Alchemy

by Camille Oster

  Still, it hurt that he had insisted. For a moment, she’d hoped he would come around, to relent. But he hadn’t. Now this meant she had to put this behind her, a necessary sacrifice.

  Chapter 35

  The dragon, as Ashra had grown to call her, had tried to exert her dominance, but Ashra paid her no regard. The woman wouldn’t go so far as to wrestle her, so there was little she could do with her impotent rage and annoyance. No doubt, reports were being written to Lorcan right that moment, lamenting how willful she was, or was the woman lying, saying she had things under control? It didn’t matter. Nothing here mattered anymore.

  But Lorcan had taken the carriage, and had probably done so purposely. It was the only one there, although there was space in the carriage house for another, which Ashra assumed had been removed.

  The stables were also guarded well, not that she could ride in her condition. As stubborn as she was, it wasn’t something she could bring herself to even contemplate.

  He did underestimate her, though, thinking she couldn’t imagine what to do without a carriage to take her around. Had he forgotten she was the daughter of a field hand? A farm cart was not hard to find and she stole one full of cabbages. He could petition for the loss if he wanted, but she was going home.

  The farm horse trotted down the road and they were off the Lorcan estate before anyone had noticed it, or her, gone.

  The cart ride wasn’t exactly comfortable, but once away from the Lorcan estate, she took things slowly, surveying the land as she went. The people she came across looked downtrodden and beaten. The rebelliousness she had seen in Tondoke didn’t seem reflected out here, but who knew what was being whispered between people out of sight of the administration.

  Yes, it was a risk traveling the roads as there was growing lawlessness, but she had nothing to take. No one paid much attention to a farm cart anyway and the horse blanket around her to keep her warm didn’t suggest anything lucrative to steal.

  Beyond going home, she didn’t know what to do. For now, at least until the baby was born, she would have to leave Lorcan and Wierstoke to slog it out. Both were stubborn and unlikely to give in, a champion emerging when one categorically defeated the other. Hopefully, that would not include someone’s death. The idea of Lorcan being killed did twist her insides, but there was nothing she could do to combat his ambition.

  When she reached the parts she knew, she chose to drive down the lesser used roads. It could be that Lorcan’s people would be searching for her. The dragon would have let Lorcan know at the earliest opportunity that she had flown the coop.

  Would Lorcan be surprised, she wondered. Had he felt she had been subdued, relented to his will? He should know her better than that.

  She slept in the cart when she needed to, then continued going, sometimes down roads that were so muddy, she was better off driving in the ditch. The cart was sturdy, however, and it held through the rough treatment. Lorcan always did insist on quality.

  The sight of her manor coming into view was the sweetest she had seen in a while. How long had she been trying to get back here? In the end, she’d had to circumvent prison guards and steal away. No doubt both Lorcan and Wierstoke would be laying claim to her lands. Well, they could come. She was going to defend her land if she had to. It wasn’t the time to be undefended and her people were loyal. The old rules couldn’t be relied upon anymore.

  Both her back and her stomach seriously ached by the time she reached home. Her body was stiff from head to toe. The door opened for the unexpected visitor and Tabain ran out. He’d grown so much. Ashra’s eyes welled at all she had missed.

  “Mommy,” he yelled and raced toward her. She crouched to receive him and his little body flew to her.

  “I’m home, my little darling.”

  “And you brought cabbages?” the dowager Lady Greve said questioningly.

  “Don’t ask,” Ashra said.

  “You’re fat,” Tabain said and Ashra chuckled.

  “Yes, I am. That’s your little brother or sister in there.”

  Tabain seemed confused. Ashra couldn’t stop herself from hugging him again. Sorry, Lorcan, you simply can’t compete with these instincts.

  “What are we going to do with all this cabbage?” the dowager lady asked.

  Ashra waved over one of the stable boys. “Tomorrow, why don’t you drive the cart over to the Dunstone and leave the cart there and leave all the cabbage in the village square. I am sure they’ll find use for it.” The boy nodded and then retreated. Dunstone was the nearest village and Ashra was sure they were just as hungry as Tondoke.

