My 8 E-books written over the years by Alina Udrea - HTML preview

Chapter 1

Long ago, in a land of mist and magic, a land forgotten by time itself, in a small

village in Deragon, a county of the kingdom of Karaland, there lived a young boy with big ambitions: he dreamed of becoming a knight in the king's army, king Harold's army. Mark, the young village boy, was an only child. His parents were old and needed him there to help them with the animals and with the work around the house. But he wanted more than that. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life caring for the pigs and goats. He was sure that life meant more than that. It had to. Village life was not for him. He was aware that his parents needed him but on the other hand he couldn’t bury himself there. As years passed by, the boy became a young man. When his mother died he vowed to his father that he would remain there till the end of his days although in his heart he wanted something else. But his father was old and helpless and only had him for support. He made another promise though, a promise to himself that when his father would pass away he wouldn’t spend another day in the village but go out in the world to follow his dreams. So a few more years passed and his father died on a beautiful Sunday morning of old age. Mark buried his father and packed the few things he owned, sold the house and the animals and left Deragon for the first time in his life, not knowing if he would ever come back. Mark left everything behind in the hope of making a better future in king

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Harold's army. He had heard rumors about the king and none was good. But what else was there for him?

The king, an old feeble man, was said to be wicked and sly. He had a son,

John, and a daughter, Milly. His wife had died while giving birth to Milly. Harold had cherished his wife and in his heart he held his daughter responsible for her premature death. He never remarried but as years went by, he realized he didn’t want to die. He lost his youth mourning his wife and now he wished he could turn back the time and live his life.

It was a time of magic and witchcraft. So, king Harold summoned the most

powerful witch in all the kingdom to come before him. She was young but extremely skilled and powerful. Lizzy, the beautiful sorceress, kneeled before the king in a private chamber with only two trusted witnesses. King Harold asked her if she could make him young again and promised her wealth beyond her needs if she could do it. The two witnesses, the king's trusted counsellors, who were just as wicked as him, were standing there by his side, each hoping that she wouldn’t succeed and that they could take over the kingdom after the king's death as his only male heir, John, was too young and unexperienced to rule. As for Milly, they didn’t even take her into consideration, first of all because she was a girl and second, she was only 20 years old. John was only three years younger than his sister. The kingdom didn’t see him fit as a ruler yet. He was still too young. The two counsellors, Xander and Mario, were only ten years younger than the king but each saw himself as a better ruler after the king's demise. Now, that the king got it into his head that he wanted his wasted youth back and had a will to live more than ever, the two felt their dreams crumbling beneath them like a sand castle hit by a tiny wave. The king still had the power in his hands, he still commanded the army which obeyed him blindly at the memory of a younger king Harold, a ruthless and most influential king among the other kings of the world.

The secret room where Lizzy was met by the three most powerful men in the

kingdom seemed too small to house them all. She was strikingly beautiful but everyone in the kingdom knew her reputation as a most powerful sorceress and nobody wanted or dared to mess with her. They feared and respected her. She came from a long line of sorceresses. But now she was all alone in the world as her mother had died (or was lost and haven't be heard of) long ago in a far away land across the seas while on a quest for the same king in front of whom she was now standing. She was wondering if he would ask her to go on the same quest where her mother had failed. She had lost her life while on that quest, or at least that is what everyone thought as she had never returned and nobody knew

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anything about her anymore.

- Ugh, are you tired? I know it's been a long trip, the king shyly began the conversation while wondering if this beautiful young girl in front of him was as skilled and powerful as her mother had been. Oh yes, Gabriela, her mother…. She had served him well for as long as he remembered. But she had failed on her last mission. Would this young lass succeed where her mother hadn't? Did she have what it took to succeed? He would find out… His life depended on it as well as the fate of his kingdom.- Nothing that a fresh bed and a nice meal can't fix, my king, said Lizzy letting him know that she was indeed tired and needed some rest before leaving again. She had just got here. Did he want her to leave right away? What was it that he wanted so badly?

- Xander, order the servants to have a room prepared for our honored guest. And also get her something to eat. Ask the chef for whatever he has freshly made and tell him that it better be good. Then, turning back to Lizzy he went on: yes, yes, of course. We can continue our conversation in the morning, there's no rush. Then again he addressed Xander:- You can show her to her room. I guess we shall talk more in the morning after you will have rested. Then king Harold exited the room with Mario while Xander stayed behind with Lizzy to give orders for her room and for a fresh meal.