by Blake, Nova
Copyright © Nova Blake 2021
This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1994, no part may be reproduced by any process without the permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events or locations is purely coincidental.
Cover design by:
Sly Fox
Contents
Prologue
1. Jaelyn
2. Jaelyn
3. Jaelyn
4. Thomas
5. Jaelyn
6. Jaelyn
7. Jaelyn
8. Jaelyn
9. Jaelyn
10. Jaelyn
11. Jaelyn
12. Jaelyn
13. Jaelyn
14. Farrow
15. Jaelyn
16. Jaelyn
17. Killian
18. Jaelyn
19. Killian
20. Jaelyn
21. Jaelyn
22. Jaelyn
23. Jaelyn
24. Jaelyn
25. Jaelyn
26. Jaelyn
27. Tol
28. Jaelyn
29. Jaelyn
30. Jaelyn
31. Jaelyn
32. Jaelyn
33. Jaelyn
Epilogue
Enjoy the rest of the set here
Also by Nova Blake
About the Author
Note from Nova
Prologue
In Terebellum, the year is 3113, and we are thirteen years into the Dawning where the new True Queen will be found and chosen. The Herald has yet to grace us with his presence and lay the God Mark on any prospective True Queens, but the time draws near - all the signs are pointing towards that moment.
Our people are ready, for our last True Queen died forty years ago, and our lands are suffering. The fruit we use to create our world-renowned wines are dwindling, along with other more mundane crops, giant creatures have returned to our lands and hunt our people, and crime has risen exponentially. Only the Ascension of a new True Queen to the throne will reverse this cycle and bring magic and bounty back to our queendom. Only the crowning of all twelve True Queens across our lands will restore our world to its former glory.
The Centaur God, Chiron, watches over us though, many believe that he has fired his arrows across the land, that his aim is true, and that the prospectives will be revealed very soon. They will have to reclaim the holy relics of Chiron in order to claim the throne, and only the True Queen will be able to unlock these relics full potential.
We wait, with baited breath and hope in our hearts, ever optimistic that our True Queen will step forward and claim her destiny.
1
Jaelyn
Still as the leaves on a breathless day.
I held the bowstring tight, my fingers firm, ready to let the arrow loose. I'd been holding the pose for what felt like an age, waiting for the boar to take another step, two, further into the clearing so I could be sure of a clean killing shot. Almost there…
I inhaled slowly as it moved forward, nosing in a fallen tree trunk. Pulled the string just a fraction tighter, stretched my muscles and felt the release welling inside me.
One more step.
A branch cracked behind me and the boar surged forward, into the underbrush and out of view. I spun, keeping my pose ready, aiming the arrow at the chest of—
"Thomas!" I barked his name out on a breath and let the tension in my body ease. But I didn't drop my bow.
He grinned his crooked grin as he reached out and placed a finger on the arrow head, pushing it slightly to the side.
"Sorry, did I interrupt?" He stepped forward so that I couldn't redirect my weapon at him, that little smirk still on his face.
"You know damn well that you have. Another moment and I'd have had the perfect shot."
"There is always another, dear friend. And I come bearing important news." He was close now, close enough that I could smell his pine tang. He always smelled like pine, no matter what. And I hated that I liked it. His deep brown eyes were fixed on me, his lips a deep pink that reminded me of berry flesh.
"You’re an asshole." I glared at him, and then shook my head and rolled my eyes. For some reason, I could never stay angry at him for long, and I knew that on another day, he'd give me the better beast so I could claim the kill to make up for it. "What's so important that you couldn't wait for another minute?"
"We have to return to the castle. The Herald is here!"
I groaned. "Do I have to? You know I hate these official gatherings."
"The queen demands our presence. We're part of the court, so we have to be there, whether you like it or not. And—" He looked me up and down. "You need time to clean up."
I finally dropped my bow and punched him in the arm.
"Speak for yourself. I look fantastic in anything, including grime."
He paused for just a beat too long before responding. "Truth."
Instead of dealing with the tension between us, that spark of heat that I couldn't – wouldn't – act on, I un-notched my arrow and slid it back into the quiver, then used my bow sling to hook the weapon over my shoulder. "Come on then. But you can carry my rabbits." I pointed to the tree nearby where I had strung them up.
Thomas obliged, swinging them over his shoulder. We walked in quiet companionship back to the main paths in the woods, and then on to the castle. It was all downhill, the hills being the best hunting place for this particular court in Terebellum. The land below was wide open, most of it stretched out into the vineyards for which this queendom was known. Well, some of them, they were scattered across the land, the different regions giving their own unique twist to what was our biggest export and allowing us to create special blends for each of the other queendoms.
