Stone Queen

by Michelle M. Pillow

  Dedication

  To ‘B’, for more reasons than could ever be written in words. You are destined for great things. I love you infinity plus one.

  Note from Author:

  Though they can be read separately, there are underlying, continual themes within the Realm Immortal stories. The author recommends reading the books in order of release for full entertainment value. For details or reading order please visit her website www.michellepillow.com.

  Main Cast of Characters

  King Merrick of the Unblessed

  High King of the Kingdom of Valdis, Ruler of the Necessary Evil. He lives in the Black Palace. Having kidnapped the mortal ward of his estranged brother, King Ean of the Blessed, Merrick later made Lady Juliana of Bellemare his queen. Though he cares for her, he can never say it. To do so would make his position as ruler vulnerable.

  Queen Juliana of the Unblessed

  From the mortal noble family of Bellemare, Juliana always dreamed of magic. But, until Merrick kidnapped her, she never realized it truly existed. Now, as Queen of Necessary Evil, she is trying to cope with the fact her new powers are derived from the misery of others.

  Lord Kalen, Unblessed Noble

  Dark elfin lord cursed with psychic abilities. He is empathic and clairvoyant. Leader of the fearsome Berserks, an elite unblessed army, he’d rather bury his sword than feel the emotions of others. Often driven by the need to feel nothing at all, he prefers the cold-hearted in his bed.

  King Lucien of the Damned

  High King of the Kingdom of Hades, Demon Ruler of Pure Evil. Living in the Fire Palace, he enjoys watching the suffering of others whether immortal or mortal. He is always plotting his evil deeds and has the patience to see them come to life. The only one who can shake his control is the nymph, Mia, who he keeps as his lover and slave—though he would never let her know that. To punish her, he currently has Mia locked in the bowels of his palace, looked after by the child soothsayer, Anja, who is pure evil.

  Mia

  A nymph who traded her soul to King Lucien, only to discover too late that he allowed her to keep half of it so she could still feel emotions and pleasure. But with her half-soul comes a misery and suffering she cannot escape. Lucien keeps her locked, and often chained, in his palace home. She is now the Damned King’s mistress, fighting to do good where she can though darkness is pulling her into its depths.

  King Ean of the Blessed

  High King of the Kingdom of Tegwen, Ruler of all that is Good. Brother to Merrick, Ean lives in the Silver Palace. He is the youngest of four princes and only came to rule after the oldest, Merrick, took the Unblessed throne and the two others—Ladon and Wolfe—were presumed dead. It was learned Ladon and Wolfe were merely prisoners to the Damned King and though Ladon is free, Ean is obsessed with freeing Wolfe. He does not know what will come of his rule once his older brothers are recovered from their ordeal.

  Prince Ladon of the Blessed

  Brother to Merrick and Ean who spent nearly fifty years in the Damned King’s prison until rescued by William the Wizard. Currently disguised by magic as the Earl of Bellemare living in the Mortal Realm.

  Prince Wolfe of the Blessed

  Brother to Merrick and Ean who spent nearly fifty years in the Damned King’s prison, where he currently resides.

  Hugh, Earl of Bellemare, faery king

  Oldest of the Bellemare family, Hugh was bitten by demons known as the living dead and is unable to return to the Mortal Realm. He misses his beloved Bellemare, but can only watch it from afar. He is married to the faery queen Tania.

  Tania, queen of the faeries

  Lesser Queen of the faery Kingdom of Feia who lives in the Silver Palace. Flighty and often innocent to the true horrors of life and death, being as she is immortal, she doesn’t always grasp what is happening.

  Sir Thomas of Bellemare

  Mortal brother still living at Bellemare, helping Prince Ladon stay disguised as his brother the Earl. The playful nature of the knight who could charm any lady to his bed is slowly fading into an unhappy, troubled man weighed by responsibility.

  William the Wizard

  The youngest of the Bellemare family, William is apprenticing to be a wizard. He cast a spell over himself, as all wizards do, to give himself bravery in the face of battle. Though, not sure that it took, he cast it three times. It takes a lot to get him worried, much to the frustration of his brothers.

