April Novel Essential Information

Novel Title: Unexpected

Time Setting: 2021

Genre: Thriller

Minimum Word Goal: 120,000

Timespan: May–June

Locations: Antigua & Barbuda; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis; Brussels, Belgium; Cardiff, Wales; Castries, St. Lucia; Cuba; Dominica; Dublin, Ireland; France; Kingston & Orcabessa, Jamaica; Lisbon, Portugal; London, England; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Spain

Main Characters: Hilton Sheahan-Carrington, Meinwen Lewis

Background Information: 

Born the only child of the short-lived marriage between his Irish-born father and English-born mother, Hilton endured a tumultuous childhood owing to the dissolution of his parents’ marriage, as well as his father’s descent into alcoholism, and eventual death when Hilton was ten.

He spent the bulk of his childhood in the Manchester area where his mother had grown up because his father had worked for the financial company his maternal grandfather shared control of with his great-uncle until his father’s alcoholism led to his being sacked and losing his share of Hilton’s custody to Hilton’s mother, who never took Hilton along on her many travels.

Instead, Hilton was sent to the same prestigious all-boys’ boarding school his grandfather, great-uncle, and first cousin once removed — with whom he is expected to share control of the family company upon the deaths of their respective father and grandfather — had been sent to, and was left in the care of nannies for the duration of every summer, even as a teenager.

Hilton was recognised as an academically gifted child from an early age, with a particular aptitude for mathematics and, by extension, science, which caused him to be brought into the family company as something of an apprentice before he was a teenager, as his grandfather was pleased and impressed with his comprehension of the company’s workings despite his youth.

Nonetheless, Hilton lacked the passion for finance his grandfather — and other maternal male relatives — possessed; instead, his passion was cars, with a particular interest coming in their design when one of his schoolteachers showed him how maths and science were integral to the creation of cars.

As a result, when he graduated, Hilton pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering on top of the bachelor’s degree in economics his grandfather wanted him to have, at the University of Cambridge — his grandfather’s alma mater.

Shortly before his university graduation, Hilton’s mother took a second husband who also worked in finance, and quickly established himself as the bane of Hilton’s existence by virtue of what Hilton believes is an intense desire to become a complete and total replacement for Hilton’s father — whom Hilton loved dearly, and wishes wouldn’t have died.

Since his stepfather elected to transfer from the company he’d worked for in London to his new father-in-law’s company in Manchester, Hilton elected to do the inverse upon his graduation, getting his grandfather to transfer him to the company’s London branch, where he works dutifully even though he doesn’t love the job, but prefers to while away his evenings tinkering away at little engineering projects.

Recently Hilton was sent to the Cardiff branch of the family company for a couple weeks, following which he’s scheduled to take a two-week holiday in Ireland, where he’s always wanted to visit, but hasn’t previously had the chance to.

Born the youngest of three children to a TV cameraman and his wife who — before having children — had also worked in television, Meinwen had a reasonably pleasant childhood in the city of Cardiff during her early years

When she was three, however, her father was hired as a part of a documentary film crew shooting a documentary off the Welsh coast at Aberystwyth. Her mother’s family lived in the area, and so the whole family had gone along initially. Meinwen and her siblings were sent to stay with their paternal grandmother in Cardiff ahead of their mother after a few weeks because her siblings had school to prepare for and their mother, because of her TV experience, had been invited out for a day of filming where it was deemed Meinwen might not be safe.

Aware of a storm approaching that day, the crew did their best to wrap up filming quickly, but experienced some delays, which led to them being at the entrance to the harbour when a rogue wave slammed their vessel into a seawall, killing several people, including Meinwen’s parents.

Because they were already in the care of their paternal grandmother, who had been widowed some years before, the decision was made to keep Meinwen and her siblings in their grandmother’s care, where they have remained ever since.

Owing to the sudden, unexpected, and shocking death of her son and daughter-in-law, Meinwen’s grandmother is very protective of her grandchildren, which, for Meinwen particularly, meant that her desires to be a competitive horsewoman or otherwise have a career with horses have been kiboshed — even if one of her uncles ensured she did get riding lessons.

