So thinking April 12 was enough time was a faulty idea. The second proof has yet to arrive and the editing is not done. No fault to my editor, he’s a friend of mine and doing this for free.
I’ve decided to take April 30, 2014 as the next hopeful date of publication. I figure giving us all nearly three weeks would be a good idea. Until then, I will be posting more chapters for your enjoyment.
Thanks all for reading, and for sticking with me!
A loud knock woke her and Anan quickly realized the knocking was coming from the Finaran side. She bolted out of bed when she remembered she never removed the spell that told others to wait. Anan saw the Prince was still asleep and pulled on her robe. She hurried to the door. Only those with powerful magic would dare knock when she asked for privacy.
Anan opened the door without thinking. She made a small noise as a large man swept her into his arms.
“I don’t like when you keep me out, lass.” His loud voice echoed in the small house.
Laughing she pushed at his massive chest. “Put me down, Pic. You’ll not have me this night.”
He stopped twirling her around, and placed her on her feet. “Oh?”
“Anan?”
Both Anan and Pic looked to the other side of the room, where Eloran stood in only his pants. Anan smiled at him, but looked to Pic. “Close the door. Don’t change yet.”
He did as instructed as Anan went to Eloran. She took his hand and brought him to Pic. “Prince Eloran, this is Pic, King of the Trolls.”
Eloran stared at the troll for a moment, trying not to be terrified. The man was massive. He stood taller than the doorframe, and was twice as wide. Trolls had wrinkled skin from head to toe. But it wasn’t so much wrinkles as excess skin piled up on top of tough muscled. The extra skin aided them in being able to slip through tight crevices in the earth.
Though Pic’s wrinkled face made him look mean, his eyes, green of budding leaves, showed nothing but kindness. He wore tight clothing that showed off his massive muscles, but Eloran felt the man had never hurt another. Eloran bowed to the King.
“It is my pleasure, your highness.”
Pic advanced on Eloran and stared him down. He gave him a quizzical look then sniffed him. “Hmmm.” Without another word to Eloran, he turned to Anan. “He’ll bear your mark soon. ‘Tis a pity. I looked forward to my visits with you.” He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “Be happy, love.”
Anan stared at Pic. “What are you talking about?”
His loud laughter shook the walls. “You’ll see.”
She frowned at him in confusion. “I thought trolls could only see the past.”
He winked. “Sometimes the future presents itself to those who know how to look.” He held up his hands at her increased confusion. “No more questions. I must be off.”
“Please wait. I tried to explain the Gate to Eloran, but I couldn’t be clear. Would you mind showing him?”
Pic looked to the human and to Anan and nodded. “I can and I will.”
The large troll walked back to the Finaran door, opened it and stepped out. He took a few deep breaths, and walked back into the house, repeating a spell over and over. Anan made sure she and Eloran were out of the way. Pic spoke the words of the spell and walked a straight line from the Finaran side to the human side of Anan’s house.
As he walked, he changed. He shrank, not only in height, but also in body mass. It was odd to watch, but interesting as well. It was as if there were many Pics instead of one. He left trails of himself, but by the time he reached the human door there was only one. He was also human sized, and rather good looking. Eloran bowed to the King.
“Thank you, sire.”
Pic nodded, and looked to Anan. “I’ll be gone for a few days. If I come back and you’re occupied, do I have permission to enter?”
“Always, Pic.”
He nodded again, opened the door and left. Anan went to both the human door and the Finaran door and whispered spells. The spells would alert her to visitors needing passage. Done, she turned back to Eloran.
“He doesn’t mean to be rude.”
He shook his head. “That wasn’t the impression I got.”
“Oh?”
He went to her and took her in his arms. “It was as if he didn’t want to speak of his feelings, and if he acknowledged me overmuch, he would reveal something to you.” He gazed down at the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “Have you slept with him?”
“I did.”
Prince Eloran considered this for a moment. “I’m not surprised. He is rather handsome. He sounded unhappy at having lost the privilege.”
She slipped her arms around his neck. “He’ll get over it. He has three wives.”
Eloran looked surprised, but nodded and let her go. “So this house is a gateway.”
