Tag: alternate fantasy

Flash Fiction Fridays – Thuriel’s Dagger

Featured Ariel Paiement

This week’s flash fiction is about the forging of the dagger from Revelar’s Queen. Enjoy!

~~~

Thuriel bent close over the glowing silver in its crucible. Bubbles formed and popped on the surface. It was almost time. Soon he would forge the blade that would protect his descendants, the blade that would destroy her. The Seelie Queen who had taken everything from him. His soulmate, his throne, and his people. This dagger would take it all back and inflict the same pain on her. With each descendant who held it, it would grow in strength, in the thirst for revenge. His descendants would ruin her even if he couldn’t.

He plunged his hand into the boiling silver, wrapping his hand in a cocoon of magic and blending the magic into the silver. When it glowed and sparked with his power, he removed his hand and let the silver bubble in its crucible over the fire a little longer. Then he removed it and brought it over to cast the dagger. 

Each movement was precise, and he took each with care as if he were crafting the subtlest of masterpieces. He whistled to himself as he worked, continued to imbue it with his power throughout the entire process and ended the process with a final blow of the hammer. The dagger lay on the anvil, gleaming under the light, and he placed one last piece into it. Heating up the handle, he warmed the metal until it would give under his hammer. Then he embedded a single uncut ruby into it. This was the tricky part. He reached deep inside, grabbed a part of his soul and tore it away from the rest forcefully.

His body convulsed, and he screamed in agony, but he gritted his teeth and continued. This had to be done if the dagger was to guide his descendants. He directed the piece of his soul into the ruby and bound it there. Finished at last, he sagged to his knees on the ground and rested his head against the table. It was finished.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! Have something you’d like to see on Flash Fiction Fridays? Feel free to leave the suggestion in the comments!

Flash Fiction Fridays – Nunael

Ariel Paiement

This week, we go back to Enlil from the Flash Fiction post Hear Him Thunder. If you haven’t read it yet, feel free to read it here! Anyway, on to the flash fiction for this week.

~~~

Nunael stared at the man. His eyes still sparked and echoed the lightning rolling over their heads. Faint sparks lit and died on his fingertips too. She dropped to her knees before him, tears springing past her lashes when she closed her eyes.

“Look at me.”

She opened her eyes as told, unable to resist for some reason. Why was she entranced by him? He emanated anger and vengeance, and the smoking ruins of the village surrounding her castle attested to that mood. “Please…”

“Please what?” He towered over her, and lightning crackled overhead.

“Please leave my family alone.”

He crouched down with a frown. “Why should I? It’s their own fault this is happening.”

“What could they have done to merit your wrath?”

“They tried to keep what was mine.”

“And so you killed innocents?”

He scoffed. “Hardly. Your people are complicit in the crime. Your parents couldn’t protect you from a god alone.”

Her pulse raced, and her fingers trembled on the hilt of the dagger at her hip. The man’s eyes traced over the shape of the blade’s pommel, and he laughed. She trembled at the sound and slowly stood again, facing him eye to eye.

“Did they send you out here?”

“No. I was the only one willing. I offered and hoped I could reason with you. Now I see that was madness.”

He shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Not now. What does matter is that you’re here, delivered to me just as you should’ve been on the full moon a month ago.”

“Are you insane? I’m not going to leave home with a murderer.”

He stepped closer with a twisted sneer. “I’m not insane. But you are if you think you have a choice.”

“One always has a choice.”

He reached out to take her chin in his firm grip. “But you must bear the consequences of that choice.  And others have choices too.”

She lifted her chin. “I don’t want to go with you.”

“But you will anyway.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because, Princess. I know why you came out here.”

She took a trembling step back. “I told you why.”

“Yes, you did.” He smiled with a sad glint in his gaze. “You want to avert more death.”

“Of course.”

“You want to protect them, even if they don’t deserve it.”

“They do.” 

But she didn’t believe that anymore. Not really. Not when they’d let her come out to meet the storm alone.

“They don’t.”

“Fine, have it your way. But I’ll do what’s right regardless.”

He laughed. “Right? Wrong? It makes no difference. But that is why you will come with me anyway. Because you need to do what you believe is right.”

“And you will use it against me.” She crossed her arms.

“Don’t blame me, Princess. Blame your family. They drove me to this point.”

“You had a choice. You could’ve walked away.”

“Duty demands I fulfill my word. They knew the consequences.”

“And everyone in the village? Did they know the consequences too?”

“If your parents informed them.”

“And if they didn’t?” She shook her head with a hysterical laugh. “You killed those people for doing their duty, however misguided it was. Am I to condone that?”

“It doesn’t matter to me if you do or not.” He held out a hand to her. “Now, will you come or will you try to deny me my right as well?”

She stared down at his hand. “What are the consequences for refusal?”

“I thought you knew.” He sighed. “Shall I spell it out?”

Nunael remained silent.

“Very well. You can come willingly or they all die and I’ll still take you.”

