Free The Kingdom of Eternal Sorrow (The Golden Mage Book 1) by C.G. Garcia

of
legends, one not born of this plane. So it begins.”
    It was time for him to emerge into the world again, time to push those
that were his in the direction that was predetermined. He had waited long
enough, observed the lands from afar with scant interference. The Time was
near. His plan would succeed.
    She would be his. The only question was when.

CHAPTER SIX
     
     
    “You are certain she is powerless?” Zenas asked uneasily for what seemed
the thousandth time during the five depths that they had been waiting outside
Aidric’s suite while Aidric dismissed the shield he had constructed earlier.
    Aidric regarded the aging linguist with impatience, biting back the
retort he so desperately wanted to spat at him, and said dryly, “For the last
time, Master Zenas, no harm will come to you. I have placed a powerful shield
around her mind to block her ability to use her power. She is also quite
unconscious and will not wake unless I will it so. There is nothing to fear
from her. Now, shall we enter, gentlemen, or stand out here all day cowering
like fools?”
    Zenas glared at Aidric, clearly insulted, but Diryan only smiled mischievously
and nodded. The Linguist often annoyed the king as well with his constant
whining. Aidric winced to think of what the old man was like when he was a
child if he whined this much now.
    However, despite his calm appearance, Diryan hesitated at the door and
held his hand out as if to say “after you.” Aidric sighed, taking the cue from
the king and led the way into his suite, followed by Diryan, Selwyn, and a very
unhappy Zenas bringing up the rear.
    When Aidric noticed that no one followed him inside his bedroom but
lingered in the doorway, his temper flared, and he whirled around and snapped,
“For the love of Seni! She’s unconscious ! You are all acting as if
you’ll be struck dead the moment you step into the room!”
    As he glared at the three men, they shrank back in the face of his
angry words, looking sheepish. Even Zenas, who, by Aidric’s standards, was a
stubborn old goat, flinched under the force of his words. People were always
quick to comment on how formidable Aidric appeared when in a rage, and not for
the first time, he wondered if people really did fear he would snap and cause
them harm.
    Diryan cleared his throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence that
followed. “We have every reason to be hesitant, lad,” he admonished. “In that
room lies a maiden who could very well level the entire kingdom just by lifting
a finger if the words of the prophecy hold any truth. We do have much to
fear from her.”
    The venom in Aidric’s eyes died down. He was right, of course. They did have much to fear from the girl, and he shouldn’t be cross with them because of
their natural hesitation. So why was he still annoyed?
    “I assure you, Your Majesty,” Aidric said in a more even tone, “she cannot harm you. I have blocked her channels completely. Besides, if to do ill had
been her intentions all along, then I would have been struck down the moment I
first found her in the forest. When she awoke here, she was only confused and
frightened, and yet, she didn’t once try to attack me either magically or
physically. Now come. We have wasted enough time as it is.”
    The moment the three men entered the room, they released simultaneous
gasps of shock. Undeniably, the first thing that they had noticed was her
golden hair. It radiated like pure sunlight in untidy strands on the pillow, a
shocking contrast to the stark whiteness of the fabric. She appeared as small
and innocent as a child lying tucked into the large bed.
    So beautiful , Aidric thought wondrously as he gazed down at her
peaceful face. How can anyone fear such a maiden? How can I? Despite his
reassurances to the others, this maiden stirred a fear within him that he had
thought long dead and buried in the past.
    “It is true,” Diryan whispered suddenly, breaking the shocked
silence. “By Aidius, the Golden Mage