Mirstone

Genre: fantasy, adventure, romance
Warnings: scenes of violence, mild sexual scene, mild language
Word Count: 4,125
Summary: Yahaira wants to take charge of her own life and marry for love, not for titles or to strengthen the kingdom. Her parents have planned otherwise, so she's formed a plan to take charge of her own destiny.

This is a part of my short story project, "Excerpts From Unfinished Novels," in which each short story has the potential to be expanded into a much longer piece of work.

Excerpt is from the first third of the novel

Micha wheeled himself into the main hall of the castle and up to the table where breakfast had been laid out, humming lightly, a small, joyful smile on his face. As his manservant served food onto his plate, he continued to hum as his mind wandered, focusing on the memories of the night before; the sound of Yahaira's laughter, the feel of her hands in his as they danced around the hall, the way she bowed her head towards his as they talked together, her cheeks flushed from the wine and dancing. As he nibbled on a piece of bread, his mind continued to reminisce about his time with Yahaira, and the more he thought about her, the more he realised that there had been something...off with her. Her smile hadn't quite met her eyes, her laughter had had a nervous edge to it, and when they hadn't been directly interacting with each other, he'd noticed her staring into space, a worried look on her face. She'd seemed sad and worried, and it tore at Micha's heart to think that he hadn't noticed it until now. He would speak to her when he saw her next, try to find out what was wrong and figure out if there was anything he could do to help her.

Feeling a bit happier, he resumed his humming and a little faster, wanting to go and find Yahaira as soon as possible.

"My my, you're awfully cheerful this morning," a voice boomed as a hand clapped down on his shoulder.

Micha inhaled sharply and immediately started coughing violently as he choked on a piece of chicken. When he could breathe normally once more, he turned and glared at his brother who was doubled over with laughter.

"Good morning to you too Teman," he huffed.

Teman grinned and took a seat beside him, reaching out and pulling a plate of meats towards him before his manservant could even take a step forward; the servant smoothly moved to fill his goblet instead while Teman simultaneously ate food off his plate while reaching for more to put on it.

"So what has you humming so merrily this morning eh? Perhaps it's the fond memories of your night with the fair Yahaira?"

Micha felt his face go hot and he quickly hissed, "You make it sound scandalous, speaking in such a manner!"

"I jest brother!" Teman laughed, raising his hand defensively. "I merely meant that you and Princess Yahaira looked to be enjoying each other's company at the ball last night, that is all."

"Yes, well...we have been friends for many years, although it had been several months since we last spoke. It was good to spend time with her. Did you enjoy the ball? Find anyone...suitable to spend your night with?" Micha asked, his smirk belying his innocent tone.

"As a matter of fact I did," Teman replied with an even bigger smirk. He leaned sideways and murmured in Micha's ear, "He was the son of a lord or an earl from somewhere, I didn't care to find out, but he has equal interest as I in remaining discreet."

Micha shook his head and sighed.

"You disapprove of my actions?" Teman asked, his expression jovial, but his tone hurt. "You wish I would remain chaste like an old maid in a nunnery?"

"No; I wish there was no need for you to be discreet," Micha replied sincerely, and Teman shot him a rare grateful smile in return.

"I am not discreet for myself, but for my partners; those princes will be expected to marry and produce heirs and rule their kingdoms. If their preferences were to become common knowledge it could potentially weaken their position, maybe even prevent them from taking their throne. Not everyone is as lucky as I to rule their kingdom with their brother who will provide all necessary heirs."

"First I need to find a wife," Micha pointed out.

"And you shall! What maiden could resist you - look at your face, it's so handsome!"

"You only say that because you have the same one."

"That is true." Teman shrugged. "But I was being serious - you would make an excellent husband."

"As long as the maiden's parents are happy for their daughter to be wed to a man who cannot use his legs," Micha said grimly.

"Yahaira's parents were unnecessarily harsh with you," Teman replied, frowning darkly.

