Read Online The Evermen Saga 01 - Enchantress by James Maxwell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Maxwell
Tags: epic fantasy, action and adventure
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hour to boil. They’d run out of coal long ago.
Ella carefully spooned a measure of cherl into the mug, following it with hot water, filling the mug to the top. She added a dash of redspice to mask the fact she was rationing the cherl.
She walked carefully so as not to spill any. "Here you go, Uncle," she said.
Brandon was sitting on the porch, looking out at the rains. The sound was soothing and the air was warm.
"Thank you, lass," he said hoarsely, taking the mug.
"Careful or you’ll burn yourself," she cautioned.
He had a small sip. "It’s good. Aren’t you going to have some yourself?"
"No, Uncle, I’m fine. I had a few cups of wine with Amber, a friend from the Academy," she lied.
"That’s good," he said. "Make sure you don’t drink too much. A lady never lets too much wine go to her head." He broke off, coughing.
"Yes, Uncle."
Ella missed Miro terribly. It didn’t help that Amber kept bringing his name up, talking about him incessantly. He’d been gone for over a month. Didn’t Amber have anything better to talk about? Every time they studied together she’d ask Ella new questions about him.
Thinking about her studies made Ella frown. Over a year at the Academy and she still had to learn anything meaningful about enchantment. Amber told her she was being impatient; they were certainly learning, but Ella’s dreams of glowing swords and shimmering robes had yet to be realised.
"Is Miro still at the Pens?" Brandon said.
Ella sighed. "Miro’s on his way to Tingara, Uncle. He’s part of our delegation to the Imperial Chorum."
"The Emperor," Brandon growled. "Skylord scratch his name from the heavens."
"Uncle!"
Brandon said nothing more, gazing without seeing at the rain. Ella had rarely seen him in this mood.
"Uncle?" she ventured.
"Hmpf?"
"I need to ask you about something. I once heard the boys at the Pens saying some horrible things to Miro."
"It’s nothing the boy can’t handle, lass. He’s tough, that one. The Pens can be hard though, I have to say. I trained there briefly. Got into my own share of trouble, I did."
"The boys at the Pens said some things about my parents. I need to know. What really happened to them?"
"Hmpf."
For a long time he didn’t respond. They both sat in silence.
"Better not to talk about these things, girl. Is there any more of that cherl about? How about we both have a mug and talk about what we’re going to do about this leaking roof."
"We fixed the roof last spring. Tell me. I don’t think even Miro knows. Tell me about my parents."
He sighed. "It’s not a happy tale. Another time, Ella."
"Please." Ella held her breath.
Brandon put down his mug. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.
"Your parents were good people, Ella. Your father, he was a soldier. Well-born and educated, trained as an officer, but a soldier nonetheless." He wet his lips. "Your mother was the daughter of a minor lord. Your father was fifteen years her senior, but they were married, and you and Miro were the result."
Ella held her breath, willing Brandon to continue. He paused again for a long moment. His eyes were half-shut, and she thought he may have fallen asleep, but he suddenly opened them again.
"I fought with your father, nearly twenty years ago — not long after you were born. I was his sergeant, in the war they now call the Western Rebellion. We just called it the war.
"It started when the Halrana High Lord, Peragion Telmarran, gave his daughter to the Emperor in marriage. Xenovere had a reputation for dark deeds — still does — but Peragion was eager to curry favour with the Emperor and see Halaran grow under his reign.
"Our last Emperor, Xenovere IV, was a man of peace, dedicated to preserving the balance of the houses under a fair essence agreement. Xenovere V is different. He is a ruthless, cruel man.
"A year after the marriage, High Lord Peragion stopped receiving word from his daughter. When he enquired about her, the Emperor initially lied to him.
Ella carefully spooned a measure of cherl into the mug, following it with hot water, filling the mug to the top. She added a dash of redspice to mask the fact she was rationing the cherl.
She walked carefully so as not to spill any. "Here you go, Uncle," she said.
Brandon was sitting on the porch, looking out at the rains. The sound was soothing and the air was warm.
"Thank you, lass," he said hoarsely, taking the mug.
"Careful or you’ll burn yourself," she cautioned.
He had a small sip. "It’s good. Aren’t you going to have some yourself?"
"No, Uncle, I’m fine. I had a few cups of wine with Amber, a friend from the Academy," she lied.
"That’s good," he said. "Make sure you don’t drink too much. A lady never lets too much wine go to her head." He broke off, coughing.
"Yes, Uncle."
Ella missed Miro terribly. It didn’t help that Amber kept bringing his name up, talking about him incessantly. He’d been gone for over a month. Didn’t Amber have anything better to talk about? Every time they studied together she’d ask Ella new questions about him.
Thinking about her studies made Ella frown. Over a year at the Academy and she still had to learn anything meaningful about enchantment. Amber told her she was being impatient; they were certainly learning, but Ella’s dreams of glowing swords and shimmering robes had yet to be realised.
"Is Miro still at the Pens?" Brandon said.
Ella sighed. "Miro’s on his way to Tingara, Uncle. He’s part of our delegation to the Imperial Chorum."
"The Emperor," Brandon growled. "Skylord scratch his name from the heavens."
"Uncle!"
Brandon said nothing more, gazing without seeing at the rain. Ella had rarely seen him in this mood.
"Uncle?" she ventured.
"Hmpf?"
"I need to ask you about something. I once heard the boys at the Pens saying some horrible things to Miro."
"It’s nothing the boy can’t handle, lass. He’s tough, that one. The Pens can be hard though, I have to say. I trained there briefly. Got into my own share of trouble, I did."
"The boys at the Pens said some things about my parents. I need to know. What really happened to them?"
"Hmpf."
For a long time he didn’t respond. They both sat in silence.
"Better not to talk about these things, girl. Is there any more of that cherl about? How about we both have a mug and talk about what we’re going to do about this leaking roof."
"We fixed the roof last spring. Tell me. I don’t think even Miro knows. Tell me about my parents."
He sighed. "It’s not a happy tale. Another time, Ella."
"Please." Ella held her breath.
Brandon put down his mug. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.
"Your parents were good people, Ella. Your father, he was a soldier. Well-born and educated, trained as an officer, but a soldier nonetheless." He wet his lips. "Your mother was the daughter of a minor lord. Your father was fifteen years her senior, but they were married, and you and Miro were the result."
Ella held her breath, willing Brandon to continue. He paused again for a long moment. His eyes were half-shut, and she thought he may have fallen asleep, but he suddenly opened them again.
"I fought with your father, nearly twenty years ago — not long after you were born. I was his sergeant, in the war they now call the Western Rebellion. We just called it the war.
"It started when the Halrana High Lord, Peragion Telmarran, gave his daughter to the Emperor in marriage. Xenovere had a reputation for dark deeds — still does — but Peragion was eager to curry favour with the Emperor and see Halaran grow under his reign.
"Our last Emperor, Xenovere IV, was a man of peace, dedicated to preserving the balance of the houses under a fair essence agreement. Xenovere V is different. He is a ruthless, cruel man.
"A year after the marriage, High Lord Peragion stopped receiving word from his daughter. When he enquired about her, the Emperor initially lied to him.
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