TruthStone

by Mike Shelton

  “And who do we have here?” Prince Basil asked Shaeleen, indicating Orin. His words pulled Shaeleen from her daze, and she looked him in the eyes for the first time since arriving. The tenderness and compassion they held almost made her fall to the floor. But she sucked in a deep breath and pushed forward with the answer.

  “Orin is a friend we met on our travels,” Shaeleen began. “Basil—”

  “Prince Basil,” Cole interrupted. “I disagree with having him here. I caught him stealing, and he holds certain powers that cannot be trusted.”

  Shaeleen turned to Cole, with hands on her hips and a scowl on her face, and said to the prince, “Orin is my friend, has saved my life countless times, and has proven his worth to me. I can vouch for him.”

  Prince Basil smiled and reached his hand out toward Orin. “Well, if you vouch for him, then I trust that is the truth of the matter. Let’s sit, and you can report to me what you’ve found on your travels.” Prince Basil led them to a group of chairs.

  “Is this wise?” Regent Warin asked the prince. “He’s just a young boy, and these two—”

  “These two are the age that I myself am, Regent,” Prince Basil said. “I have sent them on an errand of great importance. I trust them fully.”

  Shaeleen turned away, feeling guilty. He trusted them, but she didn’t even trust herself. She fingered the TruthStone through the pouch in her pocket, but it did nothing to lift the weight she felt.

  The regent only nodded his head to Prince Basil.

  The prince sat opposite Shaeleen. He was dressed immaculately in royal blue—which set off his dark blue eyes. He was quite handsome. When he glanced her way, a small grin formed in the corner of his mouth—setting off his dimple. And his eyes sparkled in her direction. Her heart pounded, but she turned away quickly. She couldn’t stand looking him in the eyes, not right now. What would he do when he found out the truth about his brother…if he found out?

  Maybe he doesn’t need to ever know. Maybe something could happen to his brother. Thoughts swirled around in Shaeleen’s head as different scenarios played out again in a matter of seconds. But once more, she couldn’t think of an option that would solve all her problems. Oh Basil!

  “Shae, the prince is asking you a question.” Her brother’s voice brought her out of her private thoughts.

  “What?” Shaeleen blinked her eyes a few times.

  “Tell me what you have learned about my brother.”

  Shaeleen felt panic rise inside of her. What do I say? She glanced at Cole, who pierced her with his eyes—obviously wanting her to tell the truth. She looked at Orin, and he lowered his head as if he couldn’t face it either, but was letting her decide on her own. This was the point in time that she had to decide.

  “Shaeleen?” The prince scooted up in his seat. “Is it that bad?”

  She couldn’t put it off any longer. She pushed all thoughts from her mind and drew on the feelings of her heart and without any more delay pushed the words out: “Your brother, Calix—”

  “Prince Calix,” her brother interrupted.

  She glared at him. “Prince Calix has sided with Commander Kerr from Gabor—against the queen’s knowledge or support,” Shaeleen said, the words coming more quickly now that she had decided what to do. “There are already Gaborian warships in North Bay. They plan on taking the throne of Galena and then turning their sights back to Gabor. Prince Calix intends to rule here, with Commander Kerr ruling Gabor.”

  The prince sighed and leaned his head back in his chair.

  Shaeleen breathed a sigh of relief. She had spoken her words without telling any lies.

  “My lord.” Regent Warin stood up at the news. “We must prepare for war. Your brother could be here soon.”

  The prince glanced up at his regent and then back to Shaeleen. “And my mother? Did you see her?”

  Shaeleen nodded.

  “Is she well?”

  “She is well, and I can tell she loves you and misses you very much.” Shaeleen had to hold back her tears.

  “Then why does she stay there with my brother?” His tone showed a deep hurt at the thought of his mother siding with his brother.

  Shaeleen’s heart almost broke at Prince Basil’s own pain. She looked at Cole, who only nodded his head toward her as if to say to do as she pleased. She dabbed at her eyes with a finger, to clear away the tears.

