The Worlds of J D L Rosell Read online

  The babe had begun crying as he'd neared the Charred Citadel, and was still crying as Harald waited in the throne room. He awkwardly held the bundled child, wishing he were anywhere else. Part of him wanted to hurl the babe from the window, if only to stop its wailing. The greater part clutched it closer to him, hoping it hadn’t come to harm in the hard ride back to the Citadel. With blood smearing the child's blankets, he knew better than to think it was for the child’s safety that he was concerned, and not his own.

  The door to the chamber opened, and the Premier and his hulking shadow entered. “You've made your arrival no secret,” Estanfal’s steward noted with annoyance.

  Harald felt sarcasm bitter on his tongue. “Yes, Premier. Next time, I’ll gag it.”

  The Premier stared at him for a long moment, then turned to the man beside him. “Ven, if you would relieve the Courier of his burden.”

  As the dark man approached, Harald felt the sudden urge to clutch the child close to him. But when Ven extended his arms, he reluctantly gave up the child to the bodyguard. It was a strange sight, the babe held against the dark metal of the man's armor. Ven turned and walked to the door. The babe had begun to quiet in a way that made Harald feel strangely jealous.

  The Premier, who had watched Ven's exit, turned his gaze back to Harald. “I trust the woman is dead?”

  His gut clenched tight. “Yes.”

  “As are any witnesses? Only you and I know of this babe’s humble origins?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You have done well. Now, I wish to give you your reward.”

  Despite his earlier dreams of being an earl, apprehension filled him. “As you would, Premier.”

  “No doubt you are wondering why all of this is necessary. Why I had you search for a pretty girl with good teeth and a baby sister.”

  Never ask more than you’ll pay. “A Courier doesn't need to know the reason to do his duty.”

  The Premier laughed softly. “That's true. The best tools are the ones suited only for that job and no other. But come, humor me. You must have been curious.”

  Sweat trickled down his back. Whatever secret was behind his tasks, he wanted no knowledge of it. Yet he could see no way out now. None, but the unthinkable. Ven's absence pressed on him with uncomfortable urgency. The hilt of his knife seemed to weigh heavier at his side.

  He worked his tongue around his dry mouth. “No more than to complete the job.”

  The Premier studied him, a small smile on his thin lips. “Then indulge my vanity — Ven is a poor conversationalist for a confidant. In truth, this was never about the girl; she was merely a signpost. Good teeth indicate good health. And if the older sister is pretty and hale, and the mother still has a full smile, then reason stands that the youngest daughter may have the teeth of a queen and a face to enchant — should she be taught so. Yes, this was about the babe. The girl is far too old to teach, to train, to groom. A babe, however, is a blank sheet of parchment. And upon her, I will impress all the things she must learn to become an empress.”

  Harald had already heard too much. But if he was caught in the tar pits, he may as well sink deeper. “Empress of what, Premier? There are no empires left in the world.”

  “But there are the embers of one. Embers I wish to reignite.” As he turned his gaze, the Premier's eyes caught the light of the braziers, making them shine. “Under my hand, Sundar will rise once more. And this child will be its monarch.”

  “And the Queen?” Harald dared. “Will she not be the true empress?”

  The Premier smiled like a snake at a mouse. “Of course. But power and fear alone will not forge a lasting empire. For that, love, too, must exist. And who can help but fall in love with a beautiful, powerful woman, unmarred by the Queen’s influence?”

  “As you say, Premier.”

  The smile slipped from his lips. “You're a clever man, Harald. You've known to never ask more than you need to. But cleverness can only carry you so far as a Courier when you have not killed your mercy.”

  His heart hammered in his chest. “I don't follow, Premier.”

  “Did you not flinch when you delivered the girl to me? Were you not repulsed at imagining what I intended for the babe? Did you not try to save the mother?”

  His throat constricted so he almost couldn't breathe. “I killed the woman,” he croaked.

  “But that is not all you did. I had you followed, Harald. I know every word of mercy you offered her. You didn't think I trusted you, did you? You don't live as long as I do through trust.” A cold smile creased the Premier’s scaled face. “How it must have hurt to kill her anyway.”

  Weakness threatened to collapse him. Instead, Harald searched for the anger ever simmering inside him, embraced it, finding strength enough to speak. “What do you want with me?”

  “Nothing that I won't soon attain—”

  Harald moved before the Premier had finished speaking, ripping his knife free and lunging forward. He grabbed at the Premier’s robes, but his hand closed over air. Frail and old as he'd always seemed, the Premier moved with impossible speed, dodging out of the way. Then his hand snaked out and closed over his wrist.

  She flooded into his mind, choking him, drowning him. The Queen’s presence burned as she inundated him, filling him so there was no room for himself. Harald was dimly aware of falling, his breath coming in gasps, his heart fluttering against the overpowering thrum a Tyrant’s heartbeat.

  The Premier's whisper came harshly in his ear. “The Queen does not suffer betrayal. But I will not release you to death. For this, you will suffer a far worse fate. Your mind will break long before your body fails you. And still, I will not let you die.”

  Harald fought with all his feeble strength, but he could not even move a finger. He barely had room for fear as the Queen ravaged his mind. As anguish lanced through him, he was almost glad to sink into unconsciousness.

  It would be, he knew now, his only reprieve.

  The epic tale continues in the first book of Scions of Flame and Stone: Dragonreign.

  * * *

  Stay tuned for future releases!

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  Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed your plunge into my fantastical worlds.

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  - Josiah, aka J.D.L. Rosell

  Books by J.D.L. Rosell

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  * * *

  Legend of Tal

  1. A King's Bargain

  2. A Queen's Command

  The Famine Cycle

  Secret Seller (Prequel)

  1. City of Whispers

  The Phantom Heist (Novella)

  2. Realm of Ashes

  The Everlands

  1. Absalom's Fate

  2. Absalom's Trials

  3. Absalom's Heretic

  About the Author

  J.D.L. Rosell is the author of the dark epic fantasy series The Famine Cycle, the fast-paced LitRPG/Gamelit series The Everlands, and the sword-and-sorcery series Legend of Tal. He also writes serialized books, including the Nordic epic fantasy The Frozen Throne.

  Previously, J.D.L. Rosell earned an MA in creative writing and has written as a ghostwriter. Always drawn to the outdoors, he gets out into nature whenever he can and indulges in his hobbies of hiking and photography. But most of the time, he can be found curled up with a good book at home with his fiancée and two cats, Zelda and Abenthy.

  Follow along with his occasional author updates and serializations at www.jdlrosell.com or contact him at [email protected].

 

 

 
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