The Lives of Velnin chapter 15
Kissing Once More. Beginning of book 2: THE DARK EMPIRE
We rode our horses down the trail at a gentle walk, Aloree to my right, her golden hair lit up by the afternoon sun. A polite distance far behind us rode her guards and chaperones, Jom and Pol, and Lordan. Jom and Pol were my erstwhile drinking buddies, who I was sure were secretly rooting for me. Lordan's scarred, scowling face beneath his jet-black hair was harder to read.
I told myself to pretend the chaperones weren't there and focus on the gorgeous girl beside me. "The way the sun catches your hair is so beautiful," I said. She blushed and changed the subject.
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"It's a lovely path. Where are we headed?" she asked. I'd kept our plans mysterious so far.
"I want to show you one of my favorite places from my youth, a place close to my heart," I said, revealing enough without breaking the suspense. Of course, my youth was that of my dead brother Velwin, her former husband who had died a year and a day before. I shared his memories up until the season before he died, which was the season he'd met and married her. I knew from his dying words that he'd talked about these things with Aloree, and thought seeing these happy memories at last might warm her heart, rather than make her wistful.
Gambit successful—she smiled. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" she said with a laugh, and transitioned her horse to a canter. I sped up mine and pulled alongside her once more, then slightly ahead so as to lead her horse down the correct path. I heard our chaperones behind us spurring their horses on and cursing mildly. Well, never mind them. I had a girl to win!
We came to a broad meadow and stopped before a hitching post. I dismounted and hitched my horse up, and Aloree followed my lead as I removed my horse's saddlebag. As Aloree finished hitching up her horse, I pointed to the stream in the middle of the meadow, and the small dock with an attached raft. "Race you there!" I said. Aloree was game and set off with a laugh. I gave her a good head start, then set off at my fastest bag-holding sprint. I just barely caught up to her as she reached the dock.
Aloree peered at the bag and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged and hopped on the raft, put down the bag and took up a pole, and patted the spot next to me on the raft. She daintily stepped on and sat next me. I untied and began poling us to a small dock on the other side.
After we dismounted the raft and tied up, I brought her to the tree near the stream I'd worked on in my youth. I showed her the pulley system I'd made myself, and pulled on the rope until the trapdoor above opened and the rope ladder came down. She gave an "Eeee!" of glee as the ladder fell beside us, and I grinned.
I climbed up the rope ahead of her and brought the saddlebag in one hand. We came up into the house in a tree I'd built in my early teens. Aloree finished climbing in as I began unloading a picnic blanket and some provisions from the bag: bread, cheese, fruit, wine. As she sat down next to me I began some small talk.
"Okay. Favorite story you've read recently. Go!"
"Hmm... I just read this one about a magic-user in a controlled time loop. The twist is, every time he repeats a loop, he gets more boogers in his nose. He has to solve the mysteries and commit to a final loop before there's so much snot coming out of his nose, no one takes him seriously anymore."
I stared at her. "You're kidding me."
She gave me her best, most innocent smile. "Maybe. I'll never tell." We both laughed.
We laughed and joked, talked about weather and nature and our favorite places, ate our food, and drank our wine. A duck quacked from the stream, and Aloree turned to look at it swim by with a smile. She turned back to me, a broad smile still on her face.
"Thank you for taking me to this wonderful treehouse Velwin built." At this slip of the tongue, she turned away and bit her lip. She had not mentioned my brother until now.
I took her hand and looked into her eyes as she turned again towards me. "Aloree. I know I'm not the man you married. But I am the man who played in this meadow, swam in the stream. I am the man who built the the pulley, the ladder, the treehouse. And I am the man who would fall for you at first sight. Twice now."
Aloree had a pensive look in her eyes throughout this short speech, and as I squeezed her hand, she closed her eyes and gave a slight smile. She sat there, eyes gently closed, still as a tree, as I leaned in and kissed her.
Our kiss was long, slow, and gentle. She didn't move an inch as I put my arm around her. I felt her soul softly touching mine as my lips were on hers, and felt my whole being filled with a happy warmth as the kiss continued. Finally, the kiss ended, and I sat back.
Aloree opened her eyes and beamed at me.
As we left the treehouse and walked back to the raft, hand in hand, Pol gave me a grin and a wink, then nudged Jom. Jom handed him a silver coin, and grinned sheepishly.
