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  “Agreed,” he said with no hesitation.

  After only a short time, the Council worked out the details of the marriage pact. Everything went exactly as it should have. Exactly as he’d planned it to go. From a political standpoint, at least. He was about to marry a woman who not only despised him, but was more than capable of killing him while he slept. A raw deal in that regard, and yet he would never want her as anything other than who she was. But then, many had argued that he was not of sound mind.

  Augustine shook hands while accepting any number of claps on the back as Council members slowly filtered out of the room. When Antaios would have crept past him without a word, Augustine stopped him. Upon their retrieval he’d been informed of how Antaios had spoken against the arrangement. It contributed to the believability of their ruse, even if it had been foolish on the boy’s part.

  “I must say, you surprise me. I hear you finally grew a cock and balls,” Augustine told him amicably.

  Antaios quailed under his steady gaze.

  “Best not to make a habit of it, or I shall verily enjoy taking them away.” Said so quietly none but the boy would hear him. He watched the color drain from the prince’s face before he scurried along with his guard, leaving Augustine smiling in his wake.

  Finally, Acheron approached him. Barbarus’s head remained where it had been since Augustine had placed it there. Though several arm lengths away, and still covered, it was impossible not to notice.

  “Well done, Highness.”

  Acheron shifted uncomfortably.

  “Now, embrace me as your son.” Wrists clasped, Augustine pulled their chests together. “I know the part you played,” he whispered in Acheron’s ear.

  “What –” Acheron started far too loudly.

  “I. Know.” Without relinquishing the fallen king’s wrist, he stepped back to incline his head in Barbarus’s direction. Acheron’s eyes followed. “Smile.” Augustine cut him off before the man cringed openly. “This is a happy day.”

  Whites of his eyes still showing, Acheron fixed his face, even as Augustine increased the pressure on his wrist. “If you were not yet more valuable to me alive than dead, you would already share his fate.” Feeling Acheron’s bones rubbing together, Augustine finally released his arm. “Just thought you should know.”

  * * * *

  Persephone stood on the balcony, overlooking the many faces below with a hollow smile pasted across her face. Her father stood to her right, just slightly forward of her, and the general stood directly to her left.

  “Today is a joyous day.” Her father’s words carried over the courtyard. She wondered if any of their citizens could hear the false levity in his tone. “It is always a great thing to see two kingdoms come together peacefully. The gods favor us as they have not favored any of our sister kingdoms, that the Finctus seeks an amicable joining between us.”

  Useful propaganda, but Persephone knew the truth. The gods had not been in their favor for some time. They’d abandoned her many years ago, and they’d abandoned Galilae when they had allowed the Perdomans to creep in under cover of night.

  “What better way to celebrate and unify two peoples than a marriage?”

  If nothing else, people did love a celebration, Persephone thought cynically.

  “My daughter, our Treasure, has remained unwed as there have been none worthy of her. Today this changes. We have been brought a gift proving the gods’ favor and their plans for Galilae’s future. Our longtime conflict has been brought to an end: Barbarus ‘the Brutal’ of House Fortunatus, King of Fortunata, has been felled.”

  The declaration was met with uproarious cheers and applause. Persephone felt the air leave her. She’d not been told that Fortunata had fallen. That Barbarus was dead.

  “The man who would have taken our Treasure, my precious daughter, Persephone, and destroyed her, has been punished by the gods for his misdeeds. In a show of solidarity, the Finctus has crushed the enemy that has plagued us for decades.”

  Unaware that she had not resumed breathing until Augustine placed a hand subtly on her arm to steady her, Persephone rocked slightly.

  “Keep smiling, Princess, lest your people believe you displeased by the news.”

  In spite of how softly Augustine had spoken, Persephone heard him clearly. Automatically, she forced her smile back into place. Had Augustine done this? Had he been in Fortunata during the fortnight he’d disappeared? And the question that remained foremost in her mind, had this been their plan the whole time? Undecided if she wished it had been planned or impromptu; she did not listen to anything else her father said. None of it mattered. The life she knew – the life any of them knew – was over.

