The Heart Of The Wicked: Yarn Of Destiny Book 2

By Rebekah Nance

The sequel to Yarn Of Destiny, Princess Luana and Princess Consort Nona are in the midst of preparing for Luana's coronation as queen. But when Celeste escapes from Hartreusia's castle's dungeon, the group of friends (Luana, Nona, Emmitt and Isabella) must go on another adventure to bring Celeste back to justice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebekah Nance
• Release date: Oct 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088064245

Rebekah Nance

Rebekah Nance is an author that currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia. Clinging To The Future is her fourth book, and the third book in the Yarn Of Destiny series. You can find her other books on Amazon, the Barnes & Noble website, and other online retailers. Twitter: @RebekahNLuv Instagram: @RebekahNLuv Website: rebekahnance.godaddysites.com

Book preview

Trigger Warnings

This book contains dark subjects such as anxiety attacks, child endangerment, suicide mention and a suicide attempt. Reader discretion is advised.

1

It’s been a long decade, but to understand how long this decade truly has been, we must go back to the beginning of the decade, back to 2998.

Princess Luana Atteberry and Princess Consort Nona Atteberry are in the dining hall with Luana’s parents, King Carter and Queen Juniper, discussing the preparations for Luana’s coronation as queen.

Luana is currently wearing a blue suit with a skirt and jacket, while Nona is wearing a mint green suit with a skirt and jacket. The two wives also wear royal crest brooches, like King Carter and Queen Juniper.

I believe that the royal chapel would be the obvious choice for my coronation. Perhaps at the end of the month? Luana asks.

Agreed, Luana. The end of the month seems like the perfect time for your coronation to become queen of Hartreusia. Queen Juniper approves.

I still can’t believe it: me, a queen! Luana exclaims but maintains her composure as the crown princess.

Darling, what do you think of this poster for your coronation? Nona asks, walking up to her wife with a poster in hand, still wet with paint.

The poster has Luana as a giant in front of the smaller version of Hartreusia’s castle, and her family (Queen Juniper, King Carter, and Nona) is below her, looking proudly up at their queen.

My love, it’s good.

But? Nona asks, knowing that, after thirteen years of seeing one another, Luana doesn’t always speak her mind unless prompted.

Why did you make yourself and my parents so small and myself so…large? Nona, I’m meant to be seen as an equal to my family and my subjects, not just as a higher-up.

I couldn’t have said it better myself, Luana. King Carter adds.

Very well. I will need to think of another idea for a poster, then.

For now, the poster can wait. We need to send out the remainder of the invitations. Luana says.

Yes, we do. Ciara?

Yes, Your Highness? The royal page asks, appearing at the princess consort’s side.

Please take the remainder of the invitations to the royal messenger so he can hand them out to our subjects. Nona instructs.

Right away, ma’am. Ciara says, taking the last of the invitations from Nona and placing them in a bag with the royal seal on it. She curtsies and heads out to the main foyer of the castle to find the royal messenger waiting for instruction.

Harold?

Yes, Ciara?

Here are the last of the invitations. Please hand them out promptly.

I’ll be as quick as a whip.

Thank you.

Ciara heads back into the castle, waiting for further instructions from the royal family.

Meanwhile, Luana and the main royal family are choosing the royal treasurer, advisor, and lady-in-waiting.

I think the current royal treasurer will be a good fit for my queendom. As for an advisor…Dad, what do you think?

Luana, this is your decision. As much as I would like to help you choose your advisor, the best thing for you to do is to follow your gut. King Carter says, smiling softly at his daughter.

All right. I believe that Anneliese, the one in training under the current royal advisor, will be a good fit as my advisor.

An excellent choice, my darling. Nona tells Luana.

Now, for my lady-in-waiting…I believe I’ll go with Isla, have her move up in rank.

A very good selection, Luana. Queen Juniper says.

Next on the list is the court jester. I suppose that the current court jester could keep her job. What do you think, Nona?

I think that’s a splendid idea, my dear. Nona replies.

Alright, Luana. It’s time to test your abilities as a queen. We need to see how you handle the royal subjects’ suggestions and complaints. King Carter implies.

Certainly, Father. Luana states.

Soon, the two main royal couples are in the throne room, awaiting the first of their royal subjects. Luana and Nona sit in the thrones as King Carter and Queen Juniper stand behind the two thrones, and the first person trails in, along with Ciara to announce their name.

Presenting Linus Fitzberg of Sunshire.

Your Majesties, and Your Highnesses, the town well in Sunshire is nearly dry.

Have you tried drawing water from the river, and cleansing it before putting it in the well?

