Lyr and his bride, Rayne, traveled in a leisurely fashion toward his home—now her home, too—in Tryfyn. Wherever they passed, flowers bloomed. When the bride laughed, it was not at all unusual for a few sparkling snowflakes to fall. Just a few. Rayne had spent her entire life in isolation, and Lyr gladly shared his world with her. If they wished for fruits or vegetables that were not in season, those wishes came true at a whisper. If they wanted to stop for an entire day to enjoy a perfect view and make love with leisure, they did so. Now and then, time stopped for a kiss. Life was good.
The newly married couple loved often, laughed frequently, and argued with light hearts about names for their first child. They discussed the possibility of introducing Emperor Jahn and his brother Alix to one or two Tryfynian princesses.
And they stayed far, far away from anything resembling a swamp.
Read on for an excerpt from
UNTOUCHABLE,
Book 1 in the Emperor’s Brides trilogy
Available now
UNTOUCHABLE
The Columbyanan Palace in the Sixth Year of the Reign of
Emperor Nechtyn Jahn Calcus Sadwyn Beckyt
First Night of the Spring Festival
Alix watched silently as his brother, the emperor, toyed with the ministers and priests who had gathered around him. They did not see the muted sparkle of humor in Jahn’s eyes, but Alix saw. He had watched his entire life as his brother—elder by a few important minutes—charmed and joked and glided his way to success. Whether that success was with women or gambling or ruling a country recovering from war, it came easily to Jahn.
Alix had spent many years trying to outshine his brother in some way, not that he would ever allow anyone to see his efforts. He had been a more disciplined soldier than the elder twin, but in their time of battle Jahn had fought with great heart and determination which more than made up for his lack of discipline. Alix could not equal, much less surpass, his brother’s natural ease and charm, so he excelled in other ways. He was steady, whereas Jahn was unpredictable. He was even-tempered, whereas Jahn was occasionally emotional and reckless. He was a rock in contrast to Jahn’s storm.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Calvyno turned his head slightly and looked at Alix with more than a hint of accusation in his tired eyes. Alix knew there were many in the palace who wished he were emperor instead of his unpredictable brother. There were even those who expected bad blood between the brothers, who were quite certain that Alix would one day make a play for the throne. The outwardly unshakable Calvyno was likely among those who not only expected but looked forward to political excitement.
Alix took great satisfaction in denying them what they expected.
Beyond the open window in this large and elegantly furnished meeting room, revelers laughed and sang and danced as they enjoyed the first night of the Festival of Eramyn which ushered in the spring and said farewell to a cold winter. A large bonfire was visible, and now and then Alix’s gaze drifted in that direction. Flames against the black night sky were more tolerable than the sight of Jahn arguing with those of power who surrounded him, those who insisted that it was time the emperor took a bride.
The twins had not always been Jahn and Alix Beckyt, emperor and prince. Until six years ago they had been known as Devlyn and Trystan Arndell, poor sons of a lost fisherman and a seamstress who worked hard to keep food on the table. They had been sentinels who’d gladly joined the fight against the demon-possessed Ciro. Those simple days might’ve been from another lifetime, they seemed so long ago. Alix very seldom thought of himself as Trystan Arndell anymore, and no one would mistake Emperor Jahn for a fisherman’s son.
The majority of the common people of Columbyana had no idea their current emperor had come from such humble beginnings. They knew only that Emperor Sebestyen’s twin sons miraculously had been found alive. However, many of those in power knew the whole sordid story, as did a large number of those who worked in the palace.
The sight of the bonfire did not distract Alix quite enough. He heard each minister and priest, one after another, wholeheartedly suggest a different woman to fill the position of empress. Each female was presented as more beautiful, more sweet-tempered, more suitable than the last.
After a short while the moment came when the emperor tired of playing with those around him. “Fine,” Jahn said, a tenor of certainty and resignation in his voice. “I suppose I must marry.” There was a collective sigh of relief from those surrounding him, but then the emperor added, “I will not, however, allow anyone else to choose my wife for me.”
There was a flurry of argument as the men who had gathered around their emperor protested. They knew too well that Jahn’s taste in women leaned to the unacceptable. An empress must be of an impeccable bloodline. She must not laugh too loudly or lose her temper or make bawdy jokes, and she certainly could not bare too much of her precious skin in public. An empress must be refined and elegant, a woman worthy of a country’s loyalty and affection.
