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[hrtsmom]

Summer Shades earrings

Two strands of beads in green, yellow and purple. Beads are glass, wood, and pineapple quartz. Find them here.

[hrtsmom]

An uncomfortable silence fell for a moment, then Dariel quickly changed the subject. “Shall we eat?” she asked. She passed a dish to Joric, who sat on her left with Ril on his lap. “Kahri,” she added, “I wanted to hear more of this man Rhodnic. Who do you think he was?”

“I could not tell, Your Majesty,” Kahri replied, as more food was passed along. “I have never met any man so utterly evil. There have been many bad men, but never one like this.”

“Yet he seemed to have powers somewhat like our own,” Joric added. “Twisted from their true nature, but similar.”

Brylent wanted to know more about Rhodnic, so Kahri and Joric retold the story while we ate. “It is strange,” the prince said when they had finished. “He sounds like someone I have known. But I cannot recall when . . . It must have been years ago.”

“Do you mean someone here in the Five Kingdoms?” Joric asked.

Brylent frowned thoughtfully. “I am not certain. As I said, it was many years ago.”

“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Jain suggested. “He’s dead and gone now. There must be something more cheerful to think about.”

So we talked of other things while we finished our luncheon. The meal was much like our breakfast had been, with the addition of some cold meats. The centerpiece of the table was a large milky glass bowl filled with pears. At least the fruits were shaped like pears, but I had never seen the like of them before. The skin, rather than being green, red or yellow, was nearly transparent, with the faintest tinge of rosy pink overlaying the creamy flesh within. Stranger still, the skin was faceted like cut crystal, instead of smooth.

At first I thought they must be a decoration, like the glass or wax fruits I had seen in upper-class homes back in Ocrisia. Then Brylent took one from the bowl and cut it in half on his plate, offering part of it to me. “It is called a star pear,” he said.

Kahri took one of the fruits as well, turning it back and forth in his hand as if studying the play of sunlight on it. “It has been a long time since I had one of these,” he said. “I remember a day, Dariel, when you and Arathel ate so many of these that you made yourselves sick. Your father was furious.”

My aunt chuckled at the memory. “It was years before I could stand to eat another one!”

The fruit smelled like pears I had tasted before, but with hints of honey and vanilla. When I bit into it the skin seemed to burst open, never mind that it had already been cut, and tart sweetness filled my mouth.

Brylent smiled at the expression on my face. “It’s delicious,” I said. “One of the best things I’ve ever tasted.” After this the rest of my friends had to try the fruits as well, and Risch declared that it would indeed be tempting to eat far too many of them.

When at last none of us could eat any more, Dariel announced, “We have much to do this afternoon. I know it would not be wise to tell everyone who Zania really is. But I have no doubt the news of your presence here will soon spread through the city. And Kahri is not a stranger in the castle. There may be some who will guess something close to the truth. So we must anticipate them.”

“What do you suggest?” Kahri asked.

Dariel got up from the table, and the rest of us did the same. “We will hold an official reception for all of you this evening,” she said as we left the garden-house. “You, Zania, are to be a princess visiting from Morstan. Kahri and Joric will be your escorts, and the rest your courtiers. But you must all look your parts.”

I glanced at Fynn, who was at that moment pulling a face behind my aunt’s back. I stifled a laugh and asked, “What do you mean?”

Dariel smiled at me. “You have already made it clear how you feel about our court fashions. I might say I agree with you at times. But if you are to be a princess, you must dress like one, if only for a few hours.”

[hrtsmom]

3/19 Tuesday 34° Benedict Cumberbatch 187

Breakfast: blueberry banana Cheerios w/raspberries, string cheese, Gemini tea

8:20 AM

Another psychic experience. For some reason, while I was brushing my teeth just now, Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” was playing on the ol’ brainPod. I get back to the den, turn on the tape, and after the tail end of another song, what starts playing? “I Want to Break Free”. Spooky.

Workout: 45:13, 4.86 miles

11:45 AM

Suddenly a bunch of people are liking one of my jewelry posts on tumblr. Of course none of them are going to buy said piece of jewelry, so I don’t know why they bother.

