The whole kingdom was drunk on excitement.
The dawn was the most beautiful, seeming to be a good omen to the rest of the day. The horizon lightened until it was sapphire blue, which happened to be the kingdom’s virtue color. The sun blazed overhead and burned away any clouds that would ruin the ceremony.

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.

The platform was smoky and crowded, people elbowing each other and stepping on toes without care. Soot and smoke hung heavily in the air, blackening the clothes and faces of all there. Through all this, a girl stood, pushing herself as far into a corner as she could, to avoid all the people. Her previously blue dress was now almost black, and her hair, though protected somewhat by a supposedly white sun hat, no longer held traces of the reddish gold it was.

Just like that. After seven-and-a-half years, eight drafts, countless revisions, and a title change, my first novel is now published and available.
Finally--finally!--after all these years, it's 100\% complete and out there on the market for real.

"Come. Let us go sit somewhere comfortable, and I will tell you the story."
Baladan's brown eyes brightened. "About the person who gave you the necklace?"
Velkenar rested a hand on Baladan's head. "Yes, about that."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Mold creeps
Beyond the happy chimney tops
Into forsaken cabin’s corners
Out of rotting rickety cupboards
From decaying trees and logs
Out of boundless time and ancient empires
Beyond the roaming woodlands
Down to the dark depths of depression
Underneath the lowest branches
Beside lethal mires
Into dripping caverns
The Mold creeps
Past blinding darkness
Into the criminal’s damp den and
Out to the bog’s vapors
To torture the weary maiden in her grief

Zenobia dragged out the ending of her story for two years. It took that long for her to trust the prince to kill her. During the first year, she simply gave him the knife with which to do it. In the meantime, Zenobia did languish, though not in the dungeon the prince set up for her. She daydreamed about that cold, dripping cell. It seemed preferable to the single stripe of shade she currently sat in against the warm sandstone wall.

FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK, ARIA WAS TAKEN IN BY THE TOWN’S physician, Cad had followed the town’s sheriffs the whole way to the physician’s house. His hands kept shaking and he cursed every time he’d ever fumbled for an arrow. Aria, Cad wondered. How could she have learned all of those fighting techniques? She’d never shown me those… But then again, why would she? Cad glanced at Silas who was walking nervously next to him.

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’?”

Chapter Ten

“GIVE HIM SOME SPACE!” Iris said, pushing her way in. She looked at the man carefully. A long thin cut, spilling blood was on Julius’s head and his arm was slightly burned. His face looked so peaceful, as if he was finally at rest.

“You’re not going to give up on me that easily,” Iris whispered. “Pika, go get my satchel!” The boy rushed to her tent, with its singed edges and smell of smoke. He retrieved the satchel and returned it to Iris.

“Here,” he said.