"I understand their objections...but it is unfortunate that they wouldn't even consider my proposal."

"Perhaps if you spoke to Yahaira herself like you wanted to in the first place..."

"Perhaps," Micha said, the corners of his mouth turned down unhappily. He quickly shook it off, mindful of the other guests breakfasting nearby, and said, "So what are your plans for today? The weather looks to be favourable for hunting; I'm sure you could persuade Dawud to organise it."

"He said he had some announcement to make today, something involving his son; he was very vague about it, wanted to keep it a secret."

"Hmm, I wonder what it could be about," Micha mused. "How old is Kadin now? I haven't seen him in over ten years."

"Twenty-one I believe; still so young."

"As if we're so old at twenty-eight," Micha snorted.

He finished his food, and then pulled away from the table. "I'm going to see if I can find Yahaira; we still have much to catch up on."

"Last night was not enough?" Teman asked with a grin.

Micha smiled softly and replied, "There is no amount of time that would ever be enough."

"Oh brother," Teman said, shaking his head. "I wish you luck."

Micha smiled and wheeled himself out of the room, his manservant following. He gave the other man a few instructions for his tasks for the day, and then set off to try and find Yahaira, starting with the castle grounds; the royal gardens, the orchard, and the path down to the river. When that proved not to be fruitful, he moved inside, heading straight for the library, but once again was unsuccessful. He was on his way to the stables to see if she had taken her horse out when his manservant found him and informed him that everyone was gathering in the great hall for King Dawud's announcement. Micha quickly made his way to the hall, hoping that he'd be able to place himself close enough to Yahaira to catch her attention and arrange a meeting with her after the announcement. However, when he entered the hall he stopped short at the sight of Yahaira, standing up at the top of the room with her mother and father, along with Dawud and a young man that must be Kadin. Yahaira's face was expressionless, but Micha could see the sadness and anger in her eyes screaming out at him from across the room. Kadin didn't look thrilled either, but he was still managing to hide it better than Yahaira. A mixture of confusion and nausea rose up in Micha's gut, and he looked around, searching for Teman. He spotted his brother standing to one side, staring up at the front of the hall, his eyes fixed intensely on Kadin, an odd expression on his face. He quickly wheeled over to him, nudging his arm when he was beside him.

"What's going on?" he whispered.

Teman shrugged without looking away from Kadin, and Micha was about to ask him again when Dawud cleared his throat, the noise in the hall dying down immediately in response.

"Welcome, honoured guests," Dawud announced, spreading his arms out as he smiled warmly. "I trust you all had a pleasant night and have not been suffering too badly this morning."

Low chuckles spread across the hall at this, and Dawud laughed himself and continued. "I must admit something dear friends; I didn't not invite you all here simply for the pleasure of throwing a ball. I also invited you so that you could be present for a very special announcement concerning my son, Prince Kadin. After numerous talks, it has been decided that my son shall marry Princess Yahaira of Kaipis, bringing together two mighty kingdoms, and ensuring the strength and prosperity of both for many years to come."

The nausea rose stronger in Micha's stomach, and though he could hear the applause and cheers from the people around him, and could feel his own hands clapping together, it all seemed distant and fuzzy, like his head was plunged underwater. A hand clapped down onto his shoulder and he was startled into awareness; his jaw ached from being stretched into a grimaced smile, and when he blinked he felt a few tears roll down his cheeks. Teman kneeled in front of him, a sad smile on his face.

"Tears of joy brother? Come now, no need to express your emotions so openly," he joked weakly, handing a handkerchief to him.

