"Because I love you."
"You don't even know me!"
"I don't know your body, but I do know you. I know you will give me a chance, eventually. Maybe I'll wear my tunic and knock on your door later, would that suit you better?"
"Yes... no! I don't want you to knock on my door!"
Briella stormed out of the bath chamber before she gave in to the impulse to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him blind in spite of hating kisses. She ran back to her room and put on her favorite dress. The room felt stuffy and she needed a breath of fresh air.
She headed for the royal garden, a much smaller place than the temple park. An inner courtyard with cherry trees that were in full bloom and ivy climbing on the walls. She sat to brood on one of the marble benches near a rose bush. The flowers' scent was almost intoxicating, but not enough to make her forget Amore.
He startled her again by sitting next to her, fully dressed in a sleeveless tunic and long breeches. His eyes were green again because of the trees and grass around them.
"You are a stubborn one," she snapped.
He half-smiled and looked at her. "Probably my mother's trait." He took her hand in his and held it against him. "I may be a little impatient as well, but sometimes if one doesn't do anything, one might wait forever. So I thought I'd make sure you knew how I feel about you." He kissed her fingers. "And I hope you will return my feelings soon."
She had trouble breathing when he was so close. No man ever had such an effect on her. Repeating he's too young for you, he deserves better, he can't be really in love, he's the Queen's son, he... It was all useless. Her thoughts kept scattering as they sat side by side and her hand was wrapped in his and she didn't dare to move.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"Amore, please, let go of my hand."
He did and stared at his feet, clearly unhappy.
Now she wanted to hold him and make him smile again.
"Would a kiss really be enough?" she asked.
"It would be enough for now," he answered, relieved.
"Fine." She took his head and pulled him closer to brush his lips, then quickly pulled back. "Will this do?"
He smiled. "No, that wasn't a kiss," he replied.
"Of course it was," she said, ready to bolt.
"May I?"
He took her face in his hands and gently brushed her lips, then continued to kiss her until she unconsciously opened her lips and the kiss became longer and deeper and it was great and she wanted it to keep going until she dropped dead.
Except the kiss ended eventually. He pulled back, lips still wet, and smiled.
"That's what I call a kiss."
Her voice refused to come out. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily. She couldn't get enough of tasting him.
Maybe she had finally found the man worth spending her life with... and not just as a model. Maybe she could get intimate with him and it would feel as good as that long, passionate kiss.
Author's note
The Death of Queen Amazonia
I hadn't even finished the first draft (actually, the handwritten draft 0) when I realized I had made a mistake in world building... I mean I wrote the scenes as they came to my mind without really bothering with the setting (which is how I usually do), and then realized winter scenes with snow had no place in a country of the southern hemisphere of Silvery Earth. Which meant I had to re-set the scenes in the Lekisha Kingdom, changing descriptions of buildings and rooms according to the new climate – and some changes were actually for the better (getting rid of a curtained bed, which made sense in a cold country but not in a warm one, when Smeraldo had been traumatized on a curtained bed was an act of mercy towards the poor character, LOL).
I didn't stop and start rewriting, I kept writing until the end, then, when I typed the manuscript, did the changes accordingly – after studying again and more thoroughly the map of Silvery Earth. I considered typing one version as it was and then making the changes, but they weren't really major changes to the plot, only to the descriptions and the temperature of the air, so it didn't really matter.
Also, at first I thought of involving always the same two Queen's guards, but on a grand total of over two hundred, having the unlucky men bump always into the same two was kind of... chancy. So I decided Bianca and Sibilla were Apartment Guards and couldn't be on the streets as well – which meant they had access to the Queen's men before she took her pick for her Apartment. Which took some guilt off of Bianca and Sibilla's shoulders for arresting them (that was the original scene on draft 0, but didn't make it to the typed version, much as the above details) and still left room for them to interact with both men.
Something that made it to Draft 1 but not any further – and was corrected before I actually finished writing the manuscript – is Smeraldo's age. In the handwritten version he was 25, and Kyrio simply "older". But because they live in times where natural death is around 40 to 50, I decided he's 22 – like many of my male characters who have life-changing experiences at that age: Belfi becomes immortal, Splendor falls asleep for 100 years under a spell, Oriano meets the Queen of Darkness... so Smeraldo joined these young men in my gallery of 22 years old.
I thought I'd record these "mishaps" because, hey, it happens when you improvise like me! I mean, I do have a very vague outline and know where the story goes, but the journey is a discovery – and that's the beauty of it!
The author is also very proud of the fact she ended up not using a deus ex machina in her final chapter. Originally she thought the Immortals (Fire and Earth) would have to stop Amazonia and tell her the mystery of her long life, but when she actually wrote the scene, the characters bravely turned into dragon-slayers themselves. Hence she decided to spare the life of Bianca, who was supposed to die in the fight.
Kyrio's mother came from the same archipelago that a few centuries later will give birth to Kahnee, who also goes – as a prisoner/slave – to the Queendom of Maadre, or Amazons Country, as it will be known by then. The story is in Books of the Immortals – Water.
Silvery Earth Chronology.
***
Acknowledgments
The Death of Queen Amazonia
A very heartfelt thank you to Adrian who suggested I start the story from what was originally chapter 2 – she's right, it works much better opening and closing with Kyrio. And she didn't even read it all at that stage. Anyway, this also allowed me to explore more of Kyrio's background and flesh out more things in the rest of the story! :)
Another big thank you to beta-readers and editors – Mizi, Joleene, Felicity, Katy and Tricia – without whom this story wouldn't be in this form.