Lunch: prawn chips, zucchini w/ranch, Pink Lady apple w/provolone, light rye bread, Rebel chocolate peanut butter ice cream

Supper: chicken & vegetable stir-fry with cellophane noodles (which are more a chewing exercise than nutrition)

Watched: Timeless: “Space Race”

7:25 PM

I think I accidentally convinced Alyssa that there’s another Alyssa living in the big mirror in the living room. Sometimes I forget how credulous preschoolers are.

And yes, she’s now officially a preschooler. She starts tomorrow. Ryann was going to take her shopping for new shoes and a backpack afer she picked her up today. Heather was asking her what kind of backpack she wanted, and she was all excited about getting a backpack. Then I asked, “Do you know what a backpack is?”

“No!”

[hrtsmom]

to be fair, those aren't real Christians

[hrtsmom]

Marble Drop earrings

Redline marble and dyed wood, set off with textured gold-tone beads. A nice earth-toned piece for summer or fall. Find them here.

[hrtsmom]

Agate & Paper Beads pendant

An oval of blue agate with a dangling "fan" of eight handmade paper beads. Find it here.

[hrtsmom]

Copper Bird bookmark

An antiqued silver bookmark hook with a carved Celtic design holds a strand of orange and teal impression jasper, along with filigree copper tubes. It's finished with a copper tag charm, stamped with a picture of a bird. Find it here.

[hrtsmom]

We were still talking when the chamberlain reappeared in the breakfast-room. The dishes had long ago been cleared away. But we were all somewhat surprised when he announced, “Luncheon is ready in the garden as you requested, Your Majesty. The prince will join you there.”

“Is it so late already?” Dariel got up from her chair, stretching her arms out as she did. I became aware that my own legs were uncomfortably stiff. “Come along then, all of you,” she invited. “I imagine you are hungry again, after so much talk. And I would like you to see the gardens.”

The chamberlain escorted our little group down to the ground floor, and then outside to the main courtyard. I was astonished by what I saw. The gardens filled the entire courtyard. Narrow cobblestone paths wound across the grass. Several trees of many different sizes stood there; I recognized willows, oaks and birches, but some of the trees were ones I had never seen before. Most of the space was given over to grass and flowers. Birdsong and the hum of bees filled the warm air. The gardens in the city had been colorful, but here I saw even more colors.

In the very center of the courtyard stood a huge oak, overshadowing a white garden-house surrounded on three sides by lilac bushes. The chamberlain led us toward it, and Dariel talked about the garden as we went.

“There have been no wars in the Five Kingdoms for over a century now,” she said. “We – my ancestors, that is – planted the garden here as a symbol of peace.”

“In what way?” Jain asked.

Dariel smiled. “In times of war, this courtyard would become a battle camp. The people of the city would shelter here. The fact that the garden is so well-developed, and the trees so tall, shows how long this peace has lasted. It is a constant reminder to us.”

Suddenly she looked toward the garden-house and waved. “There is the prince. He seems to be as eager as I was to talk with all of you.”

I looked and saw Brylent standing on the steps of the garden-house. As we came closer I saw that he was dressed much less formally than he had been the night before. He wore a white shirt, embroidered with red leaves around the neck opening and shoulders, and dark red breeches tucked into tall boots. He looked as if he might be on his way to join a hunting party.

As we all stepped into the garden-house, Brylent first bowed low to Dariel and kissed her hand. Then to my surprise, he took my hand and raised it to his lips as well. “My lady Princess,” he said, gazing at me with those too-familiar blue-gray eyes. “I thought you were attractive even last night. Today you are even more beautiful.”

I felt my face flushing and I wondered, confusedly, what Kahri would think of this. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fynn grinning in delight at my embarrassment. Then Dariel came to my rescue. “Come, Brylent, you do not have to use your courtly flattery on my niece,” she said with a smile. “Here we are all equals.”

“My apologies, my lady,” Brylent said to me. “Although I assure you it is not mere flattery.”

“Please, call me Zania,” I said, choosing to ignore the rest of his statement.

“Very well, if you wish. And Kahri Aldien,” he went on, turning to my partner. “I do not know if you remember me, but we have met before. I was only a small boy then, of course.”

“Ah, yes,” Kahri recalled with a faint smile. “It was when I accompanied Queen Dariel and her sister to Maneset for a visit. I remember you and your brother trying to draw my longbow. What was his name again?” he mused.