Jahn raised a hand, and the others were immediately silenced. The elder twin had taken quite well to his position, and he instinctively knew how to wield the power which was his by blood. “Those women who have been so glowingly suggested will be brought to the palace, where I will meet them all and make my choice.”
“But, my lord,” the Minister of Finance Tomos protested. He was pale and fleshy, looking very much like a man who spent his days bent over stacks of papers as numbers filled his head. “No woman of high rank will subject herself to such scrutiny and humiliation. These potential brides are not horses to be inspected and judged and... and discarded.”
Jahn would not be swayed. “Any woman who wishes to be empress will agree to my terms.”
A tall, thin priest, Father Braen, bowed with a modicum of respect. “I suspect Tomos is correct, my lord. No suitable female will wish to be examined and found lacking, only to be sent home in disgrace.”
“Then perhaps I should marry them all,” Jahn responded. “It’s been a long while since the Emperor of Columbyana possessed a proper harem.”
“You cannot suggest...” Braen snapped.
“I can suggest anything I wish,” Jahn said coldly, in the voice he used to silence opposition. It was a voice Alix had not heard until his brother had been made emperor. “I can change the laws and take a dozen brides, if I so choose. I can ignore your suggestions and remain unwed. I can impregnate any number of immoral and willing women and allow you all to fight over who the heir might be. Anything is possible. Anything. Never forget that.”
The smooth and seemingly unshakable Minister Calvyno bowed crisply. “My lord is correct, of course. I find his suggestion of bringing all the potential brides here for his inspection to be most”—he swallowed hard, unable to carry off his statement as smoothly as he’d intended—“reasonable,” he finished in an uncertain voice.
“Excellent.” Jahn stood. “I heard six names mentioned here tonight. Six of my most respected men will collect these women and bring them to me. Some reside quite a distance from the palace, so I suggest the bridal candidates be presented to me on the first night of the Summer Festival, in three months’ time. Six of the fastest couriers should be dispatched immediately so the ladies will be prepared to be collected.”
The men around the emperor nodded in approval—whether they actually approved of the plan or not. No one but Alix noticed the dulling of the light in Jahn’s eyes. No one but Alix knew how deeply vexed the emperor was to be forced to take a wife.
“I will see to it, my lord,” General Hydd said with his usual solemnity. “The couriers will leave at first light.”
Jahn dismissed the crowd with a wave of his hand, and the men who had surrounded the emperor left quickly, almost as if they were glad to escape. Usually the emperor’s meetings with his closest advisors were more genial, but the subject of an empress and a much-needed heir was a prickly one.
When Alix made as if to follow the others, Jahn stopped him with a raised hand and
waved him to his side, just as the last of the ministers left the room and the heavy door closed with an ominous, dull thud.
“I should like to send you to Tryfyn to collect the Princess Edlyn,” Jahn said. No one else would see the tiredness and even the surrender in his eyes, but Alix saw. He knew his brother well.
“It may be difficult to convince the King of Tryfyn to send his daughter to you for inspection,” Alix said.
“Having a prince designated as her escort should ease his reluctance.” Jahn shrugged his shoulders, wide, tired shoulders encased in imperial crimson. “If Princess Edlyn does not come, then it was not meant to be, and my choice will be all that much easier. She is of the highest rank of all those proposed, so I suppose she has a bit of an advantage, if she should decide to participate in the contest.” He suddenly looked more Devlyn than emperor, his eyes hinting at the boy Alix had once known. “A contest for my bride. What do you think my closest advisors would think if I made it a real contest? I could bed them all and choose the one who pleases me most. I could strip them bare and search for imperfections. I can only imagine what Father Braen would think of that type of competition.”
Alix knew that his brother was joking about testing the women in such a way. Jahn had taken too naturally to his position of power to throw it all away on such a whim. He realized that every word, every decision, was weighed and measured. Still, Alix breathed deeply before asking, “Are you sure about this plan of yours? Is it truly wise?”
For the first time in a long while, Alix saw a true smile from his brother. “I doubt anyone ever expected wisdom from Devlyn Arndell.”
“True, but they demand it from Emperor Jahn.” Alix bowed crisply. “I will, of course, do as you ask.”
After almost six years in the palace, the twins had heard many tales of their conception and birth. The stories were told in whispers and tinged with magic, and it was impossible to know what was true and what was myth. No matter how it was told, the story was unsavory and sad. One they did not wish to dwell upon or examine too closely. Still, they could not ignore what they heard. They did not know all, would never know all, but one aspect of the tale was unchanging.
