1 comments/ 3506 views/ 0 favorites The Dread Prophecy Ch. 00 By: LordBrionGrenwall I want to thank everyone who has continued to follow my characters as they have evolved over the last two stories. In this novella the two main characters will finally begin to have intimate moments, something that many of you have been waiting for. Thank you for you comments and continued words of encouragement, also any emails are welcomed. Enjoy! The Dread Prophecy Ch. 01 The Dread Prophecy Ch. 01 As Brion dealt with the issue of missing family members, Eryca assisted the mission workers in tending to the indigents needs, she distributed food and using her knowledge of herbs helped many of the sick. It was well after darkwatch when Brion and Eryca mounted their horses and made their way home. For the engaged couple home was the Lord's Keep or the "White Tower" as is has come to be nicknamed by the citizens of Ahlissa. The tower had been designed and built by human and dwarven craftsmen from the Iron Hills to the south. Ahlissan Battle-Mages had assisted in the design and construction of the towers' defenses. The tower stood 900' feet high and was built on a large flat area centrally located in the city. Originally when Ahlissa had been the Southern Province of the Great Kingdom there had been a fortress where the tower now stood. However, when his Majesty Lord Barnard had led the victorious rebellion in which the Southern Province had seceded from the demonic Great Kingdom the site had been razed. Afterwards when Prymp was named the new capital it was decided that on top of the old ruins the seat of the new government would be erected and so the Lord's Keep was built. It served to house not only the ruling family but also contained the council chambers of the Council of Free Men. As Brion and Eryca approached the tower they rode through the outer curtain wall and towards the Tower Annex, a four story off-shoot of the tower that housed the stables and above that the tower guard. Leaving their horses with the stable-hands, Lady Eryca and Lord Brion proceeded into the tower. At present they were staying in separate rooms on the eighth floor but after their wedding they would move up into the royal apartment at the top of the tower. Standing outside of Eryca's suite that she shared with Karolyn, Brion pulled his betrothed into his arms. "Thank you for your help tonight my beloved. I confess that your ability to change our appearance is incredible." Brion said as he kissed her forehead in appreciation. Eryca smiled at his gesture. "It was my pleasure my love. Anything that I can do to help to our people, I will gladly do." "Our people... I like hearing you say that." The blue eyed knight replied. "I hope they know how lucky they are to be blessed with a future queen such as you." He smiled at her. "I know that I am." "Hhm... I am blessed to have a knight like you for my protector and future husband." said the demure maiden as she looked into the eyes of her betrothed. "Now I must say good night my love, a girl needs her rest." Eryca's eyes danced with mischief as she flashed Brion the teasing grin that he had come to adore. They kissed passionately and deeply and then bid each other good night. The Dread Prophecy Ch. 02 The Dread Prophecy Ch. 02 "Enter" he heard through the thick mahogany door, mindful of the runes he turned the handle and entered Eryca's new study. Brion was amazed by what he saw as he looked around Eryca's study; in the center of the room was a waist high pink and white marble pedestal with a silvery bowl placed atop it. On the right side of the round room, Eryca had placed similarly curved tables that held all manner of arcane and alchemical devices; a moving model of the Oerth, its moon and stars, a telescope, glass bottles, beakers with tubes and bowls some with tiny fires under them. On the opposite side the walls were covered in maps, bookcases and complex astrological and astronomical charts. There were several pedestals with large books filled with elvish and the flowing mystical language of magik. She had covered the cold flagstone floor with lavish rugs and there were several overstuffed chairs. Directly across from him on the far side of the room above a bank of windows suspended by an elaborate lacing of strong ropes hung the skull of a fully grown dragon and under the skull sat a huge ornate desk that appeared to be carved from one enormous piece of wood. Its' entire front was covered in carved motifs of trees and nature. Both the skull and desk were so large that they could not possibly have fit up the stairs as they were nor could Eryca have lifted them herself and yet she had asked no one for help. As he looked around and admired what she had done he got the distinct impression that the room seemed bigger than it had before. "Amazing" He muttered to himself as he walked across the room towards Eryca who was sitting at the enormous wooden desk writing. "My love," Eryca said as she looked up from her work "why did you not just come in?" She stood and walked towards Brion; he stopped in his tracks and simply stared at Eryca, his mouth agape. Her face was oval and beautiful, her every feature finely chiseled and exquisite, her green eyes large and lustrous and her head crowned by a mass of curling crimson hair, hung loosely down her back. Her skin was lightly tanned, against which the pink glow of her cheeks and the ruby of her beautifully shaped lips shone with a strangely enhancing effect. The lovely young sorceress stood before him dressed in a sati, made of bright blue silk with purple and silver embellishments on the skirt. Across her chest she wore a daringly cut chola which laced between her full breasts. The sheer blue palli of her sari was draped up her back, over her left shoulder and across her breasts to her right, leaving her midriff bare. Eryca's upper arms were adorned with silver bands, her wrists with silver bangles. Adorning her forehead was a large round amethyst set in a circular silver setting that was suspended from a chain that ran up into her curls and on her delicate feet were bejeweled blue sandals. A vision of loveliness; she was every bit a beautiful fiery queen of the southern lands. Brion was speechless as Eryca approached him and twirled before him allowing him to admire her. His reaction was exactly what she had hoped for; Eryca loved being the object of his desires. "Well my handsome knight, can I take it from your expression that you approve or should I be concerned that some magikal implement in here has left you paralyzed?" Without speaking a word Brion closed the distance between them and took Eryca into his arms. At first she was startled by his sudden movement but that was quickly replaced by the security of being in his arms, by the feeling that she belonged to him. Looking down at her Brion felt an overwhelming love for Eryca that caused a lump in his throat, his heart to race and his speech to leave him; the only way he could express himself to her at this