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by runsforcelery » Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:09 pm | |
runsforcelery
Posts: 2425
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I don't have any intention of posting snippets here on any sort of regular basis until we are a lot further along, but just to reassure you that the next book is actually happening, here's a tiny taste.
**************************************** Chapter One The very tall, powerfully built man strode down the early morning hallway like an ice breaker through floe ice. Or perhaps, given his expression, like a battleship breaking an enemy line. The brilliant sunlight of Tajvana shone through the broad windows down the eastern side of the hall, gleaming on floors of polished marble and gathering in rich puddles, dense with color, on the runner of priceless carpet that stretched down the passage’s center. That same sunlight touched the strands of gold threaded through his dark hair, but it did nothing to lighten the darkness in his gray, shadowed eyes. He had not slept, though those who did not know him well might not have guessed it from his appearance. Those who did know him well had no need to guess; they would have known how any trace of sleep must have eluded him in the hours of night so recently passed. There was bitterness in those gray eyes, and anger. And there was fear — not for himself, but for someone dearer to him than life itself — and there was despair. The harsh, hard, angry despair of someone unaccustomed to powerlessness. The despair of someone who hated himself for his helplessness. His name was Zindel chan Calirath, Duke of Ternathia, Grand Duke of Farnalia, Warlord of the West, Protector of the Peace, Wing-Crowned, and, by the gods’ grace, Zindel XXIV, Emperor of Ternathia, and Zindel I, Emperor Designate of Sharona. He was the most powerful man in more than forty universes . . . and a father who could not save his daughter from the destruction of her life. * * * * * One of the Calirath Palace maids looked up, saw the emperor bearing down upon her, and flattened herself against the wall with a squeak of dismay. Under other circumstances, Zindel would have paused, smiled at the young woman, asked her name and attempted to set her at ease. This morning, he simply strode past her with a curt nod. He doubted that engaging her in conversation in his present mood could have contributed very much to her peace of mind, anyway. He reached the door of his daughter’s apartments, and the pair of grim faced bodyguards flanking it came to the attention. They saluted sharply, and he nodded in acknowledgment once more, eyes hard with approval this time as he noted the Model 7 shotguns, bayonets fixed, which supplemented their usual Halanch and Welnahr revolvers. The slide-action weapons were ugly and efficient, not at all what a smartly dressed imperial guardsmen would carry, and they offered less range than a rifle, but inside the confines of the Palace’s corridors and passages, they were also far more lethal. He stepped past them without slowing, but his inexorable progress checked abruptly as he crossed the apartment’s threshold and saw the chair outside the closed bedroom door. It was – like all the chairs in Calirath Palace — beautifully made, comfortably padded and richly upholstered. Yet it was intended for people to sit in, not as a bed, and the middle-aged woman curled up in it under the light blanket could not have spent a restful night. He gazed at her for a moment, trying to remember if he had ever before seen Lady Merissa Vankhal without makeup, her hair awry. She looked older and somehow worn, even in her sleep, and Zindel’s hard, set expression softened as he gazed at her. There were those, he knew – including his daughter, at times — who saw only Lady Merissa’s fussiness, her insistence on protocol, her determination that her charge’s public appearance should always be immaculate, and overlooked her deep, personal attachment to the imperial grand princess she served so devotedly. Neither he nor his wife Varena had ever made that mistake, and her presence here was not the surprise to him that it would have been to all those other people. She hadn’t mentioned her intention, yet he realized now that she shouldn’t have needed to. He should have known anyway. He paused and gently tucked the blanket about her shoulders, then drew a deep breath, squared his broad shoulders, and knocked gently upon his daughter’s door. * * * * * Andrin Calirath, Imperial Crown Princess of Ternathia and Sharona, turned in her chair when the tap sounded. “Come,” she called, and the door opened. Her father stood in the doorway for just a moment before he stepped hesitantly into the room. Sunshine warm as melted honey poured across the small marble balcony where Andrin sat, staring across the quiet morning at the ultramarine waters of the Ylani Straits and the mourning banners fluttering from every rooftop and railing of Tajvana. Her face was worn and tired, her unquiet gray eyes swollen from the tears she’d been too proud to let anyone see in yesterday’s tumultuous meeting of the Conclave. A girl with the vitality of youth, sitting in warm, golden sunlight, shouldn’t have looked like ice on a windowpane, so pale light very nearly shone through her, and yet there was a hard-won serenity in that tired face. One that seemed to shatter his heart within his chest. The heart which had already lost a son and now had failed his daughter, as well. “Andrin,” he said brokenly, “I’m sorry . . .” She shook her head. “It isn’t your fault, Papa. There was no other way to secure the accords. I understand that. I don’t blame you, Papa. I blame the spineless cowards in the Conclave for not standing up to Chava Busar’s demands, but never you.” That simple absolution cut Zindel to the bone. She wasn’t just his eldest daughter and his heir, she was the promise of greatness. And she would never reach it, not under one of Chava Busar’s sons. If nothing else, they would kill her in childbed, getting child after child on her. He wanted to wrap his hands around the throat of every rutting royal bastard in Uromathia and squeeze until all that remained was crushed bone and purpled, lifeless flesh. Wanted — more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life — to denounce the accords which made her marriage to a Uromathian prince the price for putting the crown of a united Sharona upon his own head. But duty — that cruel, uncaring goddess of ice and steel which had demanded so much of his ancestors over the millennia — demanded this of him . . . and of her. He had an entire world to protect, and protecting it meant he couldn’t protect her. Gods, he couldn’t protect his baby girl . . . . “Did you bring the list?” she asked softly. He held it out. It was short. Brutally so. The Emperor of Uromathia had only five unmarried sons. Among them was the crown prince, who was obviously his father’s first choice. She scanned it briefly, then handed it back. “It isn’t complete, Papa. Please have it amended.” "Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as Piglet came back from the dead. |
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by SYED » Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:05 pm | |
SYED
Posts: 1345
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Ever since I read those two books I have guessed who she will marry.