There was never a lack of wine here. And never a time when there wasn't some party or festival.
As much as I loved a good celebration, I could do without the formalities of the royal family. But the Dawning was here, the period where the new True Queen would be Marked, and if the Herald had arrived then it was our turn to welcome a new queen - a True Queen.
We all knew, hoped, it would be Princess Anya. Hoped because if anyone was to oppose her then it would be their heads on the block. She had a mean streak, a fiery temper that none could seem to cool. It would be better for all of us if it was just her, and maybe the process of becoming the True Queen would temper her just a little.
We could live in hope. I knew I would. I'd crossed paths with her enough to know that I pitied anyone who might get Marked instead or alongside. It had been so long since the last Dawning that all we had were rumors: there might be more than one with a Mark, there might only be one but it might not be someone in the royal family.
All we knew for sure was that it was always a queen, never a king, and that the Herald signaled the beginning of our time. The longer we were without a queen, the more magic the land would lose. Our crops would whither, our people would suffer.
It had been forty years since the last True Queen died, thirteen years since she and her lovers had Ascended to the Gods, and things were bad enough already. I didn't want to imagine them getting worse.
"Jae?"
"Huh?"
"I'll take these to the kitchen," Thomas said. "See you at the festivities." He gave me a small bow and then scampered off before I could swat him again.
We'd made it all the way to the castle with me lost in thought. My nerves had crawled across my thoughts the closer we got to home because while it was most l
ikely that Princess Anya would be Marked as the True Queen, there was always the chance that someone else would as well.
And what if it was me?
It wouldn't be. Couldn't. And yet, my skin vibrated unpleasantly at the thought. I'd never wanted more than what life had already offered me – I had a place to live and a role within the castle. I had friends. I had Thomas. I had my bow and the woods and the meditation of the hunt.
It was enough. It was a good life. A life with purpose and joy.
Anya could keep her pretty dresses and her fancy lovers and her boring speeches and politics.
I had enough. I didn't want to be chained to a throne. Couldn't fathom it.
With a shudder, I let those thoughts go. Thomas had been right, and I was going to need a good scrubbing to make myself fit for the feast. At least I had some time. And at least one clean dress. I thought.
"Jaelyn!" A voice intruded on my thoughts and I turned to find Valko heading my way. He was both my immediate superior, and an adoptive uncle of sorts. Older than my father had been with thick dark hair that he kept tied back, and a face lined by years and scars from his days on as a hunter.
"Yes, Huntmaster?" I dipped my head in respect. "Thomas took my kill to the kitchen. He said we had to return."
He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling as well. "Yes, I don't expect any of us will be out for the kill early tomorrow morning."
"Did you need something from me?" I pressed my lips together, worried about what he might say. Valko had taken me under his wing when my own father perished at the changing of the year and my mother returned to the queendom of her birth. We'd always been hunters. And hunters stuck together.
"I just wanted to say, have fun tonight. You've already filled your quota this week. Let loose." His brow wrinkled in concern. "I know it's been a hard year for you, but it's time to rejoice. Soon, our lands will flourish once more."
I bit my lip and nodded. "They will, I know. And with the rise of the True Queen, so shall we all."
"So shall we all," he echoed. "Now go, and make sure you wear good shoes. Tonight, we dance!" He clapped a hand onto my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Thanks be," I said, and once he had moved away, I carried on to the hunter quarters and my room. Technically, I could have kept my mother’s rooms in the castle proper, but I was more comfortable here, among the hunters. It was just easier, and there were no reminders of my family to make my breath catch or my eyes water.
My room was small and cozy, with a window that overlooked the kitchen garden. I stowed my bow and quiver, pulled off my boots, and then opened the wardrobe to survey the contents. Every piece was functional, even the dresses – never so long that they dragged on the ground, designed to allow ease of movement, the skirts could be easily discarded if I needed to. It was the one allowance my mother had made; I could be fit for court and still be a hunter. No one would so much as question that now. I'd proven myself time and again.
I selected the deep blue velvet gown. This one had a hem that undulated like waves, both high and low, so that it looked longer than it really was. The bulk of it barely hit my knee and with leggings beneath it was entirely proper. Paired with my nice black slippers and a few accessories, I would look the part. Outfit selected, I headed for the baths.
This part of the hunter’s quarters was tucked away in the basement where the naturally warm spring water came up to create pools. The underground grotto kept it relatively warm, and the men and women's sections were only separated by a thin divide. Most of us weren't worried about modesty, but the royal family preferred that we not be naked together, something about preventing too many pregnancies.
As if we couldn't just plan to be naked elsewhere. It was a bit of a joke really, but it didn't cost us anything to keep their desire for decency intact.