moment was completely physical. As her Lord leaned into kiss her, Eryca was almost frightened by the animalistic passion that she saw in his stormy blue eyes but she trusted him with her life, so she allowed herself to be swept up in his passion. Their kiss was neither tender nor passionate but rather hot and desirous, filled with the need to pleasure each other in the most intimate of ways. Eryca moaned into Brion's mouth as she felt his tongue intertwine with hers and they tasted each other deeply. His gripped tightened on her slender waist as her arms locked around his neck. Eryca felt her body respond to his, she grew warm and moist when his hardness pressed against her abdomen. The sorceress tangled her fingers in Brion's black hair and purred her pleasure as he began to kiss the side of her neck. As he reached her collarbone Brion stopped briefly to catch his breath. "Oh Eryca my love, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I love you completely with all that I have." He pulled back to look into her jade eyes. "You look absolutely stunning my honeysuckle, truly you are the future queen of our people." Eryca traced his prematurely graying goatee with a delicate finger. "Thank you Brion, I love you and I am grateful that you find me so pleasing. It is important to me that I represent and serve our house and our kingdom to the best of my abilities." Leaning his head down planted a tender kiss on her lips. "Now back to my original question." Eryca said with her usual wry grin. "Why did you not come in?" "Why? Well your spells of course!" he laughed in answer to her question. "Do they not prevent anyone from just walking in on you?" She giggled in answer to his question. "Well, yes but these are different from the ones that you saw before. Those are a new set of spells and they allow you unfettered access." "Hhm... 'unfettered' eh? I like the sound of that!" Brion laughed as he again pulled her tightly to himself and kissed her hotly on her ruby lips. Eryca looked into her betrothed's steely blue eyes as he loosened his arms about her waist. "I love you, you are my Lord and you shall always have unfettered access to me." "And I love you my scarlet Lady." Brion replied as he looked into the deep green pools of Eryca's eyes. "What is wrong Brion? You have a look of concern about you." Eryca asked sensing that his thoughts had taken a more serious turn. "You can read me so well already can you?" Brion laughed in his usual boisterous way. "It's nothing serious Eryca but we do need to talk. May we sit?" * * * Eryca sat down in one of the plush chairs and motioned for Brion to take a seat across from her. After removing the scabbard of his rapier from his sword belt and leaning it against a bookcase he sat down. Then crossing her legs and leaning forward in her seat Eryca placed her hand on Brion's knee. "Now please, Brion, tell me what it is that troubles you so." The lovely young mage asked of her future husband. Brion leaned forward and taking her small hand in his brought it to his lips and kissed it before speaking. "I must leave soon for the border mission and I feel terrible that I will be gone almost an entire month with our wedding only two months away." At this Brion stood and paced the room, his hands clasped behind his back. He hated the thought of being away from Eryca so soon after just returning home and felt guilty that he seemed to be leaving the planning of their wedding in her lap. However, he had never been a man to shirk his duty and being the King's son he shouldered many official duties, especially those concerning military and security matters. Eryca sat in her chair and watched as the man she adored pace across the room like a caged animal. She watched as the strong muscles of his arms and legs contracted and relaxed, this burden weighed heavily upon him. She stood and walked over to a small serving table next to her massive wood desk and poured a glass of water from a crystal decanter. Making her way back over to Brion's chair Eryca set the glass on a small circular side table before moving to stand behind the chair. "Come and have a seat my love." She said to him, he turned and looked her. "Yes but...?" "Brion," she said softly with much patience and love in her voice "please indulge me." "As you wish Eryca." the knight replied as he walked across the room and sat in the plush chair. Leaning forward Eryca picked up the glass of cool water and holding it before him asked him to take a drink. Taking the glass and holding it to his lips Brion took a long drink before handing the glass back to her. The water was cool and instantly made him feel refreshed, next he felt her cool hands on his warm forehead as Eryca gently but insistently urged him to lean back into the chair. When she had Brion positioned where she wanted him Eryca began rub his temples as she softly spoke to him. "My love, I am well aware that you have many official duties to perform now that you have returned home. Believe me, during the beginning of our courtship I wanted to spend many more hours with you than I was able. However, I often found myself taken away from you so that I could attend to my duties." Eryca began to run her fingers through his thick black hair massaging his scalp as she continued. "Do not forget Brion that I am the granddaughter of an Earl and as such I am used to the official duties of state and all that they entail. This is the station that we were born into and that we were taught to shoulder." "Eryca that is all well and true but the planning of the wedding itself..." Brion tried to turn to look at her but her hands held him fast. "Karolyn can help me and also Kira if I have a mind to pull her away from her studies. Also Grandfather has free time and I can persuade him to help with more the "manly" decisions." At that Brion grinned broadly, picturing William the hawkish knight deciding on wedding arrangements. The young red haired maiden ceased her massage and leaned down placing her lips next to Brion's ear. "So please, no more concern over our wedding plans agreed?" Eryca whispered, her breath tickling his ear. Still leaning back in the chair his eyes closed Brion nodded in agreement with her. "You have convinced me my fair maiden." "Good." Eryca whispered as she smiled and kissed him on his cheek, then she walked around to stand before him. Brion quickly moved to his feet and in one swift movement wrapped his corded arms about her, lifted her and spun them both in a circle. Surprised by the sudden movement Eryca howled with laughter as Brion spun them around while holding her aloft. After a few more turns he placed her safely on her feet. "My sweetest honeysuckle," he said as he caressed her cheek and she tilted her face to enjoy his touch "what would I do without you to calm me?" "I'm sure you find some way to refocus your energies, my brave knight." Replied Eryca as she kissed the palm of his hand. "Nay, not in the way that you do Eryca; you truly are the beauty to my beast."