Purple Tears

By Stacey Black

In the Eneija Kingdom, King Eneija is a man of his word, is well respected, and has great influence over other kingdoms. He rules with fairness, as his father once did. The king doesn’t allow the opinions of other men to influence his decisions, and he never hesitates. However, the king has a weakness.

King Eneija is in love. He is tethered to his affections, unable to rule without them. He will not admit this weakness. He tells himself to stay strong and rule in the tradition of his ancestors. Being obedient to the purple has allowed the Eneija Kingdom to remain dominant and beautiful. The purple is a gift given for obedience, but the people are drawing away.

The kingdom has grown large and profitable through blood, sweat, and the purple tears. Now, the king’s compassion might be its downfall. His life suddenly overflows with secrets pleasures and punishments. In this world of intrigue, giving in to love could prove to be not only heart breaking but dangerous.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: May 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781480890190

Stacey Black

Stacey Black writes fiction that keeps readers in suspense. Prepare for an adventure of love, mystery, and secrets.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

THE KINGDOM

B eing obedient to the purple allowed the Eneija Kingdom to become a beautiful sight, from the thick green grass to the fine details of the massive walls. Tall mountains separated the kingdom from the magnificent ocean. The castle was made of large stones. It sat upon a hill overlooking the region and had a stunning view. Bountiful crops dotted its landscape. Many believed the land was what made them flawless. People in the Eneija Kingdom lived longer than others did. Not only were they known to outlive other kingdoms by at least twenty years, but they kept their beauty until death—a benefit many would kill for.

A large fountain sat in the center of the eye-catching court. The fountain was filled with a collection of small exotic fish from different regions. Sounds of trickling water continuously filled the fountain. Beautiful fruit trees formed perfect rows on each side of the kingdom. These trees formed a pathway to the seemingly faraway entrance. Scented white flowers grew all around, attracting butterflies and birds. There was a continuous sound of singing and chirping throughout the garden. Doves glided over the kingdom daily. They landed at will upon the thick tree branches to rest their exhausted wings.

King Arra Eneija was a king known throughout the region. The Eneija name represented power and great strength. The kingdom grew large and powerful through blood, sweat, and purple tears, and it produced anything it needed. It was filled with pleasure, pain, and punishments. In this kingdom, one would surely receive one’s due! Nevertheless, the king’s ruling with compassion would prove to be not only dangerous but heartbreaking.

The Eneijas dominated the region and had acquired many territories over the years through battles against other great kingdoms. These battles had helped construct a large and powerful empire. King Eneija was a man of his word, well respected, and had great influence over other kingdoms. He ruled with principles and fairness, as his father had done. He didn’t allow the opinions of other men to influence any of his decisions. He never hesitated. He knew what he knew.

He was a confident and strong king who stood well above six feet tall. He had broad shoulders, extremely long legs, and large hands. He was as handsome as he was fascinating. The men in his family were larger and stronger than average, which made them look rather intimidating. Some described them as giants, and to many, they were. The king and his family spoke many languages, which allowed them to communicate with people from different regions.

He attracted women from all over, not only because of his power but also because of his extremely good looks. His deep, authoritative voice; beautiful brown eyes; high cheekbones; and bronze skin made him irresistible. His hair was long, jet black and wavy. He kept the front braided while the rest hung down his back, hitting his waist. He wore a perfectly braided beard that rested against his soft skin. He wore a gold earring at all times. It matched the gold crown he wore upon his head and the gold cuffs he wore around his wrists. He wore clothing made from fine fabrics—the kind of fabrics fit for a king.

He was surrounded by beautiful women from different regions—women wishing to become his concubines. Though they were beautiful, he didn’t want the hassle. There were many women seeking his attention for many reasons. He knew they didn’t have the best intentions for him or his kingdom. Some were devious and had hidden motives, while others sought a better life. He knew eventually they’d create problems for him and his kingdom, and he wouldn’t risk his kingdom for anything or anyone—not even a woman! He knew he needed to stay focused. He didn’t have time to watch them. The last thing he needed was a distraction. He knew the power of seduction and how it destroyed many men and brought down many kingdoms. Though many women lusted after him, he was very picky and preferred his true love.