  Shaeleen only shrugged at the prince’s previous question, but she would not say anything more. She knew that, if she told Prince Basil the news, he would do the honorable thing and step down, allowing his brother, Calix, to have the throne of Galena. But, if she didn’t tell him, maybe there was still a solution she could come up with that would allow Prince Basil to become king. I have less than six weeks to find an answer. A pounding started at the base of her skull and spread up through her head, settling more fully in her temples.

  So much pain to try and hold back, she thought.

  “Shaeleen, what is wrong?” the prince asked.

  “It was a difficult trip, Prince Basil,” Cole jumped in.

  “I told you not to send them, Prince,” Regent Warin said. “They are too young to handle this.”

  The prince shook his head. “No. They are the right ones. I just can’t figure out what went wrong.” He shook his head. “I just can’t seem to think as clearly as I used to.”

  Shaeleen felt her eyes go wide. Giving up the IntelligenceStone—as small as it was—must have dimmed the prince’s ability to think. He was still more intelligent than most, as the power flowed in his blood, but he was not as quick-thinking as when the stone was in his possession. Maybe, given the circumstances, that was a good thing. Hopefully he would not guess at what she was hiding.

  Shaeleen felt tears well up again, and in anger she pushed them away and continued speaking. “He plans to attack before betrothal,” Shaeleen said.

  “That’s barely six weeks away.” Regent Warin put a hand to his head. “We really must warn Lord Gregory. The day of betrothal is the day you become—”

  “I met the queen of Gabor,” Shaeleen blurted, jumping out of her seat before the regent could finish his sentence. She knew what he was going to say, and she was not sure she could handle the pain from it right then. Shaeleen hoped to change the direction of the conversation.

  “And Cole?” the prince asked.

  “He stayed behind in North Bay to keep an eye on your brother,” Shaeleen admitted.

  The prince eyed Cole but didn’t ask him anything.

  Then the prince looked up at Regent Warin. “Please go and tell the council we will meet in one hour. I want to know all the options we have to avoid war and to keep as many people safe as possible. I love this kingdom and intend to protect it. I will stay and say a few more words to my friends.”

  His friends? What kind of friend am I if it don’t tell him the truth?

  Before the regent could leave, Shaeleen called him back. “Regent, some of the prince’s lords are not loyal to him. I saw Lord Bancroft and others at a dinner with Prince Calix. You should be careful.”

  The regent only nodded, clearly not enjoying getting suggestions from a young woman. After he left, Prince Basil leaned forward in his chair.

  He eyed Shaeleen intensely. “And, did the queen give you anything?”

  Shaeleen nodded. Off to the side, she could see Cole’s questioning eyes. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the pouch. She opened it up, pulled out the TruthStone, and held it out in her hand. The stone began to glow—green, at first, then the small IntelligenceStone and StrengthStone glowed their blue and red and joined with the green light. The entire effect gave off a greenish-purplish glow that spread out from Shaeleen’s hand.

  Cole sucked in a breath. She had not told him about the StrengthStone the previous evening.

  Prince Basil nodded and motioned for her to put it away. “That much power makes me nervous. It must be hard for one person to hold it.” His eyes searched hers with apparent sympathy. “It
must be hard to know the truth of everything.”

  Shaeleen turned away, her heart feeling about to burst. Am I doing the right thing here? She steeled her mind with her decision. She couldn’t let the goodness of Prince Basil be destroyed. Now that she had made the decision, she had to deal with the pain it would cause her.

  “Well,” the prince continued, “I must ask you—the three of you—to go on one more errand for me. I trust you will keep this a secret.”

  Shaeleen and Cole looked at one another. They both had made other pledges: her, to Queen Victoria; and him, to Prince Calix.

  “What do you ask of us, my prince?” Cole asked.

  “I need you to go and bring my betrothed to Galena in safety,” Prince Basil said. “She is Princess Diamonique of Gabor. She is currently on the island of Verlyn, completing training in Sylvermoor. She has been taught the intricacies of being a queen.”

