As the heir to the Guevera March, Sebastian not only knew every noble family in their region, but also aristocratic families and ones in influential positions. This included the Zisos family, which currently consisted of two people: Pope Stefanos Zisos, the highest authority in the Church of Belcoy, and his nephew-come-adopted-son, Constantine.<...
2022-01-16 08:03:59 +0000 UTC View PostThere were fortresses all along the coast, from Anlar to Sur. The fortress at the border between the two regions, which was on a mouth of a river, was jointly overseen by the two marquis families and was a training grounds for new sailors in the Sur navies. Tori was able to watch some training exercises from their ship.
It wasn’t really ...
2022-01-16 08:02:01 +0000 UTC View PostShe couldn’t wait to tell Ilyana that she spent her birthday on a boat, cruising King’s Harbor, and gorging on the freshest seafood on the western side of the empire. On the day they scheduled to celebrate her birthday, it was just the O’Tuagh’s and Gueveras left at Moss Hill; allowing for a small, relaxed celebration.
The morning ...
2022-01-16 08:02:00 +0000 UTC View PostAntonia knew exactly what Monica wanted and, though she had no real qualms with Monica and Matthieu-Philippe as in-laws, she had sworn to herself that she would never betroth her children. That was why she had no problem throwing all formality away when she wedged herself between Monica and Tori when the attendant found them, and dragged Monica ...
2022-01-16 08:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostFor the last two days, Tori made a point to avoid Dimitri and Gideon. She knew when they were set to arrive and planned around them. She had more important and interesting things she’d rather do. Her family also seemed to try to keep them away from her by sending them out of Moss Hill, on ‘tours’ of King’s Harbor. Tori could continue her...
2022-01-14 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostMy break is almost over! It's hard to believe we're back to regularly scheduled updates.
It was nice just lazing around for a bit. I cleaned out a closet, put away all the Christmas décor, and worked on some other non-Tori writing stuff. There are non-writing things to the story I want to work on; such as the...
2022-01-14 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostIn his fifteen years of life, he had never faced such a humiliating event. Dimitri stood beside an increasingly frustrated Prince Gideon in a detention cell. They were stopped and detained at the main gatehouse before even entering King’s Field.
From their cell, he could look outside the iron barred window and see dozens of carriages and...
2022-01-07 08:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe Empress appeared proud of herself for defending her son, but Tori’s mother only looked at her as if she were an idiot.
“I’m not talking about Piers, Monica! I’m talking about Gideon!” Formality was gone. Antonia stalked forward, her arms raised, and hands curled into claws as if ready to throttle her friend. The impe...
2022-01-01 08:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHello!
Just a big reminder that I will be on 'break' from January 1st to the 16th. As such, there will be no updates on Royal Road at that time. However, Patron will have updates on Fridays.
January 1 - Chapter 51 (RR will have Chapter 50 posted on January 1st, as well.)
January 7 - Chapter 52
Ja...
2021-12-30 08:15:00 +0000 UTC View PostBaron Hart appeared confused and looked from Tori and Kasen, to his daughter and her friends. Alessa was standing stiff with a look of horror on her face. On either side of her, Dimitri and Gideon were at a loss. Tori could almost see the gears in their heads turning as she stood up straight and faced them.
“Your Highness, Mr. Guthry,”...
2021-12-30 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post“So...who do you think approached the other first?”
Tori gave him a droll look. “Baron Hart, obviously.”
“Oh? Why is it obvious?” Andy leaned back against the carriage seat, peering out the window, towards the unsuspecting ‘couple’.
Tori sat across from him, also looking out the window as she rested her arm agai...
2021-12-28 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
So, here is a general map of continental Soleil, which doesn't include any overseas territories outside of this region. I've posted this up on the website, along with Tori, Piers'/Gideon's, and Axton's family trees.
While it would take about two weeks to travel from Horizon to Moss Hill in King’s Harbor, the western most city on the continental empire, they wouldn’t have to navigate around or over any mountains. The road to Anlar was quite smooth and every day, Tori woke up to fields or rolling green hills.
Sometimes, there were forests or lakes, ...
2021-12-26 08:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe consecration of various areas of the delta was an all-day event. After much discussion with the villagers, civil engineers, surveyors, and excavators; three sites were consecrated by the Bishop of Karap. The first site was on the largest of the delta islands, which had yet to start any development.
In the morning, several boats brought...
2021-12-25 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Why won’t you wear it?” Tori frowned and glared at the open comcry on her desk as Nanny Rey brushed and tied up her hair for the day. “I charged it myself!” She was indignant as Axton seemed to hesitate to answer. Tori narrowed her eyes and her voice lowered. “Do you think it’s going to explode?”
