by J. D. Wright
Bree kissed her mother and bid farewell to Celeste. As they rode off toward Vale, Bree glanced around the courtyard, happy to see that life was returning to the castle. In the two weeks since rescuing Cicilly from Sire, many things had changed. Rowan had accepted Bree’s offer of knighthood and the council members had voted to allow him to take Sir Colbert’s seat on the council. Bree promoted Sir Ainsley to take over Sir Colbert’s previous position, in charge of the archers. And Rowan had volunteered to help Sir Raymun in training the guard.
The fear around the kingdom had begun to dissipate, as well. In its place, excitement was brewing for the upcoming tournament. At this moment, Junacave had thirteen knights in its service, and in the spring, the annual tournament would be held to provide the kingdom’s squires, who were of age, the opportunity to become selected for knighthood. Bree was hopeful that the tournament would allow her people to find a sense of normality again.
Bree looked up just in time to see Finn enter the courtyard. He had just returned from visiting Dahlia in the stables.
“How is she doing?” Bree asked.
“I wouldn’t know. She waved me away before I could ask. Perhaps I should stop attempting to look after her. Garret is keeping her busy with the new colts. I doubt she has the time to get into too much mischief.”
“I’m glad to hear it. When she asked to stay, I honestly thought it was a trick. But after what happened, she certainly cannot return to Sire. Who knows what her stepmother would do to her.”
“You are much more forgiving than I would be, Bree. After everything she did…”
“Yes, but just remember everything she did to help us rescue my mother. I haven’t forgotten what happened. But I cannot honestly say that I wouldn’t have done the same thing in her situation. Her childhood was nothing like yours or mine. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like, living with that man…”
Dahlia had all but begged to stay in Junacave, volunteering to work in the kitchens, if necessary. Bree simply could not entertain the idea of a princess working as a kitchen maid, but she definitely didn’t want Dahlia to return to Sire. Now that her father was gone, her stepmother had declared herself ruler and given their relationship, Dahlia was doomed to death if she returned. Bree had planned to give Dahlia a modest amount of coin and send her away, to make a new life for herself. But Dahlia refused and asked to stay, seeking sanctuary in Junacave and willing to work for her keep. The stables had seemed like the best fit for her now, but Bree was determined to keep a close eye on her cousin. If she could ever be trusted was still to be determined.
“I’m just glad things are settling down now. I’m ready to put this whole chaos behind me,” Finn added.
Bree felt her eyebrows rise. “Oh, really? Have you then? Put it all behind you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you sure that you aren’t… holding on to something? Something furry, perhaps?”
“How did you know?” He had been careful not to take it out in front of anyone.
“Oh, just a lucky guess.”
She turned to look out over the courtyard. Her gaze found Rowan, bent down next to Sarita, holding an arrow. Sarita had a small bow in her hands and he was trying to show her how to hold it. Bree laughed when Sarita turned and swung the tip of the bow around, nearly poking Rowan in the face with it. But he just turned her back around and repositioned her arms.
“Whose idea was this?” Bree asked Finn.
“That? Oh, I’m not sure.”
They watched them for a while, as Sarita’s first arrow fell out before she could pull the string back. The second arrow, however, made it over a yard away before sailing to the ground. Her third went a bit further. Each time, Sarita giggled, proud of her progress, as her curls bounced around her face.
“Maybe I should have given Sir Colbert’s position to Rowan, instead,” Bree said, as she laughed. “If he can teach Sarita to shoot, he can teach anyone.”
Finn looked down at the ground, then leaned closer to Bree, so that he couldn’t be overheard.
“Bree, I know that we aren’t supposed to talk about it… but…”
Bree stared off over the hills. She knew exactly what Finn wanted to ask, but she couldn’t bring herself to think about it too much right now. Not when things were going so good for her, for all of them. She took a deep breath then sighed.
“One day.”
Flip to the next page for a sneak peek of:
Widir
By: J.D.W.
