War of the Realms Box Set

by Sarah J. Stone

  As Holland moved through the cloud cover and came to a soft landing in the grasses of the field, his eyes widened. Standing in front of him, speaking to Vitraus, were hundreds of Wild dragons. They all showed the same black, shining scales, green eyes, and massive size. Holland wasn’t able to understand what Vitraus was saying, as he spoke in the tongue of old, but it seemed as if his clan were in full understanding, none of them even glancing in Holland’s direction.

  Leonetta bowed to the crowd and turned to walk back toward Holland. She was regal, excited, and showed the same bravery he had seen in some of the most valiant soldiers he had ever met. There was a look of knowing in her eyes, and she ran her hand down Holland’s scales before climbing onto his back.

  They are going to follow us back to Avalon, but at a distance, so as to stay out of the watch of Gillian. We will show them to their quarters on the castle grounds, just beyond the queen’s tombs. Then, we will meet with father, Ardontis, and whomever you have named as your second to discuss the plan of attack.

  Will your father approve of your presence at these meetings?

  It does not matter what he approves, she snapped. They will not discuss anything without me.

  You know, Holland spoke with a playful tone, I am not yet your husband or the future king.

  You will be, she said with an emotionless tone. Gillian will be ours.

  As soon as they reached the castle, Leonetta and Holland went straight in to inform both the guards and the king of the arrival of hundreds of the Wild. The king listened patiently as Leonetta explained their allegiance to her. He agreed to allow her in all discussions with the Wild but asked that she keep her feminine demeanor intact in front of the rest of the kingdom. She winced at these words but agreed, knowing she didn’t want to push her father too far. A meeting with the Elder was scheduled for after dinner, and the castle began preparing food for the Wild dragon army. Since the king did not want to be rude to the leader of the Wild, he demanded dinner be served in the garden to allow Vitraus the ability to dine with the king.

  Vitraus and the Wild were not concerned with honorary customs, but he accepted the offer to sit with the king during dinner in the garden. Holland watched as Leonetta spoke privately with the Elder dragon, the look on her face showing she was putting a lot of thought into the words that she spoke. No one else seemed to notice their privacy, though Holland did find that Ardontis would randomly nod or peer over at them from time to time as if he could hear them speaking.

  When dinner was done, and the members of the king’s court had paid respect to both the king and the princess, they made their way to a secured area of the castle grounds. Leonetta walked slowly next to the Elder dragon, and one could see the reverence he had for her as he carefully stepped at a speed she could keep up with. When they arrived, the king welcomed the Wild and spoke briefly about their travels to his kingdom. Once the niceties were out of the way, the mood changed, and the war talks began.

  The Wild are at the service of the future queen. It is my understanding that Gillian has been marked as partly responsible for the death of the Lady Mary of Thorne. We give our condolences for your loss. Vitraus spoke slowly and carefully, often glancing over at Leonetta as he spoke.

  Thank you, Vitraus. We are happy to have you in our service. With the combined efforts of the Wild, our shifters, and our army, there is no question that we can’t quickly take Gillian and expand Avalon’s reach on this side of Fortune. Though the king had no interest in an alliance with the Wild, he knew they were a vital part of his success, and, therefore, haphazardly showed them reverence, something the Elder seemed to notice.

  Though we do stand beside your daughter, the Wild and its leaders have a request as payment for our services to you and Avalon.

  Yes? Osiris asked with a bit of irritation in the tone of his reply.

  For far too long, realms have waged war against the Wild, attempting to trap us, tame us, or move us out of these lands. We will give all of our services if you will move to continue the battles beyond Gillian.

  You wish for me to take other realms? How would that compensate you? Osiris asked with little surprise to the request. He knew they already had figured the king would not stop until he was the King of Kings.

  When all the realms have been secured, we ask you to give us the Allenforth Mountains and 200 miles of land surrounding them as payment for our assistance.

