Wrote 800+ words today in the new story. :)
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!!!
I did a thing today. My mountains are terrible but I drew the kingdom of Berim in paint.
New Story Scribbles 2
I might call it The Regent.
“Mr. Cross?”
Alastair held up a finger as he finished the word he was transcribing before he lowered his pen to the worn surface of his second-hand desk and looked up to Cera who stood with an air of anxiety at the door.
“Someone is asking for you,” she paused and glanced behind her. “By your title.”
Alastair frowned. “Who is it?”
She shook her head. “He said to announce him as Neels?”
Alastair relaxed. “Send him in.”
Cera hesitated but nodded and disappeared a moment before returning with the visitor. She gave another questioning look to Alastair who grinned and nodded to put her at ease. Satisfied, she turned away as the cloaked visitor entered the small office where Alastair worked.
The man looked around the room, slowly walking along the bookcases, touching several of the spines.
“Who was she?”
“She’s called a secretary. Like an assistant.” Alastair answered as he leaned back in his chair.
“I thought you were a secretary.” The man said as he approached the desk.
“I’m a scribe.”
“So, she’s your servant?”
“We both work for Alphon.” Alastair said and leaned forward on the desk. “I assume father doesn’t know you’re here.”
The man pulled his hood off revealing curling golden brown hair which he ran his fingers through to tame. “Of course not.”
“You risk a lot to tease me about my work, Cornelious.”
Cornelious’s gaze resumed their scan of the space as he leaned his hip on the front of the desk. “The fact that you have to work at all is a bit depressing, but no,” he shook his head and turned his attention to his brother. “Not much of a risk. Who else is he supposed to give the throne to?”
“He can punish you in other ways.” Alastair said quietly.
“Yes, which is why he believes Adria and I are having a holiday in Haniskon in hopes of producing an heir.” He gave an apologetic look to his brother. “Sorry, I know that puts another link in the chain of succession between you and the throne.”
Alastair laughed at that. “I removed myself from the chain entirely, Neels. No apology needed.”
“Exiled for refusing marriage. Absurd punishment.” Cornelious muttered as he fidgeted with a paperweight on the corner of the desk. “But,” he looked back at his brother, “it was a bit absurd to refuse the marriage. Adria and I have made quite a happy arrangement. This was all her idea by the way. She planned it and is currently in Haniskon tending to her husband who came down ill on the journey.” He gave his brother a sly smile.
“Well, you were asked to marry Countess Adria and I was asked to marry Princess Lavonne.” Alastair took up his pen mechanically and looked at the document he was copying without seeing it.
Aha! I found the notes. Who would have thought it was in the document titled "KingdomsofElker"
Somewhere I have a list of the Elker kingdoms with their goverment structures and members as well as exports and general topography and I cannot find it for the life of me and it's driving me nuts.
I must have stuck it in the middle of one of my scraps documents.
New Story Scribbles 2
I might call it The Regent.
“Mr. Cross?”
Alastair held up a finger as he finished the word he was transcribing before he lowered his pen to the worn surface of his second-hand desk and looked up to Cera who stood with an air of anxiety at the door.
“Someone is asking for you,” she paused and glanced behind her. “By your title.”
Alastair frowned. “Who is it?”
She shook her head. “He said to announce him as Neels?”
Alastair relaxed. “Send him in.”
Cera hesitated but nodded and disappeared a moment before returning with the visitor. She gave another questioning look to Alastair who grinned and nodded to put her at ease. Satisfied, she turned away as the cloaked visitor entered the small office where Alastair worked.
The man looked around the room, slowly walking along the bookcases, touching several of the spines.
“Who was she?”
“She’s called a secretary. Like an assistant.” Alastair answered as he leaned back in his chair.
“I thought you were a secretary.” The man said as he approached the desk.
“I’m a scribe.”
“So, she’s your servant?”
“We both work for Alphon.” Alastair said and leaned forward on the desk. “I assume father doesn’t know you’re here.”
The man pulled his hood off revealing curling golden brown hair which he ran his fingers through to tame. “Of course not.”
“You risk a lot to tease me about my work, Cornelious.”
Cornelious’s gaze resumed their scan of the space as he leaned his hip on the front of the desk. “The fact that you have to work at all is a bit depressing, but no,” he shook his head and turned his attention to his brother. “Not much of a risk. Who else is he supposed to give the throne to?”
