Please note that all characters, places and information in this story from
the Black Jewels Trilogy completely belong to Anne Bishop. Even those
created by me belong to the author for they involve her races and worlds.
No profit is being made from the creation of this tale and it is purely for
entertainment.
*Quick rewrite again folks. I don't know why I keep changing it. It just seems a little off. Oh well! I'm going to leave it as is now and just add more chapters. I've taken off the old reviews because I've changed the story a little. Please continue to read and make comments. I won't be erasing them again.*
A Little More than Fifty Thousand Years ago
Prologue
In the realm of Heaven, the Dark Lord Baruch finished weaving a tangled web.
He had just planted his seed into the belly of a witch. Now, he would only have to wait until the time was ripe for his full return. And once that happened, he would rejoin his offspring and the realms would learn what it meant to be ruled by a King.
But the web warned of a Witch who would easily destroy him in body, mind and jewels. So, he would wait until the realms were free of her influence. And once this Witch was separated from her power, nothing would beat his ebony jewel. Not the black book. Not even Dragon. Nothing.
700 years ago
1 / Terreille
"Child, I will not say this again! Get down!" Prythian, Askavi's high priestess screamed at the young eyrien queen who had flown up and attached herself at the top of the pillar, unwilling to move despite the angered shouts from her keepers.
A bright red shield surrounded Evarian's small form. "No!"
The combined jewels of Prythian and several guards broke the shield.
Evarian let out an enraged cry before scrambling out of reach of a guard's grasping hands. The young queen reached for a porcelain vase and threw it at her pursuer. He dodged out of the way, only to be impacted in the head by a plate thrown by Craft. Evarian giggled behind a small light brown hand.
"This is turning out to be a bad idea," Vothrian muttered.
Prythian spun around and said through clenched teeth, "I'll remind you who suggested we keep the child for ourselves, cousin. Dorothea will have our heads once she realizes-"
Vothrian tapped a finger on her chin. "Perhaps we need to consider another course of action. The half-breed will return soon and recognize his own bloodline. The child needs to be removed from Askavi before that happens."
Exasperated, Prythian threw up her hands. "And who would take her?"
A guard had managed to grasp hold of Evarian, who now struggled furiously, screaming at the top of her lungs. "I want Grapa!"
Both woman stared at the child and smiled. "Of course. Jolandar lives in the mountains, far away from Hayll. He understands the value of riding the realm of Dorothea and will gladly take the child of his decease wife, father or not. But she must remain in reach, for our own uses. Dorothea won't be high priestess for long. Not while Evarian is under-"
"I WANT GRAPA!" Evarian roared.
"You're getting a damned grandpa, you worthless brat!" Prythian screamed at her.
Evarian perked up, ignoring the furious high priestess glaring down at her. "Really?" She raised her head to stare up at the guard named Gathnar who had caught her.
He nodded and placed her down on her feet. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the door. Prythian waved them off and the door shut behind them.
"How many besides us know of her existence?" Prythian asked her cousin.
"Fewer than twenty. Why?"
"How many know of her true bloodline?"
"Not many."
"All need to be eliminated but Jolandar and his family." Prythian opened a bottle of red wine. She poured a glass for herself and Vothrian. She raised her glass in a toast and waited for her cousin to follow. "To our success."
"To us," Vothrian replied.
Both took a sip of wine.
"And now-" Vothrian swayed against the table and stared at Prythian in shock. She clutched at her chest and gasped for oxygen.
A cruel smile bloomed on Prythian's face as she sipped her wine. "For the reign of Askavi."
********
"I'm gonna go see grapa and . . . "
Evarian had been telling Gathnar where she was going for the last few minutes.
He watched her with irritated delight. She was going to be wonderful, if only she could simply rid herself of the malicious intensions of the adults around her. Her mother had been one of Prythian's first circle, a beautiful yet cruel woman who had died in childbirth. He still hadn't discovered if she had truly died in labour or by poison placed in her water.
