Florence (Firenze), region of Tuscany, Italy
December, 1490

Sioned was growing tired of the life she had chosen.

Even though I made this a fiction post, it's more like an explanation of a few of the stories I'm writing at the moment. I have two chapters of a story called "The Duke of Dreven" up before this post, and in the story, it talks about some locations, cities, towns, what have you, that might confuse some readers. One of these places is Dreven itself. I wanted to take this opportunity to explain a rather ambitious undertaking I have started.

Mistake I

I am familiar with the

buzz the thrill the
hand gripping thigh
I will
regret this tomorrow

I let him with no
reaction I like the warmth

eyelids low

the bass in
his truck vibrates my
brain away the night is

alive I think
what time is it

Mistake II

I.
I just recall
the ringing in my ears and
my hands on
his chest and
the sway as I tried to
catch my balance blurry and
all I could see was his
mouth opening into a laugh
before

You’re not at all what I expected,
You’re a mystery to me,
A present wrapped undetected,
not placed beneath the tree.

We didn’t meet the way I planned,
all sparkle and romance.
We didn’t meet on moonlit sand
or even at a dance.

I waited for you to notice me,
all dressed up in blue.
But you were too busy to stop and see
the effort I made for you.

Later we met, all tousled and worn
with hair completely a mess,
in old t-shirts and jeans torn,
but the meeting itself: priceless.

Once upon a time there was a princess. Her name was the symbol of melodic and mystical winds from across the lands of the kingdom. Her mother died when she was five or six and she was left to reign with her father, Eviscus. Eviscus was a king of dark complexion and deep black eyes. Rainne (the princess) was of opposite appearance with warm greyish blue eyes and fawn colored hair. She was a meek and quiet maiden of light, and even in her dark confinement she was a pool of sparkling light in itself.

“Just let me eat my lunch in peace,” Jake murmured to the girl sitting on his left. Amélie smiled mildly and took a long drag from her cigarette, then threw her head back and blew the smoke up into the air—her signature move. “I’m a dragon,” she always used to say, and then she would laugh at her own joke. She didn’t speak this time—Jake didn’t think she could.

Chapter 2

THE HAUNTED CAROUSEL

Pam felt herself being gently shaken. She opened her eyes and saw her little sister standing over her. “Hi, Betty,” she said. “What’s the time?” Without waiting for an answer, she glanced over at the alarm clock that stood beside her bed.

Betty smiled. “See, I didn’t wake you up late. It’s eight o’clock.”

The weekend of the Havenwing Ball arrived. Usually when I returned to Uncle Oruc’s and Aunt Monria’s house after school each day I took time to join my aunt for tea or, if she was otherwise engaged, took tea by myself in the library with a good book to refresh me after my day’s work.
But on the Friday before the ball I raced directly to my room, hastily changed into riding clothes, and rushed to the stables, where that morning I had left a special request with the stable master to have two horses saddled and waiting.

Chapter Eleven

AFTER THE CROWD HAD LEFTAND THE LAD WAS ALONE, Cad told Iris to wait out by the opening of the alley.

“Why?” she asked. “Is there something wrong?”

“I just have to talk to that chap, alright?” he said. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
Iris nodded and walked off, leaving only Cad and the lad. Cad walked up to him and tapped him on his shoulder.

“Oh, hi,” the lad said. Up close, he looked around Cad’s age and was strong built like a farm boy.

“Hello,” Cad said flatly. “Were did you get the ‘falcon’?”