“A gate, yes. The people of Finara use this house to look human. Those with a lot of magic can walk the path and change, or can simply change. Those without a lot of magic must use a guide.”
He looked her up and down. “You’re a Finaran guide.”
She smiled. “Among other things, yes.”
He crossed his arms to stop himself from reaching out to take her in his arms. “What else are you?”
“A warrior, a protector, an elf.”
Light glinted in his eyes. “I want to see.”
“There isn’t much to see. A spell makes people forget I have pointed ears.”
He smiled and stepped closer. His hands moved to her hair and pushed it away from her ears. They looked normal. “Show me.”
She laughed, but dropped the spell. Her ears became longer and pointed. He stepped back to look fully at her and realized it wasn’t only her ears that changed. She seemed taller, and her features finer. As a human, she looked like a beautiful woman. Spell dropped, she exuded elegance. His breath caught as she looked at him with kind eyes.
“I am Princess Anan of the Finara. My father is the King of the Elves, but also currently the King of all the Finarans. I am a warrior, protector, and Guardian of this Gate.” She bowed to the Prince. “Welcome to my home, Prince Eloran.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. She closed her eyes at his soft touch. “You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you. Do you still wish to share my bed, Prince?”
He smiled down at her. “Nothing could stop me from wanting to share your bed, Princess.”
She smiled up at him and led him to her bed.
Morning! I will be posting Chapter 4 bits starting next week, until the book is for sale. This week, I wanted to give you the back of the book info! Also, if I haven’t made it clear, this is a Fantasy Romance novel. Though it does not take place on Earth, it has elements of modern love stories.
Enjoy!
As the youngest of six princes, Eloran of Grenlacks will never be king. This does not bother him in the least. His lack of responsibility leaves him time for women and anything else he pleases. Marriage is the furthest thing from Eloran’s mind, until he meets Anan.
Anan is an elf, and youngest daughter of King Nassir of Finara, a neighboring realm. Anan is quick to smile and laugh. She is an intelligent, powerful elven warrior, and finds Eloran charming. As Guardian of the Gate between their two worlds, Anan has met many men, but waits for the one she has dreamt about for over a century.
The pair fall in love quickly, but all is not peaceful. As the relationship develops, Eloran becomes aware of an awful truth regarding one of his brothers. And Anan senses that a life long friend does not approve of her choice of partners, to the point of betrayal.
With the help of family, and an unexpected friend, Eloran and Anan try to find the strength to overcome personal dangers and learn that love has more to offer than either of them ever imagined.
Well, I wanted to have The Elven Prince ready to publish on March 31, 2014, and I have come to the conclusion that I have to push the date back. It’s not ready, but that happens.
I’m setting the new date of April 12, 2014. If I’m ready to publish it before then, I will let you know!
Thanks for hanging in there with me. Until this goes to publication, I will keep posting chapter bits!
It did not take long to locate a snare with a rabbit in it, but when she returned to the blanket, Eloran was asleep. She stared at him for a moment, then approached him. She laid the rabbit to the side, sat next to him, and placed her hand on his knee. He woke almost instantly.
“Hello. Were you asleep?”
“Yes. I don’t usually fall asleep so easily.”
“These woods are safe; you are protected, Prince Eloran.”
Eloran reached out and slipped his arm around her waist. He stared into her eyes for a moment before finding the lavender and placing it in her hair at her ear. He wound her hair around the twig to keep it there. She closed her eyes as the scent came to her nostrils.
“The Finarans believe that if one places a twig of lavender in another’s hair, it means that person wishes to kiss the other.”
His breath hitched in surprise. “And what does the person do if they desire the kisses?”
She opened her eyes. “They allow the lavender to be placed in their hair.”
Heart beating fast, Eloran leaned in and kissed Anan. Her lips were soft against his. Her tongue slipped from between her lips and caressed his. The kiss grew with intensity and they clutched at each other hungrily. Anan pulled away to catch her breath.
“Though the woods are safe, there are wild animals that hunt at night. We should return to my home, where we can be safe and warm.”
He pulled her close for a moment. “May I sleep in your bed tonight, Anan?”
She smiled confidently. “Yes.”
“Will you be with me this time?”
