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The Queen's Mercy
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Once Upon a Tryst When Shadows Speak
[Faye] I must be losing my mind. I can still smell her sweet aroma, like spicy chocolate warming on a gas burner. The stranger who is odd but doesn’t seem strange.Devona. Her name is Devona.Her flashing green eyes behind rose colored glasses. Velvet rippling over her muscles. That smirk as she bowed. My mind flashes, remembering every small moment our brief encounter as I try to make sense of it.My pace is less of a walk, more of a sprint as I make my way along the tree lined streets. The branch
Once Upon a Tryst Dark Crescent
[Faye] A woman sits before me on a simple bench of dark wood, polished mirror bright, gleaming in the moonlight. Her long nails, tapered to points, tap against the hilt of the sword that lay across her lap. It is a grand sword, a ruby the size of a robin’s egg set into a steel pommel. A blue glow emanates from the sword blade, reflecting the moonlight into her face, casting it in a sharp, ghostly relief. She is draped in black leather armor, molded to her form as a second skin. Her hair is an inky red, like cut gemstones, or congealed, dried blood. She is watching me, and as I look up her eyes rest on mine. She has eyes the color of lavender and crushed violets, ringed in amethyst. Her ears, pierced in a constellation of gems and golden hoops, end in a high, tapered point. In some ways we share a resemblance, only her skin glows from an inner fire in a way that is otherworldly. Where her arms are bare, I see the edges of elaborate tattoos--serpents twisting up each arm and bands of
Once Upon a Tryst Bed and Breakfast
[Arthur]Laying next to the woman of my dreams, I wake to her screaming beside me. No, she isn’t screaming, she’s screeching. The sound coming from her mouth reminds me of an injured animal, a frightened beast. And it breaks my heart.She is not the first I have ever cared for, but I have never cared for anyone as I care for her. Hearing her pain, my soul feels the pain along with her. She begins to whimper, and tears slowly trickle from her eyes. Shaking her, I call out to her. “Faye, wake up Faye!” but there is no response. She continues to cry, to scream out in pain, tearing at her pillow with her fingernails piercing the fabric. “What are you? Who are you?!” Faye continues to cry.Pulling her tight to my chest, I wrap my arms around her, breathing in the scent of her hair. I begin to sing to her, a song my mother used to sing, and I feel her relax against me, her body melting into my own.“Fly me to the moon, and let me play beneath the stars…..”Faye lets out a deep sigh. I
Once Upon a Tryst A Problem that Boba Cannot Fix
[Faye]Embyr is angry with me. Actually, no, she’s livid.Apparently, there are consequences to forgetting about your regular life for a week while cuddling up with your new boyfriend in his empty house.“What gives, Faye? You ghost me for a week and then dare to show up asking for my notes?” Her glare could burn a hole in the ozone layer. “You couldn’t send a text or anything?”“Em, I….”She lifts her chocolate brown hand, her fingernails freshly tipped with watermelon-colored acrylics. “No. Don’t even. Your story had best be good,” You could almost hear her add “muthafucka” at the end of her sen
Once Upon a Tryst Bad Taste
[Arthur] I love watching Faye move. She is walking with a very tall girl wearing very bright clothing. Embyr maybe? Faye did mention her roommate has “very unique style” which seems a bit of an understatement if my guess is right. They seem to be in the middle of a very lively conversation. So instead of walking up to her, I check my phone to see if I have any messages. I cannot wait to take her down Highway 101 to my father’s beach house for the weekend. Now that Dad and I had our little ‘discussion,’ I was informed that the beach house would be free while they planned their small wedding on the Lake. Great. I shake the thought as I think of more pleasant things, like the sight of Faye on our private beach, wearing a small orange bikini and…How did I get so lucky to find a girl like her? Fate has a funny sense of humor. If it weren’t for my dad going away that weekend, ironically to marry Faye’s mother, I’d have never thrown the party and met Faye before we became step-siblings
Once Upon a Tryst The Green-Eyed Raven
