Stolen (The Blueblood Stories Book 1)

  Stolen

  Virtue… Innocence… Identity…

  Book One of the Blueblood Stories

  © Bell Stoires 2018

  For centuries, past the measure of time, the bluebloods ruled the kingdom of Carnell, their gifts of elemental magic ensuring peace. The youngest of the bluebloods, Natasha, was yet to show any elemental affinity, and as such, her position in the kingdom was uncertain.

  All that changes when Spinton, a neighboring kingdom, attacks. Natasha goes from being a princess, to becoming a slave under the command of Master Drake.

  While trying to protect her identity, Natasha must find the strength within to control the elemental forces, if she has any hope of saving her kingdom. There’s just one problem — she’s falling for the man, she’s forced to call master.

  Text copyright © 2018 by Bell Stoires

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Bell.stoires@gmail.com

  Ordering Information:

  Quantity sales. Exclusive discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address above.

  The Characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  The author would like to thank Illuminated Imagery facebook.com/IlluminatedImagery for front cover graphic design and photography; Begitta Design www.begitta.com for styling and provision of gowns for use in cover art.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter One

  I was five years old when I saw my first dead body. I’d long since forgotten the woman’s name, but I could not forget her. She’d been elderly, with wrinkled skin ravished by time and blue watery eyes. Even now, at the age of eighteen and after seeing countless corpses, each body was still difficult to look at, though none more so than hers. But as the daughter of the ruler of Carnell, that was my duty . . . for today at least.

  Every year, on the first full moon, the kingdom of Carnell worshiped the day of Thantos. It was a day of remembering the dead. For this sabbath, every member of the royal family was charged to perform a ritual. When combined, these rituals ensured the spirits could cross safely into the Nevers, and so find peace in the afterlife. My task was to speak the names of those people who had died over the past year.

  The ritual required I spend the day locked in a sacred prayer room in the temple with my list of names. No living person, apart from myself, was permitted to enter. I however, was not alone. The bodies of any person who died on the day of Thantos were taken to the temple to be part of the ceremony.

  For hours now, I’d been sitting cross legged on the cold stone temple floor, reading through the list of the dead. The room was small, no more than ten paces in length, and was made even smaller by the lack of a window. A single candle provided barely a slither of warmth and even less light. The body of a young woman lay a meter or so away from me, still and silent as the grave. This year, she was the only one in here with me. The temple attendant had told me that her name was Elena and that she had drowned.

  As I’d learnt after my first ceremony, I made a point to focus on my list, rather than her body. Something about the eyes of the dead demanded to be looked upon. But I knew from my first encounter with the body of the elderly woman, that once you looked into the eyes of the dead, you never forgot them, nor was it easy to look away. Before then I’d assumed that when a person died, their eyes would close, but life and imagination are often not the same. Though the lesson had been difficult, it was also necessary, and after that, I’d learnt not to look at the bodies until the end of the ritual.

  This year there had been more names than normal. War had ravaged a kingdom to the north of Carnell and it was clear that our kingdom had suffered from its proximity.

  Looking down, I was pleased to see the last name. “Daylana Greyscale,” I said.

  Sighing, I folded the parchment in half and held it against the burning candle. When the flames licked my fingers, I didn’t cry out in pain. Clenching my jaw, I held onto the paper until it was entirely burnt, then placed the ash into a small golden cup. Cradling the cup in both hands, I stood, my legs half asleep from being seated so long, and approached the body of Elena.

  Hesitantly I looked down, trying to ignore the movement of the shadows, cast from the candle light. Her body was lain across the floor, her pale hands folded atop her chest. She was young, perhaps eighteen, the same as me. The attendants had dressed her in a simple cotton lace. Her lips had a blueish tinge, as though the water that had stolen her life had marked her in doing so. As always, I glanced past her eyes. I knew it was a disservice to her, but I would not allow myself to be haunted by what I saw. Dipping my finger into an urn of rosemary oil, I then coated it with the ash from the list of the dead.

  “Elena Finda,” I said, placing my fingers against her icy forehead, “on this day, the day of Thantos, Medeina welcomes you into the Nevers. Blessed be your journey. Let the names I have spoken be heard by the spirits . . . let it guide them into the Nevers. And Elena, let you lead their path and let none be left behind. I charge you with this.”

  When the ritual was finished, I left the dome temple, gliding past the tall sandstone pillars without a backwards glance. I crossed through the gardens on my way to the palace, still gripping the little golden cup filled with ash. Every way I looked, temple attendants were preparing for the ceremony that would take place tonight. All those in Carnell who had lost loved ones over the past year, were invited to attend.

  Even with winter so close to calling, the gardens were always beautiful. Stone pavers and steps provided a path through the sacred space, which was adorned by all manner of flowering shrubs, who were in turn shadowed by enormous ancient trees. A lake, filled with lilies and lined with statues, cut its way through the temple gardens, where tall willows would weep down, their leaves brushing the surface and rippling the water.