  That’s a mighty big parcel of land you speak of…but not at all an unfair request. We will see to it that the papers are drawn immediately and contracts be signed or imprinted. Holland looked at the king with surprise. Not only did he not realize the king was planning to take the whole of the realm, but he had no problem giving away land that did not belong to him. Holland shifted slightly in his seat, drawing Osiris’ attention.

  Do you have something to add, Holland?

  Your Grace, if I may speak freely? The king nodded to Holland, and he cleared his throat before continuing. These realms have run for centuries without one central ruler. Don’t you believe there will be an upheaval from many when we begin picking it apart like the turkey leg at dinner?

  Avalon and the Wild are the two longest reigning forces in these lands. Long ago when grain and seed were plentiful, we split the lands as to give our kingdom what it rightfully deserved: solid leadership. Times have changed, Holland, and it is that moment where we must–in order to survive–take back what was ours to begin with. I am the King of Kings, a lofty bloodline of royalty plucked from the heavens by the gods themselves, and it is in my future to rule over all of these lands once again. Just as the gods gave you the valor to slay Oedipus, you will take my place and continue the rule of the lands this side of Fortune. I have offered you an opportunity for greatness from the gods themselves. Shall you turn in this dark hour from your king’s request?

  Holland’s eyes darted toward Leonetta, but her face gave him no comfort or answer. Ardontis stared, head tilted, waiting for Holland’s answer. This was where the gods had sent him, and he hoped that, with the nod of his head, he was making the choice they had intended.

  Then it is settled, the king replied, smiling. We begin training and preparing tomorrow. Then, just five nights from now, we take Gillian with no mercy and show the realms what strength the gods have given us. By the end, they will lay their flags at our feet. And if they don’t, we will take them from their burnt and charred bodies.

  With those words, the king bowed and turned toward the castle. Leonetta nodded her head at Vitraus and watched as he took flight toward the camp. She slowly turned back to Holland, who was standing across the walkway from her. He studied her face and her movements as if he didn’t know who she was.

  “Don’t look at me that way,” she said, chuckling. “Did you expect me to always be a positive and naïve girl?”

  “No,” Holland replied, “but I did expect you to uphold the one thing you always said that royals were responsible for, and that is the lives of the innocent people of your kingdom.”

  “What you don’t understand, but you will, is that they are the reason for all of this,” she said before turning, hurt covering her face, and walking back toward the castle.

  Holland sighed at having fought with Leonetta again. He needed them to be on the same side again, but he couldn’t even tell what side he was on anymore. He knew his sacrifices now would help lead Leonetta to greatness, which is where he knew she belonged, but war with the entire realm didn’t seem to fit into that picture. Holland wished she would talk to him about where her head was with all of this, why she was taking the prospect of global war so lightly. Her father wouldn’t stop until the last inch of land was covered in dust, which was not what they had talked about during so many nights spent sitting under the stars.

  Holland was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of Ardontis clearing his throat behind him. He turned to him and nodded, realizing quickly he was there for him. Holland stood for a moment, wondering how long he had been there.

&
nbsp; “Long enough,” Ardontis answered as if he read his mind. “Let’s walk, Holland. Leonetta is the future queen of Avalon, and I want to comfort you in knowing she understands the possibility of others in the other realms meeting their doom, and she hasn’t taken that lightly. Not all plans can fly freely from the mouths of babes. She loves you very much and looks forward to you joining together in marriage, but you need to know that the kingdom, now, comes before love for her. Trust her instincts.”

  “It’s hard.” Holland sighed as the two men walked into the flowering path that led to Leonetta’s mother’s floral canopy. “I do trust her, but she is so different, and I can’t figure out what she is doing.”

  “A mark of an excellent queen,” Ardontis stated. “If the man that knows her the best has no idea, then she will be able to fool even the wisest of men.”

  “But why try to fool anyone, and for what reason?” Holland asked in frustration as he stopped and turned to the Faith.

  “If you love her–if you truly love her–then continue as Commander and carry out the King’s wishes,” Ardontis whispered. “She will know where your loyalty truly lies. I think, perhaps, that is something you might want to ask yourself.”