Anan kissed him softly. “Yes.”
Eloran kissed her for a moment, then let her go and stood. They packed up the basket and headed back to her home. Anan insisted on cooking the rabbit, and started a stew. Once it was on the fire, she turned to the Prince and smiled.
“The stew will be ready when we’re hungry.”
He nodded and held his arms out to her. She went to him and kissed him. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. They undressed each other slowly, caressing and kissing. They took their time; neither wanted to rush things. There was no need, as they had two days together.
Once they were undressed, they found themselves under the blankets, with Eloran on top. After kissing her passionately, he paused, staring down at her.
She reached out and caressed his cheek. “What is it?”
“I…feel a bit nervous.”
She frowned gently. “Nervous? I somehow doubt I’m your first.”
He gave an embarrassed laugh. “No, you are not my first.”
“And you are not my first, Eloran. There is no need to be nervous.”
“Yet…” he stared down at her, “here we are.”
She had a soft smile on her face. He was beginning to see the differences in her smiles. He wanted the time to learn all her smiles. Eloran inhaled softly as he understood the nervousness.
“I don’t care that I’m not your first. I want to be your last.”
She licked her lips nervously. “And do you want me as your last?”
“Yes.”
They stared at each other for a moment, almost afraid of their declaration. Finally, Eloran leaned down and kissed Anan passionately. She slipped her arms around his neck and moaned as he slipped inside her.
The depression creeps in
and I wonder
is it all really worth it?
The silence interrupts
and I wonder,
will there ever be sound again?
Why not end it?
Does anyone care?
Do I care?
In this moment,
the answer is no.
I don’t care.
And I don’t feel like anyone else does, either.
But that’s a lie,
fed by the darkness,
the depression
and the silence.
I can’t keep dwelling here,
but it’s familiar
and out there is a bit of fear,
rolled up in the mask of light.
And I do not want to face it alone.
Some people look at this world,
and see nothing
but the dark decay of
death and destruction.
You have seen past that
to the beauty
that resides everywhere.
I look at your pictures,
your snippets of reality
and realize that you see beauty
in everything.
May I live in your world for a while?
Inside the house, Anan gathered some food, placed it into her basket with a blanket and went to a curtain on the other side of her home. She drew back the curtain and revealed a door thicker than her front door. It was black wood and seemed ancient. She placed her hand on the door, and said a few words in Finaran. The spell let travelers know she would be gone for a while. Spell done, she went to the front door with her basket and smiled to Eloran.
The prince took the basket from her and waited for her to close the door. She slipped her arm through his and led him into the forest behind her house. They walked for a while before she spoke.
“Did you come alone?”
“No, Klaes assigned a guard to come with me. He’s at the village.”
“King Falk knows you’re here then?”
“Yes. I have to return home in two days.”
She glanced up at him. “And where do you plan on sleeping?”
His breath hitched. “In the village, if necessary.”
Anan looked to him again and smiled. “We will discuss that after dinner.”
The grin he gave her showed his happiness.
Anan stopped walking and looked around. They were near a fast moving, rocky river. The sound added pleasantly to the hum of insects. She pointed downstream a bit. Once at a relatively clear spot, she took the basket and pulled out the blanket.
“I will catch a rabbit later, but for the moment, please sit. There are blossoms I need to gather that hide the later it gets.”
Eloran nodded and arranged the blanket. “Go on. I’ll be fine here.”
She nodded and went off into the woods. Prince Eloran sat on the blanket, his back against a tree and breathed quietly for a moment or two. Bored, he looked in the basket and saw bread and salami. He smiled, tore off a bit of bread and used his dagger to cut some salami. As he ate, his eyes moved about, until a flash of color off in the bushes nearby caught his attention. He paused with a bit of salami halfway to his mouth.
Eloran placed his knife and food to the side, stood and walked to the bushes. He went around a tree and smiled. There was a patch of lavender growing near the river. He squatted and inhaled the light fragrance. Eloran reached out and caressed the soft buds. He plucked a bit of the lavender and smiled. This was it. This was the flower he placed in her hair, in the dream. Smiling, he went back to the blanket and saw that Anan was headed to it as well.
“Find something?” She called to him.