King Eneija was a rather complex man who was devoted to his kingdom. He sometimes sought guidance from his ancestors before making decisions. He possessed knowledge that people were in awe of. He had the ability to bring understanding to even the feeblest minds. His speeches were astonishing; he captivated his audiences with passion and detail. Though loved and adored by many, he remained humble, which made him unique. He inherited great wisdom from his family. A gift given from the ancestors, people would say. He didn’t walk around with his nose in the air as other kings did. He was attentive to his people and strived to do well.

The Eneijas possessed great wisdom passed down from generations. They took the time to teach their children as they grew. Many believed they were favored by the ancestors because of the legend of the purple tear. The Eneijas realized their strength was not only in their power but in their thinking as well; they knew it would be easier to trick a simpleminded man than a well-informed one. They taught their citizens everything they knew so their wisdom would grow continuously and their kingdom would remain strong.

Additionally, they kept a collection of books of family history for future generations. They wanted future generations to benefit from their accomplishments and learn from their mistakes, so they anxiously added to the books. They prepared for the future by writing everything down—all of their encounters, sales, purchases, ailments, remedies, changes in the weather, animal behaviors, their enemies, and their allies. They were careful not to omit any details. They knew this information would be important in the future.

They kept these writings with great diligence. All of the collections were stored in a private reading room in the castle. The collections held a wealth of information pertaining to the Eneija family. Because the entire collection was private, the books were sacred. At the time, there were no real enemies and no threats to the family, so no one was interested in reading them or taking them. They were of value only to enemies.

In the past, a ruthless king by the name of King Zole sought after the books. According to the books, King Zole and his men attempted to steal the books out of desperation to learn the secrets of the kingdom, as they were determined to overthrow the Eneijas. They were obsessed with the Eneijas’ kingdom and wanted it badly. They knew there was something in the books that could help them. They needed to learn of the weaknesses of the Eneijas in order to capture the powerful kingdom.

The Zoles paid a thief living near the area a large sum of money to steal the books; however, he failed and was imprisoned. After several attempts, they realized they couldn’t overtake the untouchable family. Eventually they gave up and returned to their native land.

The Eneijas were very wealthy and self-confident, so they weren’t threatened by the wealth of other kings or kingdoms. They were proud of their accomplishments and weren’t concerned with bringing down other kingdoms; nor were they in constant battles. They weren’t perceived as a threat. They had already created their wealth and had risen to hold a power that no other kingdom had ever achieved, and they were content with enjoying that wealth and power. Because they put in the effort to empower themselves, they had no worries or jealousy toward other kingdoms. This allowed them to have strong relationships with other leaders.

When King Arra was born, his mother knew he’d one day be a great leader, and she wanted to prepare him for his role as king. She knew the world would present him with challenges. While the king would teach him many things, she wanted to teach him things from her culture as well. Shortly after his birth, she wrapped him in his royal blanket and sneaked away while the king was sleeping. She quickly ran into the night with just the light of the moon and the stars shining upon her. She continued toward a vacant building outside of the castle, which the king considered to be sacred. As she entered, she noticed a gleam in her darling son’s eyes. She stopped and stared at him for quite a while. She’d heard from her ancestors that if the eyes of a baby continued to gleam, the baby had a secret. She couldn’t think of any secrets that her son could have other than the purple. She knew of only two families that knew of the secret. She wondered how he’d learned of this secret at such a young age. She wouldn’t dare discuss what she’d witnessed to anyone. As she thought of his future, she abandoned the idea of teaching him about her culture. He didn’t need any rituals. She knew he would be protected by the purple. She kissed her son and began walking back toward the castle, where she quietly laid him in his bed and tucked him away.

Arra’s mother watched him closely as he grew. She began teaching him to form words daily. Because of her teachings, he learned to speak clearly at an early age. He grew to have perfect speech, thanks to his mother. He had great confidence and wasn’t afraid to speak in public; nor did he stumble over his words.

CHAPTER 2

HISTORY OF THE ZOLES

T here was a calm in the region for many years until a king by the name of King Salla Zole appeared. He was a very cruel and ruthless leader. His name represented violence. He was the ancestor of the same Zoles that had dreamed of possessing the Eneija Empire. He was an ambitious king that ruled a kingdom north of the Eneijas’. He was greatly feared not only because he was violent but also because he was obsessed with power and was willing to do anything to obtain it. He considered himself a saint because he once gave money to the church for a dagger he could have easily taken but chose to pay for instead. Others didn’t see him in that way; they viewed him as evil and having no good within.

