Read Online The Kingdom of Eternal Sorrow (The Golden Mage Book 1) by C.G. Garcia - Free Book Online Page B

exclaimed, startling Aidric because he had forgotten
that he was even there. “What in the name of Seni do you mean by that?”
    “Exactly what I said,” Aidric huffed, a little uncomfortable under the
scrutiny of the two. “Of course, I could be wrong, but I don’t believe I am.
She was wearing strange garments of materials I cannot even begin to identify.
They resembled undergarments of some sort, though I’m not certain they are.
After all, why would anyone go parading around so indecently clad? Also, her
beauty—well, I’ll allow you to judge for yourselves.”
    “Now Aidric,” Diryan began, “I don’t believe that those reasons are
grounds for—”
    “There is more,” Aidric cut in as Selwyn gaped at him in shock.
    Lamian law forbade anyone to interrupt the king when he spoke, the
ultimate insult, and it always rattled Selwyn when Aidric did it. He had always
been liberal with the king, talking to Diryan as if they were merely friends
and not king and underling, and he often forgot how inexcusable others thought
his behavior to be. He did try to curb that level of casualness when others,
even Selwyn, were present, but he forgot more often than not since Diryan never
seemed to notice that type of impropriety, anyway.
    “I managed to heal the damage that she inflicted upon herself in her
ignorance,” Aidric said, “hoping that when she regained consciousness, I could
get some answers from her.”
    The king leaned forward eagerly. “You have spoken with her, then?”
    “Not really,” Aidric replied with a frustrated sigh. “She spoke a
language that was so foreign to me that I couldn’t even begin to decipher it. I
couldn’t read her thoughts either because her mind had been so severely
traumatized. There was a very good chance she would have gone mad if I had
tried. I had hoped to reveal her existence armed with as many answers to the
questions I knew would be raised, but since that’s not the case, I came here
with different intentions.”
    Diryan suddenly looked wary. “Which are—”
    “Nothing nefarious, I promise. I need you to give Master Zenas your
permission to have him magick our language into her memory in order for us to
be able to communicate with her.”
    Some of the tension left Diryan’s shoulders. “Of course. I, myself,
would have suggested it if you had not. Only the maiden can give us the answers
as to her identity, and if she proves to be who you profess her to be, we must
do everything in our power to prevent the tragedy the prophecy foretells.”
    Both Selwyn and Aidric stiffened at the king’s words as Diryan stood up
abruptly, all visible traces of the fear he had sported earlier gone from his
expression, replaced by a look of sheer determination that made Aidric smile
inwardly with pride.
    We truly are blessed to have such a king—so ready to take on
whatever problems Seni wishes to throw at us with hardly a blink. If only I
could feel so confident—
    “Aidric, thought-speak Zenas. Tell him to drop whatever it is he is
doing and to meet us at your suite immediately.”
    As Aidric nodded and instantly obeyed the king’s orders, Diryan’s eyes
unfocused as he lost himself in his thoughts. Again, Aidric wished he knew what
the king was thinking.
    If only he could thought-speak, then he might be more inclined to
share them when we’re among others if he knew only I would hear them…
    “Lads,” Diryan finally said with a hint of a smile, “I do believe that
we are about to make history.”
     
    ***
     
    He opened his eyes and smiled, the vision of the pale girl with the
golden hair fading into the sight of the dusty stone wall before him that was half-concealed
in the shadows of the dim room. Within the darkness of a hood the color of the
blackest night, a pair of saffron eyes flashed in a flare of incandescent light
as he savored the vision. The very air around him seemed to go still.
    “At last, she has come,” he said quietly into the gloom. “A mage