Return of Magic

Chapter 1

“Who are they?” demanded Nakime as she paced the floor of the sitting room. The question was directed at her new husband, Tyjan, as they sat in their new apartment surrounded by the valuables collected over her short lifetime ‑ tapestries, sculptures, and paintings, all family heirlooms passed down through generations. But unless the gods came to their aid everything would soon be lost. That could not be allowed to happen. It had only been a few weeks past that she had turned thirteen allowing her to take the position from her father and become Empress of Ortalia, the most powerful and feared person in their nation. She looked about at her treasures. Some were no more than keepsakes that reminded her of loved family members while others represented the wealth and power of the House of the Dragon. Her husband, fifteen years her senior, was also heir to the House of the Serpent. She had believed that together they could not be defeated. Now these invaders threatened these beliefs as well as her Empire.

She turned her attention back to her husband. The slave girl who had shared Tyjan’s night had been sent away when the news arrived. His bedroom door still hung open showing the unmade bed beyond and the slaves whose job it was to see to such matters would need to be punished if that was not corrected soon. Tyjan interrupted her thoughts. “They must be the warriors of Greche for who else could it be. The message said only that the wall has fallen and an army from beyond the Empire gathers outside Anaan.” They had only been married on the day of her elevation giving her the final requirement for that rise but she had given him permission to speak and she expected much more of her second cousin. Her father had selected him to stand beside her as she ruled not only for the strength that the Serpent could offer but also for his abilities in politics and his understanding of the Empire and the world.

“I know what the message said,” spat Nakime, “but what did it not say. I too know the ways of our people and it makes no sense.”

Clem Gorman – Author and Retired Writing Lecturer wrote : Its power comes from the power of your imagination, whereby you make every magical event utterly plausible, with a logic of its own and totally real.