Weekend Writing Warriors: Snippet 132- Trystan
It’s time for Weekend Writing Warriors! Every Sunday, a bunch of writers post 8-10-sentence snippets from their WIPs on their blogs. There’s a lot of reading, commenting and great writing. Click on the link to see the full list.
Fall of the Titan comes out on the 10th! So this might be one of the last snippets from it. Trystan has been escorting Natalya Maxima, who is in charge of all of the kingdom’s temples, back to her home. She’s been gone for a year though, and knows she has enemies who might have taken advantage of her absence, so she sends Trystan ahead to a temple to find out what’s going on. He’s still in disguise, pretending he and Natalya are a simple priest and priestess on a pilgrimage. Severely edited from the published (almost!) version.
“My companion and I have come from Kronland on foot,” Trystan said, “and we’re going to Allaux to receive Natalya Maxima’s blessing.”
The short, plump priestess frowned at Trystan even as she beckoned him inside. “Natalya Maxima is dead, I’m afraid.”
“Holy Mother save us!” Trystan exclaimed, pleased with himself for an almost spontaneous religious utterance, “I haven’t heard; what happened?”
“Taken by Maladene pirates,” the priestess said, “and likely murdered. No one has heard from her in months, so the king appointed a new Maxima.”
But the king knows Natalya is alive, Trystan wanted to protest, but sensed it wouldn’t be wise until he’d determined where this priestess’s allegiance lay. “What a terrible shock,” he said, “I trust the new Maxima is just as devout?”
The priestess looked at him a bit too long. “She is not a heretic, which is a vast improvement over Natalya.”
Here’s the blurb:
Two great generals clash in a battle that will change the fate of the continent.
Only one will survive the encounter.
Years of fighting the Empire have left King Lennart drained and weary. Despite his victories, Teodora remains, her dark magic leaving her stronger than ever, even as it drives her deeper into madness. Now his family is in danger, and Lennart will put everything he’s fought for at risk to save them.
From all corners of the continent, the players gather for the battle that may well end the war …
Elektra plays the dutiful daughter even as she’s horrified by her mother’s transformation. But when her plans go awry, she is forced into an unthinkable alliance.
Braeden has had enough of fighting, but fate has other plans for him, forcing him to orchestrate a risky betrayal that could change the course of the war.
Reeling from her latest defeat, Gwynneth struggles to find purpose while the tide of war sweeps her relentlessly in its path.
Princess Maryna endures endless dangers as she fights to take her place as ruler of Terragand. Shared hardship has drawn Anton close to her, even though they both realize they can never act on their feelings.
Desperate to return to Terragand and the war, Trystan faces unforeseen dangers in a strange land. Will his ambition exact the ultimate price?
The stakes rise and culminate in a vast battle with a faith-shattering outcome in Book Five of the Desolate Empire Series.
by
Oh, that last comment could mean a lot of trouble. All the best with this release!! 🙂
It’s going to take a while to unwind all the trouble that’s been caused in Natalya’s absence. Thank you!
Great snippet, hinting at all sorts of conflicts.
Thank you! Natalya has some extremely dastardly enemies, which is always fun. 🙂
Wheels within wheels? Excellent snippet as always, Christina.
A few unpleasant secrets are about to come to light …
Oh, the maneuvering. Game of thrones has always, and remains… A game for the powerful, righteous and wicked alike.
It’s always a fun mix. 🙂
Hum, does the priestess trust him? Clearly she didn’t like Natalya. Great snippet.
She is verrry suspicious!
Boy are they going to be surprised when Natalya shows up!
Yes, it’s going to kick some interesting things into gear!
It’s almost like the priestess is seeing right through Trystan’s disguise haha. Good luck with the release of the book, from the look of these snippets it’ll be a great success!
Yes, he’s not very good at pretending to be a priest. Thank you!
Christina, you’re a master at this genre. Wonderful snippet.
Thank you, Charmaine! <3
That last line made me gasp. Great snippet!
Thank you!
Great setup for yet another battle. No one gets to kick back for very long in this series, do they?
Well no, what would be the fun in that? 🙂
Intriguing – the snippet suggests layers of deceit.
Best of luck with the release!
Yes, they are about to learn some very surprising things.
This is really intriguing.
Thank you!
Lots of lovely deceit. Makes for great reading.
Best of luck on release day – hope sales are fabulous.
Tweeted.
Definitely keeps things interesting. Thank you!
Love that she sent him ahead to get the inside scoop. Great scene! Happy almost-release to you, my friend! 🙂
Just a hunch, which turns out to be a good one. Thank you!
Oh my so many problems and challenges presented in such a short excerpt – well done! This tapestry has many threads and you’ve woven them expertly. I’m glad Trystan and Natalya aren’t walking blindly into the situation. Great snippet! Much to ponder.
Thank you! I had a lot of fun with this storyline.
That last paragraph is golden.
Thank you!
Great snippet! Lots going on in just a few sentences!
Thank you!
A hint of conflict ahead. He was probably wise to see where the priestess’s allegiance lay. Great snippet.
Yes, he was definitely smart to check first, though the overall situation is still pretty dire.
Clearly the priestess thinks the new Maxima is an improvement on the previous one. Interesting snippet. Good luck with the launch.
Yes, a lot of religious issues that haven’t yet been resolved. Thank you!
Well, this is hardly good news for them. Why would the king do such a thing if he knows she’s alive? And the priestess’s ominous last line is a great hook!
The king acted under extreme duress, which is also bad news for these two.
Makes you wonder who they can trust! Nice tease, Christina. Happy book launch!!
Almost no one! 😀 Thank you!
How to give a lot of story in a short excerpt! Sounds like a great plot, full of intrigue and twists!
Thank you!
Heh, better than that, eh? Congrats on the release! Best of luck!
Thank you!
Sounds like people did take advantage like she feared. The question is–what can she do about it?
It’s going to be tricky to resolve!
Love that last sentence. Great snippet. My mind is whirring at all the possibilities.
Thank you!
Hmm, I smell a vast place of deceit and lies. Time to trust no one!