I didn’t think of that, Princess Luana. I thought of drawing water from the ocean, but that would be too long of a trek. Drawing water from the river is a grand idea. Thank you so much.

You’re quite welcome.

Presenting Heather DiCantos of Demonglen in Lavenderia.

Your Majesties and Your Highnesses, there have been rabid elves running rampant in Demonglen. What do you suggest we do?

I would advise rounding them up as best you can, and executing them with bows and arrows from far range.

Great idea, Your Highness. We’ll start it right away. Thank you very much.

You’re welcome.

Presenting Adrian Tuffin of Mapleburgh in Indigonia.

I have a suggestion for the royal family, specifically for Princess Luana and Princess Consort Nona. Some of the children in the foster care system have no true homes, no true families. With all due respect, I’m suggesting that Princess Luana and Princess Consort Nona adopt one or two of these underprivileged children.

Thank you for your suggestion, Adrian. We will have to talk about it before we make any decision.

Thank you for seeing me, Your Highness. Long live the Atteberry royal family!

The rest of the subjects come and go with their suggestions and complaints, and soon, Luana is with the royal dressmaker, trying to design her coronation gown.

She eventually settles on a cream-colored dress with brown flame-like designs at the bottom of the skirt and on the bodice. She will be inheriting her mother’s crown.

Meanwhile, out in the garden, Lord Consort Emmitt Northrup and Lady Isabella Northrup of Rosiary are walking about while Isabella describes the flowers to Emmitt, as he was rendered blind by his own hands.

Suddenly, Emmitt trips on something in the dirt, Isabella barely catching him in time.

Are you all right, Emmitt?

Yes, m’lady. What exactly did I trip on, though?

Isabella carefully kneels in front of the thing Emmitt had tripped over, and Isabella gasps.

Isa?

It’s a hoofprint, Emmitt, and it seems to be trailing towards the front gates…at a gallop.

I’ve got a bad feeling about it, Isabella.

What’s that?

I feel like Celeste has escaped. We must tell Their Majesties and Their Highnesses at once.

Agreed. Let’s go.

Isabella leads Emmitt carefully but quickly to the dining hall, having a hunch that Luana, Nona, King Carter and Queen Juniper will all be there.

They walk in behind Richard and Matilde, the head guards.

In a small part of Lavenderia, Celeste is in her cottage, taking care of her crying seven-month-old daughter.

Yes, my darling, I know you’re tired. I’m quite tired as well, so please go to sleep.

Of course, being an infant, Celeste’s daughter doesn’t listen.

As soon as Celeste puts her daughter down for her nap, there’s a knock at the front door. Glancing at her daughter to make sure she’s still slumbering peacefully, Celeste makes her way to the front door.

Yes? Celeste asks, disguising her voice.

I’ve got a special delivery here.

Just leave it on the front stoop.

As you wish.

As soon as Celeste is sure the person has gone away, she cautiously opens the door and looks around, making sure she won’t be seen.

Quickly, Celeste snatches up the piece of mail, and recognizes the seal as the royal crest of Hartreusia. She breaks the seal, not caring that she saw it was not addressed to her but to Hazel, and she reads.

Oh, goodie. An invitation to the coronation of Queen-To-Be Luana Atteberry. I could make the trip…oh, but who would take care of my little girl? No one knows about her. Celeste is suddenly transported to the mind of the head guard of Hartreusia, Richard…and, now, transported into the mind of the co-head guard Matilde, Emmitt’s sister.

They’re both racing to find the king, queen, princess and princess consort.

Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, I bring distressing news.

Yes, Matilde? Don’t keep us waiting. King Carter says.

Celeste has escaped the dungeon. The rest of the royal guard are out searching for her. She couldn’t have gotten far.

If I may, Your Majesties and Your Highnesses. Emmitt says, stepping forward whilst on the arm of his wife.

Yes, Your Lordship? Luana asks.

I tripped over a hoofprint in the garden…and Lady Isabella observed that the hoofprints were leading to the front gates…maybe even beyond them.

There’s no telling where she could have gone. Richard says.

I’m guessing she went back home to her cottage in Lavenderia. Nona suggests.

Perhaps she did, Nona. Queen Juniper says.

Back in her cottage, Celeste blinks and she’s brought back to reality, and to where she currently is: with her daughter in her cottage. She soon gets back to pondering whether or not to go to the coronation at the end of the month, despite the risk of getting caught. Distracted, Celeste doesn’t notice a hawk swooping in and snatching her daughter.

Back with the royal family, Matilde and Richard have just told the royal family that Celeste has escaped, along with Emmitt telling them about his trip over the hoofprint.

