Wedding of the Torn Rose E-Book

Brian A. Mendonça

• Herausgeber: BookPop Media
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Symphony of Crowns and Gods
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 200

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

She ran from an arranged marriage to a foreign prince. He ran from a past he’d rather ignore. Together, they’re running out of time.

Kaine, a down-on-his-luck merchant scraping by in the Darian Kingdom, never expected to save a princess from a monster straight out of fantasy. But when he rescues the runaway Princess Lydia, he’s thrust into a world of courtly intrigue and hidden dangers far deadlier than the beast in the woods.

Lydia’s father has betrothed her to a foreign prince—a desperate alliance to secure power now that magic has entered the world. Yet Lydia carries secrets of her own: the darkest truths of those around her, and a dread certainty about what waits beyond the altar.

As time marches toward the ceremony, Kaine must confront his own broken past while unraveling a conspiracy that could ignite a war between their kingdoms. Some sacrifices are meant to be hidden. Some lies are meant to protect. And some roses bloom only when torn apart.

When duty clashes with honor, and trust is the most dangerous magic of all, Kaine faces an impossible choice: stand by as a princess marches toward danger, or risk everything to expose truths that could change everything.

Wedding of the Torn Rose is a gripping tale of magic, the crushing burden of secrets, and the fragile line between peace and conflict—where the cost of survival may be too much to bear.

Will Kaine save Lydia in time? Or is her wedding only the beginning of the end?

Leseprobe

Copyright © 2020 by Brian A. Mendonça

2nd Edition Copyright © 2023 by Brian A. Mendonça

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Published by BookPop Media LLC

Edition 2

ISBN 978-1-956918-05-2

24.6.4.1R

1st edition date of publication: October 30, 2021

1st edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-956918-02-1

1st edition Print ISBN: 978-1-956918-01-4

Cover design by Fay Lane (https://faylane.com/)

Symphony of Crowns and Gods Official Website:

https://www.theauthorbrian.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, religions, cultures, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A NOTE ON SERIES THEMES:

Symphony of Crowns and Gods is an intricately woven fantasy series filled with unexpected twists and turns. This narrative explores a rich and complex world, including sudden transitions to themes and motifs that may provoke strong emotions or discomfort for some readers. These elements include, but are not limited to, dark magic, violence, moral complexities, psychological manipulation, trauma, and crises of identity. Characters in this series must overcome the darkness within themselves and confront the harsh realities of their world to ultimately discover their inner strength and resilience. Their journeys will not be without their scars.

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CONTENTS

1. The Princess

2. The Proposal

3. The Throatian Prince

4. The Price of Magic

5. The God Stones

6. The End of Innocence

7. The Price of Sorrow

8. The Rose of the Darian Kingdom

9. Epilogue

Book 2 Chapter Preview

Gravity of Obedience Preview

Read Next: Gravity of Obedience

Books by Brian A. Mendonça

An important note from the author

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WEDDING OF THE TORN ROSE

SYMPHONY OF CROWNS AND GODS

BOOK ONE

BRIAN A. MENDONÇA

1

THE PRINCESS

Kaine knelt in the mud, brown water seeping into the knees of his trousers. His calloused fingers plucked several mushrooms from the tree stump as he examined each one’s quality. The forest was gently still, a perfect atmosphere for foraging, but the growl of his stomach interrupted the silence. He swallowed and sighed. The mushrooms were edible, but they were worth more to sell than to eat. Kaine could eat the mushrooms now and be full for the day, or he could sell them and eat for the rest of the month. The Darian Kingdom’s capital, Last Hope, was less than a day’s walk away; he planned to sell his stock there and buy himself dinner later.

He cleared the stump of its fungi, then stood. His somewhat wrinkled, sun-tanned face glanced over at the other trees for more mushrooms, but they were devoid of the types he sought. Someone else must have already come through this clearing.

Hunting down valuable mushrooms had been the least likely thing Kaine imagined himself ever doing, but it was a viable means of getting himself back on his feet. Nobody could have foreseen that the trade route across the ocean would shut down, rendering the merchant ships out of business. Though Kaine was skilled as a merchant, he was alone now—the members of the crew he’d worked with had each gone their separate ways once they’d docked for the last time. No matter what, Kaine wouldn’t return home, even though he knew he could easily find a new job there. His family’s name, Khalia, still left many doors open to him in the Leila Kingdom, but he’d intentionally kept them all shut since leaving his previous home behind.

