Good Friday,
As promised, today is spoiler day for my SHU thesis novel, “Saving Edalya.” I’ve spent the last three Mondays talking about the three kids movies that inspired it: Disney’s Mulan, Quest for Camelot, and The Swan Princess.
Before the spoilers, I’m going to spend a little time talking about my other writing. It’s been a very productive week. I submitted 2 poems, a short story, and a piece of flash fiction to lit magazines, wrote and revised a good amount, and retrieved an old project (that I’d pretty much forgotten about) from the depths of my computer. The bulk of my work was done on my YA fantasy. And, the YA fantasy romance-ish thing that I retrieved from my computer needs the most work. Hopefully, it will get it. I’ve made it my project for Camp Nanowrimo this month. If you’re not a part, join. It’s going to be great!
All right, back to Edalya. Since I talked the most about Jayleen, I chose a section from her POV that I feel gives a close look at who she is. This is the end of Chapter 3. Jayleen has just, very unintentionally, overheard a conversation between her parents about the possible reestablishment of Blackfire—a rebel clan that nearly destroyed Edalya twenty years ago. Earlier in the evening, Jayleen left her father’s study unnerved at her father’s unease. Unable to sleep, she took her journal to a tree behind her family’s house from which she heard the entire conversation. Jayleen’s father has just closed his study window, leaving Jayleen alone in the night.
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Jayleen heaved a sigh as her father disappeared from her line of sight. She didn’t know what she would have done if he had seen her. His temper would have been as formidable as her mother’s. The study window went dark, and only then did Jayleen move back to the flat area of the tree. She glanced down at her sack—again only illuminated by moonlight. All of a sudden, her desk, rather than a tree at night, seemed the perfect place to write a journal entry.
Blackfire back. She didn’t want to believe it. Her father didn’t place full protection on the royal family for no reason, though. Jayleen regretted coming to the tree, but she also was glad she had. Knowing what lay out there made the academy even more important.
Jayleen climbed back down through the branches and dropped to the ground. She retraced her steps to the servant’s door, careful to keep close to the house. She climbed the stairs and slipped inside. The house’s doors were always kept unlocked with the secure knowledge that the outer gates to the estate were sealed. Jayleen closed the door behind her and crept down the hall. She emerged into the foyer and paused. A comfortable quiet filled the house. Jayleen knew the house—took its safety for granted. If Blackfire was at large, that safety would be compromised.
“Honor bound, fidelity strong.” The Edalyan Army’s pledge issued itself of its own accord from Jayleen’s lips. She would recite it again upon completion at the academy, but the words had been engraved into her memory years ago. They fit the situation now. “I swear to uphold the code of honor, protect my kingdom—my home. I take this pledge that I will draw my last breath before I see Edalya fall. Hekulai—I swear this.”
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There you have it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I’ve put blood, sweat, and literal tears into it thus far. The rode is a bit bumpy, but the destination will be worth the trouble.
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