Read Online The Kingdom of Eternal Sorrow (The Golden Mage Book 1) by C.G. Garcia - Free Book Online
Authors: C.G. Garcia
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first.”
The king merely raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he took a seat in
the large, thickly-cushioned chair behind his cluttered desk. Documents,
several maps, and personal letters littered the top in a carefree fashion,
giving the room a lived-in appearance instead of the impersonal formality of
all the other rooms in the king’s chamber.
This was one room that the king had forbidden the servants to enter
unless specifically instructed. Diryan had once told Aidric that it was the
only room that made him feel as if he was just a normal man and not a man that
carried the lives of thousands of subjects on his shoulders.
Selwyn followed the king’s example by taking a seat in one of the
chairs next to the desk, looking as giddy as a young child waiting for a
promised surprise to be revealed to him. Aidric had to smile despite himself.
It seemed as though anything could arouse excitement in his friend, and Aidric
was envious of that particular trait, though he would never admit it to Selwyn.
Once both were situated and gazed back at him expectantly, he became
nervous. A thousand “what ifs” ran through his mind about what could possibly
result in his revelation, and unfortunately, none of them were good. Typical,
since Sel often joked that Aidric could make even the worst pessimist seem like
an optimist. More than a life of a maiden was at stake here. He could not screw this up.
Aidric looked into the smoky-blue of Diryan’s eyes and was comforted by
the kindness and promise of understanding in them. He swallowed with some difficulty
and banished all the dire thoughts from his mind.
He then looked sharply at his friend. “Sel, what is said in this room must be kept strictly confidential until His Majesty deems otherwise. What I am
about to reveal has the potential to create great chaos within the kingdom if
mishandled.”
Selwyn merely stared back at him innocently, his eyes asking “who me?”
“I don’t want you to run home and tell Raya,” Aidric elaborated. “She
will know in good time, I’m sure.”
Selwyn opened his mouth as if to protest but quickly held his peace
when he saw the glare Aidric was directing at him.
“All right,” he grumbled. “I give you my word that I’ll keep whatever
you say in this room behind my teeth, even under the most horrible torture.”
Aidric didn’t even crack a smile, which he was sure had been Selwyn’s
intention. “Good,” was all he said, making Selwyn blink in surprise.
As he locked his eyes with Diryan’s again, he felt that same wave of
strong reluctance wash over him, the one that he was not altogether certain
came completely from him.
What are you thinking? Aidric scolded himself with disgust. Diryan
would never hurt her, you fool! You know that! Sure, he might fear what
she symbolizes. Hellsfire, I fear it, but you know perfectly well that
he would never order the execution of an innocent woman!
“ Aidric? ” Selwyn inquired with worry via thought-speech.
That jolted Aidric out of his troubling thoughts, and he turned his
eyes from Diryan’s to Selwyn’s. Worry etched itself across his friend’s usually
passive face, and he no longer fidgeted with impatience in his chair.
“ Sorry ,” Aidric sent back with forced cheer. “ I guess I was
just woolgathering. ”
“Your Majesty,” Aidric voiced suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable
silence in the room and startling the king, though he was trying very hard not
to show it, “you are familiar with all the prophecies of Lamia, are you not?”
“Yes…” Diryan replied slowly.
“So you know the Prophecy of the Golden Mage very well, I presume?”
“I do,” he answered, then demanded, “What are you hinting at, lad?”
Aidric hesitated for a moment, grasping for words on how to reveal his
find to the king as delicately as possible but then deciding that there really
was no sense beating around the bush about it.
“I believe that I have found her, that very Golden Mage, and
The king merely raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he took a seat in
the large, thickly-cushioned chair behind his cluttered desk. Documents,
several maps, and personal letters littered the top in a carefree fashion,
giving the room a lived-in appearance instead of the impersonal formality of
all the other rooms in the king’s chamber.
This was one room that the king had forbidden the servants to enter
unless specifically instructed. Diryan had once told Aidric that it was the
only room that made him feel as if he was just a normal man and not a man that
carried the lives of thousands of subjects on his shoulders.
Selwyn followed the king’s example by taking a seat in one of the
chairs next to the desk, looking as giddy as a young child waiting for a
promised surprise to be revealed to him. Aidric had to smile despite himself.
It seemed as though anything could arouse excitement in his friend, and Aidric
was envious of that particular trait, though he would never admit it to Selwyn.
Once both were situated and gazed back at him expectantly, he became
nervous. A thousand “what ifs” ran through his mind about what could possibly
result in his revelation, and unfortunately, none of them were good. Typical,
since Sel often joked that Aidric could make even the worst pessimist seem like
an optimist. More than a life of a maiden was at stake here. He could not screw this up.
Aidric looked into the smoky-blue of Diryan’s eyes and was comforted by
the kindness and promise of understanding in them. He swallowed with some difficulty
and banished all the dire thoughts from his mind.
He then looked sharply at his friend. “Sel, what is said in this room must be kept strictly confidential until His Majesty deems otherwise. What I am
about to reveal has the potential to create great chaos within the kingdom if
mishandled.”
Selwyn merely stared back at him innocently, his eyes asking “who me?”
“I don’t want you to run home and tell Raya,” Aidric elaborated. “She
will know in good time, I’m sure.”
Selwyn opened his mouth as if to protest but quickly held his peace
when he saw the glare Aidric was directing at him.
“All right,” he grumbled. “I give you my word that I’ll keep whatever
you say in this room behind my teeth, even under the most horrible torture.”
Aidric didn’t even crack a smile, which he was sure had been Selwyn’s
intention. “Good,” was all he said, making Selwyn blink in surprise.
As he locked his eyes with Diryan’s again, he felt that same wave of
strong reluctance wash over him, the one that he was not altogether certain
came completely from him.
What are you thinking? Aidric scolded himself with disgust. Diryan
would never hurt her, you fool! You know that! Sure, he might fear what
she symbolizes. Hellsfire, I fear it, but you know perfectly well that
he would never order the execution of an innocent woman!
“ Aidric? ” Selwyn inquired with worry via thought-speech.
That jolted Aidric out of his troubling thoughts, and he turned his
eyes from Diryan’s to Selwyn’s. Worry etched itself across his friend’s usually
passive face, and he no longer fidgeted with impatience in his chair.
“ Sorry ,” Aidric sent back with forced cheer. “ I guess I was
just woolgathering. ”
“Your Majesty,” Aidric voiced suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable
silence in the room and startling the king, though he was trying very hard not
to show it, “you are familiar with all the prophecies of Lamia, are you not?”
“Yes…” Diryan replied slowly.
“So you know the Prophecy of the Golden Mage very well, I presume?”
“I do,” he answered, then demanded, “What are you hinting at, lad?”
Aidric hesitated for a moment, grasping for words on how to reveal his
find to the king as delicately as possible but then deciding that there really
was no sense beating around the bush about it.
“I believe that I have found her, that very Golden Mage, and
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