Champion of Zenina
Book 3 of the Zeninan saga
Giselle Marks
©Giselle Marks 2018
ISBN 9781790859276
Acknowledgements
Sarah Waldock my cover artist
Coleen Duffy and Sarah Waldock as editors and proof readers
Author bio Giselle Marks
Giselle Marks is an English writer, poet and novelist, born in London, who has been writing most of her life. Currently Giselle lives in the beautiful Isle of Man. Her family is grown, contented and expanding. She spends most of her time writing.
Her historical romances ‘The Fencing Master’s Daughter,’ ‘The Purchased Peer’ and ‘The Marquis’ Mistake’ have been receiving good reviews. ‘A Compromised Rake’ is recently released; it is a light Regency romance. A Regency ‘Gypsy Countess’ series is planned with the first draft of book one already written.
‘The Purchased Peer’ recently won an award in the Georgian section from the Jane Austen Readers Group.
Together with her fellow writer and cover artist Sarah J. Waldock, Giselle wrote and illustrated ‘Fae Tales’ an anthology of fae and mythic tales updated to modern times and intended for teenagers and adults. All three books are available from Amazon. The ‘Princess of Zenina,’ and ‘Heroine of Zenina’ are the first two books in the sci-fi / fantasy Zeninan Saga will soon be followed by ‘Champion of Zenina’. Other long- term projects include a possible book of her poetry. Her poems have been published in Female First and she has entered two of their contests, scoring a win and a commendation. Within the Isle of Man her poetry has been included in the local Lit Fest poetry trail 2016 and in a number of ’Manx Reflections’ a local poetry anthology. Giselle has had short stories and a novella published in anthologies.
Books currently available
Anthologies
Fae Tales
Regencies
The Fencing Master’s Daughter
The Marquis’ Mistake
The Purchased Peer
A Compromised Rake
Science Fiction
Princess of Zenina.
Heroine of Zenina
Champion of Zenina
Fantasy
Wishing-Well Cottage
Web site - http://ginafiserova.wix.com/gisellemarks
@GiselleMarks1
[email protected]
What happened in book one –Princess of Zenina
The first book in the Zeninan Saga introduced us to Princess Marina, second daughter of Queen Kerina, current ruler of Zenina and the loosely governed Zeninan Empire. During a visit to the royal hunting planet of Qu, Marina rescued a number of refugees. Protecting the group was a one armed mercenary, Major Bromarsh, who had been cashiered from the Markaban army over his believed involvement in the Xandabal massacre of civilians. Marina took the refugees to Hemithea, the capital of Zenina.
She placed the two children, Floren and Jessina Callabam, together with Father Debenden, a catholic priest, with her Bishop, Father Niall O’Flaherty until she could locate their parents. We met Marina’s family: Kabeneev, her elegant and brilliant scientist father, her feckless elder sister Plavina and her bisexual brother Divak, who romances the rescued woman, Ondiella, who has given birth to a half-Kurgian son.
Marina fights her aunt, Princess Zadina, High Priestess of the Fertility Cult, but the fight is stopped by Queen Kerina, so she is not credited with the win. She dances for her mother’s 60th Jubilee as reigning Queen but returns home without Bromarsh, who, now that his arm has been regenerated, chooses to stay that night with her mother, the queen. Marina returns home to her slave Charles who adores her.
The queen, along with other precognitives, has foreseen her own death, and possibly that of her beloved daughter Marina.
What happened in book two – Heroine of Zenina
In Heroine of Zenina Princess Marina intends to compete in the Zeninan Games. Queen Kerina fears her own death approaches and dreads what will happen to Zenina if her daughter Plavina, Marina’s elder sister reigns. She believes Plavina is too weak and lazy to make a good Queen. She offers the throne to Marina who declines it.Bromarsh is beginning to examine Zenina’s security files which reveal some of the details about his court martial.
