Hi everyone,
I recently started a fantasy romance, and this is the first scene from the
second chapter. I'm using this scene because it has more dialog than the first
scene of the first chapter.
LOVE'S
TREASURE
by
Shirley Martin
"You'll have to hurry, son. I'll explain the
situation as you get ready. I've already ordered the stable boy to prepare
a horse for you."
Inside his bedchamber within the palace of Airen
Tir, Garth pulled on his trousers, all the while focusing his attention on his
father. He wondered what the 'situation' was.
"As you know," his father explained, "we have
a few spies planted inside the palace of Volanar. They act as servants of the
palace, but they serve us. Now let me backtrack a bit. Have you heard about a
cache of gold hidden inside a cave of Misty Mountain?"
"Misty Mountain?" Garth paused while pulling his
linen tunic over his head. "I've always thought that tale was a myth. You think
there's some truth to the story?"
King Treherne nodded. "I have reason to believe so.
The story has persisted throughout the years, and my grandfather spoke of it in
his last days, regretting that he'd never sent anyone to find the treasure.
There surely must be truth to the tale." He leaned forward, his hands on
his knees. "Yesterday, one of our spies was in the archives room of the Volanar
palace--"
Garth fastened his belt. "The archives room? What
was he doing there?"
"He followed Princess Olwen, clandestinely, of
course, and checked the room after she left. First lighting a candle, he saw an
open book that revealed a map of where the gold is hidden far to the north of
Elucera in Misty Mountain."
"Wait a minute," Garth said, dropping several coins
in a purse attached to his belt, where his sword already resided in its
scabbard. "How do you know this?"
"A carrier pigeon brought the news early this
morning on a slip of paper. A small map was included." He drew the paper
from a pocket and handed it to Garth. "Study this map later, when you have
time.. Another spy saw a young man he couldn't identify ride off in the middle
of the night."
Folding the paper inside his tunic pocket, Garth
sat to pull on his boots. "That still doesn't prove that the man was
headed for Misty Mountain."
Treherne smiled slyly. "Remember I once told
you about a hole drilled in the wall of the king's study, behind a
painting? One of our spies heard the princess talking to her father about
the hidden gold." Briskly, he stood. "Enough talk. I want you to ride as if your
life depended on it." His eyes narrowed. "You need to redeem yourself, son.
There is still your unexplained absence from the kingdom earlier this
year."
"And if I arrive at the cache of gold the same time
as this unidentified young man?"
"Why, you kill him, of
course."
----------------------------------------------
Find all of Shirley's books at Books We Love
.jpg)
.jpg)
Hi Shirley,
ReplyDeleteOoh that is an exciting excerpt.
Regards
Margaret
Tantalizing excerpt from Shirley. You are so prolific! I'm jealous. :)
ReplyDeleteJuliet, thank you. Maybe I just don't know any better.
DeleteVery exciting, Shirley. Way to leave us with a hook. We can't wait to read the rest of this story so keep writing.
ReplyDeleteTia, thanks so much. I love to write fantasy.
DeleteLooks great, Shirley. Is this to be another of your "Avador" books?
ReplyDeleteNo, Kathy, but I may start another series with this.
ReplyDeleteShirley, Interesting scene. Do like the ending of it. Glad you're writing. Will this be a short or a full length?
ReplyDelete