by Andromeda
“Burn in Hades…for what you have done,” Philomena whispered to him. “And I pray that Abeeku is there with the Furies for your punishment.”
Dorian staggered back, coughing up blood. The light around the room began to grow dim, and as he fell onto the tile, he looked up and saw withered old women with leathery wings flying toward him. The Harpies, Hades personal torturers; they had come personally for his soul.
One of the Harpies dug her claws into his chest and yanked out his heart, or at least it felt like that to Dorian. His time was over. With one last exhale, he breathed his last breath and passed into the flaming world of Hades, his soul swept up into the river of the damned.
Philomena looked to her daughter and held her close, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, Mama,” Nkechi said.
“I found her by following Amani,” Darius said, slowly approaching them. “Let’s just say that she isn’t going to be harming anyone again.”
“Thank you,” Philomena said to him. “Thank you so much.”
“Is it true?” Darius asked. “Are you…with child?”
Philomena smiled shyly and rubbed her hand over her stomach. “Yes…”
“Thank the gods you both are alright,” Darius said, kissing her lips gently.
Philomena giggled softly, and then turned to her family. “H…How did you…?”
“Like Srax said,” Zenobia explained, “we knew what Dorian had planned for months. Once we found out that he planned to poison us all, we knew we had to act.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Philomena asked.
“We needed you to act as if you didn’t know,” Matthias said. “Thus, we didn’t tell you. But we are sorry if we upset you.”
“No,” Philomena said, shaking her head. “I’m happy you all are safe.”
Someone tugged on her gown, and when she looked down, she saw Nkechi; she smiled. “Yes?”
“Can the festival start again, Mama?” Nkechi asked.
“Yes,” Philomena said, picking her up in her arms. “The festival will start again!”
Darius wrapped his arms around her, his hand on her belly as they walked off to join their friends.
Epilogue – Philomena POV
I never thought that I’d be Queen of Sparta, and yet, I find that I wouldn’t want it any other way. I thought that all I wanted was a simple life, to marry Abeeku and become my brother’s advisor when he became king, but now I see that the gods didn’t wish for that to happen. They work in mysterious ways, and in the end, I was the one that held their favor.
After the death of Dorian, Srax, Ajax, and several other guards eliminated all who stood to harm us, under my orders. I was done with being a soft queen. As time rolled by, Darius and I worked on our marriage, and had a vow renewal ceremony to make everything official. Not long after that, I went into labor and gave birth to not one, not two, but three children. Matthias made a crude joke that Darius’s seed was strong, and since multiple births run in the family, there was no excuse for us not to have more than one.
We had two boys and a girl, naming them Alexander, Andrew and Aikaterini. Nkechi was the most attentive sister, always wanting to be there when the babies woke up; always wanting to help. Even though she was claimed as Darius’s daughter legally, she couldn’t sit on the throne, which was a shame as my daughter was as bright as I was at her age.
My children grew each day in beauty, grace, and intelligence. The heir was Alexander, and Darius and I taught him to value wisdom as well as gold and the sword. My personal family also extended, as Ajax asked Matthias and I’s permission to marry our mother. Matthias was unsure, but I agreed on the spot, as our mother couldn’t be alone forever.
There wasn’t a day that I didn’t think of Abeeku; how could I not when I had his child with me? But I didn’t blame Darius for his death anymore, nor did I blame myself. While I will mourn my lost love, I cannot let it hold me back; my mother didn’t when my father died.
She didn’t let circumstances hold her back; she didn’t let people hold her back. When life tried to bring her down, my mother stood strong and faced the adversity head on. I am not a warrior like she was, but I am, and always will be, a Daughter of Sparta.
SNEAK PEEK
Please enjoy a sneak peek of the next book by Ms. Andromeda…
The gods always work in mysterious ways; the wheel of fortune is always turning. Young Rashida had always been hailed as a Seer, blessed with the ability to see the future by the gods; the young girl was to be trained in the Temple of Isis in order to become High Priestess. But, the future is always changing.
When the village is sacked and raided by men with long golden hair, and murder in their eyes, Rashida thought her time had come to join her parents in the Afterlife, but it’s her gift that saves her. Captured with her younger siblings and forced onto a ship, Rashida doesn’t know what the future holds.
Brought to a new world, with new kinds of people that have skin the color of milk, Rashida found herself sold as a slave to the wife of the invaders’ leader. Quickly realizing her value, the woman had a hidden agenda in mind for the young girl…
Alrik is the son of the greatest Viking in the known world. His father, Henrik, rules as unchallenged Jarl of their village of Safirinnsjø; yet, he never seemed satisfied. Everyone looked to Alrik to continue his father’s greatness, and the pressure was felt, but secrets threaten to tear his family apart.
When a girl with brown skin, hair the color of flames, and eyes as green as emeralds enters the village, Alrik finds himself unable to believe his eyes. There was something about this girl, something that told him that she was different than the others…
Rashida and Alrik were from two different worlds, and yet when they came together, the passion was as hot as the volcanos that threatened to explode nearby. But in this dangerous world, nothing is safe. With powerful enemies and dark forces near, Rashida and Alrik must stand firm if they wish to stay strong…
Author’s Note
Wow, I really can’t believe that this is happening. This is my fifth book to be published, and I have five more books coming out next year; almost all of them will be in the Historic Fiction Interracial genre with one werewolf book…haha. I know that everyone had questions about the previous book and I can answer some of them, now.
I got the inspiration for both books because of my love for history. I have always wanted to write my own books of all genres, and after getting my start on a site called Wattpad where I write under the name Andromeda_Nova; I knew that professionally publishing would be my next choice. I mainly love New Adult ages books as that is what I am, only 21 years old nearing my 22nd in less than four months.