Micha took is and quickly wiped his face. "Thank you," he said gratefully, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. He looked up at the front of the hall, where the guests of the court had already gathered to congratulate the two families. "We should go up and congratulate them."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

Teman nodded and stood. He and Micha started to move to the front of the hall when a fierce roar suddenly filled the air. There was a pause, and then the wall behind the royal families exploded inwards and a massive dragon clawed its way into the room. The nobles in the hall started screaming and running away in a mass of panicked bodies as the dragon's huge amber body filled the entire opening it had created, while the king's soldiers and guards ran forward brandishing their weapons. The dragon screeched again, small flames shooting out across the hall, and everyone ducked and covered their ears at the deafening noise.

When the noise died down, there was a single, small, very human shriek followed by the noise of flapping wings, and Micha looked up in confusion to see that the dragon was gone, leaving only the gaping hole in the wall and a few scorch marks around the room as proof it had ever been there.

And then he spotted the dragon flying away and realised what had been the source of that single, small shriek.

"YAHAIRA!" He screamed as he tried to force his chair over piles of rubble in an attempt to race towards the opening in the wall. The chair toppled to the side, sending him sprawling on the ground, but he continued to drag his body towards the wall, still calling out to her. "Yahaira!"

Yahaira, caught in the clutches of the dragon's claws, looked back at him, her face a picture of sorrow and agony, and Micha imagined she mouthed 'I'm sorry,' at him before she grew smaller and smaller and eventually disappeared from sight.

Micha continued to drag himself to the opening in the wall, still calling after her, tears streaming down his face. Hands pulled at him, and he fought helplessly against them as they lifted him up, and placed him back in his chair, before pulling him into a fierce hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Teman muttered into his ear, apologising both for what he had just done and the heartbreak that Micha was clearly going through.

"You have to go get her Teman, you have to find her and bring her home," Micha babbled, clutching his brother close. "I can't...I'm not fast enough, I'm not...you need to, please, please, I cannot lose her, not like this."

"Of course, I promise," Teman said fiercely. He pulled back, still holding Micha as he stared into his eyes. "I will do everything in my power to make sure she makes it back alive and well; you have my word. Will you be okay if I go now?"

"Yes yes, go."

Teman kissed his cheek, pressed his hand and then was gone, racing out of the hall amidst the panic and confusion of the court. He ran to his room, threw together a pack of supplies, mainly consisting of weapons, and then raced to the stables to fetch his horse. He was fastening the saddle when another person ran into the stable, and Teman looked up to see Kadin, a pack similar to his own on his back, heading straight for the saddle and tack beside a beautiful brown stallion. Teman licked his lips, looked away, finished tightening the saddle and then, unable to help himself, turned back to the prince, a large shit-eating grin on his face.

"Well hello Prince Kadin," he drawled, smirking as the other man jumped and spun around to face him, his expression shocked. "Or should I say Lord Phillip? Or was it duke or earl? You were very vague about your title last night, and it seems you outright lied about your name."

The startled expression on Kadin's face quickly morphed into a wry grin, and he shrugged and replied, "It's been so long since I've met someone who didn't know who I was; I thought I'd have a little fun. Would knowing my name have made any difference to what happened last night?"

Memories of their night together flashed through Teman's mind; how stunning Kadin had looked stretched out on his bed, the bronze of his skin radiant in the light of the candles, his hair mussed and brown eyes huge and dilated with lust; how their bodies had felt pressed against each other as they had kissed; the soft, needy noises Kadin had made as Teman had worshipped his body.

Feeling his face grow hot, Teman coughed and replied, "It wouldn't have made a difference no, but I would have appreciated your honesty all the same." Ignoring Kadin's triumphant smile he turned back to his horse and quickly set to work putting it's bridle on. "So where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I'm going to rescue the Princess Yahaira," Kadin told him as he fitted the saddle and bridge on his own horse.

"It seems we have a common goal then."

"Why are you going to rescue her? Are you...are you in love with her?" Kadin asked him, his voice oddly tight.

"Only as a sister," Teman replied with a laugh. "My attraction is solely for men. It is my brother who is in love with her actually."

"Oh."

"And what of your feelings for Yahaira? She is to be your bride after all."