Gathnar had served Prythian long enough to realize that he wouldn't survive the next few days. He knew who Evarian's true father was. One only had to look at her. Almost nothing of her mother had formed in the child's face. She was simply a young and female Lucivar. And rather pudgy one at that, he smiled while looking at her rounded and excited face. She was still talking about her Grandpa.
"Evarian?" he said calmly, catching her attention.
She frowned, unhappy about being interrupted during her speech. "What Lod Gatner?"
He sighed, thank the darkness no one else had heard her say his name. He would be laughed out of the court. "I have something for you."
Gathnar pulled off a ring on his left hand. It was a gift from his father, a honourable and strong man who had warned him against serving in the courts who bowed to Dorothea. He had been blinded by the male's instinct to serve and joined up with Prythian anyway.
"Take this and keep it hidden," he said.
Evarian approached him hesitantly and took the ring. She tried to put in every finger but it was much too large. "It won't fit."
He removed the necklace that held his Opal jewel. He took off the pendant and put the ring on it instead, securing it around her neck. "Remember me," he said.
"I don have nothing for you," she said sadly. She looked around her room and then brightened. She ruffled through her pant's pocket and pulled out a mangled feather. "Here!"
He raised an eyebrow while taking it.
She scowled at him. "Keep it in your pocket and it will help you fly!"
He smiled tenderly and embraced her. A knock sounded on the door.
Gathnar pulled back abruptly and stood, forming an appropriate expression on his face. He shoved the feather into his pocket.
Evarian eyed him, confused. He winked and she giggled.
A first circle male entered the room and grabbed Evarian's hand, pulling her roughly along with him. She gave a small cry of defiance, but could do nothing against the strength of an Eyrien warrior.
Sighing, Gathnar grabbed her bags and followed. Two men stopped him and waited for Evarian and her escort to round the corner. One man took the bags from him and then quickly disappeared down the corridor.
He felt a darker jewel's presence from behind him and a sharp pain where a dagger was rammed into his back. He fell to his knees, and for a moment gripped his pocket just before the high priestess of Askavi finished the kill.
2 / Terreille
Prythian stared at the bitch queen who had returned Lucivar to Askavi that evening. "What happened at the court?" she demanded.
The queen sat down wearily in a plush chair facing Prythian. "Do you remember the broken black widow named Tersa?"
Prythian swallowed the thick ball of fear that formed in her throat. Had Tersa seen the birth of Evarian? It was pure luck they had managed to remove the child before Lucivar returned to Askavi. "Vaguely."
"It appears she mentioned to Daemon Sadi the truth of his connection with Yasi. And you can imagine the outcome of that little tidbit of information."
"Did she say anything else?" Prythian asked, trying to sound only slightly interested.
"Isn't that enough? Those two destroyed half my court!"
Prythian rested back into her chair in relief. No one had noticed the disappearance of the three-year-old Evarian. And all those who knew of her existence were dead.
"It is not my concern if those two bastards aren't controlled properly. Obviously you didn't listen correctly when I was explaining the purpose of the ring of obedience. You are dismissed."
The queen dropped the secondary controlling ring on the table and stormed out of the room.
A guard entered hesitantly. "What should we do with Yaslana, my lady?"
Prythian smiled in anticipation. "I can think of a few things."
3 / Terreille
Jolandar stared at the red-jewelled child who struggled in the grasp of the guard who help her arms tightly. "What am I supposed to do with that?"
"It appears that the high Priestess of Askavi would like a favour."
"It appears she doesn't want to risk her own neck, but found it all to easy to risk mine instead," he replied coldly.
The guard shrugged, not caring.
Evarian's eyes fixed onto Jolandar. They widened with fear and unshed tears.
He rubbed his chin, and pondered the possibilities that came with that fear. A queen who could destroy Dorothea and Prythian once she made the offering. A woman moulded into a dependant tool who remained loyal to him. She could fulfill his vision of a pure Askavi and place the Eyrien race above all others, as it was meant to be.
He approached her and she stepped backwards into the guard who held her.