  Whether the wheat supplement would continue, she didn’t know. It wasn’t something she could follow up on. Now was a time to focus on family, and unfortunately, it extended only as far as the baby in her belly and not its father. A twinge of regret pierced through her, cloying sadness that gripped her heart. There was nothing she could do about that. It hurt further to simply write him off, but what choice did she have?

  “How much further do you have to go?” the dowager asked as Tabain ran ahead, wanting to show her whatever treasures he had accumulated while she was gone.

  “About six weeks. Not that the last couple of days helped.” It had been a jarring and uncomfortable ride both physically and emotionally, but she was home now.

  The dowager looked worried. “Is everything as bad as we’ve heard? They say the citadel has plunged into chaos. That there might actually be a war.”

  “Yes,” Ashra admitted. There would be. Unless one managed to assassinate the other, it would eventually be an armed contest. Both Lorcan and Wierstoke would be gathering their men. She snorted. Maybe the fact that both Lorcan and Wierstoke thought they were using her afforded her some protection in the short term. “We must prepare defenses.”

  It wasn’t what the dowager wished to hear, but it was true. It was time to batten down the hatches—the storm was building. A peaceful transition was now out of the question and everyone would be asked to take sides. Eventually, she would probably be required to choose sides too, determine which side to fight on. Sadly, her proposal of ruling by committee, by a parliament, was falling to the wayside for these men's ambitions. The whole nation would suffer for it.

  “Come on, darling,” she said to Tabain. “Let’s go inside.” She took his small hand in hers and headed inside her house. For now, she would be shutting the world away. They could tear at each other all they wanted. In truth, she didn’t know if anything she could do could help anyone at this point. Things had devolved so much. But she wasn’t going to be used by anyone either.

  The End of Part 2

  Other books by Camille Oster

  Dark Court: the final hour – There is no end in sight for the uncertainty that has descended over the entire court, and nothing seems to be heading in the right direction. Wierstoke and Lorcan both want the throne, and their ambition will stop for no one. Their continual rivalry is too distracting to deal with the growing problems of the realm. Each day, the land becomes less and less ruly and there is no victor in sight. Choosing either would make her subjugated to their will, and that is not a position she is willing to tolerate. Increasingly, Ashra is not the only one who feels this way.

  Expected Release December 2017

  Unrequited - Not everyone deserves love. For some, love comes unwillingly and refuses to stay, leaving devastation in its wake. The Chartrices own the demonic Parisian underworld and they rule with an iron grip, destroying everything that stands in their way. Brothers Castran and Tarquin, and father Adaeus, are ruthless and supremely equipped to force their will, stamping out any dissent with cold efficiency. Some see them as villains, but their rule keeps order.

  But there are some things strength cannot overcome, especially the unbidden emotions that promise more than a life of single-minded determination and isolation. A glimpse of something more, something soft, can undo the coldest of hearts. Still, a villain is a villain, and the fates are cruel.

  Th
ree interlinking stories trace the effects of the most insidious of enemies, love, on a family that allows no weakness.

  https://www.amazon.com/Unrequited-Camille-Oster-ebook/dp/B01ANE6C8G/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1484366199&sr=8-9&keywords=camille+oster

  Sequence Effect - Gwennie Elders doesn't regret for a moment the debt she took on to extend her grandmother's life, but when running into trouble with repayments she had to resort to drastic actions to save her family's business and apartment. It would only be a year of her life and she'd be unconscious throughout--to awaken debt-free and able to resume her life as a baker on the city's ground level, hemmed in by the towers where the wealthy and privileged lived. But there are no easy and options, and although she emerges from her servitude debt-free, her family's business and her means of support fleeted away while she was asleep, forcing her to seek a means to support herself in the coming war.

  http://www.amazon.com/Sequence-Effect-Camille-Oster-ebook/dp/B00JPBBZM2/ref=la_B00ALPYJHE_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405738569&sr=1-8

  Contacting the Author

  Website: www.camilleoster.com

  Twitter: @camille_oster

  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Camille-Oster/489718877729579

  Email – Camille.osternz@gmail.com