My captcha says "bigpf"... whatever that means!

Hi Jazzy! I just saw this its really good!

Hi! I'm Moonlight! I've been here for almost 3 years and I actually disaeared but now I'm back and trying to be active! 

You may remember my one AE, who is now uh gone, Logan? She was insane and really involved but yea! Welcome back! 

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! If you don't celebrate Christmas, happy Holidays!! I've gotten into a writing rhythm (my goal is 300 a day) and, consequently, i've finished chapter 1! I stole some of this scene from my initial first attempt at my novel way back in April. Turns out, it wasn't all bad writing.  This last scene is a bit longer, haha.

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Lucius refused to be seen by a nurse; him and his mother were fine, thank you very much. Instead, surrounded by a burdensome amount of soldiers, they headed directly to the courtroom. The clattering of armor around him was grating on his ears, and each step the guards took reminded Lucius why they were there. He had thought that their presence, as well as being behind the castle walls, would ease his paranoia. Instead, they were a constant reminder of the arrows that nearly ended his life. He still didn’t feel safe. 

One moment was all that had stood between him and his life. If he hadn’t ducked - Lucius shook his head. He was a king, not a child. This would be his first meeting with the King’s Court as acting King, and was not about to spend the whole time feeling like a scared pup. Squaring his shoulders, he shoved thoughts of death from his mind and pushed down fear. 

The room was silent as he entered. The faces of the court stared at him, making the walk to his seat seem longer than usual, and no one spoke as guards filtered into the hall. Normally, only his private guards were authorized to listen in on these meetings. Today was an exception. Lucius scanned the room while Oliver barked orders. 

The King’s Court was the highest court in the kingdom; it met regularly and was made up of a variety of advisors and representatives. Normally, there were less people at a King’s Court. The Dukes of Valoria would have stewards to represent their dutchies, but now both the Dukes and their Stewards were present. This was because of the coronation - everyone of importance was staying in the castle to celebrate. 

It was probably for the best, Lucius thought, that his Dukes were able to be here. When Oliver had grown silent and taken his place behind the queen and king, Lucius began. “There has been an attempt on my life.” 

It was incredible how one sentence could throw a room into chaos. Balec, his chief advisor, turned to him in shock. “I had hoped it was a simple rumor.” 

Lucius shook his head, and then raised his hand to demand silence. The court stilled. “I had just been officially accepted as King when I spotted a flash in the crowd. I ducked before the arrow took my life. Reportedly, there was only one assassin, and Jaque’s men are currently scouring the city for her.”

“Just one assassin?” (Advisor of War) scoffed, “If someone wanted you dead, they would have tried harder.”

Deanna’s cold voice reprimanded him. “That one assassin would have successfully murdered your king if he had been any less observant. Maybe, instead of questioning the ability of this assassin, we should be questioning why our security failed to adequately do their jobs.” 

The man nodded. “A fair point, your highness.” Luthen was a rough, ambitious man who was in charge of everything concerning the military. He wasn’t the most diplomatic advisor, but he knew better than to cross the Queen.

It was Balec that drew everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand. “We must take action, with or without the assassin in custody.”

“What can we do to catch the assassin?” Leopold, the duke of Callaghan and Lucius’ first cousin, gestured to an empty chair. “Obviously your Chief is hard at work, but is there anything that can be done to heighten his chances?” 

After a moment of silence, Lucius cleared his throat. “What do you propose we do, Duke Callaghan?” 

“Enlist help,” he offered.

Then Luther was jumping back in, eagerly spouting a plan. “The people! Of course, Duke Callaghan, you’re a genius! Obviously we must offer a reward to anybody who can lead us to the assassin. The more eyes we have searching, the higher our chances.”

Leopold smiled and crossed his arms. “Not exactly what I had in mind, but a wonderful idea, nonetheless.” 

There were muttered sounds of approval and nodding coming from the court, so Lucius waved his King’s Hand to him. The servant boy bounded over. “You are to get the heralds out on the streets within an hour with this message.” He turned back to the court, and they quickly decided upon what to say and how much should be offered for the reward. Within minutes, the boy was on his way to deliver instructions. 

“Do we know why someone would send an assassin after His Majesty?”

