Check out My Novella!

Want to know more about Sir William Ardoraer? Check out my YA novella, Endure, to find out more of his backstory! Available on Amazon or on my website.

Read the blurb and a sample Chapter One below!

Blurb:

The queen is pregnant with the kingdom’s heir. The subjects are suffering under hidden tyranny. Prince William Ardoraer is called to protect them all, but evil hardly cowers from a teenager with a century’s worth of scars. William has already accepted that he’s no knight in shining armor, but when he is called to the task of one, can he remember his strength? Can he accept his calling? Can he endure?

Sample from Chapter One:

Thrust. Step. Parry. Repeat. Seventeen-year-old William closed his eyes and inhaled, matching his breathing to the movements of his sword. Fluid movements, smoothly controlled, like Sir Habgar had demonstrated a thousand times.

The sword became an extension of William’s arm, and he moved through the exercise with hardly a glimmer of conscious thought. A light breeze whisped through the empty arena, ruffling his wavy, fawn brown hair. Several strands tickled his forehead before pausing against beads of sweat.

The tendons in his right knee suddenly tightened. Shoot. William clenched his jaw and shifted his weight back to his left leg just before a cramp locked down around his bad calf. He exhaled, sharpening his mind to maintain his rhythm of breath and sword drills until the fleeting pain passed.

A smile flitted on his mouth. He’d predicted the cramp again. That made eight for eight.

A few more sword rounds, and he stopped. William lowered his sword to his side and brought his right leg back next to his left. Then he opened his eyes to the glare of late afternoon sun bouncing off the soft dust of the arena ground.

Movement from the right drew his gaze. A tall, dark-haired man pushed off of the low perimeter wall, nodding slowly and stroking his short, grey-streaked beard. “Well done, Your Highness. However…” Sir Habgar frowned and glanced at the sun’s low position. “I know you’re due to meet the king any moment, but I would have preferred you had one more practice handling your leg cramp.” His mouth cocked wryly. “Not to wish pain on you, Prince William.”

“No need to.” William offered his mentor a smile and blinked sweat from his eyes. “My leg cramped that last round.”

Sir Habgar’s eyes widened, then he huffed and smiled again. “If that’s the case, I’m not sure why you still need an old timer like me out here with you.” His face glowed with pride. “I didn’t even notice.”

William sheathed his sword and wiped sweat from his face with the shoulder of his cloak. The cool metal of the chainmail beneath touched his cheek for a moment, and he shivered as a sudden breeze chilled his sweat dampened skin.

At least a hint of spring finally touched the air. The cold of winter always enhanced and frequented not only his right leg’s cramps, but also his left arm’s. Well, his left shoulder’s, anyway.

William massaged the stump where his left arm used to be and fell into step next to Sir Habgar as the head knight walked back to the door into the castle.

“You’re the best I’ve ever trained, son,” Sir Habgar said after a moment.

William glanced at him and dropped his arm to his side, quirking a smile. “You mean, for a kid with a bum leg and only one arm.”

“I mean by any standards.” The knight looked over at William, no hint of amusement in his face.

William’s smile faded, and his heart skipped at the serious depth in Sir Habgar’s eyes. This man had been a father to him since his true father had died in the war two years ago, and William had always trusted his judgement.

But this seemed different than previous after-training coaching advice.

Sir Habgar exhaled. “Have you ever considered becoming a knight?”

For a moment, surprise froze William’s tongue. Different was an understatement. “You mean, take vows to serve the king and people of Pallastar my entire life and never…”—warmth crept us his neck—“never marry?”

Sir Habgar nodded, studying his face.

William dropped his gaze, his mind whirling. He’d never before considered the life of a knight, and his thoughts struggled to adjust.

As long as he could remember, he’d entertained the idea that someday, he’d find the right girl, the person he’d finally be able to open up the deepest parts of his heart to. And that dream drew closer to a reality every day. Several nobles’ daughters had begun to set their eyes on him, even with his missing arm.

He hadn’t discovered the right girl yet, but could he really give up that hope for a solitary life of wandering service to strangers? Did he want to? A shiver of fear fluttered in his heart.

No, he didn’t.

William rolled his bottom lip between his teeth and slid his hand beneath his cloak to rub his left shoulder again. “I don’t think I have what it takes.” The words came out a whisper.

He sensed Sir Habgar’s gaze boring into him, but he didn’t dare look up. The shadow of the castle engulfed them with a chill as they neared it. William shivered and paused with a glance up at the balcony shading them as Sir Habgar reached for the doorknob.

The knight hesitated with his hand on the handle. Then he let out a breath. “You have conquered your pride well, Your Highness. But I fear you may have slid too far the other direction.” He opened the door and slipped into the castle.

William stared after him, guilt tickling his heart for some reason. But the pit in his stomach prompted him to push the matter aside. At least for now.

He shot a final glance at the sun over his shoulder before stepping inside the castle. He was already late.

A quick scan of the throne room before him while he shut the door behind him showed that Sir Habgar was already out of sight. William exhaled and broke into an easy jog, his footsteps echoing in the large, empty space.

To his right, the two thrones perched on their raised dais, proud but vacant. A confirmation that the king and queen waited for him in the study.

William exited through the main doors and veered left, taking the staircase up to the next floor. Once at the top, he jogged down the hallway, slowing to a stop in front of the study door.