  Ardontis raised his eyebrows and nodded before turning back toward the castle. Holland looked over at the canopy and watched as the flowers blew gingerly in the breeze. His loyalty used to be one-hundred percent with Leonetta, but now Ardontis was right–he wasn’t sure where it lay. The gods had put him here, at this moment, for a reason, and it wasn’t a light thing to be named Commander of the King of Kings’ army. He walked into the canopy and sat down on the yellow bench, breathing in the scent of lavender that always lingered there.

  War was on the crest, and answering that question for himself may mean the difference between life and death. Even more, the difference between the throne and the dungeons.

  Chapter Eleven: Into the Darkness

  Training commenced for the entirety of the five days, and though Leonetta would not accompany the Wild or the soldiers into war, she stayed close to Vitraus at all times, Ardontis always close as well. Leonetta and Holland did not speak after the dinner in the courtyard, and Holland immersed himself in training and strategy. The war with Gillian was to begin in just one day after the soldiers had reached their positions, and Holland needed his head in the right space.

  Meanwhile, King Osiris, with new energy and motivation, paced the floor of Ardontis’ chambers. He needed his clarity and comfort on the eve of war, but it was nowhere to be found. Ardontis walked gingerly through the dungeon hallway, only realizing the king was in his chamber from the open door and flickering candlelight. He stepped to the opening and leaned against the doorway.

  “Your Grace?” Ardontis asked with confusion at the king’s state.

  “There you are,” he said, relieved. “Come, I am in need of council.”

  “Of course, Your Grace,” he said, walking calmly over to his desk. “Why are you so animated this evening? Shouldn’t you be preparing for the Feast of Gods?”

  “Yes,” the king said, waving off the thought. “I am not animated or angry, I am…I am….”

  “Anxious?” Ardontis offered him the answer.

  “Yes,” he said, slapping his hand on the wooden chair arm. “Anxious to begin. Anxious to lead my soldiers to glory, from the back of course. Anxious to take my rightful place once again.”

  “So, I am assuming you will not be making young Holland your king once married,” Ardontis said with a small smile.

  “Of course not,” he laughed. “Leonetta will already be queen by birthright. He can have my seat, when I have died.”

  “I assumed as much,” Ardontis said with a deep breath. “I believe that wise. Let the young man find his place.”

  “Does it seem that our troops are ready?” the king asked Ardontis. “I mean, I’ve been with them most of the day. I just want to make sure you believe so as well.”

  “I would not give my blessing at the God’s Feast if I didn’t believe so,” he replied, holding up a parchment with writing on it. “Yet here it is, ready to go.”

  “Good,” Osiris replied with a sigh. “Thank you, Ardontis, for Leonetta’s council. For a moment, I feared she had found out…but that would be impossible.”

  “Everything is as it should be, Your Grace,” Ardontis said with a smile. “May I help you with anything else? I must ready myself for the feast.”

  “Oh,” the king said, looking down at his own sweaty body. “No, gods forbid I keep you from such an important event. I must ready myself as well. Thank you.”

  Ardontis watched as the king scurried off before closing the door to his chambers. Tonight was the feast dedicated to blessing the future battle, and Ardontis knew he had more than one task at hand. He ran his hand across the ancient fae script laying on the desk before him. Tonight, in the light of the moon, Leonetta would also perform a traditional fae enchantment to help protect the dragons during their fight. It would be in secret and require that the king have no idea anything is going on. Therefore, Ardontis would make sure between one hell of a party, and a small, odorless blue powder in his cup, that he would sleep soundly until they pushed out the next morning.

  As everyone readied themselves for the evening festivities, Leonetta, who had been prepared long earlier in the day, sat on the stone bench outside of her mother’s tomb. The night air was warm, and the setting sun cast a pink hue across the land. She sat thinking of simpler days, where her only worry was the dress she would wear to tea in the garden and whether she would catch a glance of the young Holland. Things had grown ever complicated since then, and she was ready for the night to be over and the war to begin. The sounds of trumpets sounded in the background, signaling the open castle doors. This is when all of the guests would begin to arrive, though they did not know what this feast was for, being shielded from the news of war, but nonetheless happy to rub elbows with each other, dance to melodic tones, and eat royal food.

