Born of Stone (The Valdir Chronicles) Read online

  Born of Stone

  A Valdir Chronicles Novella

  By RA Lewis

  Born of Stone

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright 2019 © RA Lewis

  Cover by Jennifer Stevens for Down Write Nuts

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.

  Also by R.A. Lewis

  Novel, Fantasy

  Secrets & Swords

  The Valdir Chronicles

  Born of Air, The Valdir Chronicles Book 1

  Born of Embers, The Valdir Chronicles Book 2

  Born of Blood, The Valdir Chronicles Book 3

  Born of Stone, The Valdir Chronicles Novella

  The Valdir Chronicles Full Series

  The Elemental Kingdoms Series

  Kingdom of Wind & Fire, The Elemental Kingdoms Series Book 1

  Kingdom of Spirit & Sorrow, The Elemental Kingdoms Series Book 2

  The Stolen Element (Prequel)

  Short Stories

  The Sell Sword And The Beast

  The Sell Sword And The Bandits

  The Sell Sword And The Raven Girl

  The Sell Sword And The Siren

  Last Date to Prom

  The Bird

  Dedication

  To overcoming the odds.

  Chapter 1

  Cherise hurried down the hallway straightening her bodice and skirts as she made her way towards the entrance hall of Ravenhelm Castle. She couldn’t believe she was late yet again, and her hands worried at the pins holding her blonde curls away from her lovely face and green eyes. Just that morning her father had pulled her aside to reprimand her for spending so much time in the library or out riding her mare instead of sitting with him in council. He didn’t understand how boring she found sitting in council, surrounded by stuffy old men discussing Ethea’s politics. He didn’t understand how trapped she often felt, or that her alone time reading or riding was the only freedom she ever got as the princess of the realm. But she had been reading a book in the library when she’d knocked a full teacup onto her skirts and was forced to rush back to her rooms to change.

  Today was an important day. It was the day that the King of the Valdir, a race of dragon riders, and his son were to arrive at Ravenhelm castle. They were coming to solidify the alliance between the Valdir and the Etheans, to strategize for upcoming battles against their northern neighbor Askor, and to renegotiate their current arrangement with her father. Cherise knew how important it was for her to be there on time, but she couldn’t stand the idea of showing up in a stained dress.

  Turning the corner of the hallway in a rush, her eyes on her skirts, she ran straight into something very solid, and very much alive. Cherise let out a small cry as she fell but just when she was about to strike the ground, a hand snagged hers and pulled her to her feet. She looked up, startled, into the brightest blue eyes she’d ever seen.

  “Oh, excuse me, I’m so sorry…” she trailed off as she looked at the young man that stood before her. His clothing was strange: a white linen shirt and a dark red leather jacket and pants that looked like some kind of strange armor; his bright silver hair hung long, braided back from an intricately tattooed face. She let out a small gasp as she righted.

  “No, I’m sorry. I should have been paying attention to where I was walking, but I was caught up in this tapestry here.” The young man gestured to the wall beside them. Cherise barely turned her head, more interested in the Valdir that stood before her than in the tapestry. His handsome face was lit with a warm smile. He bristled with weapons, which was strange since her father usually didn’t allow armed men into the castle unless they were palace guards, but clearly, this man had permission.

  “It’s not a problem,” she said breathlessly, smiling back and regaining her composure. “I’m Princess Cherise.” She gave him a small curtsey, since she wasn’t quite sure who he was among the Valdir, but she knew by his silver hair he certainly was a Valdir. He smiled more broadly and gave her a low bow in return.

  “I’m Hakon, son of King Natan of the Valdir.”

  The King’s son. He was the Prince of the Valdir. She flushed furiously as Hakon captured her hand and kissed the back of it gently. Fire raced up her arm and a shiver went down her spine at his touch.

  “Pleasure,” she said breathlessly. “I was just heading to the entrance hall to greet you and your father. Am I too late?”

  Hakon smiled and gestured behind himself and the empty corridor.

  “You are a bit, actually. Our fathers are already in the council chambers. I opted to explore instead of sitting through formal reviews of our troop movements.”

  Ethea had been at war with its northern neighbor, Askor, for decades now, since Cherise’s grandfather’s time. It showed no signs of stopping either, not unless major changes were made, treaties signed, and compromises accomplished. But her own father was just as stubborn as his father, and her grandfather had been, and he also wasn’t one for upsetting the status quo by making life altering decisions. So she doubted he’d make the changes necessary to end the war.

  “Well then, I’m glad I ran into you. My father would have been furious if I’d just burst in on them.” She reached out and took his elbow. “How about a tour?”

  He smiled broadly at her, his white teeth dazzling against his tanned skin and contrasted nicely with his silver braids and bright blue eyes. He really was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.

  “I would be honored.” He held out a hand before them. “Lead the way!”

