Book 6. New Capital and New Threat

By Olga Kryuchkova

Lands of Bohemia. End of VII — beginning of VIII centuries.
Prince Czech and his large tribe leave their homes and rush in search of a new homeland. Říp becomes the capital of the new principality called Bohemia. From Říp, Czech rules over his lands and decides the fate of his people, the Czech tribe.
Young Krok and his family decide to leave Říp and settle in the still free lands. They find a suitable place near the stream. Once in the forest, young Krok meets the beautiful Medulina, not suspecting that she is a forest spirit. Love breaks out between Krok and Medulina. Medulina's parents, the forest god Bor and the goddess of childbirth, Didilia, bless their marriage. Three daughters are born in a young family: Kazi, Teta, Libuše. Medulina already knows about the destiny of her daughters. However, she is unable to change their fate, because the fateful threads are woven by the divine sisters of the Sudenitsy themselves.
Over time, Krok becomes the Duke of Budeč. The alien Prince Ladvik appears in the forests with his tribe, who left their native lands under the onslaught of the Saxon tribes. Ladvik is strong, cunning and worships the god Veles. Veles, in every possible way, favors his faithful admirer. Ladvik and his kmets (are warriors close to the ruler) ravage the border lands of the Czechs and Luchane. Krok enters into a military alliance with the Prince of Luchane, Radoslav, in order to confront Prince Ladvik. Together, the allies manage to repulse him. Ladvik suffers a crushing defeat and goes into the thicket of the forest to serve Veles himself in the guise of a bear. However, Veles is not happy that Krok and Radoslav intervened in his plans. Veles wants revenge and finds an ally, a dark god, Chernobog.
Medulina is trying to protect the family from the wrath of Veles and saves her husband from certain death. Bor and Didilia jointly oppose the magic of Veles and Chernobog. Veles and Chernobog retreat for a while. However, Veles, by all means, intends to get even with the Krok’s family and to start using the eldest daughter Kazi. For this Veles attracts Libor, the son of the Forest Prince Ladvik. Libuše and Medulina intend to protect Kazi, but in vain. From the connection between Kazi and Libor, a boy is born, intended to serve Veles. Medulina takes her newborn grandson and leaves the human world with him. Krok is very upset by the disappearance of his wife. Teta and Libuše try to support Kazi in every possible way, and soon she marries the Prince of Luchane, Radoslav. At his sister's wedding, Libuše has visions that foreshadow the death of a young man while hunting...
Prince Czech died. A struggle for power began in the capital of the principality. Branka, the wife of one of Czech's sons, dreams of elevating her husband to the throne of power. To do this, she resorts to the help of the Dark Forces. However, Branka's plans are crumbling. And she enters into a relationship with the magical Demon-snake.
At this time, Libuše had a love affair with Mirek. From time to time, Libuše was visited by visions that foreshadowed trouble. Libuše tried to understand their meaning and protect her relatives, subjects and beloved Mirek from the Dark Forces.
Nevertheless, Chernobog is strong and defeated the Light Gods. As a result, Libuše's father died.
God Veles in the form of a bear appeared before Kazi to take her child. Veles intended to raise a child and make him his faithful servant. Medulina is ready to protect her daughter Kazi and grandson from Veles and, if necessary, from Chernobog.
Libuše parted with her beloved Mirek. She was very upset by their breakup. Fate brought Libuše together with the son of a local Voivode named Přemysl. However, Vlasta, a faithful friend of Libuše, fell in love with Přemysl. And Vlasta does not intend to share Přemysl with Libuše.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Olga Kryuchkova
• Release date: Feb 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215060667

Olga Kryuchkova

Olga Kryuchkova began her creative career in 2006. During this time, the author had more than 100 publications and reprints (historical novels, historical adventures, esotericism, art therapy, fantasy). A number of novels were co-written with Elena Kryuchkova.

Book preview

Olga Kryuchkova

Princess Seer. Crown of Power Series

Book 6. New Capital and New Threat

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 9

For several months in a row, Branka was afraid to leave her hideout. It was not easy for her: she herself got food, stoked the stove, washed in cold water, lived on the farm. The delicate skin on Branka's hands has become coarse, black luxurious hair has lost its luster without proper care. The cheeks are reddened...

Finally, it was late autumn. The nights turned cold, mushrooms and berries dried up. Branka hunted with a bow and learned how to trap small game. The hope that her husband would find her was gone. Branka realized that Mstislav was dead. Only in this way could he forget about her.