Book Two of the Everealm Series
Wildfire - Prologue
Dear Breestlin,
Greetings, my lovely daughter! I hope this letter finds you and the kingdom well. I cannot believe that it has already been two months since I left to come to Vale. I have enjoyed my visit tremendously, and I have some fantastic news. My brother, your uncle, Cyrus, has finally made it back home! He decided to stop gallivanting about the realm and return to his place, here at our father’s side. This is great news. However, I send some terrible news, as well.
I’m afraid that your grandfather has fallen ill. We discovered when we arrived. During the time Celeste was visiting Junacave, our father came down with a fever and hasn’t fully recovered from it. Leitis has done all he can to heal him but says that your grandfather will continue to get worse. I am glad you insisted I come. This time with my father has been wonderful. If something had happened to him before I had a chance to say goodbye, I can’t even imagine…
On a lighter note, I would like to extend an invitation to you and Sarita, to come to Vale and visit with your grandfather. I cannot say how much longer he will survive this illness. If you could visit, I just know he would be delighted to see you. I will return home with you, afterward. I realize this isn’t an ideal request, considering the time of year and the cold weather. Leitis has predicted we will get more snow at the end of next week. If you could come before the snow falls, the mountain passage would be safer.
Please bring Rowan with you. Dagan, & Sidonie, as well, if you’d like. I know Nick would really love to see Rowan. He has missed him terribly since we left. His upcoming ceremony is all that Nick can talk about. He is so proud of him. Celeste has promised to visit for the tournament if Father is well enough for her to leave him. We will just have to wait and see.
I know this may be asking a lot for you, and I understand if you cannot come. Your first responsibility lies with your people and your kingdom, so if you cannot leave at this time, please do not feel obligated to do so. You are likely holding court this time of year, and I do not want to interfere with your duties. Just know that I am very proud of you, my dear daughter. And I cannot wait to return home to you and Sarita. I love you and miss you.
Sincerely,
Your mother,
Cicilly
Wildfire - Chapter One
“Next.”
Breestlin sat on her throne, with her chin propped up on one hand, trying desperately to stay awake. For the third day in a row, she had heard petitions from residents of Junacave, who have come to court, seeking restitution or compromise over disagreements. Everything from quarrels over land or grain, squabbles between neighbors, and allegations of adultery by husbands or wives. While the sheriff handled incidents in the kingdom on a daily basis, any problem that could not be remedied by Murphy, the sheriff, was brought before the king or queen when court was held, twice a year.
She was becoming amazed at the insignificant matters that her people had deemed to be disastrous. Most of the cases were petty disagreements and minor incidents, which Bree thought was rather silly. But to her people, losing an acre of land to farm on or a few sheep and horses could mean the difference between whether a family can afford food to eat or keep shelter over their heads.
So Bree had done her duty, as queen, to hear the cases and provide a ruling. She could have easily passed this responsibility over to a committee who would administer rulings, in her absence. But Bree’s fa
ther, the late King Frederick, had taught his daughter to do better by her people. Sure, someone else could do it for her, but would they be fair? Would they be just? After taking control of Junacave less than a year ago, Bree had done everything she could to make a good impression on the residents of her kingdom. So if that meant she would have to sit here for another day, listening to petition after petition, she would. But that didn’t mean it was any less dreadful.
When a man approached the throne and bowed before her, Bree sighed. Not again…
“Miles, this is the second time I’ve seen you in two days. If this is about the goat, once again…”
“No, Your Majesty. This time the beast has taken my cow, Bella.”
Bree dropped her face into her hands. Rowan chuckled in the seat next to her. For the past two months, Rowan had been busy helping Sir Raymun with guard training. This was the first day he had been able to stay with Bree during court. And while he found the people and petitions to be entertaining, after two days, Bree was no longer amused.
“Miles, I cannot stress enough, just how ridiculous this is. You and I both know there is no beast. And when did you come to possess a cow, anyway? Yesterday, you said that your goat was the last thing you owned when you demanded compensation for it...”
