Dragon Rose (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms) by Pope Christine

Author:Pope, Christine [Pope, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Dark Valentine Press
Published: 2012-11-14T04:00:00+00:00

Although it was, as Theran had said, quite late, I found myself restless when I returned to my rooms, not ready to retire meekly to my bed. The fire looked as if it had been stirred up recently; no doubt Sar had sent Melynne to check on things before she went to bed. Even though I was the lady of the castle, I did not receive nearly as much fussing-over as I had heard was the custom for high-ranking women. I was expected to undress myself and braid my hair for the night, and return my clothing to the wardrobe.

I did all these things, and washed my face and scrubbed my teeth as well, but instead of climbing into bed, I gathered up my warm woolen dressing gown and returned to the sitting area with the book Theran had given me. The firelight was just bright enough to read by, and sitting close also helped to keep me warm.

The book felt heavy and unfamiliar in my lap. Yes, I could read, but I had never done so for mere pleasure, as a way to pass the time. Well, I had plenty of time to pass now.

Crisp paper crackled under my fingertips as I flipped past the first few leaves, which were blank. Then there was some sort of page acknowledging the printer—in Lystare, as I had suspected—and an illustration I suspected had originally been a woodcut, with its thick emphatic black lines. It depicted a high tower with lightning bolts shooting from the top, no doubt the artist’s idea of what a mage’s fortress must have looked like. Facing the illustration was a title page, which read, “Tales of the Age of Magic. Being a True Account of the Birth of Magic, and of the Manner in Which Mages Came to Power. With Knowledge Never Before Set Down by Men.”

I almost laughed then. Nothing like a brazen declaration of one’s merits to get things started. I supposed the author or authors had to do something to make their book stand out from the rest and convince a browser in a bookshop to part with his hard-earned coin. No mention from whence this information had come, or whether its verity could be established. Best to approach its contents as mere tales for amusement, and not an actual history.

The first section or story was titled “The Coming of the Althuri.” Who or what the Althuri were, I had no idea. Certainly I had never heard of them, although I would be the first to admit I was no scholar. No time for that in a place like Lirinsholme, where commerce was the order of the day. Not that I’d ever heard of a woman being a scholar, although I knew some women were admitted to the Order of the Golden Palm, where they were trained to be doctors. But even a doctor had a practical purpose, whereas a scholar seemed to have little.

Frowning somewhat, I forced myself to focus on the page before me.

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