Lucius frowned. The thought had, of course, occurred to him, but he would quickly shove it away. Being confronted with the idea so bluntly made him nauseous. The mere fact that someone wanted him dead implied that someone didn’t approve of his newly inherited crown. Why? What could Lucius have done that would cause someone to want to kill him? Were there more people that wanted him dead? Or, if his father truly was poisoned, was Lucius simply collateral damage in a bigger plot?

There were too many questions, and Lucius felt desperation clawing at his insides. He hoped, with everything, Jaque would catch the assassin. They would never find answers without her. “We really can’t know without evidence,” he explained, “So we should focus on what we do know and what we can do about it.” 

Balec jumped in, “We need a game plan in place on the chance that the assassin is not caught, and we find our hands empty and with no clues about where this threat came from.” Lucius was grateful for the shifted focus.

Still, conversation wasn’t pleasant. It took a couple hours for the court to feel as if they had run out of problems to solve and finally end for the day. Lucius remembered his father disappearing for days on end when crises occurred; he had always wanted to be there more than any place in the world. Now, as his stomach churned with hunger, Lucius wasn’t quite as eager. Deanna also seemed exhausted; for all her poise she couldn’t hide bags under her eyes. 

As the court filtered out of the room, Lucius gestured to Oliver. “Escort the queen to her rooms, and make sure someone sends for food.” 

He wanted to join her, but there was still so much more to be done. Lucius waved at Balec to stay, and then called his messenger over. The young boy hurried into the room and bowed. “Bring me the Master of Ceremonies.”

The kid was gone in a flash.

“Stand by the door,” Lucius said to the soldiers. Though it wouldn’t give him and Balec total privacy, they could lower their voices to whispers and communicate privately.

Balec stared at him quizzically, and, as soon as the guards were across the room, was the first to speak. “Are you alright?”

Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I wasn’t hurt.”

But Balec wasn’t hearing it. “I don’t mean physically, your highness.”

After a moment of consideration, Lucius shook his head. “I’ve been better.” He had almost been killed, for one. On top of that, there were potentially severe consequences if the assassin was a hired mercenary from another king. Yet it didn’t make sense. Lucius hadn’t been aware he had enemies until a few hours ago. There were pieces of the puzzle missing, and he couldn’t bring himself to try reading between the lines. Not yet. “We should cancel the celebration tonight.”

“I was wondering why you didn’t bring that up during court.”

Lucius smiled sadly. “I didn’t want to deal with their disappointment in person. Especially because the Dukes travelled all of this way for it.” He paused and glanced at the door. “The Master of Ceremonies will be here too, and I’d like his input, but I don’t know if we should postpone or cancel it outright.”

Balec leaned back in his chair. He was nearly as tall as Lucius, but, as they were both seated and Lucius’ chair was noticeably higher, he had to look up significantly to meet the gaze of his king. “Another thing that will have to wait until the assassin is caught. If they are, and their information is yielding, we can most likely hold the celebration sometime within the week.”

“And if not, it wouldn’t be safe.” Lucius had already resigned himself to the idea that the celebration for his coronation would be cancelled. He had been looking forward to it. The entire Kingdom Court would have attended, so the castle was currently teeming with officials and nobles from all of Valoria. They had all been eager, he knew, for the massive celebration.

“They were most likely expecting you to be dead. It is unlikely they made preparations to invade the feast tonight, so it might be safer to proceed than to postpone it.” Balec paused to find the right words. “Unless it was a distraction. But it would have been poorly thought out, and-“

“She was aiming for my heart,” Lucius finished. One look at his paling advisor had him smiling grimly. “Had I not ducked, I would be dead.” He was hesitant to reveal what he knew; scared to confront the reality of the situation. But something big was in the works, and he was at the center of it. His life was on the line. “That’s not the worst part.”

Balec’s shoulders fell, as if he knew what was coming.

“The Queen predicted it. She suspected something would happen, so she insisted I increase my guard. I didn’t believe her at first, but…”

Lucius and Balec sat in silence, not wanting to ask what that meant.

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Thank you all, again, for reading! Let me know in general what you thought of Chapter 1! If you picked up a book in a store and only read this first chapter, would you buy it? Don't worry, I won't be offended if the answer is no ;P.

This scene is a bit longer, and I've been quite busy as of late! Plus i have an injury in my righthand (probably carpal or cubital tunnel) so I can only type with my left and it's horribly slow! Anyways happy new year, whoo! How's the pacing in this scene?