“He can punish you in other ways.” Alastair said quietly.
“Yes, which is why he believes Adria and I are having a holiday in Haniskon in hopes of producing an heir.” He gave an apologetic look to his brother. “Sorry, I know that puts another link in the chain of succession between you and the throne.”
Alastair laughed at that. “I removed myself from the chain entirely, Neels. No apology needed.”
“Exiled for refusing marriage. Absurd punishment.” Cornelious muttered as he fidgeted with a paperweight on the corner of the desk. “But,” he looked back at his brother, “it was a bit absurd to refuse the marriage. Adria and I have made quite a happy arrangement. This was all her idea by the way. She planned it and is currently in Haniskon tending to her husband who came down ill on the journey.” He gave his brother a sly smile.
“Well, you were asked to marry Countess Adria and I was asked to marry Princess Lavonne.” Alastair took up his pen mechanically and looked at the document he was copying without seeing it.
New Story Scribbles
As the fresh cool night air hit King Alastair's lungs he came to a stand still and breathed deeply a moment, running his fingers through his hair.
"Your Majesty."
The king jumped and turned to the woman who had addressed him. Princess Epharis sat on a bench to his right, her eyes swollen and red.
"Oh, forgive me, I didn't mean to intrude." He muttered and started back inside.
"No, no! Stay, it's fine really. I'm fine." She pleaded, stopping his flight.
"In my experience people who are fine don't sit crying in gardens." Alastair said gently as he felt through his pockets for his handkerchief. He found and stepped closer to offer it to the sad princess.
"Thank you," she smiled and quickly dried her tears on his handkerchief. "It's just a small matter. Nothing to worry your self over."
The king shrugged and sat on the far edge of the bench. "It's good to think on smaller matters, though you haven't convinced me a small matter has brought you to tears."
She gave a tight smile again. "It's just," she paused and looked over the garden at the darkening sky. "I had this cat, and, oh it's silly."
"Go on." He encouraged.
Princess Epharis sighed. "I found her in the garden years ago and made a pet of her. She'd stay in my bed with me if it was too cold out. She ate like a king." she chuckled and looked down at the handkerchief she folded and refolded in her lap. "I found her dead this afternoon."
"Ah," Alastair studied his clasped hands. "Palaces can be cold places. I'm sorry you lost a comforting companion."
The Princess and King exchanged a brief glance.
"Thank you," Princess Epharis offered the handkerchief back to its owner.
Alastair waved it away. "Keep it. Grief has a way of resurfacing when you least expect." He grew even more somber than is typical affectation as he looked out at nothing in particular.
"I'm sorry you are so acquainted with grief, your Majesty." She said softly.
Alastair cleared his throat and stood. "Thank you for entrusting me with your sorrows and I hope they pass quickly. Good night Princess."
My new story is set in Elker and I am struggling to find all the notes I made about the seven kingdoms.
Also working on world pages for Elker and Hallendrest like I have for Vale.
Some old Scribbles
From some of the early scribbles when I was first feeling out The Elker Rex.
Edmund rushed into the room, hand on the hilt of his sword. Seeing the queen on the floor, he drew the sword and scanned the room. “Are you alright, your majesty?”
“I’m fine.” She said, wiping her nose. “Please don’t call me that.”
Satisfied that there was no one else in the room he put his sword away and walked to the queen who was sitting on the floor, leaning against the foot of her bed. Her dress, supported with a thick petticoat fluffed around her. Her slender bare feet showed beyond the sea of deep blue fabric. He knelt before her. “Call you what?” He dug through his pouch until he found the handkerchief tucked near the bottom.
“Majesty.” Though tears still stood on her cheeks, she was no longer crying. She glanced at him briefly as she took his offered handkerchief and began to dry her face.
“Fine. Are you alright, my queen?”
She dropped her hands in her lap and stared at him with annoyance that quickly faded. She lowered her eyes, smiling to herself. “I blew up my engagement.”
“How so?”
“I learned the Duke’s annoyances and I did all of them.” She laughed softly to herself. “I shouldn’t have enjoyed infuriating him so much.”
Sensing their conversation would grow long he sat down on the floor, folding his legs before him. “You did this on purpose?”
