Hello and welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences or less. I’ve been sharing from my current work-in-progress, Snow, a fantasy inspired by the tale of Snow White.  My main genre is gay romance, so you won’t be surprised to learn that Snow is a man, also known as Prince Gabriel.  In this scene, Gabriel has been reluctantly pressed into joining his brother’s hunting party.  Gabriel doesn’t enjoy killing animals, but his brother is the king, so what’s a prince to do?

You can read last week’s snippet here, if so inclined.

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He stepped around Tempest, gaze on the tree line, hoping feverishly that the deer would not come into view. After a few moments, it seemed his wish had come true as the sounds from the woods faded.

“Come on, we’ll leave the horses here,” Falkner said and moved swiftly away through the tall grass. Gabriel’s shoulders sagged, but again he followed.

He wondered about his unquestioning obedience. Yes, his brother the king had ordered him to join the hunt, but Tristan was nowhere to be seen and Falkner was little more than a servant. Gabriel could insist on joining the main party. No one would fault him for that; unless, of course, it meant he ruined the hunt for the second time that day.

He trudged on, bow in one hand, arrow in the other. The huntsman had reached the trees, a dark figure all in black cutting a slim shadow through the dense foliage.

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Blurb-in-progress for Snow, a reimagined fairy tale:

Following the death of his mother the Queen, Prince Gabriel is called home by his brother, now King. Gabriel hopes for a reconciliation with his estranged brother, but all is not well at Castle Rosenthal. King Tristan has fallen under the sway of a scheming alchemist and along the border of the Black Forest, magical denizens are on the move. Gabriel begins to fear for his life. Is the handsome huntsman in on a plot to assassinate him, or is there an even darker, more evil power afoot? A forced flight into the Black Forest may expose ancient magic at work, if Gabriel can survive long enough to uncover it.

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Weekend Writing Warriors is a blog hop where writers from a wide variety of genres share from their work in excerpts of ten sentences or less.  Click the link to check out the other writers participating today.  It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book.