She bit the inside of her cheek and turned to look back at the castle. No one stood watching for her safe return. Cowards. Well, they might not deserve their salvation, but she wouldn’t do the wrong thing just because they had. She turned and put her hand in the stranger’s. “Let’s go then.”

~~~

That’s it for this week! I hope you all enjoyed it. Do you have something you’d like to see in future flash fictions? I’m open to suggestions, so feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #30

Ariel Paiement

This week’s main work-in-progress has been Pathway of the Moon. With eleven chapters left to a total of sixty chapters, this books has been a major undertaking. It’s the longest project I’ve ever worked on, and it’s hard to believe that, a little more than a year after I started it, it’ll be finished, at least in its rough draft form. I’m really excited! This week’s WIP section comes from the last chapter I completed.

~~~

LEO rubbed his eyes and stared at the pages in front of him. They’d come no closer to answers with their night of studying than they were the day before. Books and scrolls donated to their work by the scholars from the Argos Records Library and their new friends among the Disciples of Rith lay scattered everywhere. Amadeira had fallen asleep at some point, her head resting atop one of the smaller tomes they’d received. He sighed and set aside the diary.

He’d learned a great deal more about the things he was, supposedly, capable of, but in all that searching, nothing to explain the problems with the Pathway. His blood should have opened it. And it had, but now the Pathway was broken, allowing no further travel to and from their world. He’d discovered only one thing in all his searching. 

Pages were missing from the diary. Who knew what they’d contained or where they’d gone. Maybe they were another prophecy. Maybe another explanation to help him, the Son of Shadows, find his true path. But so far, he just felt like his head might explode, and he wanted to throw the book across the room.

He stood and rubbed his temples. Maybe fresh air would help. He glanced over at Amadeira. Still asleep. She shivered slightly in the draft coming from the window. He walked over and latched it shut before snatching a blanket from the seat beneath it. Then he returned to Amadeira and settled the warm, scratchy wool over her sleeping frame. She whimpered but didn’t wake up.

Satisfied with that, he left her to sleep and meandered out into the halls. His aimless walk led him to the gardens, the still crisp air of early morning washing over him. He settled onto a bench with a sigh. All the things he’d learned about himself and the frustratingly elusive solution he needed permeated his mind, refused to let him relax. Two days of searching for nothing. Leo buried his head in his hands with a groan. What good did it do him to know he could use the shadows to teleport or that he could quite literally touch another person’s soul with them if he was unable to solve the issue they most needed to solve?

“You look restless.”

He glanced up to find his mother staring at him with arms crossed. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I’ve been an early riser for quite some time.” She settled beside him. “But you were too busy dispensing justice to others to notice.”

He frowned. “What?”

She fixed him with a stern gaze. “Did you think I had no idea what you were doing? What you were trained to do?”

His frown deepened. “You mean you knew the whole time?”

“Suspected at least. And when you went traipsing off on some secret mission, I guessed the rest. They’re saying you defeated Kiarhsu while you were away. The least you could have done was tell me the truth.”

He sighed. “I couldn’t. They wouldn’t allow it.”

“Before that, you could’ve.”

“I didn’t want you involved.”

She smiled and took his hands in hers. “I know you didn’t. I just wish you hadn’t gone through everything alone. I heard from Amadeira that the king’s making you his liaison with the nobility.”

He nodded. 

“So what has you so down?”

“Honestly?” He sighed. “Too many things.”

“Very well.” His mother squeezed his hands and stood. “Walk with me, and tell me what you can about it.”

He complied with a worn out smile. “Where to start?”

“How about with the trip? I’m certain that’s where some of these troubles are stemming from.”

He laughed sadly. “Yes, some of them. Actually, most of them.”

“What’s troubling you most?”

“The Pathway. We found it, and I opened it because I wasn’t given a choice.”

“Weren’t given a choice?”

“Well, when it’s between letting the one who owns your heart die and saving them by sacrificing yourself to open a Pathway… What would you do?”

She smiled. “You love that girl a great deal. A very large change from when you first met her.”

“I was just trying to protect her back then.”

His mother snorted. “You just didn’t want to pull anyone else into your fight. You were afraid of getting attached and losing her.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. That was part of it. But that’s beside the point. The point is, I couldn’t let her die just to avoid opening that Path. So I let it happen. We barely made it out alive, and this time, she saved me. But ever since I went undercover out there, I’ve been finding more and more things that unsettle me.”

“Like what?”

“Well, first of all, I’m the object of numerous prophecies written by Queen Bane of Ashkarith. Did you know that?”

She raised a brow. “Is that accusation I hear in your voice?”

He glared at her. “Mother, for the love of Albrith! Did you or not? I’m having an existential crisis here. I don’t need to add to it.”

She patted his arm with a sweet smile. “I didn’t know anything about it, no. Your father suspected your potential back when you returned from the woods that night at six. But he never confirmed those suspicions.”

“He confirmed them,” Leo muttered.

“The night you killed him?”

“You knew about that too? Why am I not surprised?”

“I know more about you and your life than you realize. So, you opened the Path?”

“And now it doesn’t work. I’m supposed to figure out why using the diary and books given to me by the Disciples of Rith and the king’s scholars. But I can’t find anything. All I’ve done is uncover the ways my power can be used and all the ways it can go wrong.”

“Go wrong?”

“Plainly put, I need a tether of some sort. I need to be grounded the same way the strongest of those with Controdene abilities do. Even though mine isn’t a mental power, it could still consume me if I’m not careful, and my tether pulls me back from the edge of insanity.”

“That tether is Deira.”

