Liberate

by Krista D. Ball

  Rose frowned, but she nodded.

  “You know why, right?”

  She shook her head.

  “For every good man like Arrago, there needs to be someone who will do the deeds that he can’t even conceive.”

  Rose seemed to ponder on that for a moment. Then she nodded, flashed him a small smile, and turned to leave the room.

  “Good work, Rose,” Kiner said.

  She looked over her shoulder at him and, this time, her smile was genuine.

  History, Culture, and Society

  Character Dossiers

  The Tranquility Six

  LADY BETHANY, QUEEN of Taftlin once held the third most powerful position in the Elven military, Lady Champion. After Mages, under the orders of both King Daniel of Taftlin and her Magic-addicted sister Sarissa, burned the Temple of Tranquil Mercies and slaughtered innocents, Bethany marched elves and allies alike to Taftlin to stop the bloodshed. The war was eventually won, but not without cost. Bethany killed her sister and Apexia killed herself on Bethany’s sword.

  Now imbued with a share of Apexia’s immortal power, Bethany has had to walk a delicate line for the sake of her friends who aren’t ready to reveal themselves to the world. Lord Jud stripped her of her position and power, sensing she was lying about the end of Magic and the strange occurrences surrounding the death of Sarissa.

  But no self-serving autocrat could control her. She returned to Taftlin, married the love of her life —a human—and became protector and queen to a people she once despised and mistrusted.

  Arrago, King of Taftlin is proof that Apexia had a wicked sense of humor. All he ever wanted was to serve the Gentle Goddess, but she had far grander plans for him. He became the personal aide to Lady Bethany and, in time, her lover. Then her ex-lover and rebel. Apexia refused to let him just live his life quietly, and he became Taftlin’s symbol of hope and new beginnings.

  He married Celeste, his best friend’s love, to cement his kingdom and his rule. She died giving birth to Taftlin’s heir, and very few knew the babe wasn’t his. It took a while, but eventually Bethany agreed to marry him, and take on all of the baggage that came with that choice.

  He had taken by force a nation in debt and its people enslaved, but Arrago is determined to bring hope and prosperity to his home. He doesn’t yet understand what the lingering effects of Apexia’s power will be on his goals or his life, but for now, his focus will be Taftlin and her people.

  Jovan, formerly Lord Protector Jovan plays by no one’s rules, and rarely even his own. He pierced his pointed ear tip when he was told it was against regulations and wore embroidered tunics that would make a peacock blush. Jovan cared about no one, or at least he worked hard to portray.

  Bethany was raised for part of her life by Jovan’s parents. Together, Jovan and Bethany became thicker than thieves; they became family. Jovan would never say it, but he’d walk through fire for Bethany, and she for him. After all, he had on more than one occasion.

  But dedication comes with a cost, and Jovan lost the love of his. Not once, but twice. Drea, daughter of Apexia and Bethany’s sister, left him when she couldn’t face life with him and deal with her trauma. And then Lady Eve, fellow knight and field commander, who gave her life for the cause.

  With a hole in his heart, Jovan left the Elven Service after the Elven Council turned their backs on his friends. Now, his entire purpose is finding Erem and saving him from what they all used to fight for.

  Kiner, formerly Lord Kiner and Black Hand, was orphaned and raised by numerous priests and sisters at the Temple of Tranquil Mercies. He’d always knew he’d dedicate his life to Apexia, though he didn’t realize in his younger days that he would be using a sword and not a pen.

  Kiner took to his studies, unlike Bethany and Jovan who were too busy gambling and drinking. But, too often, they managed to drag him into one of their misadventures and, eventually the three of them became known as the temple’s Tranquility Trio. Apexia help any tavern where the three of them ended up. Those days were the good ones.

  Things were different now. He’d lost too many friends in the war, and had seen too many thing during it that stirred up the old nightmares of traumas past. Then, to add salt to the wounds, Jud stripped him of his rank when he discovered Kiner preferred the company of men in violation of elven societal rules of conduct.