Marina indirectly pushes Charles into staging a peaceful demonstration of slaves in the Mermaid Square before the sitting of the Imperial Council. King Ga’Mishrin has decided to have Marina kidnapped and sends one of his royal princes, Prince Ga’Mazadeh to capture her. Kerina secretly changes her religion so that High Priestess Zadina cannot make capital out of her funeral by conducting a ceremony for the Fertility Cult.
Bromarsh starts to make discoveries, which implies the background to his court martial is far more sinister. Introduction of Riyal, who is a half Kurgian/half Zeninan pirate; he is bedded by Marina. Bromarsh starts training Charles in unarmed combat. The Zeninan Games took place. There are political ramifications concerning a Zigan pair of entrants in the last event. Marina and Klivina break up a major bar fight in Hemithea between Kurgians and Zeninan Slaves. Charles agrees to compete in return for a male parliament to discuss the views of Zeninan men. After a water event Crown Prince Neman publically crowns Marina in front of her mother and sister with his own crown. At the culmination of the Games, Marina is declared Heroine of the Games for having won the most florettes. She is watching the final parade and firework display when a bomb bouquet is presented to the Queen. Kerina saves the little girl, Marina’s ward but as a result is killed and Marina is seriously injured. Princess Vellina Director of Medicine and Fenzela Marina’s deputy in the Ministry for Internal Security open sealed letters from Marina and obey her instructions.
Chapter One - Hope Springs Eternal
The news of Queen Kerina’s death was around Hemithea in less than half an hour, reaching the rest of the planet before that hour was completed. No telepath on the planet could fail to know that Queen Kerina was dead. The news about Princess Marina was less clear. Princess Vellina, Zeninan Chief of Medicine issued a bulletin stating Princess Marina was not dead, but was very seriously injured. She would make no prediction as to whether her royal highness, Princess Marina would manage to pull through.
Deputy Director of Zeninan Internal Security Fenzela, on hearing the news, unlocked the safe in her new office, opening the packet of sealed orders which was labelled “to be opened in the event of my death or serious injury,” that Marina had left for her. Marina’s brother Divak far away in the islands felt his mother Queen Kerina’s death and his sister being dismembered and mourned them both. He was relieved to be away from Hemithea for the time being.
“With the outcry in Hemithea, Zadina, my mother’s murderer will be too busy protecting herself to worry about small fry like me, but I’m safer out of her reach. I’ll have to return for the funeral, but there’s no way I can help Marina so I’ll follow her advice and lay low. I’ll look after myself for once, so if she survives, she won’t have to worry about me. We’ll keep moving and stay out of the limelight.”
He told Ondiella the news when it became general gossip; the queen was dead and her daughter Marina critical. He expected her to be joyful about Marina’s injuries. She seemed slightly upset, changing the subject. He did not probe her reasons for not being elated about the probable death of his sister. Divak hoped it meant she was reconsidering her unreasonable attitude to Marina and might mellow towards her, but it would not matter if she died. He was wound up in his own thoughts, remembering his last conversation with his sister had been less than loving, feeling truly bereft, fearing she would die, as he loved his sister despite their differences.
Ondiella placidly accepted his decision to leave where they had been staying and packe
d up. She said nothing when they travelled on; Divak changed his Golden skin to a medium tan and suggested they wore Markaban clothes. She agreed to the minor deception of calling him Divon. That evening when they checked into another hotel, signing in as Mr and Mrs Divon Marsenan.
The receptionist did not notice anything unusual about the young couple, although the child looked part Kurgian. They had probably adopted him, she said to herself, sad to be unable to have children of their own. Still it was lucky for the child that anyone would take him, dear little thing.
***
Zadina had fled to the sanctuary of the temple of Demina, her Goddess. Colonel Letinza, Captain in charge of the Palace Guard had failed to have her, the High Priestess of Demina’s Fertility Cult, arrested for blowing up and killing Queen Kerina, together with the former Zigan Ambassador Padavaneev and three of the Palace Guard. Their much beloved Princess Marina had been blown to pieces.Yet according to Vellina, Zenina’s Chief of Medicine she still clung to a semblance of life.