He had some coins, but not enough to settle down somewhere, or even stay at an inn for longer than a week. The forests just outside the Darian Kingdom’s capital were rich in flora, including valuable mushrooms. Despite the risks of encountering bandits, Kaine had nothing of value on him, so searching among the bases of the trees, alone as he was, posed little risk. If he could fill his entire satchel a few times, he’d have enough money to pay for proper lodging until he could find a stable job among the various markets in the capital. If that plan did not succeed, it could be taken as a sign he should return home after all.

As he sighed again, the first scream cut through the air—a woman’s voice. Kaine drew his sword, rusted from the sea, and looked around. His heart pounded five times, then the second scream came. It was nearby. Clutching his pouch, he ran toward the sound as tree branches snapped and leaves rustled not far away.

When he reached a clearing, he froze. A severed arm in a patch of bloody grass greeted him as a creature he’d never seen before gnawed on the rest of the body. He had little time to gape at it as the young woman ran toward Kaine.

“I’m sorry!” she yelled. “I’m so sorry!”

She sprinted past Kaine and cowered behind him. The monster dropped the corpse and turned its gaze in their direction. Slowly, it shifted its four legs and moved toward them. Kaine stepped forward, and the beast stopped. With a quiet growl, it took another cautious step closer. The girl held her hands to her mouth, trying to control her hyperventilating.

Several seconds passed without either party taking the initiative in the confrontation. Kaine held his blade in front of him, maintaining eye contact with the creature’s orange-colored irises. Whatever the monster was, it held a desperate hunger in its eyes. Many stories were told of monsters, but Kaine had believed none of them were real. None of them had included a beast like this either—something between a giant wolf and an eagle. Its body was furry, wild, and oily black, yet feathers covered its wings. Kaine made a mental note to avoid the sharp, bird-like talons protruding from its wolf-like paws.

The monster jolted forward. Kaine took a quick step backward and grounded himself while the young woman trembled behind him. Swinging his sword, he roared and broadened his chest. He knew little about fending against a wild animal, other than that some bears and mountain lions were fearful of loud noises. His long-term familiarity with swordplay was useless against something like this. Blades had been indispensable when he traveled at sea and fought the occasional pirate, but there was a significant difference between battling a two-legged creature and one that had four. This was a fight he could not win if they engaged head-to-head. Intimidating it away would be the safest action.

The strange beast yelled back at them, a sound midway between a howl and a screech. It lowered its body and then leaped toward them for its attack. As it almost became airborne, its wings flapped, but it didn’t seem to know its limits; its body was too heavy to fly and crashed straight down into the mud. Seizing the opportunity, Kaine shoved his blade through the beast’s skull. He leaned onto the hilt of his sword, pressing with the full weight of his body until a cracking noise came from beneath him.

Black blood spattered over him as the creature gave a brief yelp and collapsed into the wet dirt. As the corpse landed, Kaine lost his balance and fell backward. He had gotten lucky; with no armor, a single strike from the monster would have killed him.

“Are you okay?” the young woman said in a single exhale.

“What in Asura’s ass was that thing?” Kaine rolled over and lifted himself off the ground. He wiped some sludge from his emerald-colored shirt, gawking at the beast’s body.

“Are you okay?” she asked again. He estimated she was a little under half his age, but no older than twenty years. Likely a commoner who lived in the slums of the capital, she wore a plain brown tunic. Mud covered her face and much of everything she wore, but it wasn’t clear whether it was normal for her or because of the encounter with the monster.

“I’m fine,” he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, “but where did the monster come from? It seemed strong, but… stupid, like it’s never tried flying before. I don’t—but it has wings. So why couldn’t it fly? None of it makes sense.”

The young woman reached behind her copper hair and scratched her neck. “I-I don’t know. It all happened so fast.”

He couldn’t blame her for her nervousness; it was possible the monster wasn’t the only one of its kind. Still, where had it come from?

“That’s okay,” Kaine said. “Are there any more of them around?”

“No.”

