This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight sentences from their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. Click the link above or copy & paste this address: www.wewriwa.blogspot.com
***
Curse of Salar by Alexis Duran
Mira, last prince of the royal family of Jahar, Son of Khiros and Leena, Chosen of Ka’atar, Divine Hand of The Spirit of the Armazin Mountain, Living God of the Ashtar, Earik, and Tobald Peoples, bowed down on hands and knees and vomited into the potted Elmar tree on the balcony outside his chambers.
He’d partaken of his usual plum wine and smoked the harrar powder since midday, but that wasn’t why he was sick. The purging was self-induced; to rid his system of the drugs he knew had been added to his wine. The drugs were meant to make him slow and confused. Sometimes he didn’t mind these effects, but tonight at the state dinner, representatives from all the regions under the control of the Jahardin and even some from beyond were gathering at the palace to affirm and celebrate Grand Premier Skala in his role as overseer of the Kingdom. Mira wanted to be sharp in order to watch the ambassadors, lords and ministers interact in this highly ritualized proceeding, as they paid tribute to the usurper and gave insincere homage to the remnants of the royal family of Jahar; Mira and his sister Alandra.
The Grand Premier never bothered to drug Alandra, as she was a loyal member of his entourage. Mira had not earned such ill-gotten trust.
***
Curse of Salar is an erotic fantasy novella, third in a series set in the world of Salar. Prince Mira, along with his sister, is the last in the royal line of Jahar, a ruling family of powerful magicians. Mira and Alandra are held as virtual captives in their family’s own palace, kept alive to placate the masses of peasants who are traditional royalists that still believe in the fabled powers of the Jahar. Mira chafes under confinement and dreams of escaping. Rayn Matisse is a soldier in the rebel army. He has no interest whatsoever in seeing the royals reinstated until he meets Mira and begins to fall under the prince’s magical sway. Rayn’s people were cursed by the Jahar centuries ago, and though long thought to be a myth, the curse begins to assert it’s powers once again. As assassination and rebellion upset the false calm of the kingdom, Rayn finds himself torn between love and fear of the young man who possesses an uncanny ability to control him.
***
Feel free to leave comments and impressions!
There is a good sense of the character’s internal going on here. Good job.
LikeLike
This seems complicated. I don’t understand why he drunk if he knew there was drugs inside of his glass.
LikeLike
Hey! Nice to meet you, and thanks for sharing such a fun snippet. I love the contrast in the first sentence, starting with all Mira’s lofty titles and ending with the vomiting.
Wondering exactly how Alandra proved her loyalty to the Grand Premier, if Mira thinks her trust is ‘ill-gotten’. Maybe she never fought the drugs, so the Grand Premier thinks he doesn’t need to bother?
LikeLike
Alandra wants power any way she can get it, and doesn’t mind cozying up with the people who overthrew her family and killed her parents. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
LikeLike
Complicated story, unusual. Quite an excerpt today!
LikeLike
Your writing is very fluid, and packed full of information without feeling like an info-dump. Nicely done!
LikeLike
I loved the whole beginning with all his titles…ending in a hurlish moment : ) The story sounds intriguing as well. Nice to meet you.
LikeLike
Thanks! Nice to meet you as well.
LikeLike
Wow, you pack quite a punch in only eight sentences! Very interested to see how things proceed from here. Love your writing style! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! Glad you stopped by.
LikeLike
That first line made me laugh at the end. The contrast is ludicrous. I bet he’s watched to be sure he drinks the wine, and I wonder how he got away with *ahem* recycling it.
Really interesting concept. It makes me wonder if maybe those peasants are right about the power in the royal family…
LikeLike
Right! It’s always a challenge to know how much to spell out and how much to let the reader guess at. Of course, eight lines leave a lot of room for guessing. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed the world you’ve created. I want to read more.
LikeLike