Miles looked around, nervously, then began to hiccup.
“Er, well…”
“Have you been drinking, before coming to court?” Bree squinted her eyes at the man.
Murphy stepped forward and took Miles by the arm.
“I am terribly sorry for this, Your Majesty. If I could, I recommend one night in the dungeon or the stocks, perhaps?” Murphy said.
“The stocks,” Bree replied, nodding. “But not an entire night. Just long enough for him to come back to his senses.” She turned back to Miles. “Miles, I hope you use this time wisely. Do not come back to court with such wild allegations, again. Do you understand? Or it will certainly be the last time.”
Miles nodded, staring at the ground as Murphy escorted him out of the hall.
“You would never actually punish him,” Rowan said, laughing. Miles was a well-known drunkard in the village. Having lost his wife and two children to illness, many years ago, Miles had taken to drinking to ease his pain. That decision resulted in the loss of his land, home, and livestock. But people felt sorry for him and occasionally gave him food or money, which he would immediately waste at the tavern.
“There is really no need to punish him. He punishes himself, every day.”
Just then, Sidonie entered, followed by Sarita, who bounced into the hall. Her pink gown and blonde hair swayed with every step. If there was anyone who could brighten up a room, it was Princess Sarita. She had just turned seven years old and was livelier than ever.
“Sissy, are you finished? Rowan promised to let me ride Dragon when you’ve finished. He’s going to show me how to ride with one hand so I can hold a sword in the other one!” She was giddy with excitement.
“Oh, really?” Bree turned to Rowan, who was purposefully avoiding eye contact. “First she learns to shoot an arrow, and now she’s training for knighthood?”
Sarita giggled. “Girls can’t be knights, silly. Rowan says I can be a warrior princess!”
Bree couldn’t help but laugh. She knew Sarita’s tiny arm could never hold the weight of a sword. At least not yet. But the idea made her face light up and Bree wouldn’t dare discourage her.
“It’s too bad you didn’t have a brother, Bree,” Sidonie said.
“So are you finished?” Sarita asked, again.
“No, I’m afraid not,” Bree replied. “But Rowan is free to leave. He doesn’t have to stay.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” he asked. Even though he was glad to finally have a moment with Bree, he did enjoy spending time with Sarita, especially if it involved horses and swords.
“No, no. Go ahead. Sid can keep me company.”
“We’ll be back before supper.”
Rowan gave Bree a kiss before taking Sarita’s arm and leading her out. Sidonie took Rowan’s seat, spreading her skirts out gently as she sat. She was getting used to wearing her skirts and gowns now, which were a great deal different from her usual clothing when she lived with the Sabras. She hadn’t realized before that her attire was much more revealing than what most women in the realm had worn. Coming to stay in Junacave last year had opened her eyes to many things she hadn’t learned from living secluded in the wilderness.
“We missed Dagan at breakfast this morning. Is he occupied with something?” Bree asked.
“No, he went into the village. He’s trying to find something that might explain what is happening with my powers. So he’s scouring the area for history texts, for some unknown reason.”
“History? Does he think it’s happened before? To someone else?”
“I don’t know. He has a theory, I’m sure of it. But he won’t share it with me. At least not until he has some proof, or so he says. I wish he would just tell me. It’s hard enough not knowing what I am capable of or how to control it. I learn something new about my magic every day, but I still don’t understand any of it. I accidentally set his cloak on fire yesterday. Did he tell you?”
“Ha! On fire? No, he didn’t tell me. He may have told Rowan, though. Sometimes I think your wizard spends more time with Rowan than I do. But I do wish Elric were still here. I just know he could have helped you.”
Sidonie had barely gotten to know Dagan’s grandfather before he passed away. And even though Elric had left Dagan his wizard tower, with books, ingredients, and his spellbook, among other things, Bree was definitely right that having Elric here would have been better. Maybe he could have shed some light on the strange circumstances surrounding her magic. Growing up with the Sabras, Sidonie wasn’t aware she had magic until she accidentally ran into Dagan’s arms one night, somehow igniting her powers. They had continued to grow over the past several months.