All this time Branka prayed to Chernobog in a small temple hidden in the forest not far from the farm. But the deity was silent. Finally, he sent a vision to his priestess. Branka saw the death of her husband at the hands of Duke Krok. Then the battle of Říp and the funeral pyres soaring into the sky. She understood: almost all the heirs of Prince Czech were dead, had fallen in battle. Mstislav's brother, Dobromil, never dreamed of princely power. And what kind of prince will he be? He's too lenient with people. Who will get Říp's stone throne now? In the end, the priestess of Chernobog saw the city burned to the ground and the army led by Duke Krok, who were joined in large numbers by the locals in order to find protection and a new place of residence.

However, Branka did not know that the voivodes, elders and priests gathered at the beginning of autumn on the ashes of Říp in order to choose a new prince. The elders decided to send for Lech, the brother of the late Czech. However, Lech and his people, who also once left the ancestral home, settled and fortified in the valleys of the Vistula and Oder rivers, erected cities, and established trade with neighboring peoples. Lech did not want to leave his familiar place. And he was already in advanced years, a little younger than Czech. And Lech advised the elders to choose another ruler.

The elders thought for a long time, looking for the worthy among the worthy. And their choice fell on Duke Krok, who ruled in the settlement of Budeč, which stood in the middle of the forests along the Budeč stream. The Krok's settlement was famous for its wealth. Its granaries were full of grain, its barns were full of cattle. The Duke himself was not only a fearless warrior, but also distinguished by wisdom, justice, honesty and discernment. And people also said that Krok was a sorcerer, a volhv, possessed the ancient secret knowledge of distant ancestors. And everyone remembered how fearlessly Krok fought against the Avars and defeated the traitor Mstislav with a well-aimed blow.

The elders, voivodes and priests gathered again near Mount Říp. They stood in numerous tents. They dismantled the ruins at the site of the prince's court and the house in order to find the stone throne of the former Prince. The throne was hewn out of stone and adorned with elaborate carvings. The Czechs found it and decided to move it to Budeč, the new capital of the Principality. However, the throne, no matter how hard they tried, did not budge. They all decided to leave the legendary stone in the same place. And for Krok, as the newly elected Prince, make a new throne of silver. However, Krok refused such an honor and said:

"It is not good for me to sit on silver when there are so many disadvantaged families in the Principality. We need to help them. And spend this silver on the construction of new houses, the acquisition of household belongings, as well as to strengthen our army. Here came the Avars, and we fought against them all together! That is why we won a victory over them. And henceforth we need to hold hand in hand, stand side by side.

The Council liked the speeches of the new Prince. And Krok took an oath of allegiance to his native land and the Czechs over the ashes of the legendary forefather. So Krok finally became the Prince. All the voivodes, elders and priests obeyed him. He made alliances with the tribal princes of Luchane, Zliczans, Lemuzi, Dulebes and other tribes.

... Time went on as usual. Branka left the farm and went to Budeč. There she learned that Krok had become the Bohemian Prince. And his beloved daughter Libuše gained the reputation and fame of a seer. And many now consulted with her before embarking on any important business. However, Libuše preferred to stay in her city.

Branka was practically left with nothing: without the husband, without property, without power, without protection. She lost everything. First, she settled in the suburb of Budeč in a poor, abandoned, half-collapsed dugout. Branka had no money. And then she made runes from clay and began to engage in fortune-telling. Then she got hold of lamb shoulder blades, scrawled ancient magic symbols on them and also began to use them in her new craft. Branka had an extraordinary mind, she felt people well, knew how to accurately guess their aspirations, and therefore her business went uphill. Soon she was able to tidy up her home, acquire a modest household belongings and get herself a new dress and cloak.

After some time, the whole suburb learned about the fortune teller Branka. It never occurred to anyone that the dark-haired fortune teller from the suburb of Budeč was the very same Princess Branka, the wife of the traitor Mstislav.

Branka tried to be nice to people, to please everyone, so as not to arouse suspicion. However, she did not forget: who killed her husband. And this is Krok! Now Prince Krok! And Branka hatched plans for revenge.

At first she wanted to take advantage of her beauty, seduce the Prince and get even with him. But everything was complicated by the fact that Krok knew her by sight. And Branka would have to make extraordinary efforts and create black magic to take a place on the bed of the Prince, and then destroy him. Such a plan was dangerous. For the kmets of the Prince also saw Branka in Říp.

In due time at the beginning of winter a boy was born to Libuše. The young Princess took her first child, wrapped in clean swaddling clothes, in her arms, and put he to her breast. As soon as she did this, she began to have visions. Libuše saw a new city on the banks of a wide river. It was located on a high hill. It offered a mesmerizing view of the surroundings. Ziva herself stood