As Kyra stepped up to the altar, Anvin, who had been like an uncle to her, smiled reassuringly.
“Your father is looking down,” he said, “and he is proud.”
Seeing Anvin reminded her of her father, and Kyra had to restrain herself to not tear up. Beside him stood her real uncle, Kolva, who stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on her elbow, guiding her the last honorary step.
Standing in the center, presiding over the ceremony, was Alva. Smaller than them all, he wore a shining white robe, and yet his presence loomed larger than all of them.
Alva slammed his staff down on the marble three times, slowly, and the thousands of knights and citizens of Escalon all slowly quieted and took their seats. He raised his staff high in the air, and Kyra could feel the power emanating off of it.
Not a sound could be heard but for the soft, distant crashing of the ocean waves and the whistling of the gales of wind off the ocean, sweeping over the capital.
“Kyra, Queen of Escalon,” Alva began, his voice rolling off the ancient walls, “the one and only great ruler of our people, it is my great honor to wed you today in matrimony to Kyle of the Watchers, another selfless hero of our people and our time.”
Kyra felt Kyle squeeze her hand, while Alva turned to the others.
“Dierdre, you shall be wed to Marco, and Lorna, you shall be wed to Merk. These three couples have chosen to wed on the same day, and this shall serve as a sign of a new Escalon, a foundation for the new generation to come.”
Alva turned to the masses.
“Today is the day we put all evils behind us. For as sure as night gives way to day, evil gives way to joy, violence to victory, and darkness to light, times of sorrow become times of joy, times of scarcity, prosperity, and times of danger, safety. And this a day of all days, a day when the dials turn from darkness to joy.”
The crowd cheered softly, and Alva took a deep breath.
“Life is a great cycle,” he finally continued. “And as the world turns one way today, it will turn another tomorrow. The same will be true of your marriage. Remember to always be true to yourself, and to uphold the great virtues of Escalon. Honor, valor, loyalty—these will sustain you through all turnings of the wheel of time, and of destiny. Remember: the wheel will always turn, but its center remains the same. If you choose to live in the center of the wheel, steadfast and sturdy to who you are, to your virtues, its spokes will never turn you.”
Kyra pondered his words, overwhelmed by his intensity, feeling the spirit of her mother and father shining down upon her. A deep and long silence filled the air, and Kyra felt frozen in time.
Finally, Alva spoke again.
“Kyra, do you take Kyle to be your husband, and Kyle, do you take Kyra to be your wife, for now and forever, to serve and protect each other, to defend your nation of Escalon?”
They turned to each other, and each smiled.
“I do,” they each said at once.
Kyle, eyes aglow, leaned in, as Kyra did, and they both kissed.
The crowds cheered.
Alva asked the same of Lorna and Merk, and of Dierdre and Marco, and as they answered in the affirmative and kissed their new spouse, the crowd cheered again.
Kyra felt lost in that kiss, felt as if she were born anew. She felt a new age, a new dawn, a new life spreading through her. She felt that she could live again. That she was being given permission to live again.
There came a great shout of joy, of triumph, and she and Kyle were suddenly covered in a shower of flowers, as all of Escalon, overjoyed, celebrating, erupted in a great cheer. There came a roar, and Kyra looked up, with the rest of the masses, and was thrilled to see Theon, circling overhead, diving down low, then swooping up again, his loving presence felt amongst them all. As he dove up he breathed a long streak of fire, and the crowd gasped in delight as it filled the skies to mark the occasion.
Kyra had never felt as happy as she did in this moment. She embraced Kyle and looked up at the sky, and she could have sworn in that moment that she saw her mother’s and father’s faces shining down on her. They were each so proud, so filled with love. And in that sky a new light seemed to shine. It was a new light spreading over Escalon. She knew in that moment that life could flourish again, that a new generation could rise up out of the ashes, one that did not know of the sorrows of the past. Maybe one day she could even have a child of her own. A child who knew nothing but peace, prosperity, joy, freedom.
Despite everything that had happened, all the tragedy they had endured, life refused to give up, she realized. Love was stronger even than death, could triumph over death. If she allowed it to. It was the coward’s way to fold, she realized. Only heroes were brave enough to live on through tragedy.