A lot of questions were asked about the prequel, and I know a lot of you will have some questions about this book. So continue on reading and you will find a quick Q & A about the Captive Bride Duology.
Captive Bride Q & A
Question: Where do you find the inspiration for all your books?
Answer: From simple things really. I have ADHD and can hardly sit still, so I constantly have new ideas popping in my head for book ideas and the like.
Question: How did you come up with the idea of the Captive Bride Duology?
Answer: I’ve always loved history, and while I was on Wattpad there was a book called The Spartan’s Captive. It was 100% different than Captive Bride and before I had even read it, the idea of a book like that was buzzing around in my head. To me it was really good, but the people on the site were very mean and said the girl was ‘too weak’; and in the end the author left the site. This upset me greatly as I was a big fan of this author and it drove me to make Captive Bride. The book exploded as I’ve always been a girl to prove people wrong.
Question: Why did Alexander’s name keep changing the first book?
Answer: Haha that was a complete accident. I had at first had Alexander named Leonidas, but I was afraid that the reception of that name in t
he movie 300. I have never seen the 300 and didn’t even know it existed until I was looking over my reviews on Amazon.
Question: How much of this book is true? How much is it close to the actual people?
Answer: It’s obvious that Alexander was based off of Leonidas I of Sparta; a man praised for his military wit and charismatic nature. Zenobia was based off of two people. Leonidas’ real wife named Gorgo and an African queen named Zenobia. Both women were powerful within their own right, Zenobia (the real woman) was known for rebelling against the male dominated world and a fearsome warrior.
Question: How do you come up with your character names?
Answer: I choose the names of my characters very carefully. Whenever I make a book I first write out a ‘character file’ with everyone who is included in the book. It has things such as their looks, likes, dislikes, friends and allies; that kind of thing. After that is done, I then pick the names and I make sure that they are all culturally appreciate and have meaning behind them. Example: Philomena is Greek and means ‘Born Strong’. Anthea means ‘Flower’; and the like.
Question: Is there any part of you within your characters?
Answer: I would say that I have some part of myself within my female characters. I am a highly complex person (no one is truly simple) and I make them that way. I don’t my characters 100% me, I make them at least 25% me and it’s a different 25% depending on who it is. Zenobia had my determination, while Philomena had my hunger for knowledge.
Question: Why do your female characters seem so stubborn?
Answer: I don’t believe my female characters are stubborn, I believe they are strong females who can do whatever they want. Most women, in the older eras, were always looked down upon and as a author; we can change things a little.
Question: Do you have any favorite characters?
Answer: Yes and no, haha it depends on what you mean. I try to love all my characters equally most of the time. Historical Fiction I would have to say of course Zenobia. When it comes to my works in this time…kind of hard to say haha, all of my women are so bad ass and take no crap from anyone it’s hard to say.
Question: What other works do you have planned?
Answer: I have many works planned: both to be published and both written on Wattpad. Wattpad is where I got my start and I would always honor that site no matter what, however as time progresses I might look more to books that will be published. After my five books coming out next years (I can write a book a month) I will turn to my own personal projects within the Young/New Adult genre. Be on the lookout for an author named R.E Nova soon…
Do you have what it takes to play AFTER HOURS? If you love to write Interracial, Paranormal, BBW Romance or Erotica novels, please
submit your manuscript to After Hours Publications, along with your synopsis and first 4 chapters of your completed manuscript to [email protected]
Still want more? After Hours got you covered!
Click on the link to go to the After Hours web page you select your next Sizzling read.
http://afterhourspublicat.wixsite.com/ahps
NEW RELEASE ON AMAZON!
Opportunity from a single phone call...
Cassandra Locke has finally achieved her biggest dream; she's gotten a job with Raulph & Lauren Co. For a Community College graduate, it is a dream come true. However, when she learns that the location for said job is in Nashville, she's thrown for a spin, and forced to quickly find a place to live.
When she's offered a place to stay by her 3 male bosses in exchange for some extra work as their personal housekeeper, Cassandra wearily accepts. Of course, she is completely unaware of the plot going on behind the scenes to taste her innocents one erotic experience at a time.
Challenges can be exciting...
If these powerful males believe that Cassandra will be easy game they might find themselves biting off more than they can chew. They will come to see that their Kat has secrets and claws of her own.
COMING NOV. 23RD!
This book is filled with DRAMA, ACTION, and is HOT as hell.
SYNOPSIS...
"One more month and Robyn is officially mine. Hopefully he was the last one that she tried to sleep with. If not..." He slid into his car and gripped the steering wheel. "I feel bad for the next jig and her too. I'm done with the games. I want my wife and the power that comes with her."
David Pharaoh was a vicious man. A truce between his father and another gentleman included a promise of young Robyn. After mastering the art of Dark Magic, Pharaoh decides that it's time to take his prize. However, when Robyn rejects him, he stops at nothing to make any man who comes close to her suffer for even so much as looking, and to prove to Robyn that she only belongs him.
He would make her temperature rise with his invisible touch, or when he disturbed her dreams. Robyn’s loins ached as if he had truly invaded her in the wee hours of the morning. He would make sure to save the painful part of the first stroke, and only made her feel what his slow and meaningful penetration was like. It would always make Robyn wallow in passion and squeeze at her erect nipples before she would realize that she was being manipulated. Pharaoh was becoming much better at forcing himself inside of her dreams and make love to her before he would dissipate into nothing.
Robyn, held in the clutch of something that she hadn't known she was involved in, is determined to get away and stay away from Pharaoh and his mischief. But at what cost? Anything can happen in the city of New Orleans when the son of Voodoo wants the princess of White Magic.