“Brasent,” Brylent replied, with a trace of sadness in his voice.

“You were bright lads even then, both of you,” Kahri said as we all took seats at the luncheon table. “How is Brasent?”

“He is dead,” Brylent said stiffly. “It was a hunting accident, when he was alone one afternoon. Nearly four years ago now.”

[hrtsmom]

The Throne of the Sun, chapter fifteen

In the morning I dressed in clean clothes from my pack. Fynn had to borrow spare clothes from Jain, but we both preferred what we had over the dresses Dariel had sent for us. They weren’t as elaborate as those we had seen at the ball, but I had never felt comfortable in skirts.

When the chamberlain arrived to summon us for breakfast, we were more than ready to go with him. He led us to a small dining room, on the same level of the castle as the grand ballroom. Kahri, Risch, Jain and Yvan were already there, seated at a long table that nearly filled the room. Soon after Fynn and I found our places, Joric and Lune joined us. Joric hadn’t forgotten Ril; as usual, the little cat followed closely at his heels.

We found dishes on the table, but no food. “Are we waiting for someone?” Kahri asked the chamberlain.

“Queen Dariel will arrive shortly,” the other man informed us. “She requests that you wait for her.”

After he had left the room, Risch muttered, “I hope breakfast arrives shortly too. I’m starving!”

I noticed that my friends were all wearing fresh clothes as well. Kahri, Risch and Jain wore their old forester gear, but the other three had dressed in new shirts and breeches, doubtless gifts from Dariel. Yvan looked particularly handsome all in black, which made his hair look lighter than ever. I was glad he had decided to wear a shirt today; it was surely more appropriate in these surroundings.

We didn’t have much chance to talk privately. In a matter of moments Dariel arrived, with kitchen-girls behind her. Kahri rose when she came in, and the rest of us did the same.

“Please sit down,” she said with a smile, as the girls placed food on the table. “This is my private breakfast room. There is no need for such formality.”

We all sat down again, and she did the same. When the kitchen-girls had gone, Dariel said, “I thought you might be more comfortable talking here than in my audience room. And I knew you would be hungry.”

The meal was plentiful but simple, consisting mostly of a variety of breads, fresh fruits, and cheeses, with fruit juices, milk and tea to drink. I didn’t recognize some of the fruits, and Fynn stopped me as I was about to bite into one that looked like an orange, but with a thin, blood-red skin. “This one, you peel first,” she told me. “Otherwise, you will not be pleased with the taste.”

At least a quarter of the table was taken up with dishes of jams and preserves, and pots of honey ranging from a delicate straw color to deep amber. My friends and I indulged ourselves happily; after the rations onboard the pirate ship, the variety of flavors and even the colors were dazzling. Dariel ate more sparingly, but frequently urged the rest of us to take as much as we liked. Ril had not been forgotten; one of the servants had brought a small plate of fish just for her.

There wasn’t much talk at first; Dariel limited her questions to asking whether we had all slept well. And she asked, “Zania, did the new clothes not fit you?”

I tried to frame my reply carefully. “It’s not that, Your Majesty, but – ”

“Please,” she interrupted, “we are kin, and I think we are going to be friends. You may as well call me Dariel when we are in private. And that goes for the rest of you too,” she added.

“Dariel,” I went on. “The clothes were very nice, but I’m more used to what I’m wearing now.”

“I understand.” I could tell she wasn’t insulted. “After all, you did not grow up in the same surroundings as your mother and I did.

“But I would like you to tell me how you did grow up,” she went on. “And you, Kahri: I want to hear what you have done while you have been away. It must be an interesting tale.”

We wore away the rest of the morning in telling our stories. Kahri and I didn’t do all of the talking, of course. Dariel asked scores of questions, and our friends were invited to tell their parts in our adventures of the past year or so. I had to wonder how my aunt could manage to set everything else aside just to spend the morning with us. But she kept asking questions until most of our tales were told. I omitted only one thing intentionally: my repeated visions of Prince Brylent. Somehow I wasn’t ready for anyone but Kahri to know that secret.

[hrtsmom]

[hrtsmom]

Just then there came a knock at the door. “Wait a minute,” I called out. A serving-woman had brought night robes for us, and we put them on before I went to the door.

Jain stood outside. “I thought you’d want to know we’re here,” she said, as she gave me my pack.