In her teenaged years, Meinwen was given a camera and showed herself to have a knack for photography, which her grandmother deemed a safe enough occupation to pursue; thus, following her graduation, Meinwen has decided to get a degree in photography, and has been spending her summers working at a photography studio in Cardiff to add to her experience.

Pronunciations:

Sheahan: shayhahn

Meinwen: maenwin

Twilight Between: Day 15

Word Total: 90,026

Year to Date: 270,125

Summary of Events:

Adler woke up in the bed of his master's sister and was overcome by a horrible feeling, but despite his swift departure from the room and even the house, he couldn't escape the guilt of what he had done, even if he had been forced to do it. Emma accompanied Torben to his private audience with König Theoderich, where she initially feared that Torben would lack the courage to say what he had wanted to, but even if there was a delay, Torben did say it, even telling König Theoderich the story of how his family had come to practise the Außtöst Munster on their estate, which quite amazed König Theoderich . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Indeed, if you were to look upon the family trees of those whom I pay to work for me as overseers and the like, it would be neither a long nor arduous search for the Royal Brand, in fact, it may take little more than raising the sleeve on their own right forearm,” Papa said. “Many, many slaves who have worked for my family have enjoyed it so much that they asked to stay once their sentence was through, instead of returning to wherever they had come from.”

“Really?” König Theoderich asked. “This is true?”

“If you do not believe it with your ears, then I would gladly welcome you to come see it with your eyes,” Papa replied. “I would not bar the gate of my estate to my König. You need not even tell me you are coming.”

“I would,” König Theoderich said, nodding. “I would come see.”

“It is what I wish could be the future of Zeig,” Papa said. “As, for all the people that I help, there are hundreds, thousands, even millions more whose twilight does not come to dawn and day, but comes instead to the darkest and most hopeless of nights wherein their life ends. But I cannot make it so on my own, and the burden of it seeks to crush me every day.”

“I must know more,” König Theoderich said. “For all is twilight about me, and I know not whether the sun will rise or sink. Is it dusk? Is it dawn? I hope it to be the latter, but I ever fear it to be the former. You seem to me almost as a sorcerer, who have shown me by your power both the darkest night that could come, and the brightest dawn.”

“I am as mortal as you,” Papa said. “And as ruefully so also.”

“I must know more,” König Theoderich repeated. “For I am König of a feeble Königreich, so feeble I fear it would crumble beneath my feet, and I do not want to be the great-grandfather, grandfather, father, or — least of all — the last König of Zeig.”

“Nor will I such for you,” Papa said. “But as my great-grandfather Siegfried fought for your great-grandfather and namesake Theoderich in the field of battle, where blood was spilled, so will I do for you, even if it should not ask my blood of me.”

“It is my honour to be your König,” König Theoderich said. “I now know why my great-grandfather and namesake felt compelled to make the Kühne not merely Erzherzöge, and I speak not for the others, but I will say of you, that you are a worthy heir of your great-grandfather.”

“It is my honour to be your servant,” Papa replied. “Thank you very much for your time, my König.”

“Thank you very much for your boldness, Fürst Reiter,” König Theoderich replied. “May all your forefathers be pleased their blood flows through your veins.”

Papa nodded, before rising and bowing low. Emma followed suit.

“Auf Wiedersehen, Fürst Reiter, Fraulein Emma,” König Theoderich said.

“Auf Wiedersehen, my König,” Papa replied.

Emma gave a small nod before trailing Papa out the door. She felt that König Theoderich had emphasised his farewell, as if to let them know that he really did mean to see them again, and that, unlike his father, she might become quite familiar with him.

Pronunciations:

Königreich: kuhnihgraick

Kühne: kuuhneh

Erzherzöge: ayrtzhehrtzuhgeh

Auf: aoff

Wiedersehen: veedehrzehehn

Fraulein: froyline

Next Post: 31 March

Twilight Between: Day 14

Word Count: 84,043

Summary of Events:

Adler got up and ate a meagre breakfast before heading to where he was supposed to, only for the other two slaves he worked with to not show up; the Aufseher determined that both of them had died in the night and reassigned Adler elsewhere. Torben encountered Fürst and Fürstin Bach returning from their private audience with König Theoderich; he was encouraged by their favourable description of König Theoderich, but still felt some worry. Following a meagre supper, Adler was taken from among the slaves to the master's house, where he was presented to the woman who'd been watching him, who intended — to his horror — to use him for her pleasure. Emma woke up near to dawn, feeling a little anxious about her father's private audience, but managed to calm herself before determining that it was a little early yet to be awake . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Emma turned back to her bed to climb into it, but her gaze was drawn to the doorway, beneath which a dim light was shining.

