Realm of Khaos

By Tia Christine

Nymeria and Sylvaine, the princesses of the Kingdom of Avadine, are blessed with the finest clothes, jewels, and art from across the ten kingdoms.

But their lives are far from perfect. The winters are becoming more and more unbearable. The

• Language: English
• Publisher: Order Of The Bookish
• Release date: Jan 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798988179825

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SmChSnake

Chapter 1

THIS IS TREASON! my father roars. He is pacing and his shirt is stained in sweat. I’m only able to see half the council chamber through this tiny peephole but the situation looks intense.

My sister, Sylvaine, is spying through the other tiny peephole. He’s fuming, what do you think he’s going to do about it? she whispers, leaning toward me.

My father, the hot-headed King, will do one of two things: he will either send his personal guards or his personal assassin. We call his elite group of guards The Hoard. It’s an inside joke between Syl and I. They are a very tight group that often lurk in the shadows and appear on command. They will do anything to protect our father. Draven is his personal assassin – a man that no one has ever seen. Well, at least no one alive has seen him. His job is to take care of the more covert operations, the situations that my father needs taken care of without anyone ever finding out. Draven does exist, but to those in this kingdom and beyond, he is just a mere legend.

He’ll send either The Hoard or Draven, he’s not going to let this continue any longer, I answer to my mirror image.

Sylvaine and I look just the same, but flipped, like a mirror. We’re twins, yet opposites. My right eye has one tiny speck of gold in the corner, and she has the same, but in her left eye. My hair tends to part on the left, while hers likes to fall toward the right. I am right-handed, and she favors the left. According to just about everyone alive, we look just like our mother when she was our age. Besides looks, Syl also apparently shares our mother’s gentle, poised demeanor while I picked up our father’s quick temper and ugly laugh.

Sir, if I may, we hear one of the council members interject. We quickly turn back to continue our spying. It’s Sir Kaal, and he continues: What plan of action would you like us to take, my King?

Sir Kaal is quite possibly the oldest human alive. He’s served many kings in his role as head lawmaker, and his wisdom and experience are unparalleled. Sylvaine thinks he is one-hundred-and-seventy years old, but I think he’s closer to three-hundred-and-seventy. No one knows his age, or why he can live so long without being a fae; he won’t tell.

Father stops pacing and slowly turns to stare at Sir Kaal. For anyone else, that stare and his overpowering presence would have been paralyzingly intimidating. But Sir Kaal has been dealing with temperamental royals for far too long. He simply stares back, waiting for a response.

The plan, Sir Kaal, is to get rid of this traitor quickly. We cannot allow him another moment to trade our secrets with the dirty royals, pirates, and rogues who want to take over my kingdom! my father screams. The entire room, except Sir Kaal, flinches.

He takes two steps up to the table and bangs his fist down hard enough to rattle the whole thing, making the council members flinch again. Except for Sir Kaal.

He continues, This low life has already told the Navarra brutes about our plan to wrangle their sacred snow tigers to sell overseas. Now no Avadine citizen is allowed to do ANY trade anywhere near those blasted mountains. Our plans for the guards along our inner walls and our hunting parties have been leaked to Summerveil and Ostega. Thankfully the ruling family of the seaports are too drunk to do anything, but I have already heard from Koa that Ostega’s military have been preparing for something. Most likely to attempt to OVERTHROW US! He ends his tirade with another two fist bangs on the table.

Koa serves as ambassador of the crown, and general assistant to our immediate family. He travels all over the ten kingdoms representing our father’s interests.

Sir Kaal releases a heavy sigh, then speaks directly to my father. If I may, sire, the treaty. It will protect us from the damage the traitor has caused.

And if we send Draven tonight, Sir Rajni adds, then we can end the problem before anything more can happen.

Sir Rajni is the tallest council member, towering around 6 feet and 7 inches. He was born in Avadine, but his parents come from a land across the sea called High Umbrigade. It’s too far away to do any trade with, but the Queendom (for only females are allowed to rule) went through a war a few decades ago. Many Umbrigadians made the long journey here for refuge. Most of them have a naturally dark tan, as if they have lived directly under the sun their entire lives. Sir Rajni has murky green eyes that tilt at a slight angle, and a small goatee that is always kept just as neat and tidy as his robes. He looks very strong and intimidating but is actually very quiet and shy.