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Despite retiring late and sleeping fitfully, Lucius was up with the sun. Frantic knocking and a panicked voice gave him little choice. “Your highness, the assassin has been caught!” He jolted out of bed and threw on a dressing gown before rushing to the door. The servant looked startled when the door flew open, but quickly regained his composure and handed Lucius a small envelope.

Jaque’s signature was hastily scratched on the outside, and the message within was concise. “Assassin caught. Breakfast debrief?” 

Lucius turned to the child, who, with wide eyes, was staring at him expectantly. He cleared his throat. “Summon the Queen, my Head Guard, and my Advisor. Then tell the kitchens I’d like breakfast for 4 in half an hour.” The servant bowed and then bolted down the hall. Lucius peered after him, noting the several guards stationed between his room and his mother’s. They were familiar faces, but he couldn’t recall names. 

Directly opposite his door were cushioned seats, and the few servant girls sleeping on them had begun to stir from all the noise. “I’d like a hot bath drawn immediately.” He almost smiled watching as they came to themselves, jumping to their feet and bowing. Normally they were awake by the time he was, but he would occasionally surprise them with an early morning. 

“I’m having company this morning. I’d like my chambers to be presentable, as well as myself.” They immediately set to work. Half an hour and one hot sponge bath later, breakfast arrived with his guests. 

The queen, of course, was radiant as she entered. Her servants worked wonders. It was Jaque and Balec that seemed worse for wear, with Jaque in particular looking as if he was about to pass out. Lucius gestured for them all to sit before the poor man fell asleep on his feet. 

“Have you slept at all, Jaque?” 

He shook his head after collapsing into a chair. “I was up all night. It’s a long story, and I’ll tell it, but…” his eyes fell on the food in front of him. There was roasted fish with lemon for the main dish, with eggs, bread, and fruit as the sides. The smell was tantalizing, and for a moment all four of them were lost in longing.

Deanna came to herself first, chuckling as she passed out porcelain platters. “You need to eat, poor thing. As do we all.” She cast a pointed glare in Lucius’ direction. There was no way she knew that Lucius went straight to bed without a meal last night, but the look she gave him said otherwise. 

Lucius focused intently on his food and ignored her.

“You three,” she continued, her eyes still on her son, “all look wretched.” The queen smiled at her company in a way that made them think she was teasing, despite her reprimanding tone.  “Of course Jaque has an excuse, but I wonder what yours is, Lucius? Or Balec?” She turned to the man, who grinned sheepishly under her stare. “If I recall correctly, our meeting last night didn’t end at a completely unreasonable hour.” 

Balec tried to look serious, but couldn’t help smiling as he spoke. “I always look wretched, your highness. Old age does that to you.” 

“Why, I just meant to imply you look quite a bit more tired than usual,” Deanna replied, not missing a beat.

Balec laughed. “It was, in all honesty, quite difficult to sleep after the events of yesterday.” His expression grew sad for a moment, which caused a memory from a dream to flash through Lucius’ mind. Lucius frowned as he stabbed a piece of fish with his fork. 

“And you, Lucius?” For all her teasing, his mother was genuinely worried about them underneath. She was as perceptive as a hawk. 

It was endearing, but also frustrating that she would ask him such a thing in the company of others. Lucius’ expression was flat as he looked at her. “I don’t think you’d sleep well after nearly dying, either.” 

Balec choked on his drink. 

Deanna just smiled sadly. “You do forget that I, perhaps, love you more than you love yourself.” 

Lucius again turned away from her gaze.  He didn’t miss what his mother implied; that her sleep hadn’t been sound, either. Her expression made him feel guilty for his comment. “Well, you are certainly much better at looking like you slept than the rest of us, it seems.” He tried to lighten the mood with flattering jest, and smiled at his mother to lighten the mood. She smiled back.

Jaque chuckled. “Of course she does, your majesty. It’s all about how you carry yourself, and us men aren’t as quite as good at noticing that as women are.” He laid down his silverware and straightened. “Anyways, I’d better report before I keel over.” 