“That...has crossed my m...
2021-12-24 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post“I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
“Don’t overwork yourself.” Ilyana stepped back and Tori smiled helplessly as they stood beside one of the many carriages that lined the driveway in front of Lycée. It was the last day to move out of the dorms for the summer and most students, especially the local ones, had alr...
2021-12-22 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“You can pack. I can go without you.”
“Senior Kasen told me to watch you.”
“Are you Senior Kasen’s knight or mine?”
“Yours, but you won’t kill me. They will.”
Gideon heard the voices of his brother and Sir Nassaun around the corner and quickened his speed. He came for a family dinner with his parents t...
2021-12-20 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Well, I got nothing done this week and it's cold. In between work, trying to finish Christmas shopping, and preparing what I need to bake stuff to give out, I've been swamped. I got maybe two chapters written this week and finished my Christmas cards. Next week is looking about the same. I don't feel very efficient, but I...
2021-12-18 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post“Are they bothering the village or construction?” Tori frowned as she sat on a chair in the front of the dining hall during the weekly meeting. She knew that this most recent annoyance was her fault, and it made the irritation she felt worse.
“The visitors have not been able to go to the islands, so they haven’t gotten in the way,...
2021-12-18 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe room went quiet.
The musicians stopped playing and the chattering of teenagers around the table ceased. Tori could feel the sudden tension fill the room as the restaurant master and a server tried to pull Duke Alvere away from the door that led to the enclosed rooftop dining room.
Axton looked at the clear, tinted liquid in his w...
2021-12-16 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“Signs for Lycée?” Tori raised a brow as she stood outside the doors of Lions Gate High Street, speaking to Headmaster Laurent, who just finished putting in his order for an Axton Spring Trench.
The man nodded, enthusiastically. “Yes, where did you have them made? It would be good to have some that say ‘Lycée du Soleil’ for nex...
2021-12-14 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostSo as not to disturb the participants, Tori asked Albert if their cheering would be a distraction during the event. The crowds normally cheered when the participant entered and when the event was complete, but were silent during it.
This was Tori’s first ever equestrian competition in both worlds and she followed the first set of partici...
2021-12-12 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostWhen they returned to Horizon, the city was decorated with flower garlands draped across its busiest streets and wrapped around light poles. There were many stalls and most streets adjacent to plazas were completely closed to traffic. Axton watched with amusement as Tori sat by the carriage window, peering outside at the brightly lit streets at ...
2021-12-10 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostEvery weekend, whether she was in the delta or not, there was a village meeting in the largest of the dining tents. It started off with statuses on various large and small projects around the camp and on the islands; reviewed problems and what was being done to try to solve them; then, topped off with announcements and calls to action before tim...
2021-12-08 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostAs we're approaching chapter 50 (slowly, but surely), I'm figuring out my plans to take a break for two weeks. I figure after 3 months of writing 5k-6k words almost daily, I should take some time to relax and clear my head. Maybe do some planning or activities outside of writing Tori and...write other stuff.
From where I...
2021-12-06 08:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostShe really should’ve considered him more. Any position with that much prestige, power, and responsibility also carried a significant burden. As much as Tori didn’t want Gideon to become the crown prince, she also didn’t want to put Piers in a situation that he really didn’t want.
He was her friend. She should’ve thought about thi...
2021-12-06 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostShe had plans, but Tori did to accompany him to parties he was invited to, so she felt obligated to go. She expected him to tell her about an event one of these days. However, she didn’t think he’d inform her the day before.
Tori had looked at him with disbelief. That was cutting it too close. Way too close. She needed to mentally prep...
2021-12-04 08:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostWith the temporary hold on her crystal experiments, she turned her attention to trying charms.
Kasen’s notes on basic Old Sulfae commonly seen on charms told her to start off with freezing charms. They were supposedly the easiest ones to make and she got it to work by accident the first time.
Soot ink or charcoal were needed for a ...
2021-12-02 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThere were two carriages that Tori contracted for her weekend trip to the delta: one for Constantine and the brother at the Eshra Shrine, and the other to carry her, Nanny Rey, and Axton. Ilyana and Henrik came with her last week and were spending this weekend, after midterm exams, going over legalities at the guild for their Lycée Projects. 2021-11-30 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
She knew it was bad when she saw her midterm exams as a break from the stress she was currently experiencing. Just after midterm exams, a small report was due on the status of her Lycée Project and while she had plenty to write, the thought that Adrien Rosiek had the gall to supply-block her made her want to fill her report with angry manifesto...
2021-11-28 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post