I have been uploading my latest novel, chapter by chapter, to Wattpad. I'm trying something new with this story. Unlike my other stories that I've uploaded to this site, this one has not been published previously, and it has not gone through a professional edit. I'm open to feedback and suggestions, so don't be afraid to let me know what you think of this novel. :)
Now, a war threatens everything Mina knows and holds dear. The hierarchy that has ruled the kingdom for generations may not survive. Alliances are forming, Mina's beloved is missing in action, and her favor with the Emperor and the upper class seems to be waning.
With the war raging outside of the city and also within it, what will happen to Mina and the House of Fox?
Chapter 1
Warm, humid air settled onto Mina's shoulders, but it did little to relieve the tension in her muscles. Her gaze drifted toward the horizon, taking in the silhouettes of the city before her. She couldn't see much from her vantage point, just the tops of buildings, but she knew what was out there. The city had always been her home, and she'd watched it grow and change.
Boring, square buildings were now adorned with scalloped columns that rose proudly into the sky. Two- and three-story businesses and houses dwarfed the one-story buildings that had been all the rage only a few decades ago. Open-top carriages were being replaced by enclosed buggies from the latest country up north that had become part of the ever-growing kingdom. With curtained windows, the occupants no longer had to worry about being seen while attending to business--they could hide away in the dark, plush interior and avoid the more unpleasant parts of city life.
At one time, the streets bustled with activity, even late into the night, and Mina heard the echoes of raucous laughter and hawkers selling their wares deep in her mind. But hardly anyone stayed on the streets past dark anymore, and curtains were drawn tight. A few small pinpoints of light broke up the darkness. Silence hung thick in the air. Far off in the distance, almost beyond where she could see clearly, flashes of light lit up the night sky. They were far enough away that she could pretend that it was lightning. She frowned. A storm brewed out there, but it wasn't one made by nature.
She sighed and laid her hands on the top of the marble railing before her. She felt the cool slickness beneath her touch. The silence set her on edge, made her muscles even more tense. She missed the sounds of the city; they made the world feel alive. But there hadn't been much to celebrate lately, so most people just headed home as soon as the day ended.
"Just getting a breath of fresh air?" The question came from a familiar male voice, and the soft baritone sound encircled Mina with comfort. Arms wrapped around her shoulders, bringing it with them the heat from his tanned skin and the slightest hint of pine and rich dirt.
"Actually, I'm making sure the world still exists. That it hasn't vanished into a wisp of smoke and betrayal."
The arms tightened around her, pulling her into the man's body. Heat penetrated into her flesh, and the solidness of his muscles gave her support. His breath tickled her earlobe, and his voice whispered into her ear. "The world will always be here. It's humanity that you have to worry about disappearing."
Mina sighed again and lifted her hands so that they gripped his forearms. "With the silence that has overtaken this city, you would think that many of them have already gone."
"Those who have somewhere to go have gone. Those who don't will soon be on the front line. But it won't last forever. It won't take us long to crush this uprising, and then the city will once again be filled with people and sound."
Mina's gaze once again drifted toward the horizon where the faint lights continued to flash against the dark sky. The laughter and voices from her memory were replaced with the sounds of screams and clanking swords. Horses clomped over the hardened street, and soldiers yelled out curses. The crackle and snap of fires were barely audible over the other sounds, but they grew in intensity. She shuddered.
"Do you really have to go?"
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