  Like the temple, the palace was built atop a mountain, Mount Ieros, which overlooked the city. Where the city was alive with growth and development, the palace and temple remained humble. Both had been built centuries ago and were cast of fine sandstone, with tall pillars separating the different levels, and high dome ceilings and walls adorned with tapestries and paintings.

  Every member of the Carnell royal family had lived there. My room was on the top floor of the palace and faced north. This high up, the balcony overlooked the city, below which tiny little dots signified the hustle and bustle of daily life. But it was not the city or the people in it that caught my focus. A large bath tub filled with steaming water demanded my attention. I didn’t hesitate; quickly I removed my dress and veil and stepped into the warm water. When my body was fully submerged, I closed my eyes, trying not to think of Elena.

  I wasn’t sure ho
w much time passed when a knock on the door startled me. Water splashed onto the floor as I jumped up. Looking out to the balcony, the sky had turned a purplish-blue color. The sun was setting; the ceremony would begin soon.

  “May I enter my Lady?” Tomya called from the hallway. “Are you descent?”

  Reluctantly I left the tub, and the now lukewarm water and reached for my robe. “Just a moment,” I called back. Moving over to the dressing table, I retrieved my veil, pinning it to my hair so that only my eyes were visible. “I’m descent now. You may enter.”

  As always, whenever in the presence of a citizen of Carnell, I wore a veil. Even though I’d turned eighteen three weeks ago, no one in the kingdom, apart from my parents and brother, had ever seen my face. If I were to walk down the streets of the city or through any one of the villages, no one would recognize me.

  “Blessings my Lady on this sacred day,” Tomya said, bowing low. She carried a long black silk dress, so fluid, it looked alive, as if she had scooped up a dark lake to show me.

  Tomya was my guardian, trained to both protect and serve. She was older than me but only by a few years. Like all other guardians, she’d trained in the temple for years to reach her station. Though we’d spent almost every day together for the past two years, Tomya was in many ways a stranger to me. Her duty was to attend to me, not to be my friend; she never strayed from her duties.

  Being a blueblood, I’d always had a guardian. When I was very young, I asked my father why my guardian could not be my friend. He’d told me that the role of the guardian was hard enough. Their duty was to serve for their term — no more, no less. He said that friendship would cloud their judgement.

  After that I disrobed, holding my hands up high so that Tomya could dress me. The fabric really was beautiful, so soft and silky, it felt wonderful against my skin. The silk shaped my body perfectly, covering all but my back, where the dress cut low. Moving over to the dressing table, Tomya started braiding my hair, tying it into loops so that it cascaded around my veil.

  “We should hurry,” Tomya insisted, moving towards the door. “The moon is rising, and your family will need to walk to the temple soon.”

  The palace staircase was extravagant, cast from pale sandstone and polished smooth. I took my time navigating the steps, owing to the elaborate train of my dress. The rest of my family, my mother, father and brother, were waiting for me at the base of the stairs. Like me, they had dressed in black for the sabbath.

  “That dress becomes you my darling,” said my mother, indulging me with a sparkle of her sapphire eyes.

  I had not been fortunate enough to inherit my mother’s blue eyes. True, I’d gotten her high cheek bones and fair skin, but my eyes were dark, black, like the night’s sky without stars and matched my dark hair. My older brother, Esrael, had inherited my mother’s blue eyes. His were the exact same size and shape as hers. To look at him, it was impossible not to see my mother.

  Apart from appearances, my brother had also inherited other family traits, most notable of all, was an ability to command the elements. Along with ruling the kingdom, the members of the royal family were also bestowed with power over an elemental force. My father could control the air, my mother had ability to tame water forces, while my brother had only just been gifted an affinity for earth magic. I had yet to show any such ability.

  “Guardians, please wait for us here,” my father instructed, moving over to the palace entrance. “Tonight, we have no enemies, only lost friends.”

  After that the four of us left the palace, taking one of the many stone paths that led to the temple. Though the moon was full and bright, the veil covering my face made it difficult to navigate the path. Fortunately, less than a minute into our journey, the sky became alight with the warm glow of fireflies.

  These winged creatures often made an appearance on sabbaths. Years ago, my father had told me that Medeina, the first ruler of Carnell and our ancestor, was the only blueblood who had power over the Aether, the power of nature and life, rather than an individual element. He had gone on to say that even though she had passed into the Nevers centuries ago, her spirit lived on in the beasts of the land. This, he had told me, was her way of attending our most precious of sabbaths.

  Soon the bright beam of candlelight replaced the golden glow of the fireflies. The little lights draped the ancient sandstone steps leading to the temple, the flames appearing to dance in the wind. The candles were harvested from the hives of the whining bees, though were not the traditional yellow of bee’s wax. As part of her ritual for tonight’s ceremony, my mother had spent the day dying them a rich black for the event. Still, even without their golden color, there was no mistaking the sweet fragrant smell of honey in the air.