“Of course, I did.” She looked at him with a brief smile. “I mean, I shouldn’t have. It would have helped us a lot to have that alliance. He will never think well of me now.” She drew her legs up into her skirt and threw her head back onto the bed. “I am a horrible queen.”
“You are not. You’ve done a fine job. You’ve nearly got this place back to where your father left it.”
“Before he was disposed?” She asked, rolling her head slightly toward him.
He opened his mouth to reply, but couldn’t think of a good response.
“Well, I appreciate your efforts but maybe I should have been able to put myself second and my kingdom first.” She grew somber and began picking absently at the corner of his handkerchief.
“How so?”
“I should have just married him.”
Edmund drew his legs up and clasped his hands before his knees. She obviously hadn’t liked the Duke, but it was a good alliance. What had driven her to drive the poor man mad?
okay so i have been massively derailed by a new story idea. it was just a quick image with some feels and my brain latched on to it and no amount of scolding would stop it and its now a whole conflict and plot line and characters.
needless to say i don't have much Hallendrest inspiration at the moment.
Getting nursing/nap trapped by my 4 week old has me reading 4 books at once. I am never like this lol
It just kinda depends if I can reach one of my physical books or I am stuck with just my phone and Kindle app.
I did find a cute fantasy romance series I loved and am quite sad to be caught up on the last book being published just two weeks ago.
only wrote ~200 words this week. baby girl will not let me set her down lol
i have some scribbles on my phone but just not much writing going on right now.
Taking care of both kids isn't too bad. The melt downs my toddler has when the baby cries is rough, but I have found that if I ask my son to give sister a kiss or bring her where he is, he gets much calmer.
The hardest part right now is getting anything clean lol!
I feed baby, get her to sleep, go play a game with my son or read him a book, run off to clean something before my son wants something or the baby wakes up.
Hubby took our toddler to the park so I have a bit of a rest. I am going to pick up the living room. We need to vacuum which I might do when baby wakes up.
But, while I wrestle with the beautiful chaos of two babies, I am having a great conversation with God about who I am and what it really meant that He came to earth and died on the cross.
The freedom that gives us is hard to fathom. Like, we are heirs with Christ. He gave us his name and adopted us into the family and it doesn't matter what we did. It doesn't matter if we miss a morning reading our bible. It doesn't matter if we stumble, but we don't have to stumble. Sinning gets rather difficult when you meditate on what it means to be saved. What that truly means. The power of Christ's blood on the cross.
He became the tree of life we lost in the Garden. He gave us his flesh and blood to eat, to give us new life because the life is in the blood.
I still can't quite put it into words, but it's amazing. I look at my daughter whom I love and she can literally do nothing at three weeks old. She hasn't even worked out how to poop yet and I still love her and claim her as mine. That's how God sees us.
I am the moody toddler or helpless infant and God just beams at me like "you are mine. I gave my blood for you and counted it worthwhile."
That's mind blowing.
I asked God to wreck me and He so is.
Also, I really like Mircea and I can't wait till I get to dig into the later part of the story where he plays a bigger role.
Writing has gotten so slow. I write like 80 words a day.
Baby just wants to be held lately. Hard to type and hold baby at the same time, though I do have some random later scenes forming in the notes of my phone.
Hallendrest Update
Started the week at 26,095 words ended at 27,737 words.
Snippet:
After her failure to show for lunch Kallias took up half of her sandwich and wrapped it in a napkin before braving another venture into the mourning queen’s chamber.
He knocked on the door, paused a moment, then entered.
Reena had left her bed and now sat curled up in a chair near the fireplace which was not lit. Kallias relaxed and crossed the room to her, careful to stay out of range should she decide one of the books or glasses within her reach would do to clear him from the room again.
“You should eat.” He offered as he held the sandwich out before him.
Reena glanced at him, her face was even more pale than normal, her eyes were swollen and heavy. She turned back to the fire. “You don’t have to act like you care.”
Kallias ventured closer and took the chair farthest from her. “Its actually the opposite, I have to act like I don’t care. I can’t give the council the impression there is any affection between us.”
“That should be easy. There isn’t any.” Kallias’ face twitched into a sort of frown. “I am sorry that I have been unpleasant. I know living here like this is difficult. If there is anything I could do about it, I would.”