He swallowed and scuffed a foot through the gravel of the path before lifting his head to watch the rising sun. “I think so. I can’t be sure, but she was able to bring me back from the edge of death back in Dubarin. My powers were consuming me and my mind, and she followed me into the dreamscape I was in.”

“Does she know what her part in this is?”

He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. He still hadn’t brought it up with her. Didn’t know how to, if he was honest. How would he tell her that she was in the prophecies right alongside him? That she would be the difference between his salvation or damnation of himself and all of Alcardia.

~~~

Hope you all enjoyed! What have you all been working on? Did anyone finish out their NaNoWriMo projects? I did, though I didn’t manage to finish all of the things I was working on when I started. However, the important thing is that I met my goal of writing at least 50,000 words in November!

As always, feel free to share bits of whatever you’ve been working on or to offer feedback to others here. Just remember to keep everything polite and friendly.

Flash Fiction Fridays – Sinking

Ariel Paiement

This week’s flash fiction is about Ansiel again! Hope you guys enjoy! If you haven’t read the last post on Ansiel, you can go read it here.

~~~

Ansiel stared as she spun away from him into the arms of another man. He barely caught his newest partner in time. She batted pale lashes at him, her pastel pink gaze darkening with interest. He kept his attention firmly fixed on her. On Queen Saeread. She was the only reason he was here in England at all. But he could only curse the purpose that tied him to her now. That purpose was the reason she was untouchable.

He left his partner dancing with another man and wove through the crowd, left the party to find some place of peace and quiet. The festive air everyone else possessed weighed him down, made his heart freeze and his lung seize. He should be happy right now. Should be glad for the reprieve from court back in Ireland. But he couldn’t find a single spark of thankfulness inside his sinking heart.

Hurrying out onto a balcony that was sheltered by an overhang and the wall, he found his sanctuary. Out in the darkness, listening to the pounding of the rain on the cobblestone below, he tried to regain control. She wasn’t his. She never would be. 

A soft footfall sounded behind him. He didn’t turn around. Didn’t need to when he already knew who it was. “Queen Saeread. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She came to stand beside him at the rail, stood in the shadows and let the wall block her from view of those in the party. “Do I need an excuse to see you, Ansiel?”

He winced. No, of course not. But he needed a good excuse to stay. Temptation flared. He could excuse it because his King should be wedding his mate, not some random Fae Queen from London. He could excuse it because he knew the pain his sister would endure if this woman was wed to his King. But he also knew the price for betrayal was high, and he couldn’t bear to start a war that would most definitely involve his sister. So, he remained silent.

“Why don’t you speak?” Saeread’s arm brushed against his. “I hadn’t thought I’d done anything to make you angry.”

He shook his head and glanced over to find her watching him with a pout. “Nothing at all, my lady.”

She sighed. “Do you hate me?”

He tensed. Of course not. “Why would you ask that?”

“You tease me more often than not. And you look at me with something burning so hot in your gaze that I assumed you must. Besides, you spend more time running from me lately than you would if you liked me. Is my company that wretched?”

He couldn’t bear this. Groaning, he turned to face her. “Do you know what it feels like to feel as if, with every step forward you take, you might be taking your last? To feel as if you walk on a razor’s edge?”

A dainty frown creased her brow. “I–“

“No, I’m not done.” He pressed closer, didn’t care that he shouldn’t. “Do you know what it’s like to have a weight sitting on your chest every day? To be torn between two decisions? To feel as if you are sinking down, down, down until you don’t know which way is up? Until you feel like you can’t hold your breath any longer?”

She sucked in a breath, her pretty eyes brimming with tears.

“You don’t. You don’t know what it’s like to see what you want right before your eyes and to know that it’s yours but be unable to take it. You don’t know what it’s like to feel as though you’re sinking deeper into the bottomless sea of despair each day with no chance of rescue.” He shoved past her and paused in the doorway. “And until you do, Saeread, you can’t understand why I look at you the way I do.” 

She sucked in another gasping breath, as if he’d wounded her to the core. But he didn’t wait to hear her response. He just fled. Fled from her, the party, himself, everything. It was all that was left to him now, after all. If he couldn’t have the one woman who should be his, then what was left for him, anyway? 

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed. Have a great weekend!