Despite all the death, all the sorrow, could she be brave enough to live again? That was the question she pondered as she held Kyle tight.
And finally, as Kyra took a deep breath, she realized the answer.
Yes. She could.
Author Note
I am honored that you’ve finished this series, and am so grateful to all of you for reading.
One day I may revisit Kyra and her dramatic future in Escalon, in a separate series.
But for now, I am thrilled to announce that I am working hard on a new fantasy series, OF CROWNS AND GLORY. The first book, SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN will publish this April. I would be so honored if you continue on this journey with me.
COMING IN APRIL, 2016
SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN
(Of Crowns and Glory—Book 1)
17 year old Adina, a beautiful, poor girl in the Empire city of Ceres, lives the harsh and unforgiving life of a commoner. By day she delivers her father’s forged weapons to the palace training grounds, and by night she secretly trains with them, yearning to be a warrior in a land where girls are forbidden to fight. With her pending sale to slavehood, she is desperate.
18 year old Prince Thanos despises everything his royal family stands for. He abhors their harsh treatment of the masses, especially the brutal competition—The Killings—that lies at the heart of the city. He yearns to break free from the restraints of his upbringing, yet he, a fine warrior, sees no way out.
When Adina stuns the court with her hidden powers, she finds herself wrongfully imprisoned, doomed to an even worse life than she could imagine. Thanos, smitten, must choose if he will risk it all for her. Yet, thrust into a world of duplicity and deadly secrets, Adina quickly learns there are those who rule, and those who are their pawns. And that sometimes, being chosen is the worst that can happen.
SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN tells an epic tale of tragic love, vengeance, betrayal, ambition, and destiny. Filled with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding action, it transports us into a world we will never forget, and makes us fall in love with fantasy all over again.
SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN
(Of Crowns and Glory—Book 1)
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Books by Morgan Rice
OF CROWNS AND GLORY
SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN (Book #1)
KINGS AND SORCERERS
RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Book #1)
RISE OF THE VALIANT (Book #2)
THE WEIGHT OF HONOR (Book #3)
A FORGE OF VALOR (Book #4)
A REALM OF SHADOWS (Book #5)
NIGHT OF THE BOLD (Book #6)
THE SORCERER’S RING
A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1)
A MARCH OF KINGS (Book #2)
A FATE OF DRAGONS (Book #3)
A CRY OF HONOR (Book #4)
A VOW OF GLORY (Book #5)
A CHARGE OF VALOR (Book #
6)
A RITE OF SWORDS (Book #7)
A GRANT OF ARMS (Book #8)
A SKY OF SPELLS (Book #9)
A SEA OF SHIELDS (Book #10)
A REIGN OF STEEL (Book #11)
A LAND OF FIRE (Book #12)
A RULE OF QUEENS (Book #13)
AN OATH OF BROTHERS (Book #14)
A DREAM OF MORTALS (Book #15)
A JOUST OF KNIGHTS (Book #16)
THE GIFT OF BATTLE (Book #17)
THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY
ARENA ONE: SLAVERSUNNERS (Book #1)
ARENA TWO (Book #2)
THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS
TURNED (Book #1)
LOVED (Book #2)
BETRAYED (Book #3)
DESTINED (Book #4)
DESIRED (Book #5)
BETROTHED (Book #6)
VOWED (Book #7)
FOUND (Book #8)
RESURRECTED (Book #9)
CRAVED (Book #10)
FATED (Book #11)
OBSESSED (Book #12)
About Morgan Rice
Morgan Rice is the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising seventeen books; of the #1 bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, comprising twelve books; of the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic thriller comprising two books (and counting); of the epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS, comprising six books. Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations are available in over 25 languages.
Morgan’s new epic fantasy series, OF CROWNS AND GLORY, will publish in April, 2016, beginning with book #1, SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN.
TURNED (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals), ARENA ONE (Book #1 of the Survival Trilogy), A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1 in the Sorcerer’s Ring) and RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Kings and Sorcerers—Book #1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!
Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!
Morgan Rice, Night of the Bold
(Series: Kings And Sorcerers # 6)
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