I discarded my clothes, putting them in one of the nets and then back into the water which flowed from the main pool out to the rivers, and then settled myself into the bathing pool. No one else was there, probably already getting prepared for the evening’s events. No doubt there would be music and dance and wine, of course, before the meal was ready and the main event of the evening began.
A thrill ran through me, excitement at seeing with my own eyes what the Herald looked like, to hear his words with my own ears. It was something not everyone would witness. Not in this lifetime. A story people would tell their children for the next hundred or so years.
And I got to be part of it.
With that thought I reached for the pumice and sponge that came from the coastal court and scrubbed at my body, erasing every speck of dirt until my skin gleamed. It was just as I washed the last of the grime from my hair that I heard voices on the other side of the partition. Two men, their laughter loud in the grotto.
"I pity anyone who might oppose the princess. She's a feisty one."
"No one would, surely."
"Not like they'd have a choice though, from what I hear. It's the Herald who makes the decisions, lays the Marks."
"She'd still hold it against them. That girl has a thirst for power rivalled by none."
I knew this group. They stuck together, organized the royal hunting parties rather than keeping the kitchen supplied with meat. Which was fine, we were all just doing our jobs. But it meant we didn't move in the same circle. They thought they were better, like they had some kind of claim to fame, or fortunes might await them if they just pandered to the nobles a little more.
"And she knows how to use it," I commented.
"That you, Jaelyn? What would you know about power," one of them men called back.
"More than you two," I replied. "I just save it for when I really need it." I stood up and slicked the water off my body before stepping out and reaching for a towel.
"I, for one, would like to see you use it in my direction…" I could practically see the lascivious expression on his face. Female hunters were around, but we weren't nearly as many in number as the men.
"Not if you were the last man in the court," I threw back at him. "But you know, don't let that get you down. If you beg long enough, maybe the princess will throw you a wink one of these days."
"Oooooo," the other man called. "She's speaking truth there, brother."
"Shut up," came the despondent reply.
With a smile, I toweled off, ignoring any more attempts at conversation. I pulled my clothes on over still damp skin and headed to my room to put on the finishing touches.
2
Jaelyn
As soon as I entered the courtyard one of the serving staff passed me a glass of pink sparkling wine. It was customary to imbibe as soon as you stepped inside the celebratory circle, and this particular wine was one of my favorites. I sipped it slowly, enjoying the sensation of sweetness with a little fire at the end.
This courtyard was set up with strings of twinkling light, powered by Auvanite mined from the mountains of Auva. No matter the weather, they would continue to burn bright. Garlands of carnations in every hue were draped from pillars and railings, from the balconies above, filling the air with a divine smell, almost as intoxicating as the wine.
Musicians played in the center and folks whirled around them in pairs or trios and even quads, hands clasped, partners interchanging, flirtatious touches and the occasional kiss exchanged between strangers and lovers alike.
"Looks like a few of them had a head start," Valko said, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with me.
"It does indeed. Was there a pre-party I didn't know about?" I asked, taking another sip of wine. The third one was always my favorite. That first sip was divine, but by the time I took the third the alcohol had loosened up something inside me, elevated reality. Taken me from the mundane.
"If there was, no one invited me either," he said.
"Well, that's because you're an old grump." I pressed my lips together, waiting for his come back, but it was only a second later that he jabbed me in the ribs.
"Quiet, youngling. Not l
ike you can say you're all sunshine and starbursts every day."
"Truth," I conceded. "I guess that's why neither of us was told." I flashed him a grin. We both knew that no invitation was needed. Once you'd done your work, you were free to do as you pleased. And people did, whether that was a nap, or drinks with friends.
"Come on. Finish your glass and dance with me. I want to make the boys jealous with you on my arm." Valko gave me a wink and I shook my head in laughter.
"Are you sure it's not Mayla you're wanting to make jealous?" I asked, tipping my head to the left. The woman was all curves and glamor, the cut of her dress low enough to draw anyone's eye.
"You know me too well," he said quietly. "Maybe one day she'll grace me with her time, but for now…" He held his arm out for me, so I drank back the last of my wine, put the glass down on a table, and then placed my arm in his.
"Lead the way, good sir," I said, making my voice higher pitched and fancy. He gripped me tighter and pulled me out into the ring of dancers around the band.
I let him lead, not needing to think too hard about the steps to take. The music felt like it flowed through me, guiding me this way and that. Here, at the edge of the dancers, people didn't trade partners so much, so Valko stayed with me, moving me through bodies with ease. It was nice to let go of control, to let my feet carry me, to let my arms move in all the ways they should without thinking about it.