"Your not grapa," she whispered.
"No, I'm not," he replied, with a feral smile. "I'm your father."
*Quick rewrite again folks. I don't know why I keep changing it. It just seems a little off. Oh well! I'm going to leave it as is now and just add more chapters. I've taken off the old reviews because I've changed the story a little. Please continue to read and make comments. I won't be erasing them again.*
A Little More than Fifty Thousand Years ago
Prologue
In the realm of Heaven, the Dark Lord Baruch finished weaving a tangled web.
He had just planted his seed into the belly of a witch. Now, he would only have to wait until the time was ripe for his full return. And once that happened, he would rejoin his offspring and the realms would learn what it meant to be ruled by a King.
But the web warned of a Witch who would easily destroy him in body, mind and jewels. So, he would wait until the realms were free of her influence. And once this Witch was separated from her power, nothing would beat his ebony jewel. Not the black book. Not even Dragon. Nothing.
700 years ago
1 / Terreille
"Child, I will not say this again! Get down!" Prythian, Askavi's high priestess screamed at the young eyrien queen who had flown up and attached herself at the top of the pillar, unwilling to move despite the angered shouts from her keepers.
A bright red shield surrounded Evarian's small form. "No!"
The combined jewels of Prythian and several guards broke the shield.
Evarian let out an enraged cry before scrambling out of reach of a guard's grasping hands. The young queen reached for a porcelain vase and threw it at her pursuer. He dodged out of the way, only to be impacted in the head by a plate thrown by Craft. Evarian giggled behind a small light brown hand.
"This is turning out to be a bad idea," Vothrian muttered.
Prythian spun around and said through clenched teeth, "I'll remind you who suggested we keep the child for ourselves, cousin. Dorothea will have our heads once she realizes-"
Vothrian tapped a finger on her chin. "Perhaps we need to consider another course of action. The half-breed will return soon and recognize his own bloodline. The child needs to be removed from Askavi before that happens."
Exasperated, Prythian threw up her hands. "And who would take her?"
A guard had managed to grasp hold of Evarian, who now struggled furiously, screaming at the top of her lungs. "I want Grapa!"
Both woman stared at the child and smiled. "Of course. Jolandar lives in the mountains, far away from Hayll. He understands the value of riding the realm of Dorothea and will gladly take the child of his decease wife, father or not. But she must remain in reach, for our own uses. Dorothea won't be high priestess for long. Not while Evarian is under-"
"I WANT GRAPA!" Evarian roared.
"You're getting a damned grandpa, you worthless brat!" Prythian screamed at her.
Evarian perked up, ignoring the furious high priestess glaring down at her. "Really?" She raised her head to stare up at the guard named Gathnar who had caught her.
He nodded and placed her down on her feet. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the door. Prythian waved them off and the door shut behind them.
"How many besides us know of her existence?" Prythian asked her cousin.
"Fewer than twenty. Why?"
"How many know of her true bloodline?"
"Not many."
"All need to be eliminated but Jolandar and his family." Prythian opened a bottle of red wine. She poured a glass for herself and Vothrian. She raised her glass in a toast and waited for her cousin to follow. "To our success."
"To us," Vothrian replied.
Both took a sip of wine.
"And now-" Vothrian swayed against the table and stared at Prythian in shock. She clutched at her chest and gasped for oxygen.
A cruel smile bloomed on Prythian's face as she sipped her wine. "For the reign of Askavi."
********
"I'm gonna go see grapa and . . . "
Evarian had been telling Gathnar where she was going for the last few minutes.
He watched her with irritated delight. She was going to be wonderful, if only she could simply rid herself of the malicious intensions of the adults around her. Her mother had been one of Prythian's first circle, a beautiful yet cruel woman who had died in childbirth. He still hadn't discovered if she had truly died in labour or by poison placed in her water.