Like all the council members, Sir Rajni has a brilliant mind. He specializes in trade and works very closely with our hunters, gardeners, and scientists to make sure that we always have more than enough supplies, and that we continue to build our wealth. We are the richest kingdom of all ten on this continent, in large part because of his incredible negotiating skills.

The king straightens out of his intimidating stance leaning over the table. As he walks over to the large window on the other side of the room, there seems to be a collective breath taken by the council members and a slight relaxing of their otherwise rigid postures.

Turning away from the dramatics, I look at Syl and ask, What new treaty are they discussing?

Huh? she responds with her eyes still glued to the peephole.

Syl, the treaty that Kaal mentioned. What treaty is he talking about? I insist while poking her in the side – a sensitive spot we both have that will lead to intense laughing fits.

Finally, she averts her eyes and looks at me. Silence is all that comes from her. Her eyebrow scrunch tells me everything that I need to know – she has no idea what the treaty is either.

Koa, get Draven on this now, father says from his spot by the window.

Syl and I both whip our heads back to the scene. When did Koa get back from his travels? I didn’t even notice him in the room. He hasn’t said a word or even moved. He must be standing on the other side of this wall, or we would have seen him earlier.

Yes, Sire, I will deliver word to Draven myself, Koa responds, followed by his fading footsteps and a heavy door opening and closing. Koa is one of the very few people to ever have contact with the mysterious assassin, and he’s now on his way to deliver Draven’s deployment. But not even Koa knows Draven’s face, their interactions are necessarily very limited. My father’s personal assassin will once again be used to clean up a mess that my father doesn’t know how to diplomatically handle. It’s an unfortunately common occurrence.

My father walks back to Sir Kaal and continues, As for the treaty, it must protect Avadine from outside threats. We will coalesce the fae’s power behind us, so no one will dare make a move against us.

Syl and I look at each other with gaping mouths. A treaty with the fae? Is that really what our father, the King of Avadine, just said? Why is he considering this treaty when the fae are beasts and can’t be trusted?

Syl moves her mouth to silently ask fae?? She heard the same thing I did. I shrug my shoulders in response and turn back to the meeting.

Those beasts must be watched very closely when they arrive in three day’s time. Have all your spies and contacts prepared for anything. They still hold a vendetta against us, don’t doubt this, our father finishes. He’s staring down each council member until they all seem to shrink two inches into their chairs.

Sire, their apartments are prepared, and guards will be stationed within sight, as well as within the trees, on the roof, and all the hidden surrounding nooks, says Sir Bagdan, the leader of The Hoard, the castle guards, and the military.

My father looks down his nose at Sir Bagdan and replies, I want reports twice a day on their movements. I want to know their patterns – when they sleep, eat, go on walks. This is our only chance to learn about them before they crawl back into their caves.

Yes sire, of course, says Sir Bagdan.

Is the treaty ready? Are the trade items prepared? Father demands.

Sir Rajni answers, Everything is prepared, Sire. As discussed, Koa will handle the final element tomorrow morning.

Silence echoes around the chamber as my father suddenly goes silent and stares at the wall.

I look back at Syl, and whisper, what is the final element? She hushes me and keeps staring through the peephole.

Yes… the final element…. very important…, my father continues. He looks to be talking to himself at this point. This must be handled with care.

The room is silent. Even the council members seem to be holding their breath as Syl and I hope for my father to clarify what this ‘final element’ is.

Several long and heavy moments go by.

Meeting adjourned, the king says suddenly. He stalks out of the room before the now-stunned council members can even stand to bow as he departs.

What just happened?

I stumble back from the wall and stare at Syl, waiting for her to meet my eyes.

What the hell was that? my mirror says.

Why a treaty with the fae? I ask at the same time.

Shock. That’s all I am feeling right now. I need to tell Ryland right away. Maybe he knows more about the treaty, this traitor and the ‘final element’ that Koa is supposed to deal with?

A treaty with the fae, that’s just insane. Why would that help us? The most recent attempt at a treaty with them was many years ago – with my mother’s failed marriage arrangement. That was the last time anyone in all ten kingdoms even tried to bring the two civilizations together.

Too many people believe the fallout from my mother not marrying the fae king has been the shadow creatures’ increased attacks on us and our food sources. It’s strange that my father would be the one to attempt another treaty since he is the one that saved my mother from the last one.

The fae are controlling the monsters that hunt us. Pitch black shadows that terrorize. How would a treaty, just a lot of words written on a page, be enough to end all of this?