He combed his fingers through the hair swept across his forehead, then he raised his fist to knock. Raised voices drifted through the door, and William froze. The citizens’ hearings should have finished a half hour ago. So, who…

Resisting the urge to eavesdrop, he turned the knob and eased open the door. He slipped into the room and shut the door behind him as he scanned the situation.

A fire popped and flickered in the hearth at the head of the room, and Queen Samantha occupied one of the cushioned chairs in front of it. King Brice stood in front of the other chair, like the two men facing him had drawn him to his feet.

William couldn’t see the men’s faces, but they stood with shoulders back and heads up. Arrogant nobles, if ever he’d seen one, though he didn’t recognize them. They must’ve been low nobles, rarely around the castle, unlike the select high nobles.

The queen glanced at William when he entered, but the king didn’t pull his gaze from the two men or falter in his words. “…cannot simply ignore them, Lord Blackwood. Several of my knights are eyewitnesses to your men stealing from and bullying innocent citizens of your jurisdiction.” King Brice didn’t raise his voice, but anger and frustration seeped from his words and flickered on his face with the firelight. “Do you have any reason I should allow you to maintain your position and title?”

The older of the two men snorted. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but you’re little more than a boy and don’t even come from a royal background.” The man fluttered a hand and shrugged. “You couldn’t possibly understand such matters of business and politics.”

From his place in the shadows by the door, William stiffened. He let his hand drop to his sword hilt, but he waited to see how his brother-in-law would react.

Brice’s jaw tightened, and his eyes flashed. But he held his temper. He inclined his head slightly, the golden king’s crown glinting atop his sandy-blonde hair. “That may be true, Lord Blackwood, but I believe I know enough to recognize injustice when I see it.”

Lord Blackwood tilted his head back. “But you haven’t seen it, Your Majesty. You’ve but heard rumors.” He held up a hand to stop the king from interrupting. “Even rumors from trustworthy sources are still only rumors and out of context prove nothing.”

Brice sighed and crossed his arms. “Then enlighten me with your context.”

William had the sense that the king had asked this question before.

Lord Blackwood only fluttered a hand. “You wouldn’t understand, Your Majesty.”

Queen Samantha suddenly stood, resting one hand on her husband’s arm and one on her rounded abdomen. “That’s all you’ve said for the past quarter hour, Lord Blackwood.” Her eyes snapped, and she tilted her chin up. “Your fabricated excuse is no reason to withhold an explanation. I was born and raised in this castle, and my father made certain I knew how a kingdom works. Trust me, I’ll understand better than you. And so will the king.”

“My lady, I meant no offense.” Lord Blackwood inclined his head. “I know you’re more than competent, but it’s nothing you need to bother yourself about.” He paused. “Especially not in your condition.” The man clucked his tongue. “It would be a pity if something happened to Pallastar’s heir because you were not well taken care of.”

Samantha narrowed his eyes, her grip on her abdomen tightening.

William decided it was time to intervene. This noble harassing his brother-in-law was one thing, but his sister…

He took a step forward. “If you deem neither the king nor queen in a position to understand—Lord Blackwood, was it?—perhaps I could be of assistance.”

Brice and Samantha looked William’s way, and both men turned to face him. One of the men was young, probably close to Brice’s age and a few years older than William. He narrowed his eyes. The middle-aged man, the spokesman and obviously Lord Blackwood, only raised his eyebrows in dull interest. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said.

“I’m the queen’s younger brother.” William didn’t offer a hand or even incline his head.

“Ah.” Lord Blackwood’s brows lifted higher. “Prince William.” His gaze darted to William’s left side, where his Pallastar blue cloak concealed his missing arm. “Thank you for your offer, Your Highness”—Lord Blackwood’s eyes moved back to William’s face—“but I’m afraid your assistance is not needed. You are even younger than the king.”

“Tell me, Lord Blackwood.” William kept his voice even. “If you find the entire royal family so lacking, why would you even want to retain your title as a noble representing and beneath us?”

Lord Blackwood inclined his head. “Your Highness, my family has held our position for generations, as I do now and as my son Garrick will do after me.” He glanced at the younger man next to him, presumably the son he’d mentioned. Then Lord Blackwood angled back toward the king and queen. “My family and I are loyal to you, Your Majesty, as we’ve been for generations.”

Brice sighed. “Then for the last time, Lord Blackwood, I ask for the truth behind what my knights have reported.”

For the first time, Lord Blackwood’s son spoke up, breaking the locked gaze he’d held with William to look at Brice. “Why do you interrogate my father like a criminal, Your Majesty? Out of the goodness of his heart, he’s leant money to many poor farming families, and when they refused to pay him back, his men became a little rough without his knowledge.” The young man’s eyes flashed. “You would deprive him of his title for that?” Garrick snorted. “And you claimed to know justice.”

Brice held his gaze, then shifted his eyes to Lord Blackwood. “I do know justice, which is why your title will hold. For now.” The king exhaled, then he nodded toward the door. “You are dismissed…but with a warning, Lord Blackwood.”

Lord Blackwood bowed, followed by his son, before they turned to leave. Lord Blackwood passed William without a glance, but Garrick caught and held his gaze until he stepped after his father into the hallway.

When the door clicked shut behind them, Willliam let out his breath. “Just a warning?”

Brice sighed and guided…   Get the book to read the rest! Available on Amazon or on my website.

Be a light in the darkness!

I.M.J. Wood