Irzina, Chief of Zeninan Police stood on the fence, refusing to get involved. The people of Hemithea had no such qualms; they were baying for Zadina’s blood. The cult followers of Demina switched on force shields around the Temple as angry crowds filled the roads surrounding it.
The crowd had thrown rubbish at the doors and windows of the Temple and had written their condemnation of the murderer Zadina on the outer Temple walls. They let no one in or out of the Temple. If the doors opened even a crack a hail of festering debris was hurled at them. Fenzela ordered the Temple transportation units disconnected from the system. It would not stop Zadina leaving, because she could self-transport, but it would make getting supplies in difficult.
Cutting the electrical power supplies off, Fenzela’s right to give orders was not questioned. She announced herself as Marina’s Deputy in the Department of Internal Security which was accepted as justification for obeying her. The Temple had an emergency generator but it would not power everything. The mains water was shut off, the Temple had its own well, but there were a lot of people in the Temple who were not going anywhere for the present. They would have to ration water if it was going to be a long stay.
The outside of the Temple began to stink but no one was inclined to clear the rubbish that accumulated against the walls. Not even those who lived close by complained or demanded its removal. Hemithea wished to make it unpleasant for the Cultists. A force shield could keep out the garbage, but it would not keep out the stench.
Without sufficient water and the mains power cut off they would become very odiferous indeed and Zeninans were people who liked to be clean. Within the Temple, the people’s thoughts were tearing into the minds of well-known Cult members, with their unending demands for Zadina to be sent out to face their wrath. Cult members were prostrated with pain from the incessant volume of angry thoughts. They sought their beds trying to shut out the fury of the crowd.
General Calzina and General Stenlina together with Lieutenant-Colonel Vlama decided together, after the explosion killed Queen Kerina, that the Army would have to run Hemithea until the Queen’s funeral. So they put troops around the Temple, the Golden Palace and the hospital. Ostensibly the troops were to protect the occupants, but Zadina did not see it that way. Princess Plavina, as Queen Kerina’s oldest daughter was named queen but her coronation would be after the funeral of her mother.
Kabaneev, Kerina’s consort did not wait a decent interval, putting caution before respect for his late wife. He had packed a small bag before the explosion, heading straight to Vlama’s apartment in Army Headquarters, seeking her protection. Colonel Bromarsh shocked by witnessing the death of Queen Kerina and Princess Marina’s fragmentation had been taken out of town by Charles, Princess Marina’s Silver slave, to Marina’s favourite farm.The former pirate Riyal had accompanied them. Baraneev had moved into the palace where he was comforting Princess Plavina in her grief.
What little remained of Queen Kerina was sealed in a golden coffin. The grisly remains of her severed hand was found wearing the Imperial Seal. The ring was removed and cleaned but Plavina could not bring herself to wear it. The jewels Kerina wore at the time of the explosion were shattered, but their originals were found intact in the palace strong-room. Kerina, expecting her death, had ordered paste copies made, which she wore to her death. The crown jewels were undamaged ready for the next incumbent.
The beautiful delicate pearl and gold necklace given by Crown Prince Neman to Princess Marina was found covered in blue gore. It should have been destroyed by the explosion but survived intact.It was carefully cleaned and placed in Marina’s apartments in the Golden Palace in the hope she would wear it again.
Plavina mourned, weeping without relief for her mother and sister. She tried to put into some perspective what she should do. “What would mother have me do? What would Marina tell me to do?”Without their presence she felt powerless to act.
Fenzela got on and did it for her. She contacted Ziga, notifying them of their Ambassador’s death. Fenzela sent the fastest ship in the fleet to pick up Kapalina and Dalzina and suggested to the Zigan Government that if they wished to be represented at the coronation of the next Zeninan queen they choose immediately a new ambassador, sending him with Dalzina and Kapalina.