  Prologue

  Black Palace of the Unblessed, Kingdom of Valdis, 1406 AD

  Human by birth, immortal ruler by what the magical creatures called fate, Queen Juliana was new to the magical world she lived in. Her husband, King Merrick of the Unblessed, was the dark elfin ruler of the Kingdom of Valdis. He was one of the three High Kings of the immortal realm. Not pure evil like King Lucien of the Damned, with his demon filled Kingdom of Hades. But, nor was Merrick good like his estranged brother, King Ean of the Blessed. Ean ruled the Kingdom of Tegwen, a throne destined to be Merrick’s by birthright, if not for fate’s intervention giving him to the Unblessed. Juliana often wondered how different their lives would be now, had Ean been cursed and her husband named ruler of all that was light.

  However, there was no use dwelling on what could not be. Merrick’s kingdom, his very life, was a balance. Not blessed, not evil, he was merely a necessity. In the past, darker creatures had ruled as the Unblessed King, and their souls did not suffer as Merrick’s now did. Being born a supreme being of the blessed, he knew what it was like to be filled with goodness and light. Now, he drew his powers from the necessary evils of the world. He was fall, winter, death to the land. When he walked through the Immortal Realm, his presence sucked the life from the world around him. Flowers wilted, grasses died, the air became cold and the sun was hidden in silver moonlight.

  Because Merrick was necessary, and yet tainted by that very necessity, he existed on a small ledge between good and evil—between aligning himself with Tegwen and joining Hades, between the blessed and the damned. Juliana knew all this when she made the decision to stay eternally by his side. She became his balance, what made his reign bearable. And with her, Merrick became as good as any Unblessed King could be.

  Queen Juliana chose her husband out of love because she understood how important he was. Without him, there was no good, no happiness or joy. He was as essential as light and spring. And Juliana stood by her choice, even as her magical abilities grew, as the flowers started to wilt before her, as moonlight replaced the sun, as she felt death and cold in the very power that gave her life.

  A great power it was, fed by the war between the blessed and unblessed that started with her coming to the Immortal Realm. Not only a war between kingdoms, it was a war fought between the two brothers—Merrick and Ean. Surprisingly, King Lucien stayed in his Fire Palace, not involving himself, for one war suited his nature as well as any other and he enjoyed watching two brothers fight. Though Juliana was not the true cause of war, the fact that Merrick had kidnapped her was excuse enough for the two kings to raise arms. She had been a blessed ward of King Ean at the time.

  At first, Merrick explained to her that war was just as necessary as peace. Unlike mortal struggles fought to free the enslaved, to protect the borders of a home or other such noble causes, the war now raging through the Immortal Realm was ultimately started because of one reason. It was deemed necessary, a cycle of life. Peace had its turn and now so should war. And, hate it as she did, she told herself she would dream of a day when peace could again have its turn. If she just waited patiently, the war would end.

  That was before her power grew, before she felt each death the war brought as sure as her own heartbeat. Like her husband’s existence, her body began to feed on the destruction of earth, the bitter cold that b
alanced the warm light of the blessed. When she married her husband, she took his burden upon herself, knowing in her heart he was never meant to bear the yoke of his reign alone.

  But how could she know the full truth of such responsibility? It ran much deeper than merely ruling a kingdom of goblins, trolls, dark elves and other unblessed creatures. It was more than the mischief of the tommyknockers leading miners astray, of naughty leprechauns spreading bad luck, of the occasional blizzard that ruined crops and made food scarce. She’d inherited the unblessed darkness, the infected power that ran through her husband’s blood, as much a part of him as his long blond hair or his possessive brown-black eyes. His power gave her power and the magic was linked to the very breath of their lives. They were joined eternally and each day she felt the depressive weight pulling her into its inky depths.