[Faye] My feet move on their own accord as I sprint blindly towards the library. I don’t even need to see where I’m going, my heart knows the way. I hear a mournful caw above my head. Sitting on a lamppost is what I think must be a raven. It is far larger than a crow, its green eyes holding more intelligence.“You aren’t a crow, are you?” I think the raven huffed. It definitely seemed offended. “I’m sorry, sir. Definitely a raven.” The raven started fluffing up its
Once Upon a Tryst Checked Out
[Queenie]Sitting in my car, I take a deep breath. I can’t believe I let that…girl…get under my skin. My goal was to find Archie, invite him to dinner, and restart the relationship we left off 4 years ago. I just got home last week, and when I heard that THE Gunner Drake wanted to host his “wedding” at our exclusive restaurant and lounge on Lake Merritt, I knew I needed to reach out. I broke things off with him because at the time he was just too young, too inexperienced. I was his first, the one who taught him everything he needed to know about pleasing me, making me feel worshiped. And then I met Lance. He was older than me, my music tutor, and we were able to convince my father to have me continue my music studies overseas, in Europe, where I could learn so much more about culture.Much of it was at the hands of my instructor himself. I have no regrets about seducing him. Either one of them actually. Archie was my sweet boy and Lance, well let’s just say he gave me a real educati
Once Upon a Tryst All The Queens Horsemen
[Faye] One moment I am taking her hand, standing to face her and the next, we are standing outside the library, underneath a barren oak tree. She continues to hold my hand, pulling me along at a near run as we head towards the street, away from campus. “What just happened?” my head is spinning, I feel like I might be sick. “We were just in the library and now…” “Twas just a mere Blink.” Devona exhales. “I am sorry I cannot fly with you, but my raven form cannot carry anything larger than a ferret.” What on earth is she talking about? I don’t get much time to think about it before she grabs my hand again and st
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Once Upon a Tryst NOVELLA Side Quest 004: Peace, Balance, Tranquility, Grace
[Kaydence]I place a hand on her wrist. "Stop."She blinks up at me. In my mind I trace the rune for "peace" and watch in amazement as her body begins to relax, the flames melting away as her breathing stilled.Queenie's first reaction is relief. Her face goes still, every crease leaving her features. But then just as suddenly her relief turns to anger."How dare you!" she screams pushing over the table and running for the back door. The other players stand in a rush as drinks, cards, and chips go flying. Shouts chase her retreating form as she dashes between players."Balance," I call out, tracing the rune with my hand and watch in amazement as Queenie falls backward, her arms pinwheeling."Tranquility," the room goes still, everything stopping as if time itself couldn't be rushed. The people who were once angry and pushing their way towards us stopped moving. Soon Queenie and I are the only ones moving."Grace," I finish the incantation, moving with the speed and agility of a dancer,
Once Upon a Tryst NOVELLA Side Quest 003: Queen of Hearts
[Queenie]We are getting low on supplies. It takes quite a bit of baneberry juice to make the sleep potion. Because we need to keep him perpetually asleep, I need a constant supply. In Torq, baneberries are not very common and the cost of exporting them is stretching our finances thin, even with Mab’s hidden stash of gold.“This is why we should have stayed in Delas,”Mab argues.“We didn’t need to buy anything when we were still there and…”“It was teeming with knights. I had to stay indoors the entire time,” I argue. “Torq is better. I can actually go outside and talk to people here.“You
Once Upon a Tryst NOVELLA Side Quest 002: The Search
[Kaydence]The morning is bright. Too bright. My eyes hurt from too much mead and not enough sleep and I find myself for not the last time wondering why I let Devona trick me into this quest.I must have been getting on her nerves. Either that or she just needed me to find something to do so that she could focus all of her attention on the queen. It doesn’t matter.“Are you still with us, Sir Kay?” Gawain is annoyingly chipper. He’s a morning person. He also has this annoying habit of deadnaming me that is getting under my skin.“It’s Kaydence, you dumb ass,” I grumble, blinking at him while I shield my eyes, my other hand firmly placed on the pommel of my saddle.He
Once Upon a Tryst NOVELLA Side Quest 001: The Mission
