Broken Lords: Book Two of the Broken Mirrors Duology

by A. F. Dery

  “If you’re going to marry me…” she said slowly. “Does this mean you’re going to give me a ring? Or don’t Eladrians follow that custom?”

  “I can see our married life is getting off to an excellent start before there’s even been a wedding,” Thane said teasingly. “Already asking for jewelry!”

  Kesara turned red herself and opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly interrupted her. “Of course there will be a ring. Whatever kind you want. Eladria knows no lack of shiny stones and metals. We’re mostly mountain, you know.”

  “Well, I was actually thinking…if you’re going to get me jewelry anyway…maybe it could be a bracelet instead,” she suggested, not quite meeting his eyes.

  Thane raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Bracelet…why does that sound familiar? Ah, I remember now. The High Lord mentioned you weren’t wearing one. What was that all about?”

  Kesara was silent for so long that he had almost given up hope that she would answer when she finally said, very quietly, “It’s just a custom, where I’m from. Bonded Mirrors wear bracelets, to show they’re bonded. It’s just a symbol.”

  Thane tried to restrain his frown. “Why didn’t you tell me? That would have been no problem. You would have had one before we even came here.”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that,” she hedged. “I didn’t want to ask for gifts, to start with. And for another, the bracelet…well…what’s it made of is supposed to be a personal choice by the refrere. I…I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what you would choose back then. The more precious the material, the more precious the Mirror, supposedly.”

  Thane lifted her chin with his fingers, forcing her to meet his eyes. “There is nothing that can be mined that would reflect your worth to me,” he said quietly. She bit her lip and he was pleased to see her eyes brighten. “But you will have one by the wedding.”

  “Wait, we don’t have to have…well…a wedding kind of wedding? Right?” she asked nervously, her eyes widening.

  Thane let go of her chin and grinned wickedly, fighting the impulse to restrain it. “Of course we do,” he said sweetly. “It’s Eladrian custom. My people would never forgive me if I denied them such an opportunity. You get to wear a ceremonial gown, passed down for generations.” He paused thoughtfully. “I imagine it will need to be hemmed, quite a bit.”

  “A gown?” she echoed weakly.

  “Ah, yes. My own mother wore it, you know. It’s made from the skin of a great beast that once terrorized Eladria, many centuries ago, when my people still worked the mountains rather than ruling them,” Thane said, his eyes shining. “I understand it bears its own unique perfume, calling to mind the days when we still grappled bare-handed with our foes.”

  “…skin?” Kesara’s eyes were very wide now.

  “And it has a matching headpiece,” he continued in a dreamy tone. “Woven from fur that was shorn from the beast’s own head. I don’t know if you ever saw it, but its shaved head is mounted on the wall of the formal dining room as we speak. It’s really quite something, even after all this time.”

  Kesara’s mouth formed a word, but no sound came out.

  “And the slippers that go with it…the talons of the beast form a fringe on it, and I understand that it clicks when the bride walks. Just like the beast would. Can you imagine?” His shoulders shook slightly as he pressed his lips together, unable for the moment to continue.

  Kesara’s eyes narrowed suddenly in suspicion. “Are there really slippers?”

  He shook his head silently, his shoulders beginning to shake harder.

  She frowned darkly. “A headpiece?”

  Again he shook his head. Small sounds escaped his throat.

  “A gown made out of centuries old animal skin?”

  He could not answer, he was laughing too hard. Kesara moved off his lap and sat with her back against the headboard, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I hope you fall off the bed,” she said coldly.

  “Th-the look…on your face…gown…s-slippers!” he sputtered.

  “I was really worried, you know,” Kesara said as seriously as she could, but it was hard to maintain the appearance of severity against Thane’s mirth. He so rarely laughed like that. She fought back an involuntary smile.

  “Oh, gods, Kesara…of course there has to be an exchange of vows, but there’s no reason there has to be a public ceremony if you don’t want one. All we need by Eladrian law is a witness, and I’m sure Graunt would do it,” he said once he caught his breath.

  “Then let’s do that,” she said in relief, uncrossing her arms. “As soon as you’ve slept, that is. How many days has it been since you last rested? Maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on you. It’s probably the fatigue driving you to this delirium.”

  He laid down next to her, resting his great head in her lap and throwing an arm over her legs. “Many days,” he said, closing his eyes. He was still smiling, and that made her smile.

  “Maybe when you wake, you’ll think of a better Lady,” she teased.

  He yawned. “Not possible.”

  “Maybe you’ll be the next High Lord, wouldn’t that be something? What would I be then? The High Lady?”

  “Bite your tongue, woman,” he mumbled. “I’m already filling in for him until they choose a new one.”

  “Really?” Kesara was impressed. “Thane, that’s wonderful!”

  “I’m so glad you think so. I’ll need somebody to manage the paperwork,” he said bitterly.

  “I can think of no one better, especially with the Lyntarans acting as they are…oh Thane, what’s going to happen with them?”

  Thane opened his eyes again, with effort. “The Union will fight them back, as we did when we first began. It’s going to be all right, Kes. Don’t worry. All of this only came about due to the High Lord’s pride. He was too afraid of losing his power to trust his own allies. All of us together can keep them back. It will be some time before all the damage to Almryn is repaired, of course, but that is the concern of the next High Lord, not us.”

  Kesara was silent, and his eyes slowly closed again.

  “Thane?”

  He heard her voice, but he was too tired to speak again, already drifting into sleep.

  “…I’m honored to be your Lady,” she whispered.

  He thought that it was the happiest dream he’d ever had while still awake.

  Words to that effect must have somehow escaped his lips, for next he heard, “You’re not dreaming yet, go to sleep,” accompanied by her startled laugh.

  And so he did.

  Acknowledgments

  First, and of greatest importance always, Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.

  My heartfelt thanks to my husband, Joshua, for his unfailing love, support, and patience. If I have repaid one drop of the faith you have placed in me through these books, then the time writing them was well spent and all the success I could hope for.

  Thanks also to my beautiful children: Tessa, Tabitha, Gabrielle, Gregory, & Julian. I hope you are all as proud of me as I am of each one of you.

  Thank you to Sassy Cummings, for her valuable insights on pig behavior, which were of tremendous help to me in writing Graegun in Broken Mirrors, the first book of this duology.

  No acknowledgments page would be complete without mentioning my parents and brother Richard, truly my first and best fans. The many years of good-natured nagging paid off, as you can see. Thank you, Mom. You’re a living example of how true beauty can be refined by pain instead of destroyed.

  Far from least, my endless gratitude to those have taken the time to read Thane and Kesara’s story. It was truly my privilege and a childhood dream come true to share it with you.

  About the Author

  A. F. Dery has loved the fantasy romance genre for many years. A voracious reader, when she had trouble finding the kind of stories she was craving- non-explicit but emotionally engaging romances, in interesting fantasy settings and featuring adult main characters with adult probl
ems and responsibilities- she decided to write her own. She lives in the U.S. and enjoys reading, writing, music, and spending quality time with her family.

  Her work includes Fellowship of the Box Bearer, a humorous fantasy novelette, and the Broken Mirrors Duology, a fantasy romance series which includes Broken Mirrors and Broken Lords.

  Subscribe to her email newsletter to be notified of new releases first and connect with the author on her website!