  Kiner accepted the position in Arrago’s administration, but he wasn’t sure if he would stay. He had no purpose in life now that Apexia was gone and his duty was stolen. But first, he was going to do everything he could to rescue his friend. He’d work out the rest of it from there.

  Lord Erem long had his eye on Bethany’s job. As he once said, he had the legs to be Lady Champion. He’d grown up hard in the Magic war. His first training mission for field commander went horribly wrong, causing a number of deaths and the kidnapping of Bethany by Magi. After that, things changed rapidly for him. Gone was the swagger of getting drunk before a fight. Gone was the laughter too often, too. Erem learned that the glory of war wasn’t glorious at all.

  He’d been raised in a typical elven household, where strict adherence to elven law reigned supreme. He’d lost a lot of that dogged devotion to the rules during the war. He’d even let himself flirt and let his heart wander a little, well outside of the direction that his parents would have approved. Good elven boys had arranged marriages to good elven girls, to produce good elven babies to fight the good fight.

  He was a part of the escort back from Taftlin. From there, it was his hope to be reassigned back to Taftlin as a part of Lendra’s protective guard. He’d never felt so alive as he did on the snowy fields of that northern country.

  Jud had other plans. Now Erem languished in a dungeon, hoping that his friends could find him. For Jud had learned Erem’s ability from Apexia’s grace. And now, there wasn’t even death to hope for.

  Lendra, Elven Ambassador to Taftlin, adored her elder sister Bethany, who bucked all of the rules and did as she pleased. She could never do that. She had been raised in Wyllow, far away from the world, where rules and conformity were hammered into her. Or, would have been, if she wasn’t Apexia’s daughter and sister of three unique Elorians. As one of her tutors angrily said, “you’ll never amount to anything if you continue to act like your sisters.”

  Lendra proved them all wrong. She was a baby in the eyes of the elves, and yet she’d fought in the war. She’d been on the battlefield, even though it terrified her so badly she wet herself. She stood against Magi and soldiers alike, and she used both her brains and her Apexia-granted powers to protect those she loved.

  She knew the only reason she had the ambassadorship job was partially because Arrago asked for her and partially because no one else wanted to come. She didn’t care; she got to be near her sister. Though she was as much of an outsider here as she was in Wyllow, they accepted her far more than the full-blooded, pure elves ever did. Here, she could make a difference. And that first difference was to help find Erem and bring him home safe and sound.

  The Royal Inner Circle

  Lord Edmund Greyfeather, Lord Chancellor had originally been sent to the Temple of Tranquil Mercies for nothing more than a chance to meet Taftlin’s Prince Daniel and attempt to curry favour for his family within the royal court. He could never have imagined he’d end up facing Daniel on the battlefield for the control of Taftlin’s court. It was just as well his father never lived to see how things turned out.

  Still, being the best friend of the king of Taftlin had its benefits. Or it did back when Edmund was carefree and full of vigor. The loss of his love, Celeste, and the inability to acknowledge his child wore on his lust for life. His friendship with Amber, acting as a surrogate father to her child, helps as he learns to live life missing both an eye and a hand.

  Paverly is the half-sister of Lord Allric. She was the result of an affair, causing her to be rejected by Allric’s family. However, he maintained ties with her and asked her to look after Opal should anything happen
to him. With his death, she moved north to Taftlin as she promised her brother she would do. She is a quiet woman, who struggles to integrate into the palace culture of elves, Elorians, and humans. She formed strong attachments with Amber’s human friends, however, as well as with Opal.

  Amber had arrived at the Temple of Tranquil Mercies by accident. She has been tortured by Sarissa and had fled the north in an attempt to seek help from the elves. She was eventually brought to Bethany, who keep her safe. Amber decided to go north with the army to assist the war effort, but only after she married Allric. Amber and Allric were happy and had a daughter together, who she now raises alone.

  Opal is the daughter of Amber and Allric, born during the Taftlin Civil War. Now a toddler, Opal has taken to Edmund and sees him as her father.