Fenzela dealt with any question about Princess Marina’s condition by telling them it was too soon to know, she would issue bulletins if there was any change in her condition. Fenzela’s actions did not go unnoticed. General Calzina invited her to join their counsel. Anyone as efficient as Fenzela would be appreciated.
Father O’Flaherty, Roman Catholic Bishop of Zenina, continued praying for Princess Marina’s survival. His fellow believers worried about his unending vigil. They brought him food which he ate, but he would not sleep. They begged to join his vigil. Only when close to collapse would he agree to rest. Then he accepted their promise that one would pray for Princess Marina to live, for the whole time he slept. Only then did he sleep for a few hours stretched out on the pews of his Cathedral.
Marina’s nine year old ward Orina had been severely traumatized by witnessing the bloody death of Queen Kerina and mutilation of her guardian Princess Marina, becoming withdrawn and tearful. She was released from her studies on the farm, because she was totally unable to concentrate. She clung to any grown up who noticed her, particularly Konsky, the father of her twin brother and sister, and to Adelza, whose sight remained unhealed.
Jazina, the Royal Herald had been knocked to the floor, peppered with Kerina’s bone fragments and spotted with her blood, but was not seriously injured. She had broken the bone in her upper arm in falling and was covered in deep scratches, but soon outwardly healed, finding it harder to deal with the memory of her friend and mistress Queen Kerina’s grisly death. Vellina was trying to reduce the effects of her traumatic experience by counselling her.
Colonel Letinza visited the cathedral to relive the oppression of her heart praying to Marina’s God if he loved her as she did, he would save her life. She was not a Christian but felt better to have done something. Her prayer continued in promises and threats, as if she could make a bargain or a bet with the Maker of the Universe. “If Princess Marina lives I promise I will treat your priests with respect. I will make an exception for them from how I treat other men. If Marina dies, you will earn my unceasing enmity.”
The threat was vague because she had no plan to carry it out. She had no wish to hurt Father O’Flaherty or his followers, or bad intentions towards anyone except Zadina. The release of aggression in telling God filled her with renewed hope, no longer despairing of Marina’s life. She, despite seeing the full damage done by the blast, now believed Marina would not die. “I have belief in Marina if not in her God, but I will keep my promise to him, in case.”So she asked Vlama to send soldiers to guard the cathedral and Marina’s pet priest, the Right Reverend Bishop Niall O’Flaherty.
Vellina examined Marina’s remains. She had no idea how to put her back together again finding i
t hard to believe what remained of Marina was capable of life. Yet her brain still gave out faint but distinct signals. The mind did not reply to her probing but still it thought. She could not say Princess Marina was dead, but she doubted enough life remained for Marina to survive. Whatever still functioned, the order to maintain her internal force shield remained. Vellina could not operate upon her because Marina’s mind prevented her.
She locked the door on the hospital room, leaving it guarded by Letinza’s palace guards. Then she went to her office wall safe. She too had an envelope inscribed in Marina’s so familiar hand-writing “to be opened in the event of my death or incapacity.” Marina’s unbroken seal held the package shut. Vellina slid a scalpel beneath the seal, opening the letter. It contained one handwritten sheet of paper; she sadly read the last words of her friend.
Dear Vellina.
There have been many reports predicting my death. It is my wish my will remains unopened until you satisfy yourself I am truly dead.
I trust you are in possession of my body.Without my head there can be no guarantee I have not regenerated the missing parts. If you do not have my head, wait a year before declaring me officially dead.
My greatest fear is I will wake to find I’ve been buried alive by mistake. My history of catatonia makes this realistic. I request my body placed in a sealed room with water and power supplies switched on for ten days or until putrefaction sets in. If my corpse decomposes I’m probably dead.
Have me buried or cremated at your convenience. If after ten days I have not rotted, check my vital signs and seal the room again until I call or stink.
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