Lucius nodded in affirmation, so Jaque began. “That reward you sent out was a lifesaver, your majesty. Turns out the assassin had a contact in town that was going to hide her away until things died down. Weeks, maybe even months from now, she was going to sneak out with his help.” The soldier, one of most serious people Lucius had met, grinned widely. “We were paying more, turns out. A few hours later the mercenary was in our hands.” Jaque spread his hands wide and shrugged, “Easy peasy.” 

“You haven’t interrogated her yet?” Lucius said. 

“Me? No. Not in this state I haven’t! Though from a bit of talking to her, money might be more of an incentive than… other methods. She’s a mercenary, for sure.” 

Balec spoke up then, his face pale. “You’re sure someone hired her?”

“Absolutely.” Jaque seemed to compose himself as the atmosphere in the room turned bleak. “I’ll speak with her tonight. Don’t trust anyone else to do it, but I need some sleep first.” 

Lucius nodded. “Of course, you are welcome to excuse yourself at any time. Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll call a meeting.”

“We will have a talk with the treasurer in the meantime, Jaque, and let you know what your maximum bribe for the mercenary can be,” Balec said. 

Jaque hummed something in response, as he was already halfway across the room with his mind far beyond, and offered a clumsy bow to Lucius and Deanna before seeing himself out. The thud of the door behind him left silence in its wake. 

Balec slouched in his chair and groaned. “Paid.”

Deanna sighed, “Yes. Paid.”

“The treasurer, then?” was all that Lucius could say while the world crumbled around him.

“Yes.” 

The silence returned. 

Lucius stood abruptly, his chair squeaking obnoxiously against the floor, and went to summon the treasurer. The advisor and the queen shared a solemn look. They could read Lucius’ moods like a simple child’s book, despite his attempts to maintain composure around company.

Balec looked earnestly into Lucius’ eyes when the young king returned. “I’ve seen your father through perilous times, Lucius. I will be with you through this.” 

And Deanna said, “As will I, dearest son. You need not carry your burdens alone.” 

Lucius smiled at them both. “I’ve been trained my whole life to be king. I do not think I shall fail so early on.” 

“That you shall not,” Deanna agreed. 

But Lucius already felt like he had.

The treasurer came and went, and Balec hurried off shortly after, leaving Lucius and Deanna to themselves. Their conversation was stilted at first, and very polite, as they tried to skirt around more dangerous topics like assassinations and political mayhem, but Lucius could only hold himself together for so long. He had, afterall, stared death in the face less than 24 hours ago. And his mother was using her soft, sweet tone of voice as she always did when she knew something was wrong, and staring deeply into his eyes as if she could read his every thought. It was disarming. 

Lucius placed his elbows on the table like an uncultured peasant and buried his face in his hands. Immediately, he felt a hand on his shoulder and his mother’s voice, lined with too much emotion, beside him. “Tell me, Lucius, what ails you?”

Obviously he was tired. She would know that already. He felt overwhelmed, and, though he hated to admit it, scared. There was so much at stake and he had been king for a day and it was all going downhill so, so fast. If his father had really been poisoned, what did that mean? There was so much to think about and his mind was reeling. In the end, all he could say was, “I’m tired.”

“Then rest.”

He looked up at her, annoyed. “You know I can’t just rest. There’s too much to do, and besides, my dreams were abhorrent last night.”

Deanna stood and held out a hand to him. “You can’t do much more until you hear from Jaque, and that will be several hours yet. I’ll stay with you.”

Lucius took her hand and she all but yanked him out of his chair and to his bedroom. He really was too tired to complain, but he complained anyways. “I’ll be fine, mother.”

“Of course you will be! After a good rest.” She pulled herself onto his bed and arranged her skirts around her. “Come on.” She gestured to her lap, and Lucius deflated.

“I’m not a child.”

“This worked for your nightmares when you were younger, there is no reason it won’t work now.”

“Mother.” He crossed his arms.

She smiled and patted her lap. “Son.”

“I suppose you’ll sing too, won’t you?” Deanna just smiled and began to hum, again motioning for him to join her. He gave in shortly. Lucius knew his compliance would bring her joy, so he told himself he was doing it to comfort her. But with his head in her lap, and her fingers combing through his hair, and her singing a song from his youth, he felt safe. Safe, and warm, and if not happy at least content, as one only can when they are in the arms of a beloved mother.

Also whoever else was topping this thread, thank you! You bring me great joy.

it takes so much to top oh no