  Prince Henry is the biological son of Queen Celeste Clover and Lord Edmund Greyfeather. Arrago married her knowing she secretly carried Edmund’s child and has raised Henry as his own, as well as declared him the heir to the throne.

  Lord Stanley is one of formerly three advisors to the throne (now two). Stanley tends to deal with legal issues, as well as correspondence for the court.

  Lord Rayner, along with Lord Stanley, advises King Arrago. Rayner generally deals with the financial issues of the realm, including taxation.

  Lord Rutherford was one of the three advisors to the king, but was sent into forced retirement by Arrago. Rutherford refused to free his slaves and argued against Arrago’s policies to slowly turn Taftlin against its slave-trading roots. He has already been financially connected to one attempt on the king’s life, though there was not enough proof for Arrago to feel an arrest of a great noble could warrant.

  Jud was given Lord Allric’s position when the war first broke out. That freed Allric to go north and join Bethany’s troops. Jud took command of the Temple of Tranquil Mercies and turned it into a witch hunt against anyone who’d fought alongside Bethany in the Magic Wars.

  Deceased Characters

  Drea was one of Apexia’s daughters, and Bethany’s sister. Their relationship was strained at the end after Drea’s abduction and torture at the hands of Taftlin slavers. She had been secretly engaged to Jovan, but the relationship fell apart after her rescue. She spent most of the remainder of her life in Wyllow with Lendra, though they came to Orchard Park for moral support of their sister. Drea was killed by an arrow in an isolated attack during a survey of the destroyed areas of the city.

  Torius was the Holy Father of the Apexian faith and Bethany’s father, which she didn’t know until after his death. He died in the same attack as Drea.

  Aneese was the right hand of the Holy Father. She took on a maternal role when it came to Bethany, though Bethany saw the relationship more in an antagonistic form. Aneese was a stickler for formality and ceremony, bringing her into constant conflict with the senior members of the Silver Knights. She died of old age during the Magic Wars.

  Eve was the only knight to have been kicked out of the service and brought back. She had been Jovan’s lover for years and was an experienced field commander. She died during the final battle of the Magic Wars.

  Allric was the Lord Defender of the Silver Knights. He eventually joined Bethany’s army in the north, after he’d been forcefully replaced by the Elven Council with Jud. He eloped with Amber in Mother Aneese’s bedroom the morning before she left to go north with the army. He was killed during the final battle of the Magic Wars and is seen as a hero in Taftlin.

  Sarissa was Bethany’s twin sister who had no Power of her own. She mistakenly thought she was the Viper of prophecy and engaged in a lifelong pursuit of Magic. She was responsible for the destruction of the Temple of Tranquil Mercies, as well as the entire Magic War. However, the price for her Magic was her sanity and, eventually, her mind ripped into three distinct personalities. In the end, she begged Bethany to kill her. She died in her sister’s arms.

  Celeste, Queen of Taftlin was caught in the town of Kershaw between King Daniel’s advancing forces and Arrago’s rebels. After Daniel’s death, Arrago married Celeste, the king’s cousin, to legitimize his possession of the crown. Celeste was pregnant with Edmund Greyfeather’s child at the time, though Arrago didn’t know it. They had a quiet, friendly marriage. She died in childbirth, giving birth to Henry. Arrago named Prince Henry his heir, even though he was Edmund’s son.

  Apexia, The Gentle Goddess was human once, until she took up Magic. She learned how to twist and shape it into Power, but the dark energy of Magic remained in the world, anchored to her. She bore four daughters, secretly, with the head of the Apexian faith, Father Torius. In the end, she sacrificed herself so that Magic could be destroyed.

  Races

  Elves have seen themselves as the beacon of knowledge, education, and civility. To outsiders, they often represent self-serving benevolence that always came with a high price. The elven lands didn’t call themselves a name, the way that everyone else did. They were too lofty for things like nationality and borders. The very southern boundary of elven territory was a collection of islands that prisoners mined, allowing for extensive wealth distribution and the elimination of poverty...provided one was deemed pure enough.