What do you think the terms of the treaty are? Syl asks as we leave our hidden room. No one ever tells us what’s happening, so we use the castle’s hidden tunnel system and this hidden room. We use holes in the walls as our peepholes. Tiny holes that extend to the other room. Holes strategically inside the eyes of two large antique paintings of father’s ancestors.

I couldn’t possibly begin to guess, Syl. But in the last treaty, Mother was being forced to marry the king of the fae, I remind her.

Noooo.... Father is the one who saved mother from that awful fate. Besides, if the stories are true, mother was promised at birth to be married to the fae king. We aren’t… weren’t.

Plus, my dear sister interjects, there is now a law that protects us from arranged marriages. It’s illegal! my dear sister confidently declares.

Father has been known to do some pretty drastic things to get what he wants. And he certainly never cared about what Syl or I thought of anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if he traded us to the fae for food and protection.

We walk down the hall in the direction of the common room for lunch, lost in thought, until Syl turns right.

Where are you going? Aren’t you hungry? I ask.

To the library. I want to see what I can find out about the fae. Can you have someone send food to me there? she says while still walking away.

I should have known that she would want to do some reading on this. Ever the bibliophile, she couldn’t go a day without having her nose stuffed in a book of some kind or other. It’s good that she’s going to do some informational reading though. I’ll do my own, more practical research at lunch.

Lost in my own thoughts, I continue down the twisting and turning hallways to the communal dining hall.

Lunch is always one of my favorite times of the day. It took us years of begging father to get him to allow us to eat one meal a day with everyone in the castle. It was ridiculous how he tried to keep us confined to our suites or his own stuffy table for every meal or teatime.

Lunch is always serve-yourself. Of course, as the princesses of the castle, someone always steps up to offer to make our plates for us. Lunch is one of the few times in a day where I can pretend to be normal. I can make my own plate of food.

Although, I will need to find someone to take a plate to Syl. I’m sure one of the cooks in the back won’t mind stepping away from that hot, stuffy kitchen.

The sounds of laughter, cheering and general ruckus make me smile as I near the doors to the dining hall. These are my people. Everyone tends to sit in the same spots – the guards hang out in the back left corner of the room, near the largest exit door that leads to the training area. The maids like to sit in the center of the room. They are much quieter, but like to gossip, so their spot gives them the ability to see everyone in the room at all times. The kitchen staff, the ones who are not currently preparing lunch, sit at the tables closest to the kitchen on the far back right corner of the room. They stick close to what they know, I guess. The lower-level staff, such as the horse groomers, dog trainers, hunters, fishermen, and anyone who tends to work outdoors, sit on the right of the dining hall under the windows. Finally, the higher-tiered staff – the drivers, private dressers and shoppers, informants, and royal handmaids inhabit all the tables closest to the entrance doors.

Syl likes to sit by our handmaids and shoppers. They keep her filled in on the gossip in the castle and amongst the visiting royals. They are in the perfect position to hear everything, and they are happy to share what they know with their favorite princess. I sit with them on occasion, but I couldn’t care less for court gossip, and I find their whispers and pointed looks to be annoying. They prefer Syl’s company anyway.

I would much rather sit with the guards or the outside workers.

I often sit with Jacob and Jinx. Jacob, the head gardener, has taught me everything I know about plants. He has a magical green thumb. I’m certain he would be able to grow a full mango tree in the dead of winter if he tried.

Jinx is someone that I have looked up to since I was a little kid. She secretly taught me how to use a bow and arrow. She is one of our hunters who risks her life outside the protection of the city’s walls to bring us fresh meat every week. Her name isn’t really Jinx, but no one will tell me what her real name is, or why she was given that nickname.

But the guards… I can’t stay away from them for too long, and I haven’t sat with them yet this week. I look for that group, hoping one of them will know what’s going on.

Continuing up the walkway to the tables laid out with all types of delicious foods and drinks, I grab two plates. I always get seconds, so this way I don’t have to get up again.

Bacon, bread, fruits, potatoes, chicken and some desserts.

A hand appears out of nowhere and grabs one of the plates in my hand.

You’ll drop all that food everywhere. Why don’t you ever ask for help, princess? Ryland asks.