She walked over to her door and opened it to see a lamp burning low at the writing desk illuminating Papa’s form slumped over the desk in his nightclothes.

Alarmed, Emma hurried over to Papa, reassured when she saw his back and shoulders rising and falling with sleeping breaths.

Still, she was sure he would wake up mightily sore if he were left to continue sleeping over the desk. She wondered why he’d come back out and resumed working after going to bed too.

“Papa,” she whispered softly, squeezing his shoulder. “Papa, wake up.”

He appeared to be sleeping deeply, for neither her touch or voice roused him.

“Papa,” she said, using a whimpering voice.

At once Papa startled awake and upright, looking frantic until his gaze found Emma, then he sagged back against his chair, looking relieved, weary, and even subtly ashamed.

“Won’t your bed be more comfortable for sleeping on Papa?” Emma asked.

Papa nodded.

“Then why are you sleeping out here?” Emma asked.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Papa replied. “I wanted to be sure that I hadn’t missed anything.”

“You need to be rested Papa,” Emma said. “You don’t want to fall asleep on König Theoderich, do you?”

One corner of Papa’s mouth lifted in a feeble smile. “Nein.”

“Then come, Papa, you need to go to bed,” Emma said.

“Ja, I know, my little mother Emma,” Papa said, shifting his arms.

Emma gasped at the mass of black, and Papa immediately startled as well.

“Oh nein!” he exclaimed.

Likely when he’d fallen asleep, Papa had knocked over the ink bottle, staining the sleeves of his nightshirt, as well as his hands, all his papers, and the desktop black.

“I’ve ruined them all!” Papa said, looking horribly distressed.

Emma felt like crying, but she forced herself not to, instead, she peeled apart the papers, most of which were still damp with ink, in an effort to see if any of the pages were salvageable, but every single one was almost entirely black with ink.

“I'm sorry Papa,” Emma said.

“It wasn’t your fault Emma,” Papa replied. “I just worry so much and I didn’t go to bed when I was feeling tired, now I have to find a way to get all this ink off my hands before my private audience, and I might owe Häuptling Ölberg a new desk.”

Emma watched as Papa gathered up the ink-soaked papers and discarded them into the fireplace, whose grate lay empty, and its floor swept free of ashes. Come autumn the papers would be burned up, seeing as they were utterly useless now.

“I don’t think this is going to wash out either,” Papa said, surveying the black stains on his nightclothes.

There was a spot of black on his lap showing that the ink had spilled over the desk’s edge as well as soaking into his papers and sleeves.

“Papa, don’t touch your hair, you don’t want to get ink in it,” Emma said, seeing Papa looking like he was going to run his fingers through his hair.

“My hair is dark enough it wouldn’t be visible,” Papa said. “And I don’t think it is wet on my hands anyways. What a mess.”

Twilight Between: Day 13

Word Count: 78,012

Summary of Events:

Torben and Emma went to the Festung for the Coronation Feast, where Torben ended up being seated at the head of the Fürst table because his father-in-law had the highest rank of all the Fürsten's fathers-in-law — which he hadn't expected at all. The Coronation Feast, was followed by the Coronation Ball, where Emma, despite her youth, was attracting the attention of every young man at the ball — up to the second-oldest son of König Theoderich, as his oldest was betrothed — with some even coming after her repeatedly despite Torben's refusal to permit her to dance with them, which was getting rather frustrating . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Surely there is something that can be done about that,” Emma said.

She sounded almost coy as she said it, prompting Torben to look at her, which only confused him all the more, as Emma looked subtly coy too, as if she had some sort of mischievous little idea in her head.

“I’m not letting you dance Emma,” Torben said. “And I didn’t think you wanted to.”

“Well, not with any of them,” Emma replied.

Torben realised what Emma’s idea was: she would dance with him until she was tired, which meant that the young men, seeing her dancing, would not be able to dance with her, and, noting her tiredness, would respectfully wait until she had recovered her energy before coming after her again.