Some said they could see the evil within his face, his mere presence causing them to cringe. He and his men intimidated others with loud chants as they rode through the territories, making their presence known. They swung torches as they sounded their arrival—and the demise of their victims! This was something he and his men enjoyed.

Though his kingdom was somewhat prosperous, he wanted to add new territories and build a great empire like the Eneija Empire. Everyone knew of the Eneijas’ great wealth. Many kingdoms admired them and wished to increase their wealth to levels such as theirs. They desired to live lavishly in a land with flourishing crops and pure water, along with the longevity that the Eneijas had.

King Zole dreamed of the kingdom, so he constantly talked about it. If he could take the Eneija Kingdom by force, he would. Since the kingdom was so powerful and protected, though, he wouldn’t dare challenge them. He knew that to do so would end in his death and the death of his men. He could only dream of such an empire and admire it from afar.

King Zole and his people had some differences from those from other regions, as well as many similarities. They resembled many of the people, having the same facial structures and even styles and thickness of hair, but their skin was different—a feature that caused them to stand out. Their skin was extremely pale, and their hair was as white as their skin. These differences caused them to live separately from those outside their territory.

They wore strange traditional markings on their faces above their eyebrows. Their history didn’t make sense in the region and didn’t seem to be accurate. They claimed to be from a land that everyone knew had belonged to a different family since the beginning of time. That land was still occupied by the same family. They had mysteriously appeared from out of nowhere with demands, claiming a Zole royal lineage. They presented their king and demanded respect. Most people hadn’t seen a Zole in their region for many years and had forgotten about them. It had now been a while since they appeared, and given their history, it was clear that trouble would soon follow.

Some speculated, according to the skins and furs they wore, that the new Zoles had originated from a land west of the Eneijas and later migrated north into territories they’d won in battles. Their furs could only be obtained from that particular western region—a region rarely traveled due to rough terrain and bitterly cold temperatures.

A legend told of their confinement to a region with only Zoles, a region unfamiliar to many, as a punishment for their recklessness. This was a punishment given because they explored faraway lands and destroyed them. When they encountered large and exotic animals roaming free, they killed them in gaming competitions and left their bodies to rot. They left the remains of dead carcasses throughout the land and disrespected the keepers of the land.

The Zoles did not know that the animals contributed to the purple. They enriched the land and protected the balance of the laws of nature. Each animal had a task that kept the region thriving. When the Zoles interfered, the land suffered and much of the purple was lost. When the keepers of the land interfered, the Zoles beat them to death. These men did as they pleased. They tricked those that showed them kindness, and stole their possessions and obtained large amounts of wealth. They were merciless toward others and killed them for selfish reasons. In their newfound life of superiority, they themselves believed they were like their ancestors and continued on as though they were invincible. They ignored the laws of nature and the laws of man.

They’d forgotten about their ancestors as they enjoyed the purple. The purple was given as a gift to the obedient. Who could resist the temptations of going against the purple? They continued with such behavior for many years. What could have caused them to become such barbarians? Did they have too much power, or just too many responsibilities? Their ancestors were angered at their disregard for life and began warning them in dreams of what would come if they continued. The dreams showed how they would lose the purple forever during an earthquake that would destroy their land. As the earth opened, it would swallow both them and their kingdom. At first they worried about losing the purple, but their king assured them that one could not lose the purple forever. He told them that it was a myth. After reassurance from the king, they ignored multiple signs and carried on. Eventually their carefree days ended.

Early one morning, a great quake violently shook the land as their dreams had foretold. At the start of the quake, the king panicked and ran to save his purple, but it was too late. What was left of the purple had fallen to the ground, causing it to crack. The earth opened and swallowed many of the people and the livestock. It destroyed their valuables and left them with virtually nothing. This caused them to become savages and live like animals in a worthless kingdom. They ventured to other lands, seeking food and shelter, but no one showed them pity.

As time passed, they struggled to rebuild their legacy. Though they were able to abide, their kingdom never reached the level of success it had once had. The loss of the purple caused them to struggle with drought, extreme heat, and bitterly cold temperatures. After fighting against the weather for many years, they realized their home would never become a real kingdom. All they had left were each other and their memories of what the kingdom once was. They often reflected on how they had ruled over weaker men. The Zoles stayed in the kingdom, since it was all they had. Not being content, they sought after treasures from all over.

King Zole, an