#inez nuno

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Moodboard Monday: The Lovers

“A lady and her would-be-king. It is a story for the ages, is it not. Alas, when he is done there will be nothing left for me.” 

The next chapter is almost done and will be featuring these three lovlies! Inez, Dorian, and Daphne. So go check it out.

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Chapter III, Part I

Daphne. She was many things, loud, rude, sometimes crude, and incredibly obnoxious. But she was a pretty girl, there was no denying that. When my father had introduced me to the small group of rebels living in the capitol she had still been a child. She was a tiny thing, four years my junior. Like most native Antomians she had stayed short and slender into womanhood.

“Victar sent me to fetch you.” Her accent was thick and harsh.

“My father-” I began to protest but she shushed me.

“Surely your father will understand.” It was a risky move to defy my father, but an even riskier one to defy Victar. Likely, the two men were already in correspondence and Daphne was my escort to court.

The capitol, Ascane, was a single day and nights journey from the estate. I had grabbed all that I could without getting caught and rode off with Daphne.

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Chapter III, Part V

From the bookshelf Dorian pulled a small, new-looking book from the top shelf and sat down before handing it to me and I followed.

I took it and gently opened it to the first page. The words were written in Koralis and the last ones seemed to be an addition from the same person, but this time struggling to write it.

My dearest daughter, Anna, and the child I carry as I write.

This is a tale of my life, both the good and the bad. Read each word I offer you with care. Learn from my mistakes, my failures, and be prideful of me with my achievements as I am of yours.

Katherine D’Ascane

Ivan,

Now you are but a babe, but you will rule you father’s lands and continue the fight for mine. My time with you nears its end but I see the strength in you. Take care of Anna, of your father, and your people.

Katherine

Katherine’s diary. A fabled manuscript of the Great Queen’s life. There it was, in the hands of her enemy’s descendant.

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Chapter III, Part II

Our destination was an abandoned tavern on the outskirts of the city. It was the base for the rebel spies within the city. But when I walked through the door none were to be seen.

“It has been a busy week with the news that the Savosi princess will be arriving soon.” Daphne said as she entered the door behind me. “Even Victar is gone but he gave brother something even more exciting than a little bitch arriving on our shores.” It isn’t your shore, I wanted to say. None of this was theirs. Even as rebels they were intruders in this land and I often wondered if they were to be successful in overthrowing the emperor that they would put themselves into power. Their grandfather believed himself to be the true emperor, after all.

“Come on.” She said with a glint of true excitement breaking through the cracks up her stony expression.

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Chapter III, Part VIII

 Dorian was still fuming and began to apologize but I waved a hand in dismissal. “No need.” And went to rest on the bed, patting on the place beside me. “Have you read it yet?”

“No. I wanted to wait on you.” He said, climbing over me and lingering for a moment before laying down.

“Well then, you and I will be one of the few to read the Great Queen’s words.” I said then opened the book again.

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Chapter III, Part VI

“How did you get this?” I asked.

“It is a copy. The owner has allowed a few to be given out. Secretly, of course. Victar managed to obtain us one.” A smug smile crossed his face as it so often did. It was a familial trait. Separated by distance and lineage the smugness of the Falerios line that I knew all too was in him too.

“And who is the owner?” He wanted to keep me annoyed with him, to keep asking questions until I became angry so he could have his fun but even to him it was too exciting a subject to play his little games.

“Queen Claudia.” He said. Of course. Claudia D’monda knew Katherine’s oldest child and only daughter as basically an aunt. Joanna of Aniago, queen of Geliensti in the Katherine’s time, had convinced her husband to shelter Katherine and for a time where she gave birth to Anna. Joanna continued to give shelter to Anna even after her mother went to war and perished.

After the death of her mother, Anna was given the title of “the Queen’s daughter” in Geliensti, alluding to both Katherine and Joanna. She had never known anyone else to be a true family to her as even her father was too busy sulking and training her brother, Ivan, to be the next king of their land and take back Koralyst. He had been a king, a good one at that, and as a good king he was not stupid enough to wage another war against the Empire.

“And who else has a copy?” My curiosity was peaked.

“Morgan Neth. Bronwyn Neth. Brunol Rurik. Louis Capet.” He seemed as if he had more to say but stopped.

“And the King Charles.” Dorian shook his head. The King of Ower had a copy. The Queen Regent of Ruspolis had a copy. The King of Saviak had a copy. The king of Byronny had a copy. But the King of Savos, the one whose family has made Katherine a goddess in their eyes, had not received one. “Why?” Was all that I could manage.

He shrugged. “I do not know. If she did not send him one in case he declared war then she should not have given one to the Regent of Ruspolis. They would be far more likely to do so, but not with Bronwyn at the head. I don’t even know what Queen Claudia’s reasonings for handing these our were.”

There was a missing piece to the puzzle that I had been too distracted to realize. “And who did Victar acquire it from?”

“Lady Nona.” The Emperor’s mistress. His scheming, rebellious, lover that would rather take him down than take him to her bed. Alas, she had to wait to take him out.

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Chapter II, Part II

     “My apologies for making you wait, Father.” He gave a single nod, accepting my apology. Father was the only man I gave apologies to and actually meant them. Gabrael knew that well and said nothing about my lack of apology to him.

     “I have invited Gabrael over to discuss some things. Judging by his sour look he does not like my orders though I doubt you will either.” I froze. Not much frightened me. My training in fighting and poisons had taught me I had the upper hand on most people that I came across. But I had never used either on anyone aside from practice. “The little Savosi princess is paying a visit to the capitol. My contacts say that she is likely to marry the prince. It’s our time to move, children.” Of course. Of course it was time.

     “Katherine’s Gift has, or will, take out many in the royal family. If it does not then you can brew something up that mimics the symptoms.” Katherine’s Gift is a horrible disease that affects the Falerios dynasty. The first emperor to sit on the Koralyst throne after Katherine’s murder. To the scholars and royals it is Falifon, to the common folk it is Katherine’s curse, and to the Koralyst loyalists it is Katherine’s gift to us. “The prince will surely convince the girl to marry him. But you have to convince her to join our side. That is why I am sending you to the capitol, daughter. You will be one of her ladies.”