The Stolen Prince (Blood for Blood Book 1) by Tom Wright, K.L. Gee Page A
Authors: Tom Wright, K.L. Gee
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her way out into the woods. Fortunately, Queen Sabola was at her left and didn’t notice. The large banquet table was set up with strips of gold– and silver–colored cloth. Father’s showing off , she thought. And why shouldn’t he? As much as her father always seemed to be ailing in his grief, he was still the fierce warrior and powerful king of Atmen.
A tyrant , Kara thought. She didn’t like to think of her father that way. He was generous and kind toward her, but she had seen him out on the plains, had seen the way he treated a runaway Terra slave. There was hatred in him that burned like a hot fire spitting out coals and sparks, indifferent to who was in the way.
Her father was at the head of the long feast table. He was dressed in the tradition of an air zipper, wearing a cape over his bare chest and trousers with slits covering his legs. Her father’s sword was at his waist. He was a fit man, never careless to grow portly in his aging. The tattoo on his forehead burned in crimson and gold, intricate in its design to look like a small crown. Since he was king over all of Atmen and the surrounding lands, his was the most intricate and detailed tattoo in the entire room. It looked like a crown of flowers, jewels, and weaved designs. It reminded Kara of the design she had seen on the man in the tapestries in the keepers’ temple.
There was no hiding for him or her. He was marked as king, and she was marked as his princess.
Her father stood beside King Darr, the newly arrived king from the coast. He looked younger than her father but more portly. The fat on his face made him appear childish, almost infant–like. He was at least a foot shorter than King Arden, who was unusually tall for an Alem man. Another sign he is the Master’s chosen , Kara thought. King Darr wore purple—deep purple. It was the color of royalty in the Air Kingdoms across the seas. Unlike her father, the portly king’s chest was covered with robes, which she was grateful for. Kara had no desire to see what his bare chest might look like.
Kara looked around the dining hall, hoping to see Prince Sesto before he saw her. There were a number of servants all surrounding different stations of royalty, but she didn’t see any young men who resembled the coastal king. She did see Azure standing guard along the far wall, his hand resting on the dagger at his side. She noticed he also wore the strange pouch that all water people carried on their hips. She couldn’t help but notice how regal he looked… like a prince.
She wanted to talk to him, to make sure that things hadn’t changed. But of course they had changed. And why should she think of herself when her country could soon be at war? A spark of fear jolted through her.
“You betray your nervousness, Kara,” The queen said at her side. “Prince Sesto can’t be as bad as that.”
“I was thinking of the war.”
The queen nodded, an expression of sadness across her face, but it was subtle and only Kara noticed. She was about to say something when a flurry of activity at the other end of the banquet hall stole her gaze.
It appeared that Prince Sesto wanted to make a grand entrance. He entered, followed by an irregular amount of servants and attendants. He wore purple too, more faded than his father’s robes, like it hadn’t been properly re–dyed or kept up. His entrance was the only exciting thing about him. The first thing Kara noted was the mute expression on his face, an expression of complete apathy. Or idiocy.
“Remember, Kara, practice your silence,” her mother murmured as she moved forward to greet King Darr’s wife.
Kara plucked another apple from the table and slipped it into her other pocket, catching the eye of Azure, who looked at her, amused. He had been the one to teach her such tricks. She didn’t return Azure’s amusement. She decided to take up her mother’s challenge.
I will be silent. Silent as death .
She walked toward the prince and the other
A tyrant , Kara thought. She didn’t like to think of her father that way. He was generous and kind toward her, but she had seen him out on the plains, had seen the way he treated a runaway Terra slave. There was hatred in him that burned like a hot fire spitting out coals and sparks, indifferent to who was in the way.
Her father was at the head of the long feast table. He was dressed in the tradition of an air zipper, wearing a cape over his bare chest and trousers with slits covering his legs. Her father’s sword was at his waist. He was a fit man, never careless to grow portly in his aging. The tattoo on his forehead burned in crimson and gold, intricate in its design to look like a small crown. Since he was king over all of Atmen and the surrounding lands, his was the most intricate and detailed tattoo in the entire room. It looked like a crown of flowers, jewels, and weaved designs. It reminded Kara of the design she had seen on the man in the tapestries in the keepers’ temple.
There was no hiding for him or her. He was marked as king, and she was marked as his princess.
Her father stood beside King Darr, the newly arrived king from the coast. He looked younger than her father but more portly. The fat on his face made him appear childish, almost infant–like. He was at least a foot shorter than King Arden, who was unusually tall for an Alem man. Another sign he is the Master’s chosen , Kara thought. King Darr wore purple—deep purple. It was the color of royalty in the Air Kingdoms across the seas. Unlike her father, the portly king’s chest was covered with robes, which she was grateful for. Kara had no desire to see what his bare chest might look like.
Kara looked around the dining hall, hoping to see Prince Sesto before he saw her. There were a number of servants all surrounding different stations of royalty, but she didn’t see any young men who resembled the coastal king. She did see Azure standing guard along the far wall, his hand resting on the dagger at his side. She noticed he also wore the strange pouch that all water people carried on their hips. She couldn’t help but notice how regal he looked… like a prince.
She wanted to talk to him, to make sure that things hadn’t changed. But of course they had changed. And why should she think of herself when her country could soon be at war? A spark of fear jolted through her.
“You betray your nervousness, Kara,” The queen said at her side. “Prince Sesto can’t be as bad as that.”
“I was thinking of the war.”
The queen nodded, an expression of sadness across her face, but it was subtle and only Kara noticed. She was about to say something when a flurry of activity at the other end of the banquet hall stole her gaze.
It appeared that Prince Sesto wanted to make a grand entrance. He entered, followed by an irregular amount of servants and attendants. He wore purple too, more faded than his father’s robes, like it hadn’t been properly re–dyed or kept up. His entrance was the only exciting thing about him. The first thing Kara noted was the mute expression on his face, an expression of complete apathy. Or idiocy.
“Remember, Kara, practice your silence,” her mother murmured as she moved forward to greet King Darr’s wife.
Kara plucked another apple from the table and slipped it into her other pocket, catching the eye of Azure, who looked at her, amused. He had been the one to teach her such tricks. She didn’t return Azure’s amusement. She decided to take up her mother’s challenge.
I will be silent. Silent as death .
She walked toward the prince and the other
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