Another Excerpt

Beams of sunlight spun deceptive patterns upon the cool surface of the tile, bending its light into a thousand enticing hues. The rusted creak of huge oaken doors resonated throughout the hollow room as Arrenia pushed them aside. Allowing them to swing shut behind her, she stopped, rooted suddenly to the ground.

There, a man knelt before her stepmother and Isabel, a cloak as black as a moonless night falling from his shoulders. Stitched in fiery colors of scarlet, snakes slithered in fixed adornment about it. The crimson orbs shone forth, glowing amidst the darkness. Gulping, Arrenia forced her way forward, skimming past the mysterious being to kneel at Illana’s feet.

“You have called for me, stepmother?”

The queen’s long fingernails rattled against the armrest of her throne as she tapped it absently. “Yes, Arrenia, my dear. Please rise and meet Lucrious Orakin, Prince of Sleyvink.”

Lucrious. Every letter of the name hissed down her spine, merging into one large shudder. Whiteness hallooed her knuckles as her fingers tightened into a ball. Her legs began to shake, begging her to flee. Lucrious of Sleyvink.
“Go on, dear, say something. Offer him your hand,” Illana whispered.

Hesitancy clogged Arrenia’s throat, her fluttering stomach almost making her ill. Slowly, she extended a clammy hand forward and forced a smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Lucrious.”

With one flourishing sweep, he rose and threw back his hood, his lips brushing her fingers. “A pleasure to finally meet you as well, most beautiful maiden. I have heard many good things about you.”

He brought his gaze up to meet hers, scanning and surveying her. She recoiled, a vague sense of horrified fascination erupting within her. That scrutiny! Where had she felt it before?

Night covered the senses of her imagination. Cloaked figures. A roaring fire. Snakes. Castor pushing her down. Suddenly, she knew.

Cold sweat oozed from her flesh as she backed away

“He has come to ask for your hand in marriage, my dearest girl. Isn’t that wonderful? Think of how the alliance would heal our two nations!”

Arrenia clenched her roiling stomach as the knot within it twisted. Fear pounded upon the drum of her heart. Goosebumps pricked her arms, raising her hair until it stood on end.

Grinning crookedly, he said, “It is true. As soon as I heard of your good deeds and agreeable nature, I set off at once to find you, for I knew I loved you.”

From where she sat beside her mother, Isabel scowled down at him, a look of disapproval etched upon her face. Digging her long nails into the lion’s head carved into her small throne, she channeled all of her anger into strangling the stone creature beneath her hands.

Lucrious glanced at her momentarily as he fell to one knee. “Miss Arrenia de la Cornia, Princess of Lydacia, I offer you my heart- my very life…take it….” He looked at her. “I beg of you.”

She stood unmoved, unable to speak, unable to flee. Cunningness cutting through his gaze, it pierced right through her, the silent screams of his scheming rattling her being. Trembling until she almost couldn’t stand, her mind raced, fighting hard to break through the barrier of soundless noise ringing in her ears.

“Say yes, my dear. We don’t want to keep the Prince of Sleyvink waiting, now, do we?” Illana whispered.

Sleyvink. Castor. Tears pricked the corners of Arrenia’s eyes, pooling about them before spilling softly onto her flushed cheeks. She hung her head. Why, oh why, had she ever returned? Had she just remained with Castor, none of this would ever have happened! She might be dead by now, of that she was fairly certain. But of what purpose was living a life of pain? Even death must be preferable to this torture she now daily knew! Oh, why had she been such a coward? Why could she have not gone bravely to her death?

Oh, Ino, help me! she prayed.

“That is it. You have thought for long enough, dear!” Illana rose and, pulling Arrenia along with her, marched her way down the steps. Taking both of their hands, she joined them together, saying, “There! I give my blessing to this union and hereby announced you two betrothed!”

Arrenia felt her heart shatter into a million pieces, crushed beneath her hopeless plight. Through her blurred vision, she glared up at her stepmother. A small, faint whisper emitted from her mouth. “How could you?”

Cocking her head slightly, the woman replied. “I do this for the betterment of our people, Arrenia. Someday, you will understand.”

Opening her mouth to reply, the girl stammered out indeterminable sounds. Chest throbbing, she struggled to speak, to vent the angered heartbreak pent up inside. Her tongue tightened into a knot of pain, coiling into a knot of pain. Yanking herself free from both of their grasps, she fled across the tile floor.

Illana’s lips curved into a firm line as she watched the girl go, a hard, frigid haze glazing her gaze. The infuriated furnace of her soul flared color onto her cheeks. Muttering inaudible words in ancient Lydacian, she turned to Lucrious.

The corners of her mouth peeled back, sunlight glinting off her flawless teeth. “You must forgive my stepdaughter’s impudence, your Highness. She has endured a rather taxing past few days and is quite exasperated. I shall now depart from you to speak with her. Good evening.”

Spreading her silken skirt its full width, she executed a dainty curtsey. Then, gathering her hem from off the floor, she strode away, calling Arrenia’s name.