The problem, however, was that female children of wizards were not supposed to inherit magic this strongly. Most females who had magic were healers. Some used their magic to tell fortunes. But they weren’t able to do nearly as many things with their magic as Sidonie was able to do. And while she had been working with Dagan, learning about her abilities and trying to control them, she still didn’t understand how or why it was happening to her.
Sidonie wished she could speak to her parents, to get answers. But her mother passed away when she was ten years old, and she didn’t even know who her father was. The only family she had left was her sister, Adelphie, leader of the Sabras. And so far, Adelphie didn’t know about Sidonie’s magic, seeing as she still lived in the forest near the town of Elmber, and only visited Junacave occasionally. It was probably for the best that she didn’t know, for now.
Murphy returned to the hall and brought the next person forward to speak with the queen. Bree forced a smile and managed to make it through the rest of the day without falling asleep in her throne.
When the kitchen maids brought supper out into the hall, Bree was delighted. The room was soon filled with people, eating, drinking, and gossiping. It was her favorite part of the day as she watched over her family, friends, and knights of Junacave, ravaging the roasted pigs set out before them. Bree had just finished her first glass of wine, when Sir Raymun, Head of the Castle Guard, approached her table with a rolled up piece of parchment in his hands.
“Your Majesty. This letter arrived for you, from Vale,” he said, after a quick bow.
“Thank you, Sir Raymun,” Bree replied as she took the letter and read it to herself. It was from her mother, who was visiting her family in Vale. Upon Bree’s insistence, Cicilly had traveled to Vale with her sister, Celeste, just over two months ago. Bree feared for her mother’s safety after she had been kidnapped by King Silas and held captive in Sire. And while they were able to rescue Cicilly and Silas had been killed, Bree worried that Silas’ widow, Vallica, may attempt to
harm Cicilly. Therefore, she had gone to Vale, taking Sir Nicholas, the First Knight of Junacave, along with her for protection. Sir Luthias was filling in for Nick, during his absence.
“Is it from Cicilly?” Rowan asked as he sat across the table from her, already enjoying his second plate of the evening.
“Yes. She has invited us to come to Vale. All of us.”
“I thought they were coming home soon?” Sidonie asked, between bites.
“I did, too,” Bree replied. “But my mother is requesting we come to Vale, to see my grandfather. She will return with us, after.”
“Are we going to go? I’ve never been to Vale. I want to go. Can we?” Sarita squealed. Because of her studies, Sarita had stayed in Junacave when Cicilly left for Vale. Sarita’s tutors could have easily traveled with her, but there were other children that lived in the castle and shared the same tutors. Taking them away from the other children for so long hadn’t seemed fair. And at the time, there hadn’t been enough notice to find a second set of tutors. Even though Sarita was disappointed in being left behind, Bree and the others had done their best to keep her busy. Sarita was thrilled at the idea of visiting Vale now, and barely able to contain her excitement as she bounced up and down in her seat.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t go,” Bree said. “Dagan, would you and Sid like to accompany us? My mother has mentioned that you are welcome, too.”
Dagan nodded with his mouth full of food, then reached up to tuck a stray strand of his white hair behind his ear. While Rowan may have been on his second plate of supper, Dagan was easily on his third. Wizards must eat a lot of food to help maintain their energy. And with all of the casting Dagan and Sidonie had been doing lately, Bree was forced to almost double their portions.
“When would we leave?” Rowan asked. “I’ll need to make arrangements with Raymun before we go. Make sure my guards will be covered, in my absence.” He had been taking his new job of training the guard very seriously. Having spent the past seven years as a Junacave spy, Rowan was happy to take time from traveling the realm and focus on teaching. He had also been working with Sir Luthias, training for knighthood while his father, Nick, was in Vale with Cicilly. Come this spring, Rowan would finally fulfill his father’s wishes and become a fourth-generation knight.
