Queens of Steel and Starlight: A Complete Epic Fantasy Series by Alisha Klapheke

Author:Alisha Klapheke [Klapheke, Alisha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-17T22:00:00+00:00

When Seren arrived at the training field with her guards, three military units were practicing with yatagans, steel flashing in the red, morning sun.

“Do you see General Adem?” she asked Cansu.

The guard ran a hand down his long face as he studied the men dodging and swinging among plumes of dust and the servants coming in and out of the stables to the far right near the entrance to the archery course. “I don’t, Pearl of the Desert.”

A gust of wind lifted his hair off his forehead, and she felt a little lighter seeing the calm obedience in his face. She wondered if maybe her father had looked like Cansu when he was a young man before age tinged his hair with white and silver.

Erol scowled like he always scowled and squinted his brown eyes, pointing at the sun dial. A sliver of shadow approached the hour mark as a young hawk screeched overhead. “Perhaps he will be here at the hour, my lady.”

Heat pricked at Seren’s cheeks. She’d forgotten that she’d set the tenth hour of the morning as the time for Ona and Lucca’s demonstration. “Of course.”

“Did the kyros not receive my message, Pearl of the Desert?” Adem said behind her.

Jumping, Seren turned to see him bow and hold his palm up. His tone of voice didn’t match his respectful movements.

“He-he did, General,” Seren said, hating herself for stuttering.

Adem made a noise under his breath. “It’s quite warm, my lady. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in the shade of your tent? Or perhaps you haven’t had the chance to practice your archery in a while, what with the ceremony preparations. I can easily oversee the demonstration and organize the strategy if you wish to leave.”

“I don’t wish to leave.” Her legs were shaking again. She rolled the end of the wool piece tucked into her sash and tried to steady her voice. “Two ideas came to me concerning the Invaders,” she said quietly. They hadn’t announced the scouts’ report yet so not even her guard knew the danger riding toward them.

“Surely your ideas can wait until later, Pearl of the Desert.”

She took a breath. “We don’t need to wait until some later meeting time. It’s only us here, with my men and yours. A perfect moment for discussing strategy.” She spoke as quickly as she could. If she stopped, her voice might refuse to work altogether. Adem was just so intimidating. “The sun dial says we have ten minutes before the mercenaries arrive. Firstly, I’ll ride into Kenar with the force you select for the attack. We will—”

“You must not, Pearl of the Desert. The kyros would never want you in that kind of danger.”

“I rode with him when we faced the Invaders at the last clan Gathering.”

“That was a small contingent of brigands, broken from their brethren. Not an organized force like this will be, my lady.”

“Nonetheless, I killed a man,” Seren said.

“With an arrow. From a distance,” Adem argued. “We will be head on this time with the clash coming on in a small area.

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