Gathnar had served Prythian long enough to realize that he wouldn't survive the next few days. He knew who Evarian's true father was. One only had to look at her. Almost nothing of her mother had formed in the child's face. She was simply a young and female Lucivar. And rather pudgy one at that, he smiled while looking at her rounded and excited face. She was still talking about her Grandpa.
"Evarian?" he said calmly, catching her attention.
She frowned, unhappy about being interrupted during her speech. "What Lod Gatner?"
He sighed, thank the darkness no one else had heard her say his name. He would be laughed out of the court. "I have something for you."
Gathnar pulled off a ring on his left hand. It was a gift from his father, a honourable and strong man who had warned him against serving in the courts who bowed to Dorothea. He had been blinded by the male's instinct to serve and joined up with Prythian anyway.
"Take this and keep it hidden," he said.
Evarian approached him hesitantly and took the ring. She tried to put in every finger but it was much too large. "It won't fit."
He removed the necklace that held his Opal jewel. He took off the pendant and put the ring on it instead, securing it around her neck. "Remember me," he said.
"I don have nothing for you," she said sadly. She looked around her room and then brightened. She ruffled through her pant's pocket and pulled out a mangled feather. "Here!"
He raised an eyebrow while taking it.
She scowled at him. "Keep it in your pocket and it will help you fly!"
He smiled tenderly and embraced her. A knock sounded on the door.
Gathnar pulled back abruptly and stood, forming an appropriate expression on his face. He shoved the feather into his pocket.
Evarian eyed him, confused. He winked and she giggled.
A first circle male entered the room and grabbed Evarian's hand, pulling her roughly along with him. She gave a small cry of defiance, but could do nothing against the strength of an Eyrien warrior.
Sighing, Gathnar grabbed her bags and followed. Two men stopped him and waited for Evarian and her escort to round the corner. One man took the bags from him and then quickly disappeared down the corridor.
He felt a darker jewel's presence from behind him and a sharp pain where a dagger was rammed into his back. He fell to his knees, and for a moment gripped his pocket just before the high priestess of Askavi finished the kill.
2 / Terreille
Prythian stared at the bitch queen who had returned Lucivar to Askavi that evening. "What happened at the court?" she demanded.
The queen sat down wearily in a plush chair facing Prythian. "Do you remember the broken black widow named Tersa?"
Prythian swallowed the thick ball of fear that formed in her throat. Had Tersa seen the birth of Evarian? It was pure luck they had managed to remove the child before Lucivar returned to Askavi. "Vaguely."
"It appears she mentioned to Daemon Sadi the truth of his connection with Yasi. And you can imagine the outcome of that little tidbit of information."
"Did she say anything else?" Prythian asked, trying to sound only slightly interested.
"Isn't that enough? Those two destroyed half my court!"
Prythian rested back into her chair in relief. No one had noticed the disappearance of the three-year-old Evarian. And all those who knew of her existence were dead.
"It is not my concern if those two bastards aren't controlled properly. Obviously you didn't listen correctly when I was explaining the purpose of the ring of obedience. You are dismissed."
The queen dropped the secondary controlling ring on the table and stormed out of the room.
A guard entered hesitantly. "What should we do with Yaslana, my lady?"
Prythian smiled in anticipation. "I can think of a few things."
3 / Terreille
Jolandar stared at the red-jewelled child who struggled in the grasp of the guard who help her arms tightly. "What am I supposed to do with that?"
"It appears that the high Priestess of Askavi would like a favour."
"It appears she doesn't want to risk her own neck, but found it all to easy to risk mine instead," he replied coldly.
The guard shrugged, not caring.
Evarian's eyes fixed onto Jolandar. They widened with fear and unshed tears.
He rubbed his chin, and pondered the possibilities that came with that fear. A queen who could destroy Dorothea and Prythian once she made the offering. A woman moulded into a dependant tool who remained loyal to him. She could fulfill his vision of a pure Askavi and place the Eyrien race above all others, as it was meant to be.
He approached her and she stepped backwards into the guard who held her.
"Your not grapa," she whispered.
"No, I'm not," he replied, with a feral smile. "I'm your father."