[Kaydence]It's been two months since we lost Arthur in the battle for Avalon.Two agonizing months since my best friend fell into an enchanted sleep. I watch my mentor, Merlin Devona, cry over her every night. She tries to hide it from everyone else, but I know. How could I not? We spend most mornings together working on my skills as a paladin. I'm getting stronger, and more skilled, but not nearly as strong or as skilled as I was in my past life as Sir Kay. Kay had a lifetime to learn. I've only been at it a couple of months, and I know this, but it still doesn't keep the whole situation from feeling pointless and frustrating."Tell me why I have to do this?" I whine as Devona grinds some herbs in her pestle. "This has nothing to do with fighting.""All g
Once Upon a Tryst EPILOGUE
“Good night, my love,” I kiss her brow before sitting by her side in an old wooden chair, its velvet cushion long shredded with time. Faye does not respond, her eyes closed tight, her breath shallow. She has been like this since the night of the battle, unresponsive and unmoving, preserved by her own magic, for the last three months. Technically we won; Mab is dead, her forces are scattered, and I am serving as regent, bringing the powers of Avalon back together once more as we work together to reconstruct our world. But we also lost. Arthur is gone, missing. I cannot feel him through the bond, not since I saw Mab pierce him through the heart with her bone blade. Nobody is sure why his body was taken. Some suspect that Mab had one final plan in place and that somehow he plays a part in it. We are searching for him, following every lead throughout this world and the next, but each time we th
Once Upon a Tryst Falling (part 2)
[Faye]I can't breathe. Something is in my throat. Choking, I sit up. Monitors in the room begin to ding erratically as I continue to gag, my heart beating fast."Hold on, Mrs. Drake" an agitated voice advises. "We just need to remove your breathing tube."Breathing tube?"Heart rate is elevated," a nurse records. "All other vitals seem to be within normal ranges."The long tube is removed from my lungs and I almost vomit at the pulling sensation. Like a fish caught on land, I begin to gasp."Breathe, Mrs. Drake, breathe," a calm hand rubs my back. “You’ve been incapacitated for a few days. We had to put you on a ventilator when you stopped breat
Once Upon a Tryst Falling (part 1)
[Queen Mab] The moon is rising full and bright over the fields of Camelot. My head is light, heady with the power of nearly a thousand souls, freshly harvested. The blade I carry was crafted from the very bones of my enemy, Morgana, whose rotted corpse lay buried beneath the tower itself, along with her granddaughters, the famous oracles who predicted my doom. There is something satisfying about destroying their legacy with their own bodies that provides me with a sense of peace. Stretching my limbs, I feel invincible, unstoppable, as I prepare to move through the battle. My agents have served me well. Guinevere, ever the loyal servant, was more than eager to take her position mixed amongst Arthur's trusted advisors, staying invisible, passing the corruption of my curse onto those two gullible knights as she waited for my signal to attack. She knew that she’d
Once Upon a Tryst Old Friends
[Arthur]A page helps me into form-fitting leather armor I’ve never worn in this lifetime as I suit up and prepare for war. It doesn’t matter that I am only 19 years old. I am the king, whether I want to be or not. I was born to this, it is my destiny. It doesn’t matter that I have no memory of living this life. As soon as I pulled Excalibur through time to my hand I became the leader of these troops in the fight that has been building for centuries. No, millenia. Now the enemy is sitting just beyond the gates, setting up camp, watching and waiting for the right opportunity to strike.It is my duty to lead these soldiers, these knights into battle. But what do I actually know of war? I have tried to access the memories of my previous life, but unlike Faye and Kaydence, I do not have a deep connection to the King Arthur I was. I have flas
Once Upon a Tryst Missed Connections
[Lance]Holding my head, I scream, falling to my knees.“Camelot…Camelot…Camelot…Camelot…Camelot…Camelot”“Monsieur,” a hand shakes my shoulder, “Est-ce que ça va monsieur?”“Non,” I shake my head, “non…non…non…non…”The earth starts to shake. Glasses on tables begin to rattle, some falling to the stone floor of the cafe. People sitting at tables continue their conversations, laughing as if they do not see or hear everything else happening around them. Even my screams, echoing through this restaurant, are something they are trying to ignore.On the edge