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #29

Ariel Paiement

This week, I’ve got an excerpt from Unseen, a short story I’m working on for the short story collection I’m hoping to release in 2021. Yes, I know that’s a long way off. But I want a headstart on things because I have so much on my plate. Anyway, Unseen connects most obviously to Revelar’s Queen, though it also connects to In Darkness Lost in a roundabout way and to Leap of Faith, which will be in the anthology Glimpses of Time and Magic, an anthology myself and author Joanna White are compiling with a group of other authors.

~~~

Saeread blinked. Her ears popped, and voices pressed in on every side. But the only one she really heard was the smooth baritone of the young man with the glowing amber eyes. Those molten pools pierced into her and held her in place while his silken voice lured her like a moth to a flame. She jolted into a ramrod straight position on her throne and stared at him. In the back of her mind, something nagged at her about this man, this ambassador from Ireland. But she brushed it away the next instant and smiled warmly before allowing herself to sink back against the cushioned seat. “It is wonderful to have you here, Ambassador. I trust you found the young woman I sent to your master’s court pleasant?”

He grinned. “Very affable, mi’lady.”

She nodded. “And your accommodations here?”

“More than generous, truth be told. I have been received far more warmly than I had anticipated.”

She laughed. “What did you expect, sir?”

“Certainly not a woman of such ravishing beauty and wit. And certainly not the warmth with which I have been greeted.” He bowed with a smile. “After all, you didn’t have to stoop as low as to notice an unworthy descendant of the Unseelie. In the fae world, we are the least of the least, after all.”

She grimaced. “Sarcasm doesn’t befit you, I think, Ambassador.”

He lifted his head. “Then if I may be so bold, mi’lady, it’s Ansiel, not Ambassador.”

She rolled the sounds around in her head. Ahnshiel. It was a nice name. But she shouldn’t encourage such a public display of forwardness. “An ambassador is what you are, and so you shall be respected as such when in formal settings.”

A gleam entered his bright gaze. “And might there be an occasion for an informal setting?”

She crossed her arms with a smirk. “Around here, Ambassador, we have more than our share of informal settings. I am certain you will run across more than a few if you remain this charming.”

He ducked his head. “I have offended already. Forgive me, mi’lady. On occasion, I forget myself and am, as a result, too blunt.”

“Honesty isn’t a bad thing.”

“Only when it is presented to those it could most benefit. For I fear, they are the least happy to hear it.”

“Perhaps.” She cocked her head to the side. “You’re a strange one, Ambassador Ansiel.”

He smiled at her, and it held a subtle, feral note to it. How odd he was! But, he was King Feread’s chosen liaison, and she couldn’t turn him away, so she ignored the strangeness of his behaviors and the smile he now bestowed upon her. His grin widened when he saw she wouldn’t remark on it. “If I may, mi’lady, I wish to retire to my chambers. I find myself more worn than I anticipated.”

She stifled a laugh at how formal he made everything sound and gave him a brief nod. “Do as you like. A servant will fetch you later. I wish to dine with you and speak with you of the state of matters for King Feread’s court. It has been some time since he and I last spoke.”

There was that curious glint again. It was almost as if he was mocking her, but she didn’t know what the misstep was. More than likely, she was being to sensitive. She brushed it off and watched him go with a soft sigh. There would be time enough to figure him out later. For now, there wasn’t a point to giving herself a headache in trying.

~~~

That’s if for me this week, everyone! What are you guys up to? Anything interesting? Feel free to share about your projects in the comments below!

Flash Fiction Fridays – Ansiel’s Quest

Ariel Paiement1 Comment

This week’s flash fiction is about a new character, Ansiel. This particular character features in a short story on the Fae Queen of the London Fae Court. If you haven’t gotten your free copy of Revelar’s Queen and read through it, then I’ll let you know now that the Fae Queen in my short story, Unseen, is the same one who was in charge of the London Fae Court during the events of Revelar’s Queen. With that note out of the way, let’s dive right in!

~~~

Ansiel leaned on the railing of his balcony with a sigh. A quest to scout out a bride for his king was quite a weight. And while he felt honored that his master had seen fit to send his personal bodyguard to do the scouting, he wished it didn’t have to be him. He wasn’t cut out for all of the diplomatic nonsense and courtly fawning required of ambassadors. It wasn’t even in his job description. Or it wouldn’t be if he’d had a job description. But, he couldn’t tell Faread no. So, here he was on the night of his departure, moping.

Soft footfalls alerted him to an intruder, and he spun on his heel. A slender figure stepped from the shadows, and he sighed. Then he shook his head with a soft smile. “Still at it, Ceili? When will you accept that you can’t sneak up on me?”

“Never.” Ceili matched his grin with one of her own. “So, what is this I hear about my brother becoming a diplomat?”

He put his hands on his hips. “Where did you hear that?”

“‘Read may have let it slip.”

Ansiel crossed his arms. “Nicknames, now, eh? Have you moved from mistress to prospective bride?”

She snorted. “Really, Ansi. Is it necessary to be that way? When are you going to accept that your baby sister is old enough to make her own choices? If I choose to warm my mate’s bed, that’s my own decision. Given what we went through over my career choice, I assumed you’d learned I was an adult.”

“That’s hardly fair! I’m your older brother. It’s my job to protect you, and I can’t do that if you give your heart to a man planning to wed another and risk your life protecting his kingdom from the threats he sees in every shadow.”

“He’s my mate.” She crossed her arms. “What do you want me to do? Abandon him?”

“He’s abandoning you.”

“Mates only happen once for us. You know that. And there’s only a fifty percent chance that you will.”

“I know that too,” he noted.

She shook her head with a huff. “And as for my career choice, I like what I do.”

“You enjoy killing people and living in the shadows. Never thought I’d hear that coming out of your mouth. A year ago, before he finally noticed you, you hated it.”

“Well…” Ceili groaned. “Well, I guess I still hate some aspects.”

He laughed and turned his back on her to watch the moon rise over the Irish countryside. “Ceili, he’ll be the death of you. Marry a man who can love you. A man who won’t make the woman he should cherish into a glorified prostitute.”

She didn’t answer him, but her soft intake of breath spoke volumes. A rustle of cloth filled the silence that stretched between them. When he finally turned, she’d already gone. He dragged his fingers through his hair with a groan. He shouldn’t have said that. Even if it was the truth, he didn’t like that it separated them and caused anger between them. And he really didn’t like that it meant leaving her with a bad taste in her mouth while he traipsed off to the Fae Court in England. Unfortunately, the words had been said, and she was already long gone. Probably headed off to cry in Faread’s arms. The man would console her like he always did, give him an earful about hurting his sister’s feelings, and then move on without a care in the world.

Ansiel gritted his teeth and stomped over to his four-postered bed. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man wanted to marry a woman besides Ceili. The king wanted to make a ruined woman out of his baby sister, and she seemed determined he should. That alone was enough to make him want to kill the man. But he always bit his tongue and held back his true feelings towards the king. Admitting his hatred would be the best way to his job and his head. And when it all fell apart, Ceili needed someone to be there. He was all she had. He slid into bed and yanked the covers up over his head. For her sake, he would continue suffering this charade of a child in a man’s body and pretend that it didn’t make him sick. For her sake, he would turn a blind eye. And for her sake, he would pick up the pieces when it all shattered.