One twin had been conceived in darkness, the other in light. One twin was destined to wrestle with darkness, and the other was born of goodness and light.
Those who knew them surely believed that Emperor Jahn, a man who gambled and occasionally drank to excess and often enjoyed the company of inappropriate women, was the twin who struggled with a darkness of the soul, and Alix, who was noble and steady and well mannered, was the twin born to light.
Only Alix knew that they were wrong.
* * * * * *
Titles by Linda Winstead Jones
The Columbyana novels,
in order of publication:
The Sun Witch
The Moon Witch
The Star Witch
Prince of Magic
Prince of Fire
Prince of Swords
Untouchable
22 Nights
Bride by Command
Bride by Midnight
Firebird, a Columbyana novella
The Rock Creek Six Books
Reese, by Lori Handeland
Sullivan, by Linda Winstead Jones
Rico, by Lori Handeland
Jed, by Linda Winstead Jones
Nate, by Lori Handeland
Cash, by Linda Winstead Jones
For a complete list of previous and upcoming releases check here:
www.lindawinsteadjones.com
Linda Winstead Jones
Linda's first book, the historical romance Guardian Angel, was released in 1994 and in the years since she's written in several romance sub-genres under several names. In order of appearance, Linda Winstead; Linda Jones; Linda Winstead Jones; Linda Devlin; and Linda Fallon. She's a six time finalist for the RITA Award and a winner (for Shades of Midnight, writing as Linda Fallon) in the paranormal category. She’s a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of seventy books. Most recently she's been writing as Linda Jones in a couple of joint projects with Linda Howard, and rereleasing some of her backlist in ebook format. She can be found at any one of a variety of Facebook pages and at www.lindawinsteadjones.com.
Linda lives in Huntsville, Alabama. She can be reached at:
[email protected]
Twitter at @LWJbooks
twitter.com/LWJbooks
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/LindaWinsteadJones
https://www.facebook.com/LindaHowardLindaJones
Don't miss out!
Click the button below and you can sign up to receive emails whenever Linda Winstead Jones publishes a new book. There's no charge and no obligation.
https://books2read.com/r/B-A-NBEC-YFOH
Connecting independent readers to independent writers.
Also by Linda Winstead Jones
Children of the Sun
Prince of Magic
Prince of Fire
Prince of Swords
Columbyana finale
Bride by Midnight
Firebird
Dragonstone Dance
Fairy Tale Romance
Into the Woods
DeButy and the Beast
Someone's Been Sleeping in My Bed
Big Bad Wolf
Let Me Come In
Cinderfella
One Day, My Prince
Jackie and the Giant
Let Down Your Hair
The Emperor's Brides
Untouchable
22 Nights
Bride by Command
The Fyne Witches
The Sun Witch
The Moon Witch
The Star Witch
The Rock Creek Six
Sullivan
Jed
Cash
The Shades Trilogy
Shades of Midnight
Shades of Winter
Shades of Scarlet
Standalone
The Rock Creek Six: The Complete Set
Bridger's Last Stand
Jingle Bell Rock
Moonlight Becomes You: A Short Story
Haunted Honeymoon
Children of the Sun
Midnight Moonlight: A Short Story
Warrior Rising
Behind the Mask
Clint's Wild Ride
Running Scared
Desperado's Gold
On a Wicked Wind
Calling After Midnight
Forever Mine
Resolution
Watch for more at Linda Winstead Jones’s site.
About the Author
After publishing more than seventy books, I’ve finally admitted to myself that I just can’t make up my mind about what, exactly, I want to write. Since 1994 I’ve written romance in several different sub-genres. Historical; fairy tale; romantic suspense; paranormal; fantasy; contemporary. As so many authors do, I write what speaks to me in that moment. Who knows what will come next? Whatever the genre, I believe the perfect romance should provide a tear and a couple of laughs, a chill or two, and by the time the story is over, the reader should be left with a smile and the feeling that all is right with the world in that moment. I hope you’ve enjoyed the story you just read. For more information please check out my website at www.lindawinsteadjones.com. You can sign up for my newsletter there, if you'd like. Free to drop me a note at [email protected], or visit me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LindaWinsteadJones or www.facebook.com/LindaHowardLindaJones. I'm also on Twitter, @LWJbooks. Best Regards, Linda
Read more at Linda Winstead Jones’s site.
Archive.
Children of the Sun Page 78