  I shall meet you when the moon is at its peak. The sound of Vitraus’ deep voice startled her from her thoughts, and she looked up atop the hill to see him looking down at her.

  Everything is prepared? The Wild know what to do?

  Yes, Your Grace.

  See you at the crest of the moon then.

  Back in the castle, music had already begun to play, and the décor of tapestries and flowers seemed to bring Thorne back to life, even if only in the confines of the palace walls. The smell of roasted beef and pies wafted through the hallways of the castle, and it reminded those that lived there of holidays of the past. It had been many marks since the king had allowed such a celebration, and though many were curious, and whispered rumors floated about, none were so bold as to ask, all fearing the celebration would come to an end.

  As men and woman of the king’s court danced merrily and feasted like kings themselves, Ardontis and Leonetta sat closely at the top table, while Holland floated in and out of the balcony. He didn’t feel a party was where he should be at that moment, but leaving would break protocol, so he attempted to distract himself by mingling with the gentlemen on the balcony. The king had decided, once Ardontis had fed him several cups of wine, that he was more than ready to let loose and enjoy the celebration. His deep throes of laughter echoed throughout the castle, something no one had heard in years. Even Leonetta couldn’t help but smile at his jolliness. Shortly after the moon’s crest over the horizon, however, the king “mysteriously” began to waver, and Ardontis had the guards escort him back to his chambers, several maids in tow.

  Holland stood out on the balcony overlooking the garden, remembering the days, when he was a boy and watching his father fighting Oedipus in jest. The hot, summer days seemed kind in the kingdom then, but Holland assumed that was merely the innocence of a child as the kingdom had already fallen into dismay. He stood up and took a deep breath of air when a reflection of light drew his eyes toward the hill above the queen’s tombs. Ashia was scurrying along
after what looked to be Leonetta dressed in a long, black cape, the hood covering her golden strands of hair. As Leonetta turned to look around suspiciously, Holland took a step to the right, hiding himself from sight. When he peered around the edge of the wall, he caught the tail end of Vitraus taking off, Leonetta clinging to his back.

  Where would they be going at this hour? One by one, he watched as the other members of the Wild took flight, following behind their leader. He squinted as they all quickly disappeared into the night. The thought to chase after them crossed his mind, but he felt that would be reckless and, besides, Ardontis had made it clear that Leonetta’s actions were for the best. He also knew by not following her, he would be neglecting his duties as commander. Holland turned and watched as Ardontis walked past, pulling a robe over his head and disappearing out the door and into the garden. As he passed, he glanced up at Holland, flashing him a sleek smile.

  “May I refill your glass?” a small voice asked. Holland looked down at the same girl that had attempted to assist him in Allenforth.

  “It is you,” he said, smiling. “How did you get here?”

  “I was a gift to the princess,” she said, bowing. “But the princess said to put me elsewhere, so I work in the kitchen.”

  “What is your name, sweet girl?” Holland smiled down at the petite girl with long, brown hair and golden eyes.

  “Melaya, sir,” she said blushing.

  “Well, Melaya,” Holland replied, “I would love some more wine. Thank you.”

  She filled his cup, and he watched as she hurried away, not wanting to upset the guests. He smiled at the thought of her in his room but shook it from his head with guilt. Leonetta was the reason he was here in the first place, and war was looming. The last thing he needed was to crowd his mind with some servant girl. He shuddered at his own thoughts, not like the boy he once was.

  Upon the realization that the king had retired, Holland found it the perfect opportunity to join his men in their quarters. Celebrations should be with his people, not the rich and exhausting snobbery of Thorne. He crept out of the gathering and made his way toward the army’s quarters and smiled as the sound of laughter and jovial music blasted from their private courtyard.