Dorelle’s eyes went wide as the King simply sat down opposite her. He wasn’t even wearing a crown!
“Dorelle, tell my father everything. Start with leaving the Fourth Blue.”
She shot him a worried look, then bit her lip. It cost her an effort of will to look directly at the King.
“Your Majesty,” she stammered.
King Elsen smiled and stretched out one hand. “Don’t be so formal. Just think of me as one of your uncles. I really want to hear everything.”
Dorelle bit her lip again, took a deep breath and launched into her tale. The King nodded a few times as she described Ferren’s reign of terror and his threats.
He even chuckled at her unannounced visit of the Skyforce General. “Yes, Gerdal had a lot to say about security after that one.”
When Dorelle mentioned her first fight with Zomel and her decision to leave her homeland behind for good, King Elsen sighed deeply.
His eyes became very sharp when she mentioned the Cloud Lands and the friendly people she had met there. And then they opened in shock when she described seeing the kraken.
Moments later, he smiled approval at her decision to return, facing death to deliver her warning. He held up his hand to interrupt her tale.
“Thank you for your loyalty, Dorelle. I am very moved that you made this choice. A lesser woman would have chosen safety in exile.”
“I am very glad she came, as well,” Orlen said quietly. “Because I wouldn’t even be here if she hadn’t.”
The Prince took over the tale. “We were scouting up the coast, stopping at fishing villages, tallying the losses and looking for clues. Once or twice, wreckage had washed up on the coast, but there were no indications of what had destroyed the ships. There wasn’t a single survivor.”
He swallowed and looked at Dorelle before continuing. “We were on our way to Hery Bay, Dorelle’s home, when the reason for those disappearances became obvious. Our ship was attacked by a dozen kraken. The seemed to know how to break a ship and they worked together to break ours.
“The men fought valiantly. However, the kraken seemed oblivious to pain. I broke my leg when I was thrown against the railing by a particular nasty movement of the ship. Captain Berset soon realized we were doomed. He sent me up the mast when he spotted the dragon. Kraken were already eating those who had fallen into the water.”
Orlen rubbed one hand over his face and was silent for a few moments. Then he took a deep breath.
“The ship was sinking. I could tell that the weight of the kraken had split some planks, and she was filling up fast. Captain Berset might have killed the kraken that swallowed him, I saw him thrust his sword just as…”
Once again, Orlen swallowed hard.
“Then Mashira plucked me from the rigging like a ripe fruit.”
Dorelle heard her dragon laugh in her mind at that turn of phrase.
The Crown Prince continued with the tale until the moment he had passed out. Finally, Dorelle related the outcome of their fight with Ferren and Zomel, and ended their tale at the arrival at her parents’ house.
Silence reigned for a while.
King Elsen sighed massively, then nodded to Dorelle. “My dear, I am deeply indebted to you for saving my son’s life. And warning me of the danger to my realm and my people. I will call a council and come up with a plan of action. Until then, you both should get some rest.”
Orlen rose. “I’ll take Dorelle to some decent quarters.”
The dragonrider jumped to her feet.
“I’d like to see you both for a quiet supper.” King Elsen returned to his desk, giving Dorelle another warm smile. “I really want to get to know you better.”
Once the door closed behind them, Dorelle leaned towards Orlen. “What do you mean by ‘decent quarters’?”
The Crown Prince laughed. “Wait and see.”
He led her back towards the throne room and down another corridor on the same level. Once again, they passed guards who did their best not to stare at the dragonrider and her mended uniform.
Eventually, he threw open a door. Dorelle entered and wheeled around. “This is ‘decent’? It’s palatial!”
Orlen laughed outright. “Indeed, as we are in the royal palace. These are the quarters for my most esteemed guests. Such as you. My own rooms are next door.”
She stared at him. “But … but …”
“I’m not letting you run away again. And if you look closer, there is a ledge for Mashira and a lair for her. This used to be the rooms of a dragonrider and queen consort. I thought they would be perfect for you.”
A moment later, a rumble announced Mashira, who poked her head through a vaulted door at the side of the room.
I like it! Let’s stay here.
Both Orlen and Dorelle had to chuckle at that.
“I suppose I will, if you two insist.” Dorelle caught that sparkle in Orlen’s eyes and her heart skipped a beat. Yes, she would stay, for as long as they let her.
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Dear Reader,
Thank you for trying out a new story by a – fairly – new author.
Before you lose yourself in The Cloud Lands, please let me thank my wonderful beta-readers, Jackie Gardner, Rick Gordon, Becky Rinaldi and Carla Larson, for very helpful feedback on the story.
In addition, I want to thank Blue Harvest Creative for both the awesome cover and the beautiful interior design.
Enjoy!
Hannah Steenbock is a German writer of Speculative Fiction. She uses both her native German and English as languages for her tales, as she loves English and tends to think in that language when plotting Fantasy.
After finishing university with a degree in English and Spanish, she lives and works in Kiel, the northernmost state capital of Germany. Her other pastimes include working as a therapist, riding horses, strolling along beaches, talking with trees, and devouring as many stories as time allows.
Visit the author at:
www.facebook.com/HannahSteenbock
www.twitter.com/FirleF
www.hannah-steenbock.de
Cover design, interior design,
and eBook design by
Blue Harvest Creative
www.blueharvestcreative.com
Table of Contents
Book Description
Title Page
Copyright Information
Also by Hannah Steenbock
Cloud Lands Map
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Dear Reader
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Visit the Author
Meet the Design Team
Coming Soon: Kraken War
Dorelle's Journey Page 6