I cant get spoilers to work so please skip if you have not read the books. [Spoiler] By the agreement, the princess must marry an Uromathian prince. The thing is, she met a prince who liked birds, like the one she has with her. Officially, he is a prince of Uromathia, but he and his land are really not big fans o the emporer who wants her to marry one of his sons to achieve great power. It will mess with ever one of the opponents plans, and drive them all into great fury. [/Spoiler] |
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by tonyz » Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:06 pm | |
tonyz
Posts: 144
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1) Yee-ha! So pleased to see progress here. I WANT this book! Nice opening.
2) I thought Chava had four sons, not five, based on previous books. I suppose one might have just been born, or perhaps reached marriageable age, in the interim. 3) While it's a nice try, lawyer-quibbling against the clear and obvious intent of the treaty is going to raise a giant ruckus, and probably not just from Uromathia.. Legally, depending on the wording, Andrin has a case, and I'm cheering her on, but i Iather suspect that the grand object of Uromathia pulling its weight in a unified anti-Arcanan empire is likely to be severely disrupted. |
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by DrakBibliophile » Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:34 pm | |
DrakBibliophile
Posts: 2311
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Not sure about that.
Yes, the Emperor of Uromathia is going to be extremely upset *but* IIRC there are enough "neutrals" that would claim that it was *his* own fault that treaty wasn't clear on exactly what "Princess/Prince of Uromathia" meant. IIRC there are a large number of "Uromathians" who aren't part of his Empire (and don't want to be part of his Empire) and IMO they'll support Imperial Princess Andrin Calirath's position. Yes, he's going to be upset but IMO backing out now would make him look bad.
*
Paul Howard (Alias Drak Bibliophile) * Sometimes The Dragon Wins! [Polite Dragon Smile] * |
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by Renegade13 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:37 pm | |
Renegade13
Posts: 244
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I know that it is likely to be quite a while before the full book is released, but seeing this snippet fills my heart with joy - it WILL come!!!!
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by tonyz » Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:37 pm | |
tonyz
Posts: 144
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Maybe. Maybe. He might let it pass if he figures he can't stand up to the united opposition. But he isn't going to like it, and a lot of Uromathians aren't going to like it very much either. (Others probably will; at least their culture is going to be maritally represented in the new royalty.). So any chance for full cooperation from the Empire of Uromathia just went out the window.
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by Howard T. Map-addict » Sun Sep 08, 2013 3:32 pm | |
Howard T. Map-addict
Posts: 1392
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Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
BTWay, the Sharona Civilians thread (compiled by -uh- me) shows that only three of Chava's sons had been heard of in the previous books. Perhaps he was hiding the others? If I can be of any more help to you in Multiverse, please let me know! Howard "Map-addict" Wilkins
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by Howard T. Map-addict » Sun Sep 08, 2013 3:36 pm | |
Howard T. Map-addict
Posts: 1392
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Chava was always going to fight.
Almost all of us guessed that. He's already made arrangements with the Seneschal. HTM
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by SYED » Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:05 pm | |
SYED
Posts: 1345
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We all know he was going to cause trouble even with a wedding, but this will suprise him, that he will forcedto alter any of his plans.
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by JimHacker » Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:41 am | |
JimHacker
Posts: 298
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Have to say I'm thrilled to see some progress on this.
This is one of my favourite series, due to its immense and unique potential. I think that plot-wise the snippet hasn't already told us anything we don't already know. We already had mostly guessed that she was going to go for a Uromathian prince, rather than a Prince of Uromthia. And given that Bursa is already making plans with the Seneschal to strike down the emperor, I think we all have a fair idea of what his reaction is going to be don't we? Even if we don't take into account the visions of the Emperor dead, the city burning and so on. What's going to be more interesting is how Bursa's people react (such as Sunlord Markan), and how the war will turn out. What will be the reaction of the Arcanans to steam engines and the speed the Sharonans can lay track? What tricks will they pull out of their bag? How will things play out back on Arcana? Will Sharona invent the combustion egine hinted at and develop flying machines of their own? So much to explore! -------------------------------
Happiness is not having what you want Nor is happiness wanting what you have Happiness is believing that tomorrow you shall have what you want today ..//^ ^\\ (/(_•_)\) .._/''*''\_ .(,,,)^(,,,) |
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