A special thanks to Tricia Kristufek for the editing of The Public Man and Doreen.
***
About the author
Barbara G.Tarn is a writer, sometimes artist, mostly a world-creator and story-teller.
She's been building her world of Silvery Earth for a number of years – stories, comprise shorts, novels and graphic novels. Used to multiple projects (a graphic novel is always on the side of the prose), she writes, draws, ignores her day job and blogs at: http://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com
e-mail: [email protected]
Did you love Tales of the Queendom of Maadre? Then you should read Amazon Sisters by Barbara G.Tarn!
"He needed to ponder all those strange words. Even women could be hurt and violated. He hadn't thought that was possible in this world ruled by women. Even women could be kind. He never thought a Healer would ever consider curing him…"Life isn't easy in the Queendom of Maadre. The Daughters of Amazonia have very strict laws for men – but also for women. Follow the life of two sisters and their men. Love and death in the Amazons Country.
Read more at Barbara G.Tarn’s site.
Also by Barbara G.Tarn
Future Earth Chronicles
Across Continents (Future Earth Chronicles Book 3)
Br
ainwaves (Future Earth Chronicles Book 1)
Wanderlust (Future Earth Chronicles Book 2)
Himalayas (Future Earth Chronicles Book 4)
Airships (Future Earth Chronicles Book 5)
Silvery Earth
Books of the Immortals - Air
Tales of the Southern Kingdoms vol.1
Tales of the Southern Kingdoms vol.2
Books of the Immortals - Earth
Books of the Immortals - Ether
Books of the Immortals - Fire
Books of the Immortals - Water
Chronicles of the Varian Empire - The Enlightened Emperor
Chronicles of the Varian Empire - The Left-handed Warrior
Chronicles of the Varian Empire - The Spell
Records of the Varian Empire
Allan de Sayek
Conall's sons
The Death of Queen Amazonia
The Warrior Woman
Amazon Sisters
Saif's Legacy
Male Lovers of Silvery Earth
Amazon Spring
Amazon Summer
Books of the Immortals
More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms - volume 1
Uncommon Amazons
The Hooded Man
Amrendra
Kilig's Heart (Kilig&Hakeem #2)
Hakeem's Rival (Kilig&Hakeem #3)
Kilig & Hakeem
Saif & Kilig
Kilig the Sword
The Young King
Firebird
Beautiful
Two Tales of the Northern Kingdoms
Colors
Prince Splendor
The Archers
Amazons
Amazon Fall
Cinder Boy
Lovers
The Path of Water (Quests Book 1)
The Path of Fire (Quests Book 2)
Tales of the Northern Kingdoms volume 1
Tales of the Northern Kingdoms volume 2
More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms - volume 2
Male Lovers of Silvery Earth Volume 2
Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth
Tales of the Queendom of Maadre
More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)
Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)
The Path of Air (Quests Book 3)
Quests Volume One: The Paths of Water and Air
The Path of Earth (Quests Book 4)
Quests Volume Two: The Paths of Fire and Earth
Talwar and Khanda - Assassins in Love
Saif's Story
Honorable Assassins
Axelle, Wanderer (Silvery Earth Heroines)
Royal Blood
The Complete Chronicles of the Varian Empire Box Set
Assassins Guild of Silvery Earth Box Set
Fall of the Southern Kingdoms
Angelica, Scholar (Silvery Earth Heroines)
Two Stories of the Varian Empire
Male Lovers of Silvery Earth Volume 3
The Sun Sword (Legends of the Moren Empire Volume 1)
Star Minds Italiano
Angelo Tecnologico (Star Minds #1)
Mercanti di Schiavi (Star Minds #3)
Star Minds - la trilogia
Stella Cadente
Legame Mentale (Star Minds #2)
Star Minds Frammenti - Donne
Star Minds Frammenti
Star Minds Universe
Technological Angel
Mind Link
Slave Traders
Star Minds - The Trilogy
Mind Control
Women
Shooting Star
Half-blood
Star Minds Snippets
Star Minds Next Generation
Star Minds Next Generation Diaries
Star Minds Next Generation - Kay-low
King of Music - Zaphadin
Star Minds Chasing Stardom
Star Minds Interregnum - Telepaths
Star Minds Interregnum - Galaxy Police
Star Minds Interregnum
SMTG - Iso-bel Aya Shermac
Star Minds Third Generation Snippets
Star Minds Starter
Adventurer (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Pilot (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Hacker (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Thief (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Mercenary (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Freelance (Star Minds Lone Wolves)
Star Minds Lone Wolves Shorts
Terra d'Argento in italiano
Amori Maschili a Terra d'Argento
L'eredità di Saif
Smeraldo e Kyrio
Il giovane re
Saif e Kilig
Vampires Through the Centuries
Charioteer of Buddha
Indestructible
Kaylyn the Sister-in-Darkness
Kristine the Youngest
Norman Blood
Rajveer the Vampire
Shashank the Fledgling
Vampires Through the Centuries Novellas
Standalone
Johnny & Marian
Six Months and Other Love Stories
Best of Friends
Ciaran & Harith
Happiness is...
Choices, Changes and Other Stories
Pat & Babs
Body Switches
Yash and Ryo Lost in the Milky Way
How to Publish Your Book in English When You're Not a Native Speaker
Openings - Writing Prompts
Today People
Soul Thieves
The Fern and The Cross
Otherside
Joint Operations
Relationships (5 Short Stories of Love and Friendship)
Mumbai Dreams
Watch for more at Barbara G.Tarn’s site.
Tales of the Queendom of Maadre Page 23