~~~

That’s it for this week! What did you all think? Have something you’d like to see in future Flash Fiction Fridays? Share your thoughts and comments in the comments below!

Work-In-Progress Wednesday #26

Ariel Paiement

NaNoWriMo is in full swing now, and I’ve been getting lots done on my current works-in-progress. This year’s NaNo has been different than the last time I did one a few years back. This time, I’m focusing more on reaching the word count goal of 50,000 and less on achieving it with one work. Since I have so much going on right now, starting a new novel entirely didn’t make sense, so I’ve been working on Pathway of the Moon, Trader Prince of Aleshtain, and the collection of short stories I want to have out in 2021. So it’s a bit of a nontraditional approach, but hey, nothing wrong with that!

This week’s work-in-progress comes from Pathway of the Moon. I’m currently on chapter 49 of 60. I’ve written roughly three and a half chapters in the last seven days thanks to NaNoWriMo and not being able to work my second job thanks to injuring my foot. So that’s where life is at right now. I’m about forty percent of the way done with my NaNo challenge though!

Now, on to the piece for this week. It’s from the last chapter I wrote.

~~~

LEO opened the door to their room and stopped. King Faolrian turned away from the window and greeted him with a warm smile. Leo hooked his thumbs into his pockets and shuffled inside, nudging the door shut with his toe. “Sire? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Faolrian smiled. “I’m not here on any official business. Not exactly, anyway. How are you settling in?”

Leo let out a soft sigh. So he wasn’t in trouble. Good. “I’m settling in fine. The accommodations are much nicer than I’m used to. I appreciate your generosity.”

“Any headway with that journal you were given?”

Leo glanced at the book where it lay on his bed. “Depends on what you mean by headway. The prophecies aren’t the easiest to understand at times. But I’m working on it.”

“You can understand it without a translator?”

“My father made sure I was versed in the original dialect of Wyrdhan, specifically the prophecy case. It was expected that every leader in the… Well, anyway, you know.”

The king smiled. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of your past. You didn’t choose it, Leo.”

Leo grimaced and walked into the room. He picked up the diary from its spot on the bed. “Why wouldn’t I be ashamed? I was affiliated with a cult that wanted to destroy the country I love.”

“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t be ashamed. You love this country. And your love for this country, your loyalty to it, led you to leave the people who wanted to destroy it no matter the cost. I think that’s admirable.”

“You’re the only one who will think that.”

“Actually, I’m not. The nobility, on the whole, quite like you. They’ve been asking when you’ll start making appearances.”

Leo cracked a smile. “They should remember my reluctance to socialize back when I was just a Duke with a title I had to buy.”

Faolrian laughed. “Some do. They were surprised to discover you were so instrumental in defeating Kiarhsu’s cult. In fact, rumors are now going around that you were in the war between the Aleshtainians and our men on the borders, and that’s where you gained the money to buy your title.”

Leo blinked. “Where did that idea come from?”

The king shrugged. “I didn’t make it up. But off the record, I think the spymaster may have let it slip that you were a highly decorated captain out there.”

“A highly decorated… What?” Leo groaned. “Sire, do you have any idea the social nightmare you’ve managed to start for me?”

Faolrian clapped him on the back. “Nonsense! You’re a highly decorated war hero. Brings a great deal of respect. They’re even saying you single-handedly negotiated for the release of some of our soldiers.”

“Anything else I should know about that they’re saying?”

“I think that’s all for now, but you know these stories. They grow. You’d better figure out your official story to avoid any problems. I think you learned that lesson well enough previously though.”

Leo laughed in spite of himself. Not figuring out a story ahead of time was the very reason he had gotten into so much trouble in the first place. He’d certainly learned his lesson. “That I did.”

Faolrian headed for the door then paused and turned back. “Just two more things, Leo. First, don’t keep that woman of yours waiting too long. I’ve seen how you look at each other, and you don’t want to miss your chance.”

The tips of his ears heated.

“And secondly, I need you to see if that book of yours says anything at all about the Pathway.”

“The Pathway? What am I looking for?”

“The Pathway doesn’t work.”

Leo stared at him, baffled. “But something came through it.”

“Something did. But we aren’t able to pass through to their side of the Path. Anything you can find out would be helpful.”

Leo nodded, a frown furrowing his brow. Why would the Path only work one way? “I’ll be working on it, then, Sire.”

The king nodded and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Leo stared at the wooden door. Had the book ever said anything about the Path? He couldn’t be sure since he hadn’t finished the entire thing. But it just didn’t make sense. If one side could be used, theirs should be working too. He’d opened it just as the prophecy had claimed he would. So what was going on?