Kaine remained in awe that he had killed a monster—an actual monster! “I thought such creatures only existed in fairy tales. Where did you find it?”

“It found me.” The young woman settled onto a nearby log. “But it’s my fault.”

“How so?”

“I ran away from home.”

Raising an eyebrow, Kaine asked, “Did you argue with someone?”

“No,” the young woman responded, gulping as she stared at the ground. “I’m Princess Lydia von Stonewall, and I’m supposed to get married this week.” Chances were she was a servant to the princess, not the actual Darian Princess Lydia von Stonewall.

Kaine gaped at her, examining her tunic again. “Truly now?”

“Yes, truly. Why would you doubt me?”

“It just so happens that I’ve saved Princess Lydia from a monster in the forest? It seems a bit too much like a typical children’s fantasy story, doesn’t it?”

As he chuckled, the young woman grinned back at him. “Whether it’s believable doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. We’re lucky to be alive.”

“Yes, I suppose so.” His day was getting more peculiar by the minute. “So, what are you doing out here in the woods so soon before your wedding?”

He wanted to comment on her clothing and test her further, but she continued speaking. “Long story short, I wanted to skip my arranged marriage, so I ran away. I’m truly her. My servant and I came out into the woods, but… she died. You saw.”

She folded her arms and crossed her ankles. Kaine, finally calming down from the battle, sat next to her. While at sea, he’d heard that the Darian king had arranged for his daughter’s marriage to a foreign prince, but there were no other details. The girl seemed uneasy, but there didn’t seem to be a motive for her to lie about being the princess—in fact, there were plenty more reasons she should have kept such information secret. However, if she were lying, the truth would inevitably reveal itself.

“I’m guessing your father gave you no say in the matter of marrying the Throatian prince,” Kaine concluded.

The princess winced. “That’s correct.”

He glanced down at his shirt, trying to wipe away some mud he’d overlooked during his first examination of his clothing. “I understand not wanting to go through with your wedding, but rushing out into this forest was reckless. The roads outside the Darian capital aren’t safe. Dangerous people roam around—people who would rob you or do worse. And apparently, we have monsters too.”

“I know, but I’m certain there won’t be any more of them,” Lydia said. “I’m certain the monster was alone.”

Kaine shrugged at her naivety. It was better that they be cautious. “Where were you trying to go? Or did you merely want some space from your father?”

Lydia sighed, pulling her arms closer to her chest. “Gale Village was my destination. I wanted to get away from Serenity Keep, somewhere where my father couldn’t find me before the ceremony. It was childish to run away. I knew that, but what else could I do? I had to buy myself time to figure all this out.”

“For that, I’m not sure,” Kaine admitted. “Who in all of Yaenia could be an expert on these kinds of things?”

Lydia leaned her head back and embraced the sunlight that permeated the trees. “What happened there with the monster changed my perspective. My handmaiden is dead because of me. I’ll proceed with the wedding. If that monster had turned me into its lunch, everyone would have blamed me for abandoning my duty as a princess. I was stupid and put myself and others in danger. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

“The wedding wasn’t your idea in the first place. Anxiety is natural and expected,” Kaine encouraged. “I’m sure nobody blames you for fearing it.”

“Of course not.” Her manner of speaking and willingness to share so many details suggested she truly was the princess. Returning her to the king would be best—Kaine could sell the mushrooms he’d collected in the capital that same evening and venture back into the forest the next morning.

“So, we should help you get home, then. I’ll help you return to Serenity Keep and then I’ll be out of your way.”

“Out of my way?” Lydia asked, tilting her head sideways.

“Yes,” Kaine said. “Once you’re home, you’ll need to prepare for your wedding. As for me, I’d prefer to avoid meeting anyone at the castle, if I can help it.”

“Why’s that?”

“I haven’t conversed with royalty or upper-class families in a very long time,” Kaine said. “I’m not up to date on the latest formalities and such. It would be better if I didn’t risk embarrassing you.”

“Don’t be silly. I will make sure you receive a reward. As you said, many other people would have taken advantage of me in this vulnerable situation. I insist you deserve something, Lord or Sir…?”