  Without him, the immortal world would not rest. Without him, good would not be. She knew this when she married him, but she did not understand, not really. How could she? Juliana was born into the blessed mortal family of Bellemare, a noble family inherent of all that was good and pure in the human world and who shamelessly showed their love and affection. Merrick could not even say the three simple words, I love you. To do so weakened his powers and in turn weakened her and the unborn child she carried. So he kept his heart hidden from all, except when they were alone. Then she could see it in his expression, feel it in his touch, but it was never said.

  Like a dream echoing from the past, the naive words she had said, when she decided to stay with him forever, filtered through her mind.

  So long as we have each other, we will be fine. No burden is too great. Together we can get through anything. I love you. Nothing can change that.

  And he had answered her with a trace of melancholy in his tone, May you always feel that way.

  Had Merrick known even then, as he brought her into his fold, that she would waver in her determination? Could he have guessed it would be only a few short months, not even the beginning years of an eternity? It was possible he understood, for he’d once been blessed just as she was, more so as heir to the Tegwen throne, destined to become King of the Blessed. Goodness and happiness would have been his domain. But his destiny changed, and all that was blessed had become a distant memory. In time, it would be the same for her and it terrified her. She didn’t want to forget what it felt like to be blessed.

  Yet, considering it all, she loved him still.

  Chapter One

  “Why did you fight the old king?” Juliana stroked the long length of Merrick’s hair from his forehead as he knelt before her. Behind her, the tapestries along the black stone walls fluttered with her question, changing from crimson to black. She felt the change, but did not see it. They were alone in their bedchamber and none of their subjects would dare enter unless summonsed. In the fireplace, the orange flames dimmed, turning blue.

  Everything in the Black Palace was connected to them, magically changing with their moods. Sometimes decorating became a small power struggle, but the castle bent to the will of whoever felt stronger emotions. Then again, Juliana was sure Merrick sometimes just let her have her way. According to him, the castle wasn’t built, but simply was because he was, changing and shifting as soon as he ascended the throne, replacing the old king’s palace.

  Merrick’s hands lay on her swollen stomach and she felt tingling beneath the warm, steady palms. The sensation was more than just heat radiating from his body. Right now, his magic was inside her, his mind focused on the unborn child she carried as if holding it.

  “Why did you fight the old Unblessed King?” she repeated, though she knew he’d heard her the first time.

  “Is that what you’re thinking so heavily about? My coronation?” She easily heard the gentle tone of his voice in the quiet bedchamber. He didn’t move, didn’t open his eyes. “I told you about that.”

  “I know it was a long time ago. You told me by killing the old king you took his place. I know the how of it, but you never said why you fought him.” She touched his cheek, turning his face up so she could look into his brown-black eyes as they opened. His concentration on her stomach slipped and the tingling lessened. Leather strands wound over his hair, weaving down the length from his temples to just above his waist and she traced the coiling absently with her gaze Juliana didn’t know why she asked him, when she’d never pushed for an answer before. Somehow, today of all days, it seemed important that she understand. “If there must always be an Unblessed King, why bother killing one only to replace him? Were you tricked? Did he do something to you? Was it an accident?”

  “Accident?” he whispered. She felt his slight amusement at the very thought. “How can one accidentally kill a king? It’s a difficult feat.”

  For a moment Merrick didn’t move, as he studied her face. Though he was a light elf by birth, he adopted the dark elves’ manner of dress. Snug black breeches hugged his calves, hidden beneath the high boots that laced up the sides. His ash gray undertunic molded to him like a second skin, the collar upturned. Over it, he wore a sleeveless black tunic threaded with fine silver embroidery, the pattern an ancient, beautiful language. Delicate chains held the front together. The links were tiny dragons teeth to tail, with a larger dragon medallion in the middle.

  When she first came, he tried to give her the more provocative outfits to match his own, but she wasn’t comfortable in tight clothes that exposed more flesh than they hid—at least out of their bedchamber. As she thought of it, the high-waisted, conservative gown she wore melted. The burgundy faded to black, growing tight as the square neckline moved down to expose cleavage, even as the bodice tightened and pushed her breasts up. The material of her full skirt ripped along the side, hugging her pregnant belly.