~~~

That’s it from my end, everyone! What have you guys been working on? Anyone else doing NaNoWriMo? If so, let me know how it’s going in the comments! I’d love to hear about what you all have started.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #25

Ariel Paiement

This week, I have an excerpt from a new short story I’m working on for a collection of stories I’m hoping to release in early 2021. The story, Revelar’s Queen, is about a fae serving girl and the Unseelie King. In this story, the Unseelie King is just the name that Earthlings gave to a being from another world, the ones–since one king didn’t survive from the earliest Earth tales of the Seelie and Unseelie up to modern times–who gave rise to the legends of the Unseelie in the first place.

~~~

AISLING wandered the barren halls in a stupor. How had the glorious, awe-inspiring halls of Queen Sairead’s court become like this? Paint-chipped walls and stained carpets, threadbare shades and broken windows. The chandeliers hung dun in their places, and the candelabras had fallen from the walls. In places, the stone even showed through the ruined drywall that had been put up back when it first became an accepted way to build walls. 

She didn’t know this place. Up above, a rafter creaked. She darted forward, narrowly avoiding a beam that had broken loose, bringing an entire section of the roof and the plastering down behind her. She choked on the dust and spun to look at the way back. Blocked. She didn’t even know for certain where she was anymore. This part of the mansion was from the adjoining castle, and it was much, much older. Still, it hadn’t looked like this, and she bit her lip. Should she really continue onward in light of the roof’s clear instability?

Her shoulders slumped. What choice was there? She couldn’t move the rubble now blocking the way out, and she knew no one was in this wing. She wasn’t supposed to be in this wing either, really. But she’d come in here for a place away from the bustle and chaos that was Midsummer’s Festival preparations. A broom closet would’ve been the safer option, evidently.

A set of doors loomed up ahead, the gold gilding on them lackluster and the paint peeling. How long had it been since anyone was in here? No one who was allowed her had talked of this place as an abandoned wreck. They all said it was a quiet, peaceful place meant only for the Queen and her closest advisers.

She approached the doors with careful steps and tried not to make noise as she cracked the doors open. A tiny squeak emitted from the hinges, and she cringed. Stupid. Of course it would creak! Things this old and in such a state of disrepair would make noise when opened. She stiffened and listened for a long moment, but no one moved to accost her or shouted in alarm.

The tension in her shoulders eased, and she released a low, slow sigh. She ran her fingers over the flaking gold and touched the ruined paint. Did she even want to know what was behind them? Did it matter? The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and her entire body tingled. Whatever was behind this door, it would change her life forever. She was certain of that. That thought alone sent a tremor through her. She could still turn around.

But where would she go? The way out was blocked, and no one knew she was here. Better to keep looking for another exit. She pressed her palm to the door and cracked it open just a bit more before peeking inside.

There was a man crouched in the center of the room. She stiffened, her whole body trembling. Why hadn’t he said anything when she first opened the doors? He had to know she was here. And who was he? One of the Queen’s councilors? Another intruder? The last didn’t seem likely. Who would wish to intrude here where there was nothing worth stealing and the roof could cave in at a moment’s notice?

He had his gaze fixed on her and the door, and his uncanny citrine eyes stayed on her even as she backed away from the door. She pressed a hand to her breast, wishing it could still her racing heart. Should she run? Or would it be best to simply admit that she’d been breaking the rules and misbehaving? Maybe if she owned up to it, her punishment would be lighter. After all, if she told him the truth, that she wandered in here just for a moment of peace and quiet, he might be more understanding.

But understanding was the last thing in those eyes, which were still trained on the door and seemed to pierce through to her soul. She swallowed hard and turned to go.

“Going so soon?”

She turned, both startled and enamored by the velvet-and-silk voice that filled the room and spilled out to the hall where she stood. Still, she wasn’t going to walk in there. She took another good look at the man and the room where he was now standing instead of crouching.

He watched her stare from beneath dark lashes, which made his citrine irises more startling still. His clothing was immaculate, unlike the rest of the room, which seemed to be some sort of ballroom. He wore a tailored suit and nicely polished boots. A little behind the times with the boots and the suit’s cut, but then, members of the Queen’s court often dressed as if they were in the nineteenth century. Unlike the other members of the court, though, he possessed a feral look. His hair was unkempt, and his smile was razor sharp. She shivered and looked away from him to the rest of the room. Why did he both terrify and excite her?

The floor around him was dusty, and the light coming through the dingy window just behind him cast the edge of some kind of platform into sharp relief against the floor. Yet, somehow, he didn’t cast a shadow. In that room of decay and despair, he fit in but also stood apart. His wild hair indicated a carelessness that the room’s occupants reflected in letting the curtains be eaten by moths and time unheeded, but his clothes were immaculate. An enigma in every way, even if he did appear to be somewhat at home in the otherwise empty room.

She cracked the door a little more and peered past him at the strange crack in the wall that was emitting an unearthly glow. What could it be? Some sort of portal, maybe? It didn’t look safe, whatever it was. She couldn’t see past the light no matter how hard she strained, but she caught some chords of an ethereal, haunted melody drifting through the room to where she was standing.

“Will you hide there all day, daughter of shadows?”

She bit her lip, ignored the strange rush of warmth his sultry voice sent through her and shook her head. Something about this was wrong. She backed away from the door again, determined to run this time. He never gave her the chance. The second she turned her back, hard fingers dug into her waist, pulled her back and held her still. How dare he do this? She squirmed and kicked at his shins, but it didn’t achieve anything. It only made him laugh, a rich sound that sent a shiver down her spine.

Aesling frowned and struggled more, but he only pinned her to the wall and gripped her chin in his firm, hard fingers. “You want out of here, yes?”

She nodded, relaxed and hoped he’d loosen his grip. He didn’t. But he also didn’t tighten it to the point that it inflicted pain. 

“What if I’m the only way out?”

As if she’d believe that. She eyed his belt, looking for any weapon she could use. Only one presented itself, and she knew with one glance that it wasn’t an option. The single blade, unsheathed and tucked through a belt loop, could be a way to free herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to touch it. It whispered to her of arcane things and darkness, of the Seelie and the Unseelie, and worst of all, of war and disaster. She let out a muted cry and wrenched her gaze away, only to meet the stranger’s yellow gaze again.

He gave her another of his feral grins and leans in closer. “I asked a question, and I expect an answer, please. What if I’m the only way out of here?”

“How can that be possible?”

“Look around you, little one. Do you see a luxurious castle with multiple entrances and exits for the servants like yourself?”

She glared at him. “I fail to see how that’s important. Just what are you driving at?”

He laughed. “That if you want to escape this cursed mansion where everything is dying along with your Queen’s power, you’ll come with me.” He leaned closer and ran his mouth along the curve of her ear. “It’s a simple choice. Starve to death here or take a single sip from my cup.”