What do we do? We can’t just let Celeste run rampant all over the world. I know what she’s capable of. I used to be her friend. So, I should be one of the ones to go and bring her back. Emmitt says.

Emmitt, my love, the last time you and Celeste were together, you and I ended up in a net. Isabella states.

That’s true, m’lady.

But what about myself and Princess Consort Nona? We’d be good assets to find Celeste, considering we’re the only ones out of the four of us who have magic.

King Carter steps forward, surprised at his daughter’s sudden boldness.

Luana, you are too important to go on a quest again.

Father, I know I can handle myself out there. I proved it! Just ask Nona and Lady Isabella!

I know that you handled yourself out there, Luana. But you are far too irreplaceable –

And my friends aren’t?!

That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that if you were killed, it wouldn’t just be your mother and me that would be devastated. It would be the whole kingdom, nay, the entire world. We can’t afford to lose you; it would be too great a loss.

I can’t just not go! Nona needs me to help her with fighting off the evils of this world.

You can’t fight off all of the evils with just the two of you. Queen Juniper says.

I know that, Mum. But we can certainly try.

You heard your father. You’re too important, and it would be too great a loss to this world if you died.

Luana turns to her wife, expecting Nona to back her up.

Don’t look at me, Luana. I’m with your parents on this one.

What?!

You are the future queen of Hartreusia. It’s like we talked about months ago: if Giana were to take the crown, she couldn’t rule until her eighteenth birthday, and, if your parents died prematurely, the kingdom would fall to ruin in those years.

Trust me, I know. Giana can’t rule yet, even if she is second in line to the throne.

Which is why you have to stay here, where you’re safe.

Luana is rendered speechless.

Well, it seems Lady Isabella and I are no longer needed. We’ll see ourselves out. Good day, Your Majesties. Your Highnesses. Emmitt says, bowing to the main royal family. Isabella curtsies before leading Emmitt out of the room.

Nona, I’m perfectly capable of handling myself out there, you know that! I have to go, or else I might not ever get a chance like this again.

Give me one good reason why you should go. And don’t give me the magic excuse.

Because we’ve always done everything together, Nona, and because you know I can handle myself. You saw me get rid of those rabid elves on our quest. If that’s all we’d be facing…

You know Lavenderia is full of treacherous things, Lu.

So is the rest of the world. You know that I can –

Don’t say again you can handle yourself. I already know you can handle yourself.

So, why won’t you let me go?

Because I don’t want to lose you, Luana!

You’re not going to lose me, Nona! What will it take for you to let me go? I’ve already proved to you that I can – that I can handle myself.

Luana and Nona continue to argue.

In the meantime, in Lavenderia, Celeste is panicking, not knowing where her daughter is.

What was I thinking, leaving the front door open? I’ll tell you: I wasn’t thinking at all.

Celeste collapses onto her knees, her hand clutching her chest, an anxiety attack forming.

My baby girl. If I don’t find her, I’ll turn myself in to the royal guard and tell them to do one last thing for me and search for her. I don’t care what they’ll do to me. I just want my little girl to be safe. Celeste’s anxiety attack soon ends after she goes through a grounding exercise, and she uses her magic to try and see where the hawk is. She doesn’t want to see through her daughter’s eyes, considering the baby’s eyes are still too new.

2

There is a screaming match going on in the dining hall, or there was, considering both Luana and Nona have yelled themselves hoarse. Queen Juniper and King Carter have stayed out of the conversation, knowing their daughter and daughter-in-law need to solve this for themselves.

The girls aren’t speaking to each other, they’re just standing there in silence, both of them starting to feel embarrassed at how they’ve been acting for the past half hour.

The girls look at one another, and they both open their mouths to speak at the same time.

Nona – Luana starts, her voice strained.

Luana…you go first, my darling. Nona begins, her voice quiet.

No, my love, please. You go first.

As you wish, my dear. I’m sorry for saying that you can’t come with us. I know you can handle yourself out there, and I know we might lose you, but I am personally willing to take that chance, because I know we’ve got the gods on our side, and I know we’ve also got magic on our side. And we also have each other, and not just you and me, but also Emmitt and Isabella.

You really mean that?

Don’t I always mean what I say?

Luana shakes her head at her wife, draws Nona close and kisses her.

So, I guess I can go and find Celeste with my friends? Luana asks, turning to her parents.

No.

Mum, it’s my life! I’m 18 years old, and I’m legally an adult! I need to be able to live my own life.          

Very un-princess-like, Luana storms out of the room. Nona curtsies to the king and queen before following Luana to her favorite place: the library.

Luana? Nona whispers, approaching her wife cautiously.

Luana turns, and she’s in tears.

"Luana, my darling. What