“I’ve already known some of the dances that have been done,” Emma said. “And surely you know all of them well enough to help me with the parts I don’t know.”

It certainly was a good idea, even if Torben had to admit that he was a little hesitant, as it was highly uncommon for parents to dance with their children in public outside of wedding dances

A young man who’d made several attempts previously approached and bowed low to Emma. “May I have this dance fair maiden?”

“Nein, you may not,” Torben said firmly.

“Can’t you let her speak for herself?” the young man snapped.

“She has already been claimed for this dance,” Torben replied.

“Oh has she?” the young man demanded. “By whom?”

“Me,” Torben replied. “Not that I would consider granting you a dance with her anyways considering the impudence with which you are presently addressing me.”

“But you’re her father!” the young man exclaimed.

“Every daughter dances with her father at her wedding,” Torben replied. “And I can assure you — having married four of my daughters already — that we practise together many times before then.”

The young man looked as if his mouth were protesting, but his throat had yet to come up with the accompanying sounds to give voice to his mouth’s grievance, but Torben escorted Emma into the dancing area and positioned his hands for the dance.

As the music started Torben saw a look of worry on Emma’s face, and he could feel her lagging slightly, which didn’t surprise him, as he knew this dance was one that she wasn’t as good at.

Torben didn’t back out of it, but instead started quietly whispering instructions not unlike those given by her dancing teacher that helped Emma keep up with the more brisk rhythm of this dance than she’d been practising it at.

Throughout the dance, so as to feed his imagining that they were not in the Royal Ballroom in Odalrichsaal, but were back home in his own, much more modest ballroom, where it was just the two of them, Mina, Penrod, a few musicians, and the teacher, Torben kept his gaze locked on Emma’s hair, for she wasn’t quite tall enough that he could look in her eyes with her as close to him as she was.

Twilight Between: Day 12

Word Count: 72,074

Summary of Events:

Coronation Day arrived and Emma and Torben went up to the Coronation Ground high up above the city to watch the coronation of Kronprinz Theoderich as König Theoderich VI, along with his wife being crowned queen, and his oldest son as the new Kronprinz. Adler was in the midst of working when he heard the sound of bells ringing, but as much as he wanted to listen to them, he didn't stop until one of the Aufseher actually commanded him to, allowing him to listen . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Quickly he recognised the national anthem, except it was the beginning this time, starting with the seven notes that were a grand introduction, followed by the main melody, which Adler mouthed the first line of before the notes repeated themselves again.

“Long live the König!” one of the Aufseher shouted, sounding quite excited.

All the other Aufseher repeated the shout, with some throwing their hats in the air, and a couple even cracking their whips several times quickly.

Adler, however — and all the other slaves around him, by the looks of things — felt no joy in his heart as he surmised that Kronprinz Theoderich was now König Theoderich VI.

Just because there was a new König didn’t mean things would change for him, or for any of the others. If anything, it just meant that they had a new, somewhat younger face to envisage when they rued their plight.

After cheering and celebrating for a few moments, the Aufseher turned as quickly as an eye blinked back to bellowing abusive commands to work and snapping their whips so as to bite tender flesh.

Adler started into motion again quickly and continued with his work, his mind thinking back to when he had been in Odalrichsaal, and had seen then-Kronprinz Theoderich, as well as the late König Baldrich as they had listened to his case along with the judge, wanting to hear what had possibly forced two juries to come to an inconclusive decision.

König Baldrich had been grey-haired, wrinkled, fairly heavy-set, and undoubtedly ill, while also having a dour and serious face and a gaze that’d made Adler feel like a hated and significant inconvenience.

Kronprinz Theoderich, on the other hand, had greying brown hair, only a few more lines to his face than Adler’s own father and grandfather had, a stocky body that had looked like it belonged to a man who ate well, a reasonably healthy look to his face, and a more thoughtful, attentive expression, paired with a sympathetic gaze that had made Adler feel less hated and less significant of an inconvenience.

Overall, of the two, Adler had possessed a more favourable impression of the one who was now König, but he still didn’t hold out all that much hope that König Theoderich was going to make any  significant changes to anything immediately — much less soon enough and swift enough to have any effects on Adler’s life and situation.