  Shaeleen, Cole, and Orin all glanced at each other in turn, eyebrows furrowed and mouths held grim.

  “Well?” the prince asked. “Will you accept this quest from me, as prince of Galena?”

  Cole nodded. Orin nodded, a small grin trying to burst out on his face. But Shaeleen sat in thought for a moment longer. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t accept, but it was the growing importance of the princess that caught her mind up in deep thought. What does she have to do with all of this?

  Prince Basil seemed to misunderstand her hesitation. “I know, Shaeleen, that I released you from allegiance to only Galena. Your powers must aid all of Wayland. If there is some reason you cannot—”

  “No.” Shaeleen shook her head. “There is no reason not to retrieve the princess from Verlyn. I would very much like to see the fabled kingdom.”

  “Great!” The prince stood up and clapped his hands. “I will have a ship ready for you in a few days’ time.”

  Shaeleen stared at the floor, trying to hold the guilt in.

  “And don’t worry,” the prince said with a smile on his face. “All will be well. You will see. Galena will continue to prosper under her new king.”

  At that, Shaeleen jumped up and ran out of the room. She hurried down the hallway, until she found a washroom. She went inside and retched, throwing up the small amount of food she’d had in her stomach. After a few more heaves, she stopped and washed her face.

  A small mirror hung above a basin of water. Looking at her face, she noticed lines from the pain already forming around her eyes and on her forehead. Then tears ran down her face—it was becoming an annoying habit.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Three days later, Cole, Shaeleen, and Orin were standing on a ship anchored in the docks of Stronghaven. The prince had commissioned a full crew to sail them to Sylvermoor, a trip that would take them, first, south to Mistport, in Antioch, to drop off a few other nobles, and then on to the island of Verlyn, to the southeast.

  Orin wandered off, looking for something to eat, which left Shaeleen and Cole alone at the railing, looking back at the city of Stronghaven.

  “I still don’t know why you didn’t tell Prince Basil, Shae.” Cole turned his head to look at her. “He deserves to know the truth of things.”

  “We’ve been over this numerous times, Cole. I just couldn’t – not yet. He is too good of a person. He would step aside for Calix. Basil is the best king for Galena.” She pushed away the pain in her gut.

  “But, the pain,” Cole said in sympathy and moved closer to Shaeleen. “It will kill you.”

  Shaeleen whirled to face him. “What do you care, Cole? You’ve sided with Calix—even though you know the type of man he is.”

  Cole’s lips thinned, but he held his apparent anger in check. “Shae, I am here with you, aren’t I? We’ll figure this out. I have not sided with anyone—only the truth. I thought you of all people would understand my supporting the truth. The truth is…” He looked around, and, with the breeze off the sea and the sound of the crew readying the ship for departure, no one was near enough to overhear his words. “The truth is Prince Calix, as the oldest, is the next king of Galena. You can’t change that!”

  And that was the crux of her dilemma. That was why she was angry. It wasn’t at Cole or even Calix—but at herself. How could she hold the TruthStone and not uphold the truth? I will deserve the mockery of TruthSeers for generations to come.

  “Aren’t you my wizard, Cole?” Shaeleen’s eyes filled with tears. “Aren’t you supposed to protect me, help me, support me—and keep me from pain?” she asked, her voice coming out louder than she’d intended.

  Cole’s face fell, and he reached his hand toward her face. “Shae, if I could take your pain, I would. I hate to see you suffer. But you needn’t do so. I am your guardian wizard and your protector. But, to support you means supporting the truth, something that is bigger than both of us—than all of us.”

  Shaeleen wiped her eyes and knew that her brother spoke the truth.

  He waved his arm out over Stronghaven. “No one—not even you, with all your growing powers—has the right to manipulate the truth of things or the order that is meant to happen. Even the stones are governed by an order of things. You told me that truth and light work with, and control all the powers of stones.”