“I’m Kaine Khalia,” he answered. “And I’m no Lord or Sir. I’m just a common merchant. Rumor has it this forest grows valuable medicinal materials, and I was foraging for them.”

“You have medicine?” Lydia asked. “Can you heal my leg? I got a rash earlier from a bush, I think. It doesn’t hurt much, but it is stinging a bit.”

With trembling fingers, she lifted the hem of her long tunic dress. Her calf shone maroon, purple veins protruding from the infection.

“How long has it been like that?” Kaine exclaimed.

“Maybe an hour or so.”

“We need to leave,” he urged. “Now.”

“Why?”

“You’ve got a Mourning Bear rash,” he said. “Nothing I have on me will heal that. We need a leaf ointment. Someone at Serenity Keep will have what will work. Can you still walk?”

Lydia’s forehead crinkled. “I didn’t realize it was serious. It’s fine—I can walk. Which direction is the castle?”

“It’s that way,” Kaine said, gesturing northward. “We’re only a few hours from your home and should be able to reach it by nightfall, provided we don’t encounter any more monsters. As long as we get you home soon, there’s no risk of permanent damage to your leg.”

“It sounds bad. Are you sure there’s enough time?”

“Yes. Provided that we make it before too deep into the evening, you needn’t panic.”

She took one more look at her leg, then met his concerned gaze. “I see. Thank you, Kaine Khalia.”

The two of them stood up from the log and moved outward, back toward the outskirts of the forest. The main road would provide safer passage than weaving through the trees. Kaine had many questions left unanswered, but it didn’t seem right to prod the princess about them so soon, especially now that she had her rash to worry about.

Ten minutes down the path, Lydia spoke up. “So, Kaine, you are a trader?” she asked, adjusting the rings on her left hand. There were four of them, one on each finger, and all shone in different colors. They seemed expensive—even for belonging to a princess. Encapsulated in the prettiest silver bands Kaine had ever seen, every one of the jewels was bright and clear.

“Yes, I worked on a ship until about a week ago. We exported various foods and spices from the Darian Kingdom to the Throatian Kingdom.” After five days of solitude, it was refreshing to converse with someone.

She tilted her head curiously. “It seems interesting to travel so much. Did it pay well too? Why’d you stop working there?”

“We were able to scrape by week-to-week, but ever since the Throatian Kingdom closed its trade port, business has dwindled,” Kaine said. “My captain ended up letting us all go and selling his ship. With our primary route shut down, it was too expensive to stay in the water. None of it was profitable anymore. That’s why I ventured out here to gather some medicinal materials. They’ll sell well in Last Hope.”

“That’s odd. Wouldn’t closing their ports be bad for their island’s economy?”

“Their country is becoming more independent from ours. They supposedly discovered how to use magic.”

Lydia lowered her gaze and resumed staring at her rings. “I thought only Lucidian people could do magic, right? How can Throatians use it too?”

Something rustled in the nearby bushes. Kaine instinctively reached for his sword, but by the time his fingers grasped the handle, a squirrel rushed out from the greenery and continued its way to the other side of the road. The quietness resumed, but he couldn’t help but keep his guard up in case there were other monsters.

“I have yet to witness any Throatian magic myself, so it remains a mystery,” he said. “There are plenty of rumors, but nobody knows anything for sure. The Throatians are a very reclusive people. Aside from business, I’m not familiar with anything about their culture.”

“You never tried getting to know any of them? Wouldn’t it have been good for trade?”

“I never had the chance,” Kaine said, staring into the nearby trees. “They didn’t allow foreigners past the gates of White Boar’s Landing, plus they use their own language. The only Common Tongue they know is business speech. It’s all scripted conversations—I don’t really understand anything about their people.”

“Me neither,” Lydia said. “Yet I’m supposed to marry the Throatian prince and join his family. I’ve heard they even worship another god, different from Asura.”

“It’s a tough position for you,” Kaine said.

“You’re also in a hard spot. I’ll make sure my father finds you a new job.”

Kaine’s ears went red. “You needn’t give me any reward. There’ll always be something else for me to trade in the future. Besides, I couldn’t just stand by and watch that monster attack you.”

“Of course not,” Lydia said, thoughtfully stroking the stone of the ring resting on her index finger.

