36
Early in the morning, Rachel went for a ride on Melodia as she did so frequently. Breyind was busily assembling the greenhouse for Stella and Marie’s herbs, so she went alone. Rachel took the long way around the village and then rode back in from Stella’s cottage, reliving the first time she rode through the village.
She entered the village under the arch covered in bougainvillea flowers, now in full bloom of pink and purple. They clothed the clumsy wooden arch as she rode underneath and into the village. As Rachel rode, she noticed the village was very busy with villagers hustling and bustling about, yet no one noticed her. Excitement was rife.
“For the Royal wedding...,” came an excited voice from the tailor’s shop.
“Need the perfect shoes for the wedding!” came another voice from the cobbler’s shop.
“I need the best fiddle...I’m playing at the Royal wedding,” from a music shop.
As she passed the fruit stand, the stall-holder was haggling with a middleman. “The caterers must have all the best for the wedding.”
She continued riding, remembering how it had been in her dream not so long ago. It had come completely true, she realized. Maybe that was part of this ‘Gift’ as Stella had told her.
“I don’t believe there’s been a double royal wedding as long as I’ve been here!” Stella’s voice came from another shop. “And I can remember back a very long time.”
<Trot!> Rachel thought to Melodia, who snorted with excitement and immediately complied. They turned off the main street onto one of the paths they loved to ride on. <Gallop!> she thought. On cue, Melodia thundered excitedly up the trail. <Whoa!> she thought when she got to the lake. Melodia stopped obediently.
Rachel slid off the back of the horse and sat on patch of dry grass so she could watch the swans. Melodia came to her and rested so that Rachel could lean back against her. She drifted off to sleep.
Next thing she knew, Breyind had her in his arms and was kissing her. “I hope you’re feeling better. I’ve heard that pregnancy can make you extra tired.”
“I’m definitely feeling better now!” she said kissing her beloved back.
“I was just glad to find you,” he said.
“Were you worried?” she asked.
“I just wanted to be with you,” he replied. “I’m glad this horse looks after you so well!”
“What have you and Stella been talking about?” Rachel suddenly asked.
“How did you know that?!” Breyind asked. “We were thinking that since we have two princesses (well, in a couple of days anyway) who haven’t seen anything of the realm – that after our wedding, the lot of us – plus some men to keep us safe – will take a tour of Velantia. It’s time that you see what you’ve gotten yourself into – and time for the people to see our new princesses!”
“Sounds like the best honeymoon I could have ever asked for!” Rachel replied.
“Honeymoon?” he asked.
“I guess that’s just an Other World term..,” she replied. “It’s when a newly-married couple take some sort of holiday or trip together – just to be alone.”
“Well, we can’t be completely alone – except in our tent, of course – but it will be close.”
“Are there dangerous things in Velantia?” Rachel asked.
“Nothing that numbers can’t take care of!” he replied. “But you don’t want to run into a swamp wolf without someone like me around!”
“We will be taking Melodia, right?” Rachel said.
“Maybe she’d let me ride with you? So I can feel your body next to mine more?” Breyind said.
<Melodia!> Rachel thought.
The horse came to her.
“What do you think?” she asked aloud. “Would you let Breyind ride with me?”
The horse nickered.
“Does she agree?”
“If you can hold on!” Rachel reported.
Breyind replied with amour. “Does this count?” he asked grabbing and inciting passion from Rachel.
The horse nickered again and wandered away a short distance.
Rachel was beside herself with laughter.
Breyind playfully wrestled her to the ground. “What’s so funny?” he asked between kisses.
“Melodia! She told us to ‘get a room!’”
“And if we refuse?” he asked, kissing her as he lifted her skirts.
Later, they went to Stella’s cottage.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Stella greeted the happy couple.
Breyind described what he’d observed in Rachel. “What is happening?” he asked.
“Come. You may as well see what I’ve been working on,” Stella invited, going into her cottage.
Rachel and Breyind followed the woman into a room past the kitchen where Rachel had always assumed was Stella’s bedroom.
“Yes, it is my bedroom,” she replied. “But there is more.”
Rachel wasn’t sure how Stella knew her thoughts.
“I will show you,” Stella replied, moving a curtain and taking them down some stairs.
There was a large table lined with large parchments. A couple of quill pens were scribbling away on their own. Astra was attending the work, a studious smile on her face.
Rachel’s jaw dropped. “How…?” she asked.
“You are not ready for this information,” Stella replied. “But the information they are recording is for the two of you and for Adrick and Katja. However, I’m going to share some of the information with you now – because it will help you understand what is at work in your lives.”
Stella unrolled the original and put weights on it to keep it open. “This is your family tree, Rachel.”
Rachel looked across the parchment. There were so many names. But hers was made obvious at the bottom of the tree. “What do I need to know?” she asked, confused.
“You found yourself, I can see,” Stella said. “First, I want you to see where I fit in.” The woman pointed to herself a long ways up the tree.
