Beast of Zarall
Page 43
Later on, Valnar was going to remember so little of the ceremony. The image of Lygor sitting on the stone chair, a crown on his head, and the freshly mutilated slave posing as Lion of Zarall behind him was engraved in Valnar’s memory and it dominated almost everything else.
The Union leaders kneeled in front of Lygor, kissed his ring, formally pledging their loyalties.
The new lord of Calae followed their lead. On the night of the feast, Lord Brocton had conspired with Dienus Vogros to assassinate Lygor and overtake the manor. They never saw Master Ruzen was luring them into a trap. By the time Valnar got to Lygor, Lord Brocton was already killed, along with most of Dienus’s men. Vadithas’s purebred army and the Union’s men had secured the keep at Calae and somehow managed to convince late Lord Brocton’s six hundred men not to follow their lord to the Farhome.
By morning, a wealthy slave trader named Vayle Soames, who was no doubt fiercely loyal to the Union, was moving into his new keep. His first act was to pledge his six hundred men to Lygor.
Lord Vayle kissed Lygor’s ring and swore to serve House Zarall until his last breath. Next, were young Norrol Heltn and Melton Varius, Dienus’s former squires.
Norrol still had a cut on his forehead from the night of Dienus’s failed attack. The young squire had surrendered shortly after Dienus was stabbed. Melton Varius was captured snoozing peacefully at the warehouse where Deinus’s men had holed up. Lord Heltez of Fort Heltn and Lord Aelsil of Varibane were already invited to come and collect their children, after pledging their loyalties to Lygor. Fort Heltn kept nearly a thousand men. Varibane only had half of that, but it had money and shipyards. Both cities were going to be formidable allies for Lygor.
When it was his turn, Valnar kneeled in front of Lygor with no hesitation in his heart. His breastplate proudly displayed the coat of arms of House Zarall as he renewed his allegiance to Lygor. The words fell out of his lips with ease, as if he was never burdened with doubt.
He took his place behind Lygor, next to the purebred. He silently endured as the smell of burnt flesh continued to torture him.
Acknowledgement
Dear reader, thank you so much for reading!
I've put my heart and soul - or rhoa - in this one. Some parts of the book were difficult to write for me. I didn't particularly enjoy my characters doing horrible things to each other, but this is how the story had to go. I wanted my characters to step out of the stereotypical portrayals of heroes and heroines. I wanted them to be not guided by the universally accepted moral values, rights and wrongs. They had to be real people with real concerns, motives, beliefs and perceptions. I hope you were able to understand their position when they made those choices and forgive them.
Personally, I don't believe all free men and women are greedy, but that is Beast's reality. I'm hoping I could convince him otherwise in the next book, Demon of Zarall.
If you think more people should discover this series, I hope you'll consider leaving a review wherever you review books. If you have a particularly passionate feedback, you can contact me through my website.
I also would like to mention a few people who helped me with this book; Jason, Rhonda and Frank, for their support and feedback; Bora and Saco, for sharing their wealth of knowledge in fantasy fiction; and Ash for being a passionate fan, proofreader, and advocate for this series. You guys are the best.
Thanks!
About The Author
E. B. Rose
E.B. Rose began writing short stories in third grade. Her first readers were a small group of classmates gathering around her desk every recess to read the story written in a notebook.
She enjoys - yes, actually enjoys - waking up at 5am in the mornings, sipping her coffee, and writing. She lives in Queensland, Australia with her fiancé and two German Shepherds - Kara and Kal-El.
Books In This Series
Earthome Series
Lion of Zarall
Beast of Zarall
Demon of Zarall