Isabel slid from the cushioned seat upon her throne, gliding with conniving grace towards the man. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she approached, her jaw set firm, her features encased in a shell frozen by her cold demeanor. Bending her head slightly, she dug her nails into the fleshy recesses of Lucrious’s face, glaring wickedly at him.

“How dare you?” she hissed.

Grasping her wrist, he drew her in until her breath puffed gently on his features. “Isabel. Dear, cruel Isabel. Beautiful to the eye and dark to the soul. This is part of the plan. Fret not your pretty brow over the whims of its fancy.”

The girl sighed, puckering out her lower lip in impudent detestment. Nosing her face forward, she said, “You poisonous little snake! You loved me!”

Caressing the smooth flesh of her hand, he whispered softly in her ear. “Yes, but Arrenia is now within my reach.”

She yanked away and strode across the room, her chin pointed skyward.

Beams of sunlight spilled over the folds of her flowy dress, clashing brilliantly with the darkness of her material cloud, sparkling upon the sequins sewn into it. Lucrious blinked, blinded by this light. Reeling backwards, he caught himself on his elbows and began scrambling farther away from the sight. Trembles took his body for a reason he couldn’t explain. Thoughts brimmed in his head, bubbling over in his mind. He closed his eyes and turned away, sealing them with a tight squeeze as he replaced light with darkness. He could feel it all around him, enveloping him, as if it wanted to swallow him whole. As the black abyss swam before his eyes, as single Voice rang through his head.

“Don’t,” It said. “Don’t. Let the girl go.”


Suddenly, an image of Arrenia, lying prostrate upon her bed, entered his mind. Pillow catching her tears, she wept and wailed without reserve. Screaming to Ino, she beat the mattress with a relentless fist.

Lucrious smiled. Good! Just as he wanted it.

He clenched his teeth, words forming from behind it. “Never.”

Isabel spun around on her heels. “What?!”

Lifting his lids, Lucrious allowed daylight to flood his vision once again. Isabel stood before him, feet planted firmly upon the ground. Her stare bore through him, piercing his heart and penetrating to his soul. The ferocity of her anger burned through him, leaving his tongue dry and speechless. He hung his head.

She stomped over to him and grasped his chin, forcing his vision upward. Cold and unflinching, she sneered in his face. “What did you say? Tell me.”

Gulping, he attempted to speak. “This is all necessary, my sweet.”

“Just what is necessary?...Tell me!”

Brow arching in cynicism, she peered at him, her silence spinning cords of strength about his tongue, knotting it tightly within his jaws. Triumph crawled across her countenance, lining her features in reveled victory.

Averting his gaze from hers, he began to trip over the words. “This deception…this feigned love-”

Slap!

Stinging zapped through his being, a crimson color surfacing under the powerful thrust of Isabel’s bony hand. He held his cheek, flinching as the after-effects sprawled through his nerves. Rocking slightly, he set his jaw against the throbbing pain pulsing through his body.

“Feigned love, ha!” she laughed in his face. “Don’t think I didn’t see the twinkle in your eye. Am I so hideous in spirit and soul that even your reputation pales in comparison to mine? To what avail is this scheme of yours?”

Inhaling deeply, he flipped up his chin and stared steadily into her eyes. “You wanted to rule.”

Erecting her posture, her vision traced her nose right down to him. “As did you.”

He leapt to his feet, the red hot blood of anger coursing through his veins. With it seizing him in the wild siege of his being, he wrapped solid fists around her shoulders, shaking her with the tremblings of his fierce fury. “Do you have any idea what I have done for you? What I have done for us? Do you really think there is any profit for me in marrying a fatherless Lydacian princess, unless it is to murder her in her sleep?! The medallion is the girl’s most prized possession. Without it she is worthless. I had to get it somehow. What did you expect?”

She grasped his tunic, leaning in. “I expected you to play it fair.”

Locking her gaze in his, he backed her up against a pillar. His heart beat in his chest with every step he took, pumping blood through his veins. Heat scourged his soul as he took her in, the coolness of her fiery quiet fanning the flames, thawing his icy innards. The snow-white skin, smooth and untainted by ugliness’s accursed kiss. The lips of royal ruby, echoed in the feisty fire of fury in her eyes.

Pushing aside a black strand of hair, he leaned in and whispered, “Isabel. Being of beauty untold, of such I will never find again. Did you not know it was of you of whom I spoke? The princess Arrenia means nothing to me. It is your beauty that captures my soul.”

She shoved him away. “Until I discover the true meaning behind your unjust little façade, your words are non-existent to me.”

Moving in, he wrapped his arms about her and encased her mouth in a kiss, his pulse pounding in his throat. She tensed for a moment, pulling back with all her might, battling against the emotions running through her. Second by second, strength drained from her. She fought against it, struggling for her right to stand in her own stubborn will. Parried and blocked by her inner self, her energy waned, leaving her to melt into his embrace.

Feeling her sinews slacken beneath his touch, he released her, caressing her in a cherishing cradle. Sinking deeper into his arms, she cracked her eyes slightly open.

“Fair enough?” he asked.

“I suppose,” she said.