~~~

That’s it for this week’s Work-In-Progress Wednesday, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed it. Have something you’re working on? Nanowrimo is under way for the month of November now, and this is part of the project I’m hoping to complete for it. Do any of you have a project for this year? If so, feel free to share about it in the comments!

Flash Fiction Fridays – Unseelie

Ariel Paiement

This one is a bit of a one off from a world-building exercise I did. I’ll probably be writing a post about the method I used in a Thursday Technicalities, but that might be a bit in coming. I’m undecided on whether or not I’ll make a short story or novel out of this flash fiction, but we’ll see. Here you are!

~~~

I touch the flaking paint and peeling gold gilding of the doors, almost afraid of what might be behind them. But I also know it could be the only way out of here. I can’t go back down the dimly lit corridor I followed here, after all. So, I swallow the fear and press the door open just a crack, just enough to peek through.

The first thing I see is the man at the center of the room. The room itself is in shambles and looks to be empty aside from him. No noise is made, and I am certain I gave no indication of my presence. The door hinges didn’t make any noise earlier. But he knows I am here. He watches me from beneath long lashes, his irises a startling citrine. His clothing is immaculate, unlike the rest of the ballroom. A tailored suit and waistcoat with nice shoes. But his hair is unruly, giving him a wild look. And then he smiles at me, and I shiver. Out of fear or anticipation, I can’t say. Something about him both terrifies and warms me. 

The floor around him is dusty, and the light coming through the dingy window just behind him casts the edge of some kind of platform into sharp relief against the floor. Yet, somehow, he doesn’t cast a shadow. In that room of decay and despair, he fits in but also stands apart. His wild hair indicates a carelessness that the room’s occupants reflected in letting the curtains be eaten by moths and time unheeded, but his clothes are immaculate. An enigma in every way, even if he did appear to be somewhat at home in the otherwise empty room.

I crack the door a little more and peer past him at the strange crack in the wall that’s emitting an unearthly glow. What could it be? Some sort of portal, maybe? It doesn’t look safe, whatever it is. I can’t see past the light no matter how hard I strain, but I catch some chords of an ethereal, haunted melody drifting through the room to where I’m standing.

“Will you hide there all day, daughter of the shadows?” His voice is silky and sultry, meant entirely to charm.

I shiver and shake my head, backing away from the door. Something about this feels wrong. I never get the chance to run. He has me in his grasp the second I turn away from the doors, determined to find another way. His musk and pine scent envelops me, both soothing and frightening at the same time. How is that even possible?

I struggle against his grip, but he easily pins me to the wall just outside the dimly-lit ballroom.

“You want out of here, yes?”

I nod, go limp and hope he’ll loosen his grip. He doesn’t.

“What if I’m the only way?”

My gaze drops to his belt, searching for any way I might fend him off. His belt holds a single blade, unsheathed and tucked through a loop. But one look tells me all I need to know. I won’t touch it. It whispers to me of arcane things and darkness, of the Seelie and the Unseelie, and worst of all, of war and disaster. Shuddering, I look away. It gives no sign that it might harm its owner or even me, but something about it is simply unsettling.

The man gives me a feral grin. “I asked a question. What if I am your only escape?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That if you want to escape this cursed mansion, you will have to come to me.” He leans closer until his lips brush the shell of my ear. “It’s a simple choice. Die here or take just a single sip from my cup.”

“Your cup?” I peer at the wall across from us as if it might contain answers and try not to notice how closely his body presses against mine. 

“I left it in the ballroom when I came to fetch you.” He pulls away and grabs my wrist, tugging me through the doors. “You can either drink from it or starve to death in this place.”

“Why isn’t there an escape?”

His grip tightens. “Because of fate. Or because of whatever it is that will make you feel better about what is going to happen.”

My gut clenches. I stare at the object that is resting under the unfiltered brilliance of the strange crack in the wall. An odd liquid that looks silver in nature swirls about in the cup. “You want me to drink that? It looks like it might kill me.”

He forces me to my knees before kneeling beside me. “It won’t. Just one sip. One tiny sip, and you’ll be freed.”

I reach out and pick up the cool metal cup. “Just one?”

“Just one.”

Sucking in a deep breath, I lift the cup to my lips and take a tiny sip of the liquid. At first, a sweet and spicy tang fills my mouth. Then the bitterness hits, and I gag, choking on what I swallowed. It burns all the way down my throat and sets a fire in my belly. The warmth isn’t unpleasant, but I don’t like it all the same. “What is this stuff?”

He gives me a mysterious smile, and the liquid in the cup begins to change to gas, billowing out of the cup and flowing over me. It seeps into my pores and invades my nose, drying my throat and leaving the same cloying taste of sweet, spicy, and bitter on my tongue. “W-what have you done?”

He laughed and laced his fingers through mine as every nerve in my body burned and ached. “Made you mine.”

