Novels by Anaise Silverstri

Someone’s gentle touch roused Mel from her deep slumber and she twisted and turned, a frown forming on her face when the hands wouldn’t stop shaking her. She wanted to swipe her hand at whoever was disturbing her when a voice that wasn’t Annie or any of her maids filtered into her ears.“Mel?”‘Oh…’Mel’s eyes, already glued shut, took great effort to open and when she did, she blinked, the blurriness fading as her eyes came into focus, looking at the young girl she had feasted with last night.‘Ah. Now I remember. I followed them for the hunt.’Nora’s lips twitched with an apologetic smile, sorry for waking Mel up because the young woman was clearly displeased.Mel sat up and rubbed her eyes, a little groggy. “Morning,” she greeted Nora.Nora smiled with a slight nod, returning the greeting, “Good morning, my Lady.”Mel instinctively glanced at the side of the makeshift bed to find the bowl and towel gone.“Ah. I spread it outside on the tent roof to dry,” Nora shifted from her knel

He sighed. “I’ll join you later.” He nodded at the tent entrance. “Make yourself comfortable.”The tipsiness left Mel and it felt as if she had been brought back down to Earth. She shifted towards the entrance and then stopped. She whirled around to face Bjorn. He had stepped away only to pause when he noticed Mel’s sudden movement.“Where are you going?” she asked.“For a short walk,” he answered and then his brows lightly furrowed. “Why do you ask?”“Oh, that’s good.” She mellowed and rubbed her arm, looking down to shuffle her shoes against the grass. She drew in a sharp intake of breath and glanced up to meet his eyes. “Do you know of a river nearby? I would like to wash up before I lie down to sleep.”“You can do that the following morning,” he said deadpanned and Mel blinked, astounded. “What is it?” he asked, annoyance seeping into his tone at her reaction.“I’m sweaty. You want me to lie down in this state?” She swayed her arms around herself, demonstrating the light patches o

The forest-bound journey went on for quite a while, and far longer than even Mel had expected. Night fell and while Mel wondered how they could all move comfortably in the near-darkness, but Bjorn assured her that the part of the woods they were still in was safe since it was the closest part of their territory. Soon, the clouds drifted away to expose the beautiful sheen of the two white moons that glimmered high in the sky.Some of the moonlight filtered in through the trees, providing a subtle white light that made the forest ghostly beautiful. Lori kept Mel company throughout their journey, taking the young woman’s attention away from her brooding husband. Mel had mentioned at one point that she was hoping to assist with the hunt using her knowledge and relationship with plants but Lori subtly put down her recommendation, letting her know that some people may feel otherwise since this was something they had been doing for years and there may not really be anything new Mel could he

Bjorn stood still, stunned. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What?" She didn't know how to wear basic clothing? Regardless of their cultural differences, he was sure they had something akin to pants and trousers, though not as loose as what was worn here in Grime.Then again, had she really asked him to dress her up?As if reading the confusing thoughts on his face, Mel spoke up, "We were not to wear men's clothing back at home, so I'm unfamiliar with how this works." Her voice grew quieter as she talked and then she looked away and frowned. Why was she even telling him this? And to ask him to dress her… he must think she was asking him to perform servant duties. 'I keep acting out one thing and then deciding another thing. Embarrassing!'Understanding crept onto Bjorn's features and he sighed, rubbing his face with a palm. "You can forget about such nonsensical rule. That isn't just for men, you can wear it too. It's more convenient than wearing a dress when going out

“That should be all,” Mel huffed with a triumphant smile and wrapped her hands around herself, giving the small bag with her clothes a second glance.“I hope this isn’t too much?” Annie meekly asked, her hand poised at the bag opening, ready to add or remove any more clothing. She faced Mel but subtly glanced at Bjorn, awaiting his approval too. The maid wished the two could agree on things.Bjorn turned away from his open wardrobe and his eyes narrowed at what Annie had packed. He sighed and rubbed at his temple, trying as much as possible to ease his features. His frown lessened and he turned to Mel. “That’s too much,” he said.Mel frowned. “How is it too much? We’ll be gone for over a week or two, won’t we?”“We’re going into the woods, not to a neighbouring city. You won’t need all those clothes.”“What if it gets dirty? I’ll need a change of clothing to wear and—”“They can be washed and worn repeatedly,” Bjorn countered, a little peeved at having to explain such an obvious reas

Mel begrudgingly followed an excited Lori back towards the manor above ground, her thoughts in shambles. What might have been minutes or hours ago, the manor, along with the whole settlement had been quiet and peaceful. But now, it was the complete opposite and Mel was frankly quite alarmed as to what was happening, and she dreaded asking Lori why.Since Lori seemed a little happy, it didn’t seem like they were under attack. But on the other hand, if they were preparing for a festivity or something, Mel felt like she was going to lose her mind. Would she be executed if she ended up burning the clan down?‘No. What am I thinking? Everything should be fine. I have Annie by my side,’ Mel thought, trying her best to relax.A lot of people stopped what they were doing to greet Mel in a swift curtsey as she passed and this made her feel conscious. She strapped the vase to her chest.“Lori. Tell me what is happening,” Mel asked, unable to take the suspense anymore. They were all excited for