Chronicles of Nadine. As the veil between life and death is stretched thin, Isabella sees visions that lead her to an unspeakable choice.

 

Can she save the ones she loves from King Radolf before it is too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kim Vermaak
• Release date: Jan 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393628675

Kim Vermaak

Kim Vermaak always had a pen in her hand. Whether doodling, crafting poems or writing letters. Born into an abusive family, Kim’s first heroes were her adoptive parents. Through them, she learned the gift of new beginnings. She also learned a love of reading and how she could be transported to a place where ordinary people could find the courage to rise above insurmountable odds. Through books, she found her courage. But it was not until South Africa faced its first series of power cuts, that she found her talent for storytelling. In the dark with a frightened daughter, she began to create heroes that could tap into their inner strength and win. Through her love of reading, history and young people, Kim crafts stories that embrace the true purpose of storytelling. To impart wisdom. But in today’s fast-paced society, we often reduce stories to pure entertainment value. This leaves little room for us to grow and forces us to relive the painful lessons of the past.  It is Kim’s passion to see communities create a legacy that will empower future generations. In her medieval fantasy series, “The Chronicles of Nadine” Kim weaves a landscape of characters, all on paths that their choices have carved. She welcomes readers who have learned lessons through these characters to share them with her and each other.

Book preview

A Mother's Warning

Prequel Novella

Kim Vermaak

Yakhal Publishing

A Mother’s Warning

Series Name: The Chronicles of Nadine

Author: Kim Vermaak

Cover: https://www.fiverr.com/shahrukhshah000

Editor: Judy Ward

Author Photo: Hush Naidoo

Published by: Yakhal Publishing

ISBN: 9781393628675

First edition. January 7, 2021.©

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from the author and publisher. Publications are exempt in the case of brief quotations or critical reviews or articles.

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Subscribers to Kim Vermaak’s Newsletter, get a free novella. Claim on her website.

I dedicate this book to Judy Ward, Belinda Keel, and Amelia Nel. All remarkable women and mothers.

Now, for those who know me, you may wonder why I have chosen that order.

Judy ward, you have helped me find my words. You are like a fairy Godmother, but your wand is a pen, one that stretches forth her pen and transforms an ordinary girl into a writer, and this book would not have been possible without your love, dedication and support.

Belinda, my mother, you freed me in more ways than can ever fill this page. Amelia, you helped me to find hope when my fears held me captive.

Like Queen Isabella freed her daughter Christine, these three remarkable women all made their mark on me, freeing me to be the woman that God intended me to be.

Proverbs 31:31: Honour her for all that her hands have done and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Contents

1. The Warning

2. Like a Moth to a Flame

3. All that glitters is not...

4. What Lies Beneath

5. Trapped

6. Sleep

7. Surely Not

8. The Truth

9. The Plot

10. The Promise

11. Discovery

12. The Corrupt

13. The Way

14. The Sacrifice

15. Away

16. Fight

17. Run

Book 1: The Last of the Silver Wings - Prologue

Book 1: The Last of the Silver Wings: Chapter 1

About the Author

Other Books by Kim Vermaak

. Chapter

Kim’s Newsletter

one

The Warning

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There comes a moment when the voice of fear is a warning. It is a rushing sickness in your stomach.

Queen Isabella started at the comb on her dresser. She pulled a single grey strand from it. The chambermaid had left the room to get some more herbal remedy, and in her absence, the Queen stretched out her fingers and checked the progress of her hand tremor. She closed her eyes for a moment. The underlying fear that ran through her stomach never reached her blue-grey eyes.

Isabella lingered longer than usual in her beauty routine. She was not a vain woman, but she used the extra moments to compose herself. She sighed as she stared into the polished metal mirror.

Her husband, King Frederick, had rubbed her shoulders that morning. What other King would do that? His powerful hands offered some comfort, but could she tell him again of her fears? He cared so for those around him, but did the Lords care for him? The relentless pursuit of their goal to have Frederick marry off his last remaining heir enraged her. The sickness had claimed Montgomery, the last of their sons, and now there was no one left. No one who could protect Christine’s right to rule. The Princess was wise and true, Frederick had not reserved his leadership for only his sons. Christine had free rein over the castle. She had even sat on her father’s knee during war councils and she would make a fine ruler, but she could not rule without marriage. Christine was not ambitious. She would have been happy to leave the rule to her brothers, but tragedy had claimed Isabella’s sons late in the Queen’s life and her womb had now run out of time.

The Lords had insisted on a political marriage. There were murmurs of a strike from a lesser relative claiming the right to rule. It was not in Queen Isabella’s nature to speak poorly of others, but Marcus was a small-minded man who picked on the weakness of others. He never based his insufferable opinions on fact, only on his prejudices. This relative could never unite the Lords and should he convince others to back his claims, the kingdom that Frederick had built would crumble. It took a wise man to admit error, and Marcus had covered too many of his errors with his defensive outbursts.

Suitors had arrived, but Christine was too interested in helping the widows of fallen knights who had battled the invisible enemy - the sickness. Several suitors had left, offended by the Princess’s lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of marriage. The girl’s father had overindulged her and failed to remind her of her political responsibilities. Women were political pawns in the battle to rule, and a woman was a vessel to breed sons, who were the only rulers deemed fit by society. But if Christine married a man who gifted her the right to rule, she could secure their lineage.

It was Isabella who had steeled herself to prepare her daughter. She shuddered when she thought of that day.

Christine, I admire your dedication to those who suffer. You will make a noble and compassionate queen. But what will become of these people if Marcus rules?

Mother, I cannot ignore their plight.

I am not asking you to ignore them. I am asking you to think. Think bigger than only what you see before you. You must marry. You can not rule without a husband. After you marry, you can spend your time running after the widows and orphans. But please...secure your rule. It is what is best for the kingdom and ultimately what is best for our people.

But I have only just started the feeding scheme. I must be there...

I forbid you to spend one more minute on this feeding scheme until you have met with at least one suitor today. I will give you one of my attendants to supervise your operations, but you will be at this meeting. Do I make myself clear, Christine?

Christine’s defeat did not give Isabella pleasure. The Princess’s eyes flashed in gentle defiance, her mind already calculating how she could sneak away after the introduction.

The Queen had instructed the guards to not let Christine out of their sight. She had sent three attendants to get instructions from Christine for the feeding scheme so that those who relied on the Princess’s generosity would not suffer.

Confident that she had done right by her people for the long term, Queen Isabella entered the great