They passed an apple tree, and Kaine climbed up to shake some fruit from its branches. He cut one of the fruits into quarters with his knife and held it out for the princess.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the apple, yet still staring at her ring as they continued walking. “You saved me, but I am curious about you. Where did you learn to fight with a sword?”

Kaine frowned as he sliced a second apple. He hoped Lydia was asking about his sword training merely out of politeness, without paying too much attention to his response. Still, from what he’d observed so far, she seemed more authentic compared to most other nobles he’d encountered. Perhaps she didn’t intend to be judgemental of him if he revealed his previous affiliations.

“Don’t be afraid, Kaine,” the princess urged. “I’m certain there’s nothing too embarrassing lurking in your past. Give yourself more credit. What’s your story? You haven’t been a merchant your whole life. I can tell by the way you talk and present yourself.”

For years, he’d kept his life from before his trading days bottled up. He often mulled over his past decisions and their consequences, questioning if he had made the right choices. His decisions had led him, in one way or another, to the forest that day. Now next to him walked a young woman—a princess, no less—who just wanted to get to know the stranger who’d saved her. She deserved that much, but the thought of revealing too much about himself knotted his stomach. He dared a glance at her, and her kind eyes looked back at him with no judgment. A surface-level summary would do. Maybe that would be enough to satisfy her curiosity.

“Fine. But only if my princess commands it.”

She laughed and elevated her chin. “I do.”

“Okay then, here it goes.” Kaine sighed with a forced grin. He wiped his hands, now sticky from the apple’s juices, on the sides of his trousers. “I was born a noble in the Leila Kingdom, destined to grow up and become a knight for Queen Blanche. I found traveling on ships and trading to be more exciting, so I renounced my future there and made my own way. The decision disappointed my family, but I was happy.”

She took a moment to process his story before speaking again. “You made an interesting choice. You lost a lot of friends when you went through with it, didn’t you?”

Kaine blinked twice, then retreated his gaze toward the trees. A thin, white mist had enveloped their surroundings. The air made breathing easier, even though it concealed the farther reaches of the path. “Yes, most of my oldest friends and I drifted apart, though there are a few acquaintances I have at home. I consider visiting them often, but⁠—”

“But home doesn’t really feel like home anymore since you left?” Lydia finished his sentence. It was uncanny how effortlessly she seemed to understand his deeper feelings.

“Right,” he said. “After I went to sea, I lost touch with almost everyone.”

“Sometimes, it is better to have no friends at all than a collection of superficial ones,” Lydia commented. Her perception of his feelings was astounding, almost unnatural. To most people, the thought of being a princess meant someone could have anything they’d ever wanted. Like Kaine, perhaps Lydia too had realized that money and power alone couldn’t acquire genuine companions and happiness.

“Princess Lydia, if you don’t mind me asking, why were you going through these dangerous woods? This isn’t the way to Gale Village.” They were currently south of where they should have been.

“Oh, I must have forgotten how to get there. I’ve never traveled without my father before. We used to visit my mother when I was younger.”

Kaine knew of Gale Village but hadn’t yet ventured to the remote town in the far east. Since Lydia wasn’t carrying anything with her, she seemed unaware that the journey there was too far to undertake without provisions. He held his tongue and avoided criticizing her. “What’s it like?”

“Clouds and fog float above lava-filled canyons against a background of quietly exploding volcanoes. It’s so peaceful from far away. There’s no noise from markets or endless parades of people begging for my attention. In Gale Village, I can rest among the grassy fields near the cliffs and read books in peace.”

“While Gale Village sounds relaxing,” Kaine ventured, “have you ever visited Starlight Beach? It’s in the southern part of the kingdom—about a week away from Last Hope. You would enjoy the sands and ocean. There are also many shops, restaurants, and bars that entertain the students at the university. You’d like those.”

“Maybe so,” Lydia said. “But I prefer the quiet.”

Kaine felt his face warm from his lack of attention. “My apologies, Princess Lydia. I heard you, but I wasn’t considering. I’m⁠—”

“It’s okay.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes, neither one of them looking at the other.

“I haven’t been outside the capital very much,” the princess explained. “The Leila Kingdom and Gale Village are the only places in the Darian Kingdom I’ve been, besides Last Hope, of course.”