Red Reign by Kate Seger EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author:Kate Seger
- Language: English
- Genre: 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
“No,” Princess Ardenai whispered, staring at the red splatters on her
white satin pillow, then back down to her offending palms where
two fresh, weeping wounds had appeared. She closed her eyes
and willed them away, but the scarlet stains and the slashes remained.
I have to hide this, was Ardenai’s first thought, eyes darting desperately
around in search of something to staunch the bleeding. Finding nothing
else, she reached for her embroidery kit. She hated nothing more than the
accursed basket of lace scraps and spools of thread. Idle hands are the
devil’s plaything, Governess Rayna always said, and in the old Xennian
priestess’s mind, the only thing lady-like enough for Ardenai to do with her
hands to keep them occupied seemed to be embroidery.
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Just now, though, Ardenai was grateful the basket was handy as she
pulled the scissors from inside, trying her best not to drip any blood on the
floor. She used them to cut strips of linen from her night shift—something
that would have horrified her governess to see but which was the least of
her worries just now.
No one can know. I’ll keep it a secret, and no one will find out, Ardenai
thought as she carelessly bound her hands with the fabric, then raised them
to examine her work.
The blood soaked through the bandages, and Ardenai had to bite back a
scream lest she be heard as tiny spots of red pin-pricked the linen,
blossoming to cover her palms. Physically, it was painless. But the marks
would bring her great suffering if anyone discovered them.
The curse had afflicted the royal family for centuries. Her governess
claimed they were an ill omen carrying the blight of bad luck. A Red Reign
plagued by famine, floods, rebellions, civil unrest, and worse. The
priestesses claimed it was a warning from the Great Mother Xennia that a
queen was not fit to rule. It didn’t afflict every member of the Ashante line.
In fact, it had been dormant for nearly a century since Ardenai’s greatgrandmother’s time.
Until now.
Today, it awakened in Ardenai.
“My Lady, your breakfast will get cold. Hurry up, or you’ll be late for
your lessons,” Governess Rayna called outside her door.
Ardenai fisted her hands to stop their trembling and swallowed hard. I
can’t go to my lessons now, like this. She glanced at the soiled bed. I need to
burn the sheets, she thought, then corrected herself. Why bother? This isn’t
something I can hide, at least not for long.
Focus, Ardenai told herself. One thing at a time. First, she had to deal
with her governess hovering around her door. Knowing Rayna was waiting
for her, she couldn’t even think straight.
“I’m feeling unwell,” she called, doing her best to make her voice sound
weak.
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