The Pale Princess by D. K. Holmberg

Author:D. K. Holmberg [Holmberg, D. K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic, Sorcerer, Quest, Prophecy, Mythology, War, Battles, Coming of Age, Worldbuilding, Action & Adventure, Sword & Sorcery, Fiction
Amazon: B0BRK8J3CK
Goodreads: 84335504
Publisher: ASH Publishing
Published: 2023-01-23T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

SOPHIE

The tower hummed with energy. Sophie could feel it, though she still wasn’t certain why she could detect it. She stood across from Ridaln, attempting to hold the pose he demonstrated, but not nearly as effectively as Ridaln wanted.

He studied her, then made his way over to her and corrected her posture. There was something about the way she had placed her hands that he didn’t like, and when he moved them, the briefest surge of energy ran through her.

“You must hold your pose for only a moment to summon the energy,” he said.

“I’m trying,” she snapped.

“Yes. Trying. What I need is for you to succeed.”

She glared at him, but it did nothing to correct her posture. When she managed to hold the pose as he had instructed, there was no questioning that she did feel it. The power came from somewhere deep inside her, and light-headedness washed over her with a flash of cold tingling, the same way as when she had been confronted by the Karell, and the same sort of sensation that she’d had when she had climbed the stairs to the tower the first time. The subsequent times had been easier, now she knew how to push through the pressure.

Sophie moved her arms again, this time mimicking the pose Ridaln had shown her. She thought she did better, but his hands shifting her arms so they were above her head in a specific way—the prayer pose, as Ridaln called it—proved that she had not been successful.

“Maybe you need to use someone else,” she said. “I don’t even look like the Pale Princess of the stories.”

“That doesn’t matter. You aren’t the Pale Princess. We have others who fill that role.”

“Nessa.”

“Yes. And as she cannot use magic, what matters is the power. That is why I need you.”

Sophie turned to him, ignoring the pose. “Is that why Nessa is angry with me?”

“I think she fears she’ll lose my protection.”

“Why would she lose that?”

“Eventually, we will need to prove the power of the Pale Princess remains. I can’t do that in a way that those who know power will believe.”

“Who?”

“The Raven Queen. We need to have power for the Raven Queen to refrain from attacking.”

“And if we don’t?”

“Then the Raven Queen will do to us what she has done to so many others. She will destroy us.”

“I still don’t understand how you think that one person—me—can be enough to keep her from attacking. Why would I be able to prevent her from attacking us?”

“It’s not you. It’s the threat of the Pale Princess. There have been rumors that the Pale Princess survived and came to side with Lorant, but now there needs to be more. There needs to be proof. That is why I have you.”

The stories about the Pale Princess had always confused Sophie. In some she fought for Lorant, but in others, it was against Lorant. In all versions, she was powerful.

“But I don’t look like the stories.”

“As I said, it’s not your look. If you manage to do what I tell you, others will believe the Pale Princess still lives.

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