He hid the flower behind his back, not sure why. “Yes, but I’ll show you later. Did you get everything you needed?”
“Almost. I’m a little hungry.”
They reached the blanket at the same time and both sat in unison. Eloran placed the flower behind the basket, out of sight, and handed Anan the meat and bread. She smiled and took the food. He stared at her as she ate a little bread and meat.
“Do you ever get lonely out here by yourself?”
She smiled. “I’m hardly alone. I have a lot of visitors.”
“Oh?” He didn’t sound happy about that.
The smile grew. “My home is the gate between Finara and the human world. When a Finaran wishes to enter, they use my house.”
“Oh. Why your house?”
“The house is the Gateway, Eloran. It was build to make things easier. Without the house, the Finarans had a hard time following the path.”
He frowned. “I don’t follow.”
She chewed a bit of bread before answering. “You would have to see it to understand. No one is scheduled to come through tonight, but if you continue to visit me, you’ll see someone eventually.”
He gave her a blank stare then nodded. “All right.”
Anan tried not to laugh, but his expression was priceless. She did laugh, but cut it short when he looked hurt. She reached out and touched his cheek. “No one understands until they see it, Eloran. You just looked so confused for a moment. I’m sorry if I laughed.”
“It was nothing.”
She gave him a slightly woeful look. “That’s not true. I don’t like being lied to, Prince.”
He sighed. “All right. I liked your laughter, it was a lovely sound, but I did not like that you laughed at me.”
She smiled. “Was that really so hard?”
He shook his head. “Why did you laugh?”
“I could see the boy you used to be in your confusion. It was a delightful look.”
Eloran thought about her words, then nodded. “All right.”
Anan reached out again and caressed his cheek. “It was not done to hurt you.”
“I know.”
They stared at each other for a moment or two, then Anan pulled away and stood. “I must fetch dinner. I’ll be back shortly, then we can return to my home.”
Eloran nodded and watched as she turned and left. He wanted to kiss her, wanted to be in her bed tonight, but did not know how to suggest it. She did not react to him as other women did. In the past, all he had to do was look at a woman and she would be in his bed that night. With Anan, a look would never be enough. He leaned against the tree and wondered what to do.
He could simply ask her, as he had his first night here, but he wasn’t sure when to ask. He sighed heavily and picked up the lavender twig. As he brought the twig to his nose to smell the soft fragrance, he wondered why he had not yet placed it behind her ear.
Anan frowned as a knock came from the door leading to the human world. She had just let a group of gnomes through, on their way home, and they were the last group she knew of in the human world.
Though the gateway between worlds was open to anyone who desired passage, most could not cross over without help. Anan, strong in magic, helped those that wanted to change into more human appearance as they passed through her home. As it took a lot of magic, only a certain number were allowed to cross at a time. She was informed of who and how many would cross long before they made the crossing. If a visitor did not need her help, she would still be told, as the Finarans needed to walk through her house in order to come to the human world.
When the knock came again, Anan walked slowly to the front door, weaving a protective spell about her. There were those that knew of her and wanted her magic, and access to the Gate. She was powerful enough to stop them, but still needed the time to weave the spells.
As she neared the door, she finished the spell and held it. When she opened the door and saw Eloran, she smiled and pulled the spell back into herself, reabsorbing the magic.
“Prince. How lovely to see you again. What brings you here?”
He bowed to her. When he looked into her eyes again, he sighed, wondering what he should tell her. As with his father, he could not come up with a lie, therefore he stuck with the truth. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
She bit her lip as she smiled and leaned against the door. “That’s lovely. I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.”
He looked rather happy at her admission. “If you’re not busy, perhaps we could spend some time together?”
“Yes. I was just about to go for a walk. I need to catch dinner and I also need a few herbs. Come with me?”
A light came into his eyes. “Yes.”
“One moment while I gather my basket. Please wait here.”
He nodded then leaned against the house next to the door when she walked away. He stared off into the forest as his heart beat faster and faster. His guard was in Gateway, at the tavern, with instructions not to bother him unless absolutely necessary. The guard agreed and seemed to know some of the inhabitants of the village. Eloran left his horse at the village stables and walked to Anan’s home.