  Cherise beamed at him, swept her blonde curls over her shoulders and led the way down the hallway, making for her favorite place in the castle: the gardens.

  “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said as they strolled along the cobbled pathways of the gardens, surrounded by broad-leafed trees and early spring flowers. It was a bit cool outside, but as long as they kept moving, she wasn’t too chilled. Plus, it gave her an excellent excuse to stay close to the Prince. “This is my favorite place in the whole world. And it’s the only place I can get a little privacy.” She nodded behind them to the soldier who followed just within eyesight. Her father was a paranoid man and always had at least one soldier tailing his daughter when she left the castle.

  “But we’re being followed,” Hakon pointed out, smiling at her bemusedly.

  “Not for long.” Cherise snagged his arm and began to run, quickly turning a corner in the path, the soldier momentarily blocked from view by the shrubbery. Then she dragged him into the bushes, not worrying for one moment about her elaborately braided hair or her pretty dress. She could always have her maid fix any tears later. After a few moments crashing in the underbrush, she crouched down, pulling the tall Hakon with her.

  She put a finger to her lips, both of them breathing hard as running footsteps sounded on the cobbled pathway a dozen feet away.

  “Princess Cherise?” a voice called. Cherise covered her own mouth to stifle a giggle and Hakon’s blue eyes sparkled in the dappled light beneath the shrubbery.

  Soon the footsteps trampled off and Cherise let out a
bark of laughter. Hakon grinned as she took his hand again and led him deeper into the lush garden. Perhaps it was a stupid idea to be alone with a man she didn’t know, but something in her gut told her Hakon was a good person.

  “Won’t you get in trouble for that?” Hakon asked as they pushed through the undergrowth and out into a small clearing, where the ground was covered in soft moss and sunlight streamed through the canopy overhead. Cherise flopped down onto the grass and let out a sigh.

  “Probably. But it just means my father will put more guards on me for a while.”

  Hakon sank to the ground beside her, crossing his legs beneath him. He fiddled with a stick he found, occasionally looking up into her eyes with shy interest.

  “So, tell me about the Valdir,” Cherise said, flinging a small leaf at him. He grinned.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Do you really ride dragons?”

  “Yes. My dragon is named Kaya and she’s the most stunning sapphire blue you’ve ever seen.”

  “Can I meet her?”

  “Perhaps. She and my father’s dragon are outside the city at the moment with our soldiers. But maybe we can go to visit her.”

  “Can you take me flying?”

  “If Kaya decides she likes you, then yes.” He smiled at her, clearly pleased with her boldness and sense of adventure. “You said this is your most favorite place in the world. Have you seen much of the world then?”

  Cherise’s smile faltered and she looked away.

  “No, I’ve never left this castle really. Only on festival days and occasional days out riding in the country. But I’ve never been far.” She lay back on the moss and closed her eyes, bathing in the sunlight that filtered in through the trees. Her heart felt heavy in her chest. She knew she’d never leave Ravenhelm, not unless forced to. Her job was here. “But I’ve never needed to leave. I have everything I need here and a library to tell me about all the other places.”

  When Hakon remained silent, she cracked an eye and looked at him. He, too, was looking up to the sky above, but with a wistful look on his face. Finally, he answered.

  “That’s a little sad if I’m being honest. I’ve flown everywhere from the Great Grey Mountains to south of the Badlands and the border with Wostrad. I’ve flown across the Eastern Wastes and across the straights to Ablen’s shores. There is so much more of the world than this castle, and so many beautiful things to see.”

  Cherise sat up then.

  “I guess you’ll just have to show me then.”

  Hakon’s eyes met hers and he grinned.

  Chapter 2

  Cherise sucked in a breath as her knee brushed Hakon’s beneath the huge council room table. She and the Valdiran Prince were sitting on one side, the Valdiran King on the other with his closest advisor, a big man a little older than Hakon named Geir who had given Cherise the once over before sitting down at the table. He had unsettling grey eyes.

  Her father, King Osian Stanchon of Ethea, sat at the head of the table, his hands crossed over his chest. The rest of the seats were occupied by the other members of the Ethean council. Cherise’s favorite was a tall, slim and serious-looking man sitting beside the Valdir delegation. He was the Spymaster and Cherise knew that he always had the best gossip and the best tidbits of information. She couldn’t say how many times Lord Illeron had helped her get out of trouble with Mistress Aynne, the new head of the kitchens.

  But right now, all of her attention was on the small spot of her knee where it had touched Hakon’s. It seemed to burn, sending a shiver all the way up her spine. She darted a look at the young Prince. He was very handsome, his silver battle braids pulled back behind his head into a tail, tied by a colorful piece of fabric. It made his sharp cheekbones and blue eyes stand out in the dim chamber. Cherise let out a small sigh.

