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I’m posting from my current writing WiP, Song and Shadow, a prequel to Song and Sword. It’s a rough draft and I still don’t have an actual outline for it so it’s going to be a fun ride.

Picking up from last week’s snippet.

“His Royal Highness, King Kurtzen!” the herald announced. He stepped aside and a tall bearded man stepped through a heavy curtain and onto the balcony as a cheer went up from the crowd.

As the king waited for the crowd to quiet – and made no effort to quiet them – Pashevel assessed him. He was tall but heavier than he should be, although still managing to look regal and powerful. And he from the way he enjoyed the attention and being in the limelight he would be easy to flatter and manipulate, and Pashevel had another insight into Hierik – he couldn’t please his father because his father didn’t want to step down and yield the crown. 

“People of the realm,” the king began when the cheering had subsided. “Sixteen years ago today my wife presented me with an heir, my son, Hierik. I watched as he took his first steps as a toddler, and now I am pleased to see him take his first steps as an adult, as he begins his Passage to manhood.”

Find more great reading
at the Sunday Snippet group.

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I’m posting from my current writing WiP, Song and Shadow, a prequel to Song and Sword. It’s a rough draft and I still don’t have an actual outline for it so it’s going to be a fun ride.

Picking up from last week’s snippet. 

The castle courtyard was filled with vendors and crowds of people celebrating a holiday, the birthday of the Crown Prince, and Pashevel roamed from booth to booth, sampling the foods and listening to the conversations.

From the commoners he gathered that the prince was not well known, that most would not even recognize him, and that all that they knew of him was what they had heard from servants – either of the castle or those belonging to lesser nobles.  And none of it was flattering.

From the other nobles he learned little new; their comments merely reinforced what he had gathered from the tavern the night before, and what Hierik himself had told him.

But there was a slight uneasiness among the nobility, especially those who were close in age to Hierik: a fear of being chosen as his traveling companion.

He also took note of those who were speculating about the fitness of the Crown Prince to eventually lead the kingdom. He was too scholarly, said some, and not decisive enough. It was rumored that even the palace guards and servants had little respect for him, and Pashevel began to get a deeper picture of the boy, growing up alone, friendless, mocked by those who should have supported him. And now there was a Crown Prince who lacked the confidence of his people because he lacked confidence in himself.

A fanfare of trumpets interrupted his thoughts and the crowd quieted, turning toward the castle. Pashevel turned with them, caught up in the expectation.

Find more great reading
at the Sunday Snippet group.