  Look for the next book in the Fallen Series, Destroyed, Fall 2016.

  Glossary

  Acheron (ash-er-on) – Patriarch of House Galanis and King of Galilae.

  Adonia (ah-doh-nee-uh) – wife of Acheron and Queen of Galilae. Adonia came to be Acheron’s wife through a marriage pact between Galilae and Xenakai.

  Antaios (an-tie-oh-s) – firstborn son of Acheron and Adonia. Heir to the throne of Galilae.

  Apodesmos (app-oh-des-moss) – “breast band.” A band of wool or linen that is wrapped across the breasts and tied or pinned at the back. An apodesmos is the upper half of a pieto, the typical garment worn by female slaves in Galilae.

  Balteus (bahl-tay-us) – a belt worn around the waist or over the shoulder, typically used to carry a sword. Persephone’s balteus is made of black leather with gold filigree decorating the throat and chape.

  Braccae (brah-kay) – woolen trousers. Typically only worn by soldiers. Men not acting in a military capacity typically wear knee-length chitons or leather briefs with a cloak, depending on the kingdom and climate.

  Caliga (kah-lee-gah) – military boots, usually made out of leather.

  Cato (kay-toe) – Captain of the Perdoman troops that ambushed the Galilaean palace.

  Chiton (key-tone) – a rectangle of woolen or linen fabric worn draped from and fastened at the shoulder. Women’s chitons are belted under the bust and should be worn ankle length. They can be wrapped any number of ways to achieve different styles and looks. Men’s chitons are intended to be worn knee length and are belted at the waist. Different colors and patterns on chitons indicate different ranks within the kingdoms.

  Consul (con-sole) – second in command under an Imperator.

  Finctus (fink-toose) – literally translated “created.” The Finctus is the name of the entire realm represented by the United Kingdoms of the West, all of which were formerly Free Kingdoms.

  Fortunata (for-tune-at-ah) – one of the Great Kingdoms. Fortunata is ruled by House Fortunatus and as the second wealthiest and oldest of the Free Kingdoms, Fortunata and Galilae have had a contentious history.

  Fortunatus (for-tune-at-us) – one of the Great Houses. Surname of the ruling family of Fortunata.

  Free Kingdoms of the East – also known just as the Free Kingdoms. Located east of the Finctus and largely bordering the Warm Salt Sea, the Free Kingdoms are ruled independently of one another. Sometimes wars occur between the factions, but for the most part they engage freely in trade with one another. There is currently tension and fear that the Finctus will soon attempt to spread its reign further east, posing a threat to the Free Kingdoms there.

  Galilae (gal-eh-lay) – one of the Great Kingdoms, Galilae is ruled by House Galanis. Located on an island in the Warm Salt Sea. Galilae is presently the most powerful of the Free Kingdoms. Highly prosperous, Galilae boasts a virtually unbeatable navy.

  Galanis (guh-lan-iss) – one of the Great Houses. Surname of the ruling family of Galilae.

  Great Houses, the – refers to the surname of the ruling family of each of the Great Kingdoms: House Galanis, House Perdome, House Fortunatus, and House Xenakis.

  Great Kingdoms, the – before the rise of the Finctus, each of the Great Kingdoms has been ruled successively by the same ruling family for near a millennia. The Great Ki
ngdoms consisted of Galilae, Perdomo, Fortunata, and Xenaxia.

  Ground Sparring – a method of fighting used specifically by those with military training. Techniques would look to us like a combination of wrestling and jiu jitsu.

  Imperator (im-peer-uh-tore) – “ruler.” A title granted to the rulers of the different kingdoms under the Finctus. Imperators are chosen specifically by the Sator and granted the honor for their loyalty to the Sator and the Finctus.

  Inemorere pro me (ee-nay-more-ay-ray pro may) – literally translated “Die for me.” Perdomans refer to an orgasm slangily as “a little death.” So if, during an intimate moment, a Perdoman told his/her lover, “Inemorere pro me,” it would be the equivalent of saying, “Come for me.”