~~~

That’s it for this post, everyone! If you have something you’d like to see for future Flash Fiction Fridays, feel free to leave the suggestion in the comments below!

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #24

Ariel Paiement

This week, I have a little bit from my short story, Leap of Faith. This one is a part of the upcoming anthology myself and a few other authors are putting together. The theme is historical fantasy. This particular story is a prequel to an upcoming series, The Coalition of Magic, which takes place before the events of the Gates Trilogy, which will hopefully be reworked and prepared for publication in the distant future.

In this excerpt, the two main characters are interacting for the first time since their initial meeting.

~~~

“Does it make you happy to rile me up?”

Alantha stiffened, sucked in a breath. How had he gotten so close? She really had to stop getting lost in thought. It had been happening too much lately, and now here he was once again invading her personal space with no prior protest or warning from her. And she really should tell him off or push him away, but she couldn’t find the energy to do so. He stared down at her, those amber eyes swirling with gold and shadow. “Well?”

She bit her lip and shrugged.

“I think it does.” He glanced over her shoulder and stepped back an inch or two.

She looked behind her to see Rowena swanning up with a servant in tow. Tea, then. She was expecting Bram to stay. Alantha turned to her with a shake of her head. “Oh, Rowena. That won’t be necessary. Mr.—”

“Ravensdale.”

“Yes, Mr. Ravensdale won’t be staying. In fact…” She cast about, and her gaze landed on his coat and gloves. Alantha picked them up and shoved them into his arms. “He was just going.”

“Yes, I’m afraid your sister has it right, Mrs. Carlyle. I do apologize for the sudden departure, but Miss Alantha mentioned she felt in the mood for a bit of a stroll, and I offered to accompany her. Only around the town, of course. You wouldn’t mind terribly, would you?” He flashed her sister a winning smile.

How dare he? He still hadn’t taken his gloves from her, though he’d accepted his coat, and she clenched them in her fists. How dare he do this to her? She’d asked for no such thing. But she couldn’t accuse him of lying in front of her sister. The look Rowena was giving her told her that she had no say in this. Whether she’d suggested it or not, her sister was determined she would go on that walk with Mr. Ravensdale. She forced a smile, felt it stretch unnaturally across her face. “That’s right. He’s come all this way, so I felt it was only fair I show him what the town has to offer. Would it be a hardship for me to be gone the afternoon, Rowena?”

Rowena was positively beaming. “Of course not!” She bit back an excited squeal. “You two go on.”

“There is just the small matter of a chaperone, of course, ‘Ena.”

The smile disappeared, and Rowena crossed her arms, gave her a look that clearly said: you’ve never wished to be the lady, so don’t you dare act the part now. “I hardly think it necessary. Everyone here is always so keen to keep an eye on one another that I doubt anyone would let anything slip that was untoward. Off you go, then.”

Alantha’s cheeks burned with a mixture of rage and embarrassment. “Rowena. We absolutely must take a chaperone. People will talk.”

Bram took his gloves from her with a soft smile. “Let them. It hardly matters to me what a bunch of strangers think.”

“It matters to me! If they see me parading about with you with no chaperone in sight, they will come up with the most awful scenarios they can. I’ll be the talk of the town. This is England, not some backwards town in a backwards country. It matters here.” She put her hands on her hips, ignored Rowena’s exasperated sigh. “Do not think, sir, that you can trick me into—”

Bram offered her a slightly sadder smile. “I would never do such a thing. It is but a walk, my lady. Surely there’s no harm in it. If you wish, we can take my carriage to the park outside of town. People there would be less likely to gossip.”

~~~

That’s it for this week, folks! I’d love to know what you’re working on. Feel free to share in the comments!