Kadin was silent for a long moment, and Teman turned to see him frowning down at the saddle he was tightening. Eventually he sighed and said, "No. I don't think she was to be."

"What do you mean?"

"The entire marriage was arranged between my parents and hers; Yahaira and I have never actually had the opportunity to speak to each other about it. I was going to ask her what her true feelings were, and if she was at all against the marriage I was going to call it off."

"You could lose and awful lot of respect for such an action."

"Better mine than hers."

"You would let her go so easily? Do you not have any attraction to her?"

"No; like you, I am attracted to men only. However, I must marry in order to produce an heir. I hope to find a bride who, shall we say shares my inclination and also wishes to enter into a marriage of convenience."

"And you do not think that Yahaira is like that?"

"I saw her with your brother right before you and I left the hall to...converse privately; she is clearly in love with him."

Teman grinned at Kadin's choice of words and finished sorting the last pieces of tackle on his horse. "So it would seem we are both out to rescue a damsel in distress that neither of us are actually interested in."

"It would seem so."

"Would you care to work together? Quests can be quite lonesome, especially at night."

Kadin sent Teman a heated look that shot a flash of arousal straight through him and pooled deliciously in his belly, and then smiled brightly and replied, "That sounds like an excellent proposal. Quickly, let us depart before my father notices and tries to detain me."

Teman grinned and hopped up into the saddle, Kadin doing likewise. The two men shared a grin and quickly set their horses cantering out of the palace grounds and into the wilderness.

*

Yahaira sighed in relief as she was lowered gently on to the ground. She dusted her dress off and straightened her headscarf, grinning up at Iantha who had landed on the ground beside her.

"Thank you; that was brilliant."

"You don't think smashing the wall in was a bit much? I've only ever done courtyard or tower kidnappings before."

"No no, it was perfect," Yahaira assured her. "It really sold the whole 'dragon on a mad bid for a virgin beauty' thing. My parents will definitely think I'm dead."

"Why did you decide to hire me anyway? Were things really that bad?"

"Yes and no." Yahaira sighed, and then continued to explain. "My parents had arranged a marriage for me."

"Ah, I see."

"Yes, and I just can't face the thought of marrying a complete stranger; I want to marry for love, and there is only one man that I have ever felt anything close to love for. And I cannot marry him."

"Because he is not of noble blood?"

"Oh no he his; in fact he's a king. But my parents won't approve; he rules his kingdom with his brother, and my parents fear that any children he and his brother sire will cause a lot of issues with future succession. I've tried to speak with them about it but they won't listen so I've had to resort to drastic measures; hence staging the kidnapping." Yahaira paused, reflecting on what she had said. She'd never actually said it all aloud to anyone else, and hearing it laid out like that made it sound...sort of childish. She frowned and looked up at Iantha as she asked, "Do you think my actions were foolish?"

"I think you did what you deemed necessary in a moment of stress. Whether or not they were foolish remains to be seen; perhaps you will regret them and need to return home as soon as possible, or perhaps you will find that this new freedom allows you a life you could never have dreamed of," Iantha replied sagely.

Yahaira grinned and replied, "Thank you; you are very wise."

"I am nearly two hundred years old," Iantha grinned and then cocked her head towards the cave they were beside. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes please."

Yahaira followed Iantha into the cavern, stopping short when she saw that it was full of...yarn.

"I thought that dragons hoarded treasure," she said nonplussed.

"We hoard whatever we're obsessed with," Iantha chuckled as she set the fire inside a giant stove burning and filled a kettle with water before placing it on the stove. "For rather a large percentage of us that would be shiny pretty things, hence the treasure stereotype. Currently I'm obsessed with knitting, so I'm hoarding as much yarn as I can get my claws on."

"Currently?"

"Mmm; my obsessions tend to change over time. Previous to this it was books."