  An inner light gleamed in his eyes. “You use seduction to make me speak?”

  Juliana gave him a slow smile. Her heart skipped erratically, thumping hard in her chest. He’d always had such an effect on her. From the very beginning, when she wrongly thought he killed everything she held dear, she couldn’t resist him.

  “Your power grows. I see it in your darkening eyes.” He hummed lightly in thought. “The blue in them looks as stunning as the darkest night sky.”

  “I sometimes do not recognize myself.” Juliana turned toward their bedchamber mirror. The tall piece of polished metal was clearer than anything she’d seen in the Mortal Realm. The elfin gown, the dark kohl lining her eyes, the winding markings drawn around her right arm from wrist to shoulder, they were all still foreign to her. But it was more than just her clothing, her eyes had darkened, as had her long brown locks. Over the months, they’d lost some of their sunburned highlights.

  “It was my battle to wage as the heir to the blessed throne. The old Unblessed King embraced the death his reign brought, so much that he joined with King Lucien. Together, they enslaved wizards, hags, crones, anyone powerful they could find.” Merrick again closed his eyes, nuzzling his face against her. “I don’t wish to talk about this in front of my son.”

  Juliana laughed. Everyone was convinced the child was a boy. Perhaps they were right. According to the nature of who Merrick was, the child shouldn’t have been conceived. But Juliana had learned that things were never what they seemed in the Immortal Realm.

  “He rests now,” Juliana assured him. “Please tell me.”

  “Lose the clothes first.” Merrick let his power surge over her, willing her clothing to drip off her body in a warm liquid puddle around her feet. She resisted, keeping them on. “Your powers are stronger.”

  “Lord Kalen visits. There is no time for that.” She patted his head, stroking back his hair.

  “Let him wait.”

  She chuckled. “Will his Berserks be with him?”

  “Nay, they stay on the battlefront. Ean hides his camp, but our wizards think they may have found where it is hidden. I’ve asked Kalen here alone so that he may read the baby.”

  Juliana forced a smile, one she didn’t fully feel. “Has
a fortnight passed so quickly?”

  “Do not sulk, my queen. I only wish to know my son and my wife are safe.” Merrick stood, a fluid, graceful movement. His dark eyes studied her and she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck to hide her face. “I do not know what would happen to me if something were to happen to you.”

  “I love you, too,” she mouthed, only to continue aloud. “But, such things cannot be made certain. You are here and in this moment, I am safe.” She felt his hands move around her back, even as the beginning press of his arousal nudged her. The length of his body was familiar and comforting. She loved being in his arms, took comfort in the smell of him as she turned her face up toward his jaw. The length of his hair dug into her shoulder, but she didn’t care. “Unless there is something you keep from me?”

  Juliana suspected there was. His concern over her went deeper than the normal worries of a man for his wife and child. She knew he feared his presence would suck the life from her, from their baby, but the only way that could happen was if she feared him. Juliana wasn’t afraid. Not of Merrick, anyway. All other fears she buried deep, resisting their pull, refusing to give in to them.

  When he didn’t answer, she said, “Tell me the rest of the story of why you fought the old king.”

  “Together with Lucien, he conjured darkness and disease. It spread over the realm until even Tegwen lost its light. First, the trees and plants choked as if burnt by the very air. Then, the immortal creatures began to sicken and die, their flesh turning black in a way that was no longer magical, in a way that should not have been. Their flesh rotted, giant sores and swellings, puss. The illness spread so fast the sick died within days of falling victim to it.”

  “Plague,” Juliana whispered.

  “Aye, they called it the black death because the darkest magic brought it forth. The illness that had ripped through our realm leaked into the mortal one before we even knew what was happening. The old Unblessed King, knowing himself to be nearly invincible, tied the plague to his blood. When I killed him, the root of the illness ended, but it lingered in the mortal world for some time. It might linger still.”