Ryland is my absolute best friend, besides my sister of course. We all practically grew up together, but while Sylvaine was learning how to be a proper princess – sipping tea, taking dance lessons, practicing curtsies- I would run off, annoying my teachers, to play with the palace guards, and most especially, Ryland.

I am perfectly capable of carrying two plates by myself, thank you very much, I retort. But if you want to be useful for once, why don’t you find someone to take some food to Syl in the library.

Awww, your sister would rather bury herself in another fairy novel than hang out with us? he mocks, the slight smirk bringing out the dimples in his cheeks.

Rolling my eyes and moving down the line of food, I say, Usually yes, but today she’s doing research on something important. I need to do a bit of research on it too, and I need your help.

Sounds serious… what is it Nym? he asks in a deep whisper tone, so no one around hears him use my nickname.

Although we are close friends, we are still required to be formal, and he could get in big trouble if someone heard him being too familiar with me.

I’ll tell you later. Too many eyes and ears here, I say out of the side of my mouth while I pile some more desserts onto the plate Ryland is holding, since the plate in my hand is now completely full.

We walk over to the table with all the guards, and a bunch of them make room for us to sit before we are even twenty feet away. The way they always move together as a unit, even for the smallest things like making space at a table for lunch, has never ceased to amaze me.

As we get closer, I hear one of the younger guards-in-training, a kid named Tanis, laughing and talking about his morning with the head trainer, Sebastian.

…and then he made me do one hundred push-ups, just because I laughed at his joke! I mean, why would he do that to me? He shouldn’t be saying funny stuff if he didn’t want me laughing at ’em! he exclaims. But I did ’em, all one hundred pushups! And I got right back in the lineup, sweaty and pantin’ and tired as all heck, but when the captain had us run our ten miles, well, that’s when it happened. I just couldn’t make it, man. Not after all ’em pushups. Tanis dramatically ends his story with a flourish of his hands and the other men at the table laugh at him, a couple even throw little pieces of bread at his head.

Boys…

Ryland grabs the plate out of my hand and sets them both on the table, then walks back to where we came from. I don’t bother looking, he’s probably getting his own plate of food.

Hiya Princess Nymeria, how has your day been going? Mine’s started out a bit rough but I’ve got my energy back up so now I’m ready to kick Captain Sebastian’s butt and show him that I’m going to be the best guard this palace ‘as ever seen! Even better than Ryland! Tanis rambles on in his naturally spirited way before I even have the chance to swing my leg over the bench.

Hey Princess,

Good afternoon m’lady,

How are ya today, Princess,

Princess, nice to see you,

A chorus of overlapped voices greet me, as if I don’t see them almost every single day.

Afternoon, gents, I say loudly enough for the guards at the other tables to hear. How are my favorite hooligans, ragamuffins, and troublemakers doing today?

Laughter sounds from all the tables nearby. A peak around shows some eye rolls and exasperated head shaking.

I walked right into the end of an interesting story. Tanis, fill me in. Why did the good old captain make you do fifty pushups? I ask, already knowing what my incorrect number will do…

Trying to keep my laughter in, I look around and see heads hit the table, eyes roll so far back that they get lost, and I even hear a few muffled grumbles from the guards who don’t want to hear Tanis’s excited storytelling again.

Right on cue, Tanis stands up and yells ONE HUNDRED PUSHUPS!

Sit down,

You’re embarrassing us,

Hush up,

Shhhh,

The men all grab him and pull him down in his seat and try to quiet him. My stomach gets a stitch from laughing at the hilarious scene unfolding before my eyes.

Ryland must have heard all the commotion because he sits down in the space to my right and asks, What is all this ruckus?

Jackson, a guard I’ve known for many years and one of Ryland’s closest friends, says In her usual fashion, the Princess nearly started a riot. He winks at me from his spot across the table.

A riot? ME?! I would never. I was simply inquiring as to why Tanis had to do twenty pushups this morning, I innocently tell Ryland.

It was one hundred pushups! I’ll have to just start the story from the beginning Princess, so you can see what a disaster this day has been. Tanis leans forward, practically crossing the table, to whisper-yell to me. So, when I woke up this morning at the crack of dawn, this owl…

I think I’ll tell the story, lad, Lionel, one of the oldest guards in the palace, interrupts. You go ahead an’ eat, my lady. I can’t promise not to make any of that wine come spillin’ out yer nose, but you’re in for a good ol’ tale of a young whippersnapper and his penchant for trouble-makin’, he says.