"You should have seen what the cavern looked like when she was obsessed with weapons; I couldn't come in for fear of accidentally getting myself maimed or killed," a voice said teasingly, and Yahaira turned to see a tall, dark-skinned woman walking into the cavern, a grin on her face.

"Edrea," she greet joyfully, walking forward to meet her in a friendly embrace. "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," Edrea replied just as joyfully. "I trust my wife did a good job?" she asked, sending a teasing grin at Iantha who replied, "I am a master of my craft," in an affronted tone as she poured the tea; two small cups for Yahaira and Edrea, and one giant cup for herself. When she was done, she put the kettle down and then bent her head down to Edrea, who kissed her snout and wrapped her arms around her neck, nuzzling their faces together.

"Your wife? But...I thought you said your wife's name was Urice."

"Oh yes, she's our other wife," Edrea explained to Yahaira as she handed her a cup of tea. "She should be back soon; she was off kidnapping a prince this morning - not our usual clientele, but a customer is a customer."

Yahaira took the cup of tea from Edrea with a grateful smile and said, "Oh. So...does she also hoard yarn?"

Edrea and Iantha shared a quick look before Iantha replied, "No; her tastes are a bit more...traditional. She has her own cave where she keeps her hoard."

"Oh, okay." Yahaira didn't quite know what else to say without sounding like she was prying, so settled for sipping on her tea instead. Edrea took in her slightly dazed expression and then asked kindly, "Would you like to take a walk?"

Yahaira swallowed and answered, "Yes please."

They left the cave as Iantha was settling into her pile of yarn, a pair of knitting needles in her claws, the jumper she was working on dangling from them. They walked in silence, and Yahaira sipped her tea and sighed happily as she enjoyed the peace and stillness around her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes I'm fine. I just...I feel like maybe I should regret it, you know, arranging the kidnapping, but I don't; I'm finally able to take charge of my life and make decisions about it for myself. I should be happy..."

"But?"

"But...I'm scared that I've made a huge mistake, and...there are some people I left behind that I will miss terribly."

"You know you can always go home if it gets too much," Edrea said gently. "That's the whole point of the kidnapping; if you never want to be found again then you never have to be, but if you do want to go home, then there's no shame attached to you like there would be if you had simply disappeared or run away. The choice is entirely up to you, and the beauty of it is you can make it whenever you want, even if it's several years from now."

"You're right; what I need right now is time to decide what I really want to do with my life, and you and your wives have given me that. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, would you like a tour of the community?"

"Yes please," Yahaira said eagerly.

Edrea laughed and said, "Follow me."

Yahaira followed her as she walked around the back of the cave, where there was a small but noticeable crack in the wall. Edrea pulled a small gem out of her pocket and pressed it into the crack, which immediately grew in size, large enough for them to both walk into.

"You'll get one of these so you can come and go as you please. The only thing we ask is that you ensure that no one who is not a member of this community knows about how to get in, or ever has access to your key."

Yahaira nodded solemnly and followed Edrea into the hole in the wall. When they were inside, Edrea took the gem from where it was sitting in a hole in the wall, and the crack immediately shrank back to its original size, leaving them in darkness which was broken only by a soft red light being emitted by the gem in Edrea's hand. Edrea took Yahaira's hand and guided her forward through the tunnel. They turned a corner and were suddenly enveloped in the bright light of day. Yahaira shielded her eyes and blinked several times as she stepped forward, still being guided by the other woman. When her eyes had adjusted to the brightness, she gaped in awe at what she saw.

Spread out before her and Edrea was a large expanse of green fields surrounded by a forest. In the centre of the fields was a small village comprised of several buildings, and everywhere there were women; working in the fields, walking in and out of the forest, their weapons and what they had caught on show, and walking between buildings in the village. They were talking together, laughing and hunting and working and living together, enjoying an existence far removed from the noble lives they had grown up in.

"It's...it's beautiful," Yahaira whispered.

Edrea grinned and reached out to squeeze her hand as she said, "Welcome to Mirstone."