I invited her in. “How did you get here so soon?”

“Well, we didn’t have to walk this time. The queen sent a carriage for us.” She laughed as she sat on the edge of the big bed. “Risch was so thrilled, I thought he might faint. Joric was relieved, too. You’d been gone so long, he was sure you must have gotten lost or captured.”

“How long were we gone?” Fynn asked, sitting down in a brocaded chair. I remained standing, as curious as she was.

Jain seemed surprised. “Why, it’s well past midnight. Did you get lost?”

“A bit,” I said. “And captured for a bit too.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “I’m glad we’ve finally gotten here,” she said. “Maybe now we can stay out of danger for a while.”

After she had gone, Fynn and I finally went to bed. I lay awake for some time, though, thinking about what my two friends had said. I had to agree with both of them. I, too, hoped Dariel wasn’t going to try turning me into a model princess. And like Jain, I hoped we were out of danger here.

But now I had met Brylent, the stranger from my vision, and the rest of my dream seemed ever-present in my mind. Somehow, I felt sure, the dream of Kahri’s imprisonment was going to come true. And that must mean there was more danger to come.

If you’re enjoying The Throne of the Sun, please consider picking up a copy of your own! You can find it in the Kindle store here or in paperback from my Etsy shop here.

[hrtsmom]

NEW: This Dark Road Part Two: Captive fantasy adventure novel

Radjann Corthinn-Aldien knows who he is, and where he comes from. But ever since he was captured by marauding bandits and separated from his sister Arathel, Radjann has had more questions than answers -- and no way of asking them. He doesn't know where he is, or why, or who is behind his abduction. And then he no longer knows who he is . . .

This Dark Road: Captive is the second book in the This Dark Road series. Find it here.

[hrtsmom]

3/18 Monday 14°, wind chill 3° Skeet Ulrich 185

6:45 AM

But it’s supposed to be warmer today than it was yesterday. But again, it’s also supposed to be windy, so we probably won’t notice it.

I got my CoreCon-tract (ha) on Saturday, and got it all ready to mail yesterday. The table is $100 this year, so I’d better do well. Not that it’s entirely up to me. Greg said he’d be willing to spend time at my table and be my drummer, but WSS. I need to take in at least $200 to feel like it’s worthwhile.

The giveaway’s at 420. I’m planning to do more promos on Thursday and Sunday, and then not til the next Saturday. Ten days, one week, and one day.

Anyway, now that Con feels more like a reality again, I’m tempted to just spend all my working time on Dreams until I finish. I don’t think I will though. Maybe if it’s not done by the end of this month. I’m hoping it will be, but WSS because Shit Happens.

Breakfast: Oat Crunch cereal (a generic version of Life; not bad) w/blueberries, string cheese, Frigg tea

Listening to: “Rocket Man” by Elton John

Lunch: carrot sticks w/ranch, strawberry banana cottage cheese, light rye bread w/summer sausage, coconut ice cream bar

Listening to: The Atlas Obscura Podcast: “The Lighthouse Keeper”

Supper: sausage & spinach slow-cooker quiche

Watched: Sweet Tooth: “Chicken Or Egg?”

8:55 PM

I made a bracelet today, and ordered some cheap chains for pendants, and also four more snake charms so I can make two more pairs of Crowley earrings. I’m going to keep the original pair and sell the other two.

I had PT this afternoon as well. It always seems to fly by somehow. I get massage, then exercises, then all of a sudden she’s saying, “Okay, finish that and then I’ll let you go.” And I’m thinking, wait a minute, haven’t I only been here for about 15 minutes? But it’s been half an hour.

[hrtsmom]

There are some at my local zoo, but I've never heard them talk. It sounds like a little old man who's deciding whether he's annoyed at something or not.

[hrtsmom]

Last Week Tonight, March 16, 2022

[hrtsmom]

Fall Colors II bracelet

The second of two bracelets upcycled from one of my necklaces. Warm autumn tones of orange, copper, red, and golden brown make the perfect accessory for fall. Find it here.

[hrtsmom]

Gray & Silver bracelet 1

As the name suggests, this is the first of two bracelets upcycled from a necklace. It includes river stone, howlite, porcelain jasper, and sodalite, accented with wavy-textured silver-tone disks. Find it here.