  Government: Elven Council. Representatives were elected by members of the clergy, magistrates, diplomates, and other high-ranking officials.

  Territory: Most of the south-western tip of the known continent, including the many mineral-rich islands that produced a significant amount of the world’s gold, silver, precious gems, and metals.

  Culture: Elves are generally isolationists who help only those who will adopt elven morals. Chastity is assumed until arranged marriages at two hundred years of age. After children are produced, then the couple can proceed with separate lives. Divorce doesn’t exist in elven law. Abortion and prostitution are strictly forbidden, and not allowed within the borders of elven-controlled lands or space, though local authorities near the edges of the borders tend to make allowances. Refusing to accept one’s arranged marriage can result in banishment from elven service, be it the military or clergy. Elves are vegetarian, though some of the younger elves have developed a taste for fish. This has caused great conflict in the more traditional circles who blame human influences.

  Physical uniqueness: Elves were long-lived, but also took a long time to mature. Many of the older elves considered someone a full century old still in childhood, but exposure to shorter-lived races had caused many elves to grow up faster. They are stronger than humans, and usually taller, and need significantly more sleep and food to function. Elves have strongly pointed ears. The term “points” is a racial slur used by humans against elves. Elven skin tone can vary depending upon the region with pale skin is the most common in the south, with darker skin tones common along the eastern border.

  Rygents are biologically human, but identified as a separate group due to their innate Power and abilities. The legend is that the god Rygous, tired of life, committed suicide and gave his power to all of his people who lived on the Rygent Islands. His Power, spread between thousands, was diluted and reflects in various ways.

  Government: The Rygent Islands are currently occupied by a taskforce of Taftlin and elven armies. The bulk of the war was fought on the islands, especially the final battles, and most of the ruling tribes were killed. Reestablishing governance will be an important role in the post-war world. They do not share many of the strict behavioural laws of the elves. Still, their stance against slavery, as they have been disportionally affected by it, has made them an ally against the continent.

  Territory: The Rygent Islands are west of Taftlin, and north of the Elven territory. While not mineral rich, they have had a strong trading economy with the south. That trade has grown stronger with the younger elves, and most Elorians, developing a taste for salted and smoked fish and shellfish.

  Culture: While a minority of Rygents can read thoughts or emotions, it’s considered poor social graces to do so without permission. Their talent for healing has made them s
ought out across the known world by all nations to help royal families, during times of war or outbreaks, and even just to work at local clinics with midwives and surgeons. As a general believe, Rygents generally pray to Rygous and not Apexia. Sex, marriage, and pregnancy are not regulated, and individuals are encouraged to make love matches and not property mergers. There are many intermarriages between Rygents and Taftlins, even though politically they are rivals. Some isolated clans believe they are losing their roots as intermarriage dilutes Rygous’ gift to their people, but most Rygents see it as continuing Rygous’ purpose of sharing his gifts.

  Physical uniqueness: Rygents all possess white birthmarks on one of their wrists or forearms. The stronger the pattern, the stronger their innate Power. Some patterns are easy to read – such a swirls or leaf patterns – but others are a mixture. Those with significant human or elven blood will have broken or very faint birthmarks, and correspondingly very little associated Power. Rygents are most commonly darker skinned than Taftlins, but generations of intermarriage has seen a minority of paler Rygents. With the exception of the most isolated clans in the very northwest islands, this has not caused any significant cultural issues.

  Elorians aren’t from any one place, but rather the term they themselves have adopted. Elorians are generally half-elven, half-human (or Rygent), but the term is applied by elves to anyone with “tainted” bloodlines.

  Government: Elorians generally follow the rule of the nations or territory that they live. However, Queen Marcia of Ellentop is considered the ruler of the Elorian nation.

  Territory: Many Elorians live in the city of Ellentop and its surrounding lands. Technically, the lands still belong to the elves, but it has not been contested in centuries, as it provides a northern boundary between the human nations and the elven lands. However, many Elorians have learned to live with either humans or elves, though Elorians generally stick with the more southern human nations as opposed to the northern ones.