A look in the direction of my still-untouched food reveals a goblet of wine, a cup of water, and a cup of mango juice. I look at Ryland and smile my thanks. I didn’t even notice he set them down. He went and got drinks for me. I’m just going to mentally add this to the list of reasons why he is so incredibly perfect.

With my fork in hand, I start scarfing down food and settle into what might certainly be a very funny tale. Any story told by Lionel is always a great one!

After an hour of laughter, food throwing, storytelling, and light-hearted bullying, the men slowly start trickling out the door to get back to training or their stations or whatever it is that they are scheduled to do today. Only a handful stay behind – Lionel, Collins, Andrew, Helian, Jackson, and Ryland. These men are all best friends, and apart from Lionel, all grew up in the castle to train to become royal guards together.

Now is as good of a time as any to start doing my research…

So, gentlemen, I’ve heard a rumor and I’m wondering if any of you have heard the same, I say.

Ay, what’s the rumor, Princess? You know we hear all sorts of gossip in these halls, Lionel replies in his charming twang.

How do I say this with tact and poise…?

A treaty with the fae, I say, but it comes out as more of a whisper.

And they must have heard me because these normally boisterous men are now silent.

Collins, Andrew, Helian, and Jackson all lean forward on the table with shocked and expectant expressions. Next to me, Ryland takes a deep breath and looks down at the table, unsurprised by the news. Maybe he heard about this already from the maids?

I know that look growing on his face - he is calculating what a treaty with the fae could possibly mean. If it’s true.

Lionel looks to the ceiling and crosses his arms. I wonder what he knows. He is the only one in this group who was alive when the last treaty fell through. He must have more insight into what actually happened and why my father would want to work with the fae now.

I haven’t heard anything about that. What did YOU hear? Andrew asks. His short golden blond hair, slightly longer on the top, almost shimmers in the light coming through the windows. His eyes, brown as chocolate pudding, are always warm and inviting. No one has ever gotten into a fight with sweet Andrew, it would be like getting into a fight with an adorable puppy.

Helian interjects before I can say anything in response to Andrew’s question. "There’s no way that we would partner up with them. Especially after the last treaty didn’t work out. I haven’t heard anything about it directly, but I will say, the handmaidens of those noblemen who come to visit, they whisper. And I don’t know if it’s true or not, but those whispers have been about the monsters in the forest working with the fae. They’ve been spotted in the same areas, at the same times, and the beasts don’t attack the fae as often as they claim". His voice is subtle and quiet as he shares this information, but his glances toward the handmaidens still sitting at the tables across the room are not so subtle.

Collins interjects, "That rumor has been going around for years. Why would the fae be in cahoots with the shadow creatures? Their people are killed off too, even if it’s not as often. They risk their lives to hunt and trade just like we do. It would be beneficial if we worked together to get rid of the monsters, right?" Ah, Collins, always the optimist.

With never a bad word to say about anyone, his personality certainly does not match his appearance. With sharp cheekbones, dark skin, and even darker hair and eyes, always wearing dark clothing and a penchant to stick ominously to the shadows, he appears intimidating and mean. Most people don’t bother to start up a conversation with him. But if they did, they would quickly learn that Collins is easily the kindest and most thoughtful person in the castle, if not the whole kingdom.

A long and heavy sigh sounds out from Lionel. He has our full attention. He has a grave look on his face as he begins: I’m afraid I have heard this, Princess, he says quietly, as to avoid others from listening. Now, I don’t have a lot of information for you, but I can tell you this time will be a wee bit different than the last. The two kings do want a bit of what was supposed to have happened last time – protection for our hunters, and food for us. And for them, technology and weapons.

Collins looks away from Lionel to the wall across the room. His jaw clenches and his hands ball up into fists. Talk of the food shortage always affects him. While we have plenty of food here in the castle, and in the city, many of the towns farther out are not as lucky. Syl and I fought with father for a long time to get him to enact an accord that delivers some of the castle’s food out to the towns that need the most help. Collins is from one of those small towns. He came here when he was a little boy because his family sold him to the service, in exchange for food. A lot of the workers in the castle have similar stories.

The food supply issues have been getting better ever since Jackson built all those greenhouses, Collins quietly says.

"It’s still not enough, lad. Fruits and vegetables are keeping us alive, but when winter comes, not even the greenhouses can keep out all the frost. We need to be able to get to more of our huntin’ grounds, we need to grow