My heart felt a lightness that it had not had in more than a year. With one kiss, Aloree had cured me of my bitterness and sadness at my brother's death, and jealousy of the last season of his life, that my year of military training and drinking my nights away had only distracted from. The next day I copied over my memories to those brothers of mine still in stasis in the capital. I wished to never again awake as a brother who had never kissed Aloree, but desperately wished he had. And if I died this season, well, the next brother would wake up with a memory of deep happiness fresh in his mind—you're welcome, future brother.
In truth, I did not expect to die any time soon. Our kingdom had posted riders all along the route to the Dark Empire, from the ruins of the Citadel, to the Dragonclaw Mountains, to Mermaid's Point. At last changeover, all was reported quiet, and no news had been heard recently. Our rumors from wandering traders suggested turmoil in the Dark Empire: a change of leadership. Perhaps this new ruler, whoever it was, would forget our minor kingdoms, and wage war elsewhere in the world if at all. Perhaps my endless training as a warrior would prove unnecessary.
Nevertheless, I continued my training during the day. I practiced sword and shield, spear and shield. I drilled my men, practiced in formation. I practiced archery and riding. I sailed aboard ships and practiced command. I studied logistics and tactics. I wargamed mock battles with other officers, land and naval engagements. I wished for peace, so I prepared for war.
I spent much of my free time with Aloree. Our romance was different than the romance my brother Velwin had reported in his dying words, his of frenzied passionate kisses as they felt the nearness of death in enemy territory. Ours was one of gentle kisses and held hands. Ours was one of calm words and bantering jokes. Ours was one of playing hide and seek in the meadows, swinging on swings, and climbing trees. Ours was one of walking hand and hand through the city, exploring new places, eating fine meals together. I think all the people were happy to see their prince in love, and treated us with kindness and a little bit of happy amusement.
I saw that I no longer needed to be jealous of my brother, or what he had had with Aloree. I dreamed that peace would reign, I would marry Aloree, and we would find our happily ever after.
These happy times were soon cut short. A rider had returned from Mermaid's Point, riding hard on horse after horse making haste to the capital. His report: the Dark Empire was on the move.
Author’s Note:
Chapter 15 begins The Lives of Velnin: THE DARK EMPIRE. If you enjoyed the first 14 chapters, consider buying or just reviewing the first book on Amazon. For the next week, it’s only $1.25. Actually getting sales and reviews out of keeping this stuff free and online really helps with the decision not to stub it (i.e. remove most of it from Substack) and go full Kindle Unlimited. Many thanks!
Book Info:
The Lives of Velnin: THE BLACK CITADEL collects the first 14 chapters of the story you have read so far.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZJ7R5VH (ebook, $1.25 for the first two weeks of launch!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZPF7QN2 (paperback)
https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DZJ7R5VH (or if you want to give Royal Road some money and have them pick your region automatically. I did post the story there, after all.)
Swordfights. True Love. High Adventure. Epic Battles. Action. Magic. Reincarnation.
I was 17 years old when I died for the first time.
I parried the guard's cut, feinted high, then swung Swelfalster, blade of the fallen star, low for a slash at his unarmored thigh. I scored, a line of blood dripping down his leg, and danced back before his counterstroke landed.
This is the chronicle of Velnin, Crown Prince of Tarmel, told through the dying words of his first incarnations. Vel is sent as a spy to the territory of the Black Citadel, investigating a newly rising power, the dark rumors surrounding it, and the fearsome might of its army: the Black Legion.
In his journey he encounters the charming Aloree, diplomat of the neighboring kingdom of Talore. Healer, magic-user, diplomat, bookworm, her beauty belies hidden secrets within her.
A fast-paced epic fantasy of swords, love, magic, and battles. Vel must protect the people of his kingdom, and make whatever sacrifices he must to end the horrors perpetuated by the Black Legion. But must he sacrifice true love itself for the sake of his people?
"You write action so well! I'm taking notes..." -Anthony Lee Phillips, author of Moonthread.
"Fast, Exciting Read! 5 stars." -Alexander Scott, author of Mage: The Way of the Mark.
"This is very well written." -Joseph L. Wiess, author of The Draoidh's Cearcall and The LawKeeper Chronicles.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZJ7R5VH (ebook, $1.25 for the next two weeks!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZPF7QN2 (paperback)
https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DZJ7R5VH (or if you want to give Royal Road some money and have them pick your region automatically. I did post the story there, after all.)
Jom needs to start betting differently.
Your second book is off to a great start.