  “I already have three powers, Cole. What happens when I get all the rest of them?” Shaeleen felt tortured inside thinking about all that power. “What will I become?”

  Cole shook his head. “I don’t know, Shaeleen. But you must be careful.”

  Shaeleen shook her head at the thought of all she could now do already. “I’ll tell you what could happen, Cole. I could become all-powerful and make anything happen that I want to happen: I can ensure that Basil takes the throne. I can crush Commander Kerr’s army. And I can destroy Calix if need be.”

  “Shae!” Cole hugged his arms around himself with obvious worry. He gazed around the ship and then turned back to her. “You’re distraught. Do not think such things. That’s blasphemy to Wayland and her kingdoms.”

  “Then take it from me!” she wailed, reaching inside her dress and bringing the pouch out. She held it in front of him. She could see the response to temptation cross her brother’s face and then his desire for honor and truth. Maybe he would be a better TruthSeer than me.

  He took two steps back and shook his head. “I…I can’t,” Cole said, conflicting emotions still crossing his face. “Don’t tempt me like that,” he choked, his voice becoming more quiet. “Don’t ever tempt me again with so much power, Shae. I might not be able to resist it next time.” He backed up farther, still shaking his head. Then he turned and left.

  Alone at the railing, she slumped to the deck of the ship, her back to the railing, and took the TruthStone out of its leather pouch. She rolled the smooth, almost round, greenish stone in her small hands. Black lines crossed the stone and joined with the small Red Jasper and Labradorite stones, now embedded there.

  Shaeleen held the TruthStone carefully in both hands and sobbed. She cried for the pain it had already caused her. Cried for the pain it would cause her still. And cried for the pain it would cause the kingdom of Galena and all of Wayland in the weeks and months to come.

  # # #

  This is the end of TruthStone, Book 1 in the TruthSeer Archives. To continue the adventures of Shaeleen, Cole, and Orin, read TruthSpell, Book 2 in the TruthSeer Archives, coming out Spring 2018.

  Buy at your favorite retailer

  What if every lie you heard caused you pain?

  Thrust into the role of saving the stones of power, Shaeleen is still learning how to manage the magical abilities she has been given. As the holder of a TruthStone, every lie she hears or tells causes her immense physical pain. She has now added the IntelligenceStone and StrengthStone to her arsenal and is on a journey to gather the other stones of power,

  Sent to find Princess Diamonique to prevent a civil war, Shaeleen travels with her brother, Wizard Protector Cole, and her friend, Orin. But her journey veers off course when she discovers an evil shadow
power threatening the magic of Wayland.

  Shaeleen discovers through TruthSpells that she can force others to tell the truth and do her bidding. Will this help her save Wayland's magic? Or will she become a monster worse than the one she is fighting against?

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  Thanks for reading TruthStone If you liked this book, Please leave a review on your favorite retailer’s website. As an Indie author, reviews are one way that my books get noticed by others. I love to hear from my readers. Send me an email at mikesheltonbooks@gmail.com and let me know your favorite character or part of the story. Join me at MichaelSheltonBooks.com to get information of other books, projects, and FREE Prequels to both of my series.

  Thanks,

  Mike

  * * *

  To learn more about the gemstones used in this series check out www.MoonOverMountains.com

  OTHER SERIES BY MIKE SHELTON

  The Alaris Chronicles

  Fifteen years after The Cremelino Prophecy and a few kingdoms to the south, embark on a brand new magical journey with new characters, kingdoms, magics, . . . and dragons

  The fate of a kingdom rests on the shoulders of three young wizards who couldn't be more different.

  Bakari is a brilliant scholar wizard who's more at home in a library than a battlefield. Alli is a beautiful young battle wizard whose grace in battle is both enchanting and deadly. Roland is a counselor wizard with a seemingly limitless depth of untapped power -- and the ego to match it.

  As the magical barrier protecting the kingdom of Alaris from dangerous outsiders begins to fail, and a fomenting rebellion threatens to divide the country in a civil war, the three wizards are thrust into the middle of a power struggle.