  “Come Natasha,” said my mother, linking arms with my father when we were just outside the temple, “you walk behind your brother.”

  I wasn’t entirely sure why she felt the need to remind me of this. I’d been attending sabbaths since before I could remember and knew the laws of ceremony better than I did the back of my own hand. Though the nature of these ceremonies was always different, whether it be to celebrate the day of lights or the fall festival, the customs never changed.

  Always my father led the procession. As the son of the last ruling couple, his appointment to the position of High Priest of Carnell occurred when his father passed into the Nevers. Next to enter the temple was my mother. Though she had been born a commoner, tradition dictated that the spouse of a blueblood also be gifted by Medeina. This was how my mother came to have affinity over water.

  Last to enter the temple during sabbaths was the heir. As a mark of respect for the current rulers, the heir to the kingdom walked several paces behind. More than that, they kept their face hidden from the people until such time that they were gifted by Medeina. As expected, my parents produced an heir, my brother Esrael — but they also had me. That was not part of the cosmic plan. In fact, I was the first sibling in the history of Carnell’s ruling blood line. Consequently, my future held much uncertainty.

  If Esrael was ensured the keys to the kingdom, then what would my role be? Would Medeina gift me with an elemental affinity? Would I be forgotten? Treated as a cosmic mistake, never meant to have been born? Naturally this meant I was last to enter the temple.

  The sudden knocking of my father’s hand rasping against the temple door, pulled me from my reverie.

  “Who wishes to enter this sacred space?” called the deep booming voice of the Grand Announcer, speaking from within the temple.

  “It is I, the High Priest of Carnell, head of the bluebloods and master of the air element,” my father replied, his voice carried up and over the high temple gates, so that it lingered in the air, echoing oddly. “And with me, the Lady Athena, gifted by Medeina with affinity for water.”

  The temple doors flew open at once. Inside, a sea of people awaited us, each of them dressed in black clothes, their faces lit by shadows cast from the candlelight. The temple was not large enough to house the entire kingdom, more than ten thousand souls, though managed to accommodate the few hundred or so citizens here tonight.

  My brother and I waited for our parents to walk ahead, then, when there was enough distance between us, the booming voice of the Announcer spoke again.

  “And who follows in your stead?”

  My brother was the one to answer. “We are the descendants of Medeina and heirs to the kingdom,” Esrael yelled, his voice muffled from the veil. “I am the first born, Prince Esrael. Following me is my younger sister, Princess Natasha.”

  When Esrael gathered his cloak, I moved so that I was just behind him. My brother was a tall man, twenty-three years of age and five years my senior. Unlike my father, who was thin and wispy, Esrael was wide and strong, with a powerful jaw and lion-like arms. I was somewhere in build between the two. Not as thin or dangly as my father, but by no means warrior-like in figure.

  As we walked towards the altar, the people of Carnell lowered their heads in
respectful salute. As taught, I did not look at their faces; my focus rested solely on the statue of Medeina in front of me. The statue was enormous, cast from iron and stretching the full height of the temple, a good thirty meters or so. One of our earliest ancestors was a great wielder over earth magic, and had built the temple to honor our gifts and Medeina. Below the temple, cut deep into Mount Ieros, was the blueblood crypts, the final resting place of my ancestors.

  After passing row after row of citizens, my father and mother finally reached the altar and took up their seats at the foot of the statue. Esrael and I stood on either side of them.

  “Good folk of Carnell,” my father bellowed, holding his hands out to the crowd, “we gather here today, to celebrate the day of Thantos. On this night, we remember those who, in the last twelve moon cycles, have passed into the Nevers. Please . . . light your candles. Let the glow from these flames, guide the spirits to cross into the Nevers.”

  At once a sea of flames filled the temple, as everyone lit a black candle. My cheeks burned crimson from the effect, the dancing orange flames reflected in my dark eyes. After that my father reached for the gold cup I had been carrying. He focused on it, his eyes narrowed, then the ash inside swirled and floated on the wind, winding through the temple.

  “All those whose names were spoken today are charged to journey through the gates of the Nevers,” my father decreed, waving his hands so that the ash floated through the temple doors and disappeared into the nights sky. At that point, my father took a smudge stick from Esrael and lit it. “And lastly, let the scent of rosemary collected from the grave of Medeina, guide the spirits into the Nevers. May these senses not fail you, as you make your final crossing. Let none be left behind.” To complete the ritual for the day of Thantos, the temple was silent for a full minute. When my father spoke again, it was with a warmer tone. “The kingdom of Carnell has been blessed with so much. On this day, our great ancestor Medeina has blessed my son Esrael. Medeina has gifted him power over the earth.”