“I think,” Caspar responded, oddly hoarse, “that if I were to spend much more time in your company, it would take a great deal of effort to keep from loving you.”
“Well then,” said Lizbet, her face suddenly warm and her heart beating fiercely in her chest.
“Well then, what?” King Hollin demanded. “Are the two of you going to do anything besides stare at each other?” He now sounded more amused than annoyed.
“Well then,” Lizbet repeated, “perhaps we ought to return His Majesty’s sword. And I should most certainly write a note to my mother informing her that there will be a guest for dinner again this evening.”
“And will the guest be allowed to have custard?” Caspar enquired mournfully.
Lizbet smiled sweetly. “Only if it won’t aggravate his gout.”
“And if he insists he isn’t nearly old enough to suffer from any such ailment?”
“Then,” Lizbet responded archly, “he shall have to prove it. By escorting a certain young lady to the next ball.”
“You realize,” Caspar replied, “that it is unwise to attempt to manipulate someone with my vast political experience. And while we are on the subject of a ball, isn’t there something you’d like to tell the king?”
Lizbet’s eyes narrowed. “I seem to remember someone promising never to reveal my secrets to a living soul. Need I remind you that my note to Mother will be very specific about custards?”
“Oh, get out,” King Hollin grumbled. “Go nauseate someone else.”
Thank You
Thank you for reading! I have loved writing The Andari Chronicles and getting to know its characters and I hope you enjoyed this novella. For more from the world of Andar check out the rest of the series.
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If you loved The Andari Chronicles and want to share them with other readers, please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads.
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Not only do I love getting to hear how my stories are impacting readers, but reviews are one of the best ways for you to help other book lovers discover the stories you enjoy. Taking even a moment to share a few words about your favorite books makes a huge difference to indie authors like me!
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The Series
The Andari Chronicles is a series of interconnected fairy tale retellings that evoke the glittering romance of the originals, while infusing them with grit, humor, and a cast of captivating new characters. If you enjoyed the world of Andar, be sure to check out the other books in the series:
Recommended Reading Order:
Traitor’s Masque
Goldheart
Pirouette
Shadow and Thorn
Traitor’s Masque
A breathtaking fantasy romance inspired by Cinderella…
Trystan spends her days in bleak isolation, with little hope that she will ever be free from her stepmother’s cruel whims. When a wealthy and influential neighbor offers her both a fortune and her freedom, Trystan must decide whether to pay the price. Who is she willing to betray in order to gain her independence? What is she willing to sacrifice in order to pursue her forbidden relationship with the compelling young man whose face haunts her dreams?
Trapped between the desire for love and the fate of her kingdom, Trystan attends the glittering Royal Masque, where she learns that her actions may have betrayed her prince, and thrust them both into a nightmare of conspiracy and deception.
If she is to have any hope of redemption, Trystan must escape a dangerous web of duplicity, espionage and intrigue, though she may be forced to sacrifice her own happy ending to prevent her kingdom from falling into the hands of a ruthless adversary.
Buy Traitor’s Masque Here
Goldheart
An enchanting fantasy romance inspired by Rumplestiltskin…
All Elaine Westover ever wanted was to be left alone. A shy but brilliant artist, her only desire is to paint in peace, but when she is forced to accept a commission in order to save her family home, she must confront a client as villainous as he is rich. After a chilling encounter reveals his twisted ambitions, he imprisons her and threatens to destroy everything she loves unless she meets his demands.
Held captive in a house haunted by tragedy and despair, Elaine fears that neither her courage nor her skill can save her from a dark and terrifying fate. To defeat her captor and win back her freedom, Elaine must accept the aid of an enigmatic stranger, who may be hiding his own reasons for wanting her to stay.
Buy Goldheart Here
Pirouette
A stunning romantic fantasy inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses…
Princess Ilani is an outcast, shunned since her seventh birthday for possessing forbidden magic. But when her twelve sisters are trapped by a deception that threatens to tear their father’s empire apart, Ilani must come out of hiding and join forces with a devilishly charming foreigner whose motives remain shrouded by secrecy and mistrust.
Lord Kyril Seagrave is on a covert mission into the heart of the Caelani Empire, where he finds himself adrift in a realm of impenetrable mystery and dangerous magic. Armed with nothing but determination and a set of ill-matched companions, Kyril soon realizes there is far more at stake than he could have imagined, and one misstep could prove disastrous not only to Andar, but to the beautiful and indomitable princess he would give his life to protect.
Kyril and Ilani must decide whether to trust one another as they fight for their lives, their future, and the future of Caelan itself. As darkness gathers and deadly plans come to light, the princess once forgotten by her people may be the only one who can save them from the ambitions of a treacherous adversary.
Buy Pirouette Here
Shadow & Thorn
A spellbinding romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast…
An exiled king. An elusive thief. And the treasure they would give their lives to possess…
After more than twenty years in hiding, Alexei is returning home. His kingdom is destroyed, his people dead or enslaved, and the magic that once protected them lost to all but memory. His only hope to provide sanctuary for the few who remain is the uncertain word of a traitor, a broken man who claims to know the hiding place of Erath’s greatest treasure. To find it, Alexei will have to return to the place where Erath fell, and brave the shadowed halls of a castle that echoes with the ghosts of his past.
Zara is a woman without a future—a treasure hunter, and a thief who hates to steal. Trapped by fate in an abandoned castle, she encounters a destiny she could never have predicted, and uncovers a treasure far greater than she could ever have imagined.
When their paths collide, Alexei and Zara may both have a chance to atone for past mistakes… unless they kill each other first. Brought together by enemies both expected and unexpected, they will plumb the depths of an unimaginable betrayal and forge the foundations of a love they would risk anything to keep.
Buy Shadow & Thorn Here
Also by Kenley Davidson
The Daragh Deception
A Romantic Science Fiction Adventure
(Book 1 of Conclave Worlds)
Daragh is a corporate colony world—an unspoiled planet filled with opportunity. For shy colonist Emma Forester, it represents her last hope. On the run from a terrifying past, she’s determined to keep her head down and her secrets buried, until she encounters brusque corporate soldier Devan Rybeck. He’s clearly suspicious of her motives, but she can’t afford to be distracted—by his questions or his stormy gray eyes.
When Devan first meets Emma, he's convinced she’s too fragile to thrive on a barely settled planet. But then a vicious attack opens a window to her mysterious past, and it becomes clear that neither Emma nor Daragh are all that they pretend to be. Emma’s flight into the dangerous and unpredictable wilds of Daragh prove just how much steel she's hiding beneath her quie
t exterior, and just how far she's willing to go to protect her secrets.
Devan must race against time to bring her back, before those secrets come to the attention of a merciless enemy bent on protecting a corporate investment. If he fails, there will be no escape from the coming darkness—either for himself or the woman he would die to protect.
Buy now on Amazon!
About the Author
Kenley Davidson is a story-lover, word-nerd and incurable introvert who is most likely to be found either writing or hiding somewhere with a book. A native Oregonian, Kenley now resides in Oklahoma, where she persists in remaining a devoted pluviophile. Addictions include coffee, roller coasters, more coffee, researching random facts, and reading the dictionary (which is way more fun than it sounds). A majority of her time is spent being mom to two kids and two dogs while inventing reasons not to do laundry (most of which seem to involve books).
kenleydavidson.com
[email protected]
The Countess and the Frog Page 7