He hoped that König Theoderich would do something, and could do something, not only to get his name cleared and his freedom secured, but to help all the people who were still — and much more justifiably so — enslaved.

Grandfather had said many times that slavery was the biggest blight, the biggest failure, the biggest evil that existed in Zeig, and Adler had certainly agreed with him before, but even if he hadn’t, he would agree twice as heartily now that he had seen firsthand what slaves endured that it was all those things.

Twilight Between: Day 11

Word Count: 66,097

Summary of Events:

Having continued to see the woman in black watching him, Adler began to wonder if she knew about his sentence and had developed some sort of weird fixation on him as a result of it, rather like the strange people he'd heard of who would travel around to watch hangings. Emma was taken by Torben to Äußere Odalrichsaal, where they visited a square in which was a fountain celebrating all the Fürsten of Southwest Zeig for their role in helping König Theoderich IV retake the throne of Zeig from supporters of his great-uncle König Walherich I, with each Fürst's symbolic animal featured, including a golden eagle for Emma's family . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Hearing footsteps, however, she turned to follow Papa, who was walking toward one of the statues around the square, which was of a man on horseback in armour of the style used eight hundred years ago, his sword upraised, as if he were calling on troops to advance, his shield having a design Emma recognised as familiar.

It was divided in three vertically, the dividing lines running straight until they got to where the shield started curving toward a point, then the lines gravitated in a smooth curve toward the point.

A narrow X crossed the shield from the top corners to just before the curves to the point began. In her mind Emma could see the colours: green in the middle yellow on the left, white on the right, the X being black. It was the same shield that was in the coat of arms of Steinadlerhorst.

As a result, she was unsurprised when she saw the name engraved in 15cm letters close to the top edge of the pedestal was Kühn Fürst Siegfried Reiter von Steinadlerhorst.

More text in about 10cm letters was engraved beneath: One of the three main leaders of the Southern Forces that marched against the Enemy Powers against the Kingdom, Kühn Fürst Siegfried met Talbert Rottmann in single combat on the banks of the Bärhöhlefluss in a battle that lasted for nearly an hour before he struck the fatal blow as he was tripped and knocked into the river. Exhausted from the battle, he nearly drowned, but was rescued by Kühn Fürst Dieter Bach von Bachforellelauf, and went on to be titled Fürst von Steinadlerhorst by König Theodrich IV.

“This will be a part of your history course this year,” Papa said. “But since you happen to be here now, I see no reason not to show it to you.”

“Will I learn who Talbert Rottmann was?” Emma asked. “Aside from his being a supporter of König Walherich.”

“Ja,” Papa replied. “You’ll even learn about Dame Wind.”

He reached up and stroked the lifelike foreleg of the horse, whom Emma could see without ducking — thanks to the detail on the statue — was a mare.

“What colour was she?” Emma asked.

“Grey,” Papa replied. “Flüsternwind is one of her direct descendants.”

Emma startled. She knew the handsome grey stallion well, he was one of Papa’s favourites, and was the sire of her grey mare Nächtliche Briese.

“As is Nächtliche Briese,” Papa said, as if reading her thoughts.

“Really Papa?” Emma asked.

Papa turned and smiled at her. “Ja, we have kept good track of her lineage, considering her status in our family history.”

“And this is an accurate likeness of her?” Emma asked.

“I would say so,” Papa replied. “She looks reasonably like her great-grandson and great-granddaughter, even the mane and tail are appropriately full, and there’s no pull on the bit. I’d wager a good, wise horseman did the carving, either that or great-grandfather Valfred made sure the representation was accurate, unlike so many other horses in statues everywhere, who look so strained and ready to explode.”

Emma nodded. “What about great-grandfather Siegfried?”

Papa looked up at the figure, and Emma did too, noting that the face was of a similar shape to Papa’s which was rather elliptical. Indeed, despite the thick beard over the face, the longer Emma looked at the statue, the more she could see it as being Papa.