  Key – both the Finctus and the Free Kingdoms use the term to refer to a literal key, as in a “lock and key,” but also as a slang term used to refer to the clitoris.

  Kolimpri (Kohl-imp-ree) – youngest daughter of Acheron and Adonia.

  Nex Division, the – the name given to Augustine’s army. The word ‘nex’ literally translates as “death,” but connotes violent death, murder, slaughter, etc.

  Paraskeve (Pair-ay-skay-vah) – the name of one of House Galanis slaves. Frequently called Para for short.

  Perdoman (pair-doe-man) – someone from Perdomo. The term is frequently used as a misnomer in the Free Kingdoms to refer to anyone from the Finctus.

  Perdome (pair-doe-may) – surname of the Finctus’s ruling family. Originally the ruling family of the Kingdom of Perdomo, now the capital city of the Finctus.

  Perdomo (pair-doe-moe) – once a kingdom, Perdomo is the capital city of the Finctus. Perdomo sits more or less in the center of the Finctus, but is located far west of Galilae and Xenakai.

  Persephone (per-seff-oh-nee) – oldest child of Acheron and Adonia. If she had been born male, she would be heir to Galilae.

  Pieto (pee-eh-toe) – garments worn by female slaves in the Free Kingdoms. Pietos consist of a skirt, usually about knee length, which is worn with a belt of either leather or rope – depending on her owner’s socioeconomic status – and an apodesmos.

  Prodotin (proe-doe-tin) – the name of the Galilaean Arms Commander.

  Pteruges (tuh-rue-gehs) – traditional military armor in both the Finctus and the Free Kingdoms. A skirt of leather strips that is worn to protect the upper legs.

  Reckoning, the – the name used to refer to the initial rise of the Finctus, when Nero began conquering and uniting the Free Kingdoms.

  Sator (saw-tore) – “creator.” After Nero conquered and united the Free Kingdoms in the West, he titled himself the Sator. In the 150 years following his original conquest, his reigning sons have maintained the title.

  Seraphime (sar-ah-feem) – Persephone’s body slave.

  Silphium (sil-fee-um) – a plant-derived drug known in both the Finctus and the Free Kingdoms as an abortifacient.

  Stochasmos (stow-has-moss) – a martial arts practice from the Far East. Stochasmos would look to us like a cross between yoga and tai chi.

  Tricas (trick-us) – the name of a Perdoman soldier.

  Valerian (va-lair-ee-an) – a flowering herb used for various medicinal purposes. Most notably, the extract is used as a sedative.

  Veius (vay-oose) – once a wealthy Free Kingdom on the west side of the Great Salt Sea, Veius was invaded and fell to the army led by the Finctus general known by the nickname the Reaper.

  Vrontios (vuh-ron-tee-ohs) – “the Thunderer,” King of the Gods.

  Xenakai (zen-uh-kye) – one of the youngest of the Free Kingdoms, Xenakai was founded and is ruled by House Xenakis following the fall of Xenaxia.

  Xenakis (zen-uh-kis) – surname of the ruling family of Xenakai, and formerly Xenaxia. One of the Great Houses.

  Xenaxia (zen-ax-ee-ah) – prior to the Reckoning, Xenaxia was one of the Great Kingdoms. Ruled by House Xenakis, Xenaxia was the first and, thus far, the only of the Great Kingdoms to have fallen to the Finctus.

  Zoster (zoh-ster) – a belt designed to be worn with a chiton. Men wear the zoster fastened around the waist while women fasten theirs under the bust.

  About the Author

  Can I just say the convention of writing a blurb about myself in the third person feels awkward and horribly inauthentic? So in true “I do what I want” fashion, I’m just going to tell you a little about myself. I’m breaking the mold here; just wait, this is going to become a thing.

  I live in Denver, Colorado, with my husband and two fur babies. Sarcasm might be my superpower, and I hate wearing pants. I often think in movie quotes and have been known to break out in song. I love costumes and makeup, gin and green chili; these are a few of my favorite things… (You just sang that, didn’t you?)

  All kidding aside, my first love, and true passion, has always been words.

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