“You’re my great-great grandmother?!” Rachel asked, stunned.
“More like 15 greats,” she replied. “But yes, direct line – you are my descendant. Now, let me take you to the top of the chart.”
Rachel looked to the top where many names stretched across, sometimes even repeated where lines met themselves over the generations. “Brighid,” Rachel read in her best Irish intonation. “Freyja. Surely, those are in error.”
“You don’t believe in the old gods?” Stella asked.
“No… yes… maybe…,” Rachel stammered. “But even if they existed, surely they didn’t have mortal children!”
“My research indicates that they did. I am a descendant of Brighid. So are you… and Katja. You’re both also descendants of Freyja, though she’s not the one I wish to discuss today, begging your pardon, Freyja!” she said looking heavenward a moment.
“Why is that important?” Rachel asked.
“Breyind knows, I can see it,” Stella replied.
“There are prophesies about when my line merges with yours,” he said to Rachel with the awe registering plainly in his face.
“But even that gets beyond the point I want to make right now. My point is that Brighid’s blood flows through your veins, Rachel. That is why you can ride an untrainable horse – that is why you can think something to your horse – and she can think them back to you. It is why I’m Stella, a healer, magician and empath. It is why I knew you had consummated your relationship and why I knew that Katja and Adrick had done the same. It is the ‘Gift,’ Rachel. Your children will have it too. But there is more – and that’s what Breyind was getting at.” Stella told Rachel the legend of the Sacred Trio.
“So, you think that with Katja, the prophesy is completed,” Rachel summarized at the end.
“But the shortened version may be equal poignant. I thought it was just a lazy way of saying the bigger prophesy,” Stella explained. “But now, I think it’s another prophesy entirely. ‘Where the god lines meet, something new emerges.’ It would explain why your gifts are strengthening now – since your god lines have merged.”
Supplemental Materials
Prologue, map, character list
The Legend of the Sacred Trio
Links to Buy the ebooks
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Birth of the Neví 829 T.C.E. It is a tumultuous period of Terrenden history. As is all too common, there are those who wish to profit from the misfortune of others. Some of these come together in a new "charitable organization" and step on the toes of the notorious Uugli. Combine this with draconian new measures to combat pollution and Terrenden has a situation ripe for a power struggle. |
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Rebound of Power: 850 T.C.E. Collection of Romance Terrenden is being terrorized by a previously underestimated Neví who, through the mysterious “Curator,” have been controlling elections all over the planet. In this collection, we meet some interesting women. Iyva - a homeless teenager in Irola whose untrained power leaves her close to death; Marc’la - a breeder of prized caballus in Kasago whose heart lives in the past; Zukie - an abused widow whose heart is afraid to try for future happiness; Jenna - an elections assistant manager and masseuse who has a prejudice against A’mara; Kami - a chola student in Varkevand who has been assigned to protect Ardin, a man who has his own reasons to distrust A’mara. |
| COMING SOON | TO AN EBOOK STORE NEAR YOU!!! |
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Brighid's Blood 2006 and 1200 B.T.C.E. Katja and Rachel are so desperate for love that they cast two love spells one night. But the Guardians do not consider spells "fun", but rather as cries for help from the very depths of your soul. Certainly Katja and Rachel could not have possibly imagined where these spells would take them! |
| Rise of the Neví - 830 T.C.E. The Neví begin their rise in power with the completion of several large housing projects that seem totally charitable, but also hide a great evil within. The draconian measures brought in the previous year has caused major distress throughout the world, perfect for giving the Neví a further foothold on the Terrenden stage. Will the A’mara, now removed from the Council of Peers, be able to shut down the Neví? |
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Acting the Part - 851 T.C.E. Collection of Romance The Neví have infiltrated the Terrenden Freedom Party. Dr. Jarly is on the run and the Curator still dominates the Terrenden stage. Famous actor, Derick Aiden has released his Neví expose film and now the Neví want him dead... In this collection, we meet more interesting women. Kauri - a simple receptionist who doesn’t realize one of her wildest dreams has come true; Tirry - an elections manager who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride; Zara - a chef who has all but given up on finding love for herself; D'zani - who isn’t even looking, but has to chaperone her more vulnerable roommate; Soala - an heiress who is expected to marry, but refuses to marry someone she doesn’t love; Moxara - one whose past griefs have locked away her heart. We also get updates on some of the lovely ladies we met previously. |
Image Credits:
Brighid's Blood cover art based on:
- Mountain background shot (on the border of Slovakia and Poland) – PublicDomainPictures.
All three images were under the creative commons licensing, (no attribution required.)
- Shaze picture developed from PXhere
Shaze divider based on:
- Sword image from Wikipedia Commons
All maps/editing by myself on GIMP and Photoscape, both free programs.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Although the penalty of knowing me in real life is that you will influence the creation of my characters; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2018 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Lori Svensen – A'mara Books & Viking Visual