Pronunciations:

Kühn: kuun

Siegfried: zeegfreed

Dieter: deetehr

Bach: bahkh

Bachforellelauf: bahkhfohrehllehlauf

Dame: dahmeh

Wind: vihnd

Flüsternwind: fluustehrnvihnd

Nächtliche: nehchtlihcheh

Briese: breeze

Twilight Between: Day 10

Word Count: 60,227

Summary of Events:

As he watched the sunrise, Torben thought about what Eginhard had said the evening before, musing particularly on the similarities between himself and König Odalrich I, taking much heart from the idea that König Odalrich I might've been scared to do what he'd done, but done it anyways. Adler, finally done another long, monotonous day's work, joined the supper line, where he was given a wooden plank as a plate holding his supper of a bruised apple, dried-out cheese, and a stale bun . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Because of his hunger he ate the whole apple, starting with the bruised area because it was the most unpleasant, before he moved on to the cheese, which he was pretty sure was already a naturally dry variety, based on its colour, but which had become even drier at some point by being exposed to drier air than it ought to have been.

This hard, dry outer layer was unpleasant, and even had the ability to be painfully sharp, although the inside usually wasn’t too bad, even if Adler had to admit that he wasn’t the sort of person who was really all that fond of cheese in quantities even as significant as the chunk he was eating, which was probably 50g at best.

Since it was all there was to eat, however, Adler didn’t let the sharp, dried-out outer edges or the flavour of the cheese bother him.

Finally he ate the bun, which was dry and stale, making it nearly as difficult to eat as if one were to have mistaken a fist-sized rock for a bun. Once somewhat softened by his saliva in his mouth it became a moderately more palatable mass, although he did prefer crackers when it came to dry bread-type products, as they were easier to bite and chew due to their thinner state.

Once he was finished he was, as usual, unsatisfied, his stomach still yearning for more, and even craving more, such as meat, which was something he hadn’t had in his entire time as a slave, and he was pretty sure he knew why: it was too expensive to be given to slaves.

Setting the plank of wood aside, where someone would collect it up from once he’d gone to bed, only to put another bruised apple, dried-out piece of cheese, and stale bun onto for him or someone else to eat the following day, Adler yawned, desperately tired and barely awake.

As his gaze wandered over the slaves around him, most all of whom had eaten their food and were yearning for more — as well as sleep — just as he was, Adler’s gaze was caught by what looked like a floating head.

When he fixed his gaze toward it, however, he found that it was that woman again, with her black dress simply lost in the shadows of the building she was standing beside, which made her head look as if it were floating like some ghostly apparition, even though Adler didn’t believe in such things.

Once again, her gaze was fixed on him, and even as he was prodded to his feet by the end of a Sklavestab, it didn’t once move from him.

Adler didn’t chance a glance over his shoulder as he headed into the building, sure he would get a solid whack of the end to the side of his head if he dared, besides, he was tired, and even if it was a couple of planks elevated not much more than a metre off the floor with a pathetically thin linen blanket and his linen shirt for bed linens, it was a place where he was allowed to have reprieve from his regular travails, even if for not nearly long enough.

Twilight Between: Day 9

Word Count: 54,071

Summary of Events:

Because of the days continuing to be very hot, Adler had continued to go without his shirt, and as he worked, he noticed a woman who was clearly from his master's house watching him, but he couldn't begin to guess why. Emma and Torben were invited for lunch at the home of the Ambassador to Zeig from Außtöst, who was a good friend of Emma's maternal uncle Meinrad, as well as Torben, and to whom Torben expressed is worries about his private audience; having personally met Kronprinz Theoderich many times, the ambassador encouraged Torben from many fronts, including Torben's deep knowledge of all things related to slavery reform . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Surely you have been so steeped in the arguments of slavery reform that they, like tea in hot water, have permeated your mind so that you are never at a loss, no matter what argument is thrown at you,” Herr Eginhard said. “I could even see debating slavery reform with others as being like a game to you.”

“Nein,” Papa replied. “It is exhausting. It is as if I am one of the Ancient Men fighting in an unending war against innumerable, indefatigable enemies with no hope of end. I am ready for König Odalrich to come, and to tell me to cease or to die, for I will cease gladly.”

“You do not mean you would give up on slavery reform?” Herr Eginhard asked, his tone as worried as Emma felt at Papa’s words.

“I could never,” Papa replied. “It is impossible. For I feel also as if a part of me is, in fact, as König Odalrich. I am the only one who has a real solution to the problem, and I must present it or there will never be peace.”