  She couldn’t believe how much she liked this young man already. She had never been crazy about boys before, though her friends were. They often spent hours talking about the various eligible bachelors among the noblemen’s sons, extolling their virtues and comparing them. But Cherise had always been separate, outside that. Partly it was because she knew she was destined to be Queen, and probably marry for political gain rather than love, but she’d always thought most of those noblemen’s sons to be quite silly and shallow. Especially Lord Astin’s son, Averil. He was a few years older and still unmarried. He was handsome enough, but he always seemed eager to suck up to those in power. She hated how he was always trying to impress her father when he was around.

  She was pulled from her contemplation of the woeful courting pool by a comment made by King Natan of the Valdir.

  “Askor is getting bolder, your Majesty. They are not only attacking Blackwater, but they have marched farther into the mountains, and have taken over the Breven Mines. They killed everyone there, including the women and children in the nearby mining camps. I know you have your forces keeping them back along the coast and Blackwater, but I need reinforcements in the mountains. My people are stretched too thin trying to protect not only Treyville and Cragmeer but our own high camps as well. I have already had to evacuate one camp near Breven in fear of them being attacked. And what if Askor launches an attack from the east? How will we counter that?”

  The King of Ethea frowned and steepled his fingers in deep contemplation. Cherise knew that look. She had seen it every time she’d gotten into trouble as a child. Usually, it meant he was trying to find a suitable punishment but sometimes it meant he was trying to find a good solution. She and the other council members waited patiently for his answer. Cherise slid a sideways look at Prince Hakon and found his bright blue eyes watching her too. She quickly looked away, letting her blonde curls fall like a screen in front of her face, a small smile playing across her lips.

  Finally, her father spoke.

  “How would we provide for an army within the mountains? That is why we have enlisted you and your people. You are used to living there, you have the resources to survive. My armies do not. How could we march them through the mountains and keep them supplied?”

  Cherise watched the King of the Valdir’s face fall, emotions playing across it. He wasn’t the best at hiding his feelings it seemed. She looked at Hakon again and his face wasn’t nearly as open as his father’s.

  “What if we had the Valdir fly in a force and supplies? The dragons are strong enough to carry that. We could delegate some dragons for supply runs if we have the support and help of Ethean soldiers,” Hakon spoke up, offering a solution. Cherise beamed at him as he spoke before looking eagerly to her father.

  Her father sat back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he thought.

  “That could be an option. We will discuss the details tonight over dinner. In the meantime, let’s discuss the crop yield so far this year, and current stores to get us through till fall harvest.” He turned to Lord Renfort, a man of middling years and a dour countenance. Cherise had only had limited interactions with the man and his wife but they were both very serious people.

  “Thank you, your Majesty. Crop yields this last fall weren’t as we had hoped and our stores are much depleted. We don’t have enough young men in the fields to help harvest, and so some food spoiled before it could get picked and then distributed. But the castle has a substantial store from years past and could potentially share some of the bounty with the army or the people, if necessary.” He paused to clear his throat. The King of Ethea’s face had hardened. “But of course, the army takes priority.”

  That made the King’s face relax a bit.

  “And what about so far this spring? How are we doing?” the King said.

  “The early harvest has only just begun and so far, the production is far less than previous years at this time. Partly it was the cold winter lasting so long that stalemated us, but we’re facing a pretty serious shortage this next winter. Rationing will need to start much sooner than other years.”

  Cherise’s stomach clenched at the thought. She looked to her father�
�s already gaunt face. Every winter they all lost a bit of weight as rationing had increased, but this year had been especially hard and she had watched her father eat far less than even his servants. She wondered if he would even make it through too many more winters of rationing if things got much worse.

  She remembered when she was a child that food had always been scarce. Some years there had been large banquets and celebrations, and food was often found in the council chambers. She used to sneak in just before the council started and steal pastries off the pretty plates then scampered out before her father could catch her. But there hadn’t been enough food for that in years. The banquets had become much less opulent and parties had finger foods only, no large meals. Things were changing, and it made Cherise nervous. The war had lasted a hundred years, and while there had been years of plenty, the years of food shortages now outweigh the years of plenty. Ethea had once traded profusely with Ablen, and Wostrad to the east and south, but as the war dragged on, and Askor’s power grew, their trade lines had deteriorated along with their stores. Each year was leaner than the last, each generation smaller than the last, and their current trajectory was not sustainable. Cherise knew something had to give.

  “Well, there’s nothing can be done to help that. We’ve survived worse than this. We will survive again,” her father said putting his hands down on the table. “In the meantime, we will discuss the problem of rationing and supplying an army force within the mountains. Council is dismissed for today.”

  Cherise stood with Hakon and the other council members. She watched them speaking softly as they exited. Hakon left with Geir in tow and Cherise followed not far behind. She paused in the doorway and saw her father still sitting at the table, Lord Illeron now beside him, talking softly. For some reason, her father’s hunched body language made her pause.