Free Neutral by Viola Grace

job.”
    He snickered. “You won’t let me do it.”
    “I let you do many things. Some you have to fight for.”
    Urena was playing with more fruit, balancing the berries in the air.
    “You are doing well, Ury.”
    “Thank you, Mama.”
    To Ari’s surprise, Urena focused with her face flat and her brows furrowed. Ari knew that face, it was her concentration face.
    Usorn smiled at her and winked. “Not for a bit.”
    “What?”
    “You often ask me if I regret you, and the answer is now as it always has been, not for a bit.”
    She worked on her breakfast as her husband helped the imperial princess put a berry through a seeded fruit slice. Some kids did puzzles, hers levitated fruit and turned fabrics into flame.
    She rubbed her belly and wondered what this next child would bring. She already had backache and nausea; she hoped that the child’s talent wasn’t inducing seasickness.
    Time would tell. At least there were other Terrans on Hredu now. Urena had other children to play with that understood the peculiarity of a chalky mother and the burden of power that rose unbidden.
    When her breakfast was over and her morning tea consumed, she got to her feet and headed back to her quarters for a bath and a change of clothing. An empress couldn’t run around in a robe all day, not twice in one week, anyway.
     

 
     
Author’s Note
     
     
    This release date, Jan. 1, 2015, marks my 300 th solo story in publication. Yay!
    I would like to take this moment to thank each and every reader who has picked up one of my works, the loyal fanatics, and my editor, publisher and cover artist.
    Book 300 will officially be the work of my alter ego, Zenina Masters, Snow Time for Love . Zenina gave me an outlet for some of the stories I didn’t have space to write and so she gets book 300.
     
    Thanks for reading one and all,
     
    Viola Grace
     
    http://www.violagrace.com
    [email protected]
     

 
     
About the Author
     
     
    Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.
    An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.