“And you are feeling the fear he felt at the idea of embarking out of his caves on his journey?” Herr Eginhard asked. “A fear of the unknown without?”
Papa looked surprised, and Emma felt surprised too. She’d certainly never heard in all the stories she’d been told of König Odalrich I having been afraid to leave the Caves.

“I know it isn’t in the histories and the legends,” Herr Eginhard said. “But surely you do not think he was a fearless man. Surely he was afraid, even if not as afraid as his father had been.”
After gazing at his nearly-empty plate for a long moment, Papa nodded. “Surely.”

“You are not offended, are you?” Herr Eginhard asked.

Emma wasn’t sure Papa had heard, as his gaze had drifted back to his plate, where it lingered for a long moment before he shook his head, raising it at the same time.

“Nein,” Papa replied. “You have merely added a vital dimension of humanity to that greatest of heroes for every man and boy of Zeig.”

“It is something I have pondered many times,” Herr Eginhard said. “Seeing how König Odalrich was König over the Außtöst Lands, and his story is well and familiar there as well as here. Even if he did not have the full measure of his father’s cowardice, if he was truly human, he must have felt fear at the prospect of doing something he may well have even dreamed of for years.”

Papa nodded, and Emma found her mind wandering back to König Odalrich’s Grab beneath Bärhöhleberg. His likeness had looked so lifelike as it lay in repose, so much that she could easily have imagined it waking, living, and breathing, and she wondered if Papa was thinking of the same thing, and how it really only made sense that he would be just as capable of fear as any other man who drew breath.

Pronunciations:

Herr: hehr

Eginhard: eggihnhahd

Twilight Between: Day 8

Word Count: 48,067

Summary of Events:

The combination of hard work and hot weather prompted Adler to remove his shirt while working, which he did while musing about the growing list of questions about slavery he'd acquired since becoming a slave — including why a slaveowner would force his slaves to work while injured, considering his desire for increased wealth and decreased expenses. The day of the funeral had arrived and after a wait in traffic as all the other Häuptlinge and their guests who lived along the street were headed for the castle too, Emma and Torben arrived at the castle for themselves, where they followed those ahead of them down a series of corridors to the legendary caves, where they enjoyed pleasantly cool air in contrast to the summer heat outside, and shuddered in the terrifying thrill of being unable to see the ceiling above them as the funeral service was conducted. Following it, they were granted permission by the queen to see the headwaters of the Bärhöhle River, which originated from a natural spring within the mountain, around which the first five kings of Zeig were buried, and whose tombs Torben was granted permission to have a look inside . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Torben’s main interest was seeing the tomb of König Odalrich I, so he merely peeked his head inside the other tombs, wherein there were laid bricks of stone that were carved to look like side profiles of the König, Königin, and — where applicable — other internees lying in repose, with their names carved over them.

It had been tradition in recent centuries — but Torben wasn’t sure how long ago the tradition had started — that before internment, the deceased would be sketched by an artist as they laid in repose, and it was from this sketch that the likenesses were carved.

If the tradition had been the case from the beginning, it was quite likely that the carvings Torben was seeing were the most accurate likenesses of men who had lived over one thousand years before he was even born.

One thing Torben noticed about them was that they were all lean and slim, which proved to him that life had not been luxuriant back in the day; as did the fact that they were not wearing diamonds, jewels, and fancy textiles, by the look of the masterful carving work.

Instead, they were clothed in simple garb, usually with just a signet ring, as wedding bands hadn’t existed back then. 

Reaching König Odalrich I’s tomb, Torben stepped inside. The area was about four square metres, and the interred were König Odalrich I, his wife, his mother, three infant children, and, along the back wall, his most beloved hunting hound, and his warhorse, who were both carved as if laying.

In fact, the horse looked so real Torben was sure that if he were to rub the dozing forehead the horse’s eyes would open and, startled, the creature would heave itself to its hooves as his own favoured horse — even if she wasn’t a warhorse — did.

Torben turned his gaze toward König Odalrich’s reposing likeness. As he’d died at the age of eighty, the likeness was an aged one, but still fit with Torben’s childhood imaginations, including — unlike the modern fashion — the beard around his mouth, and his hair reaching to his shoulders.

His iconic sword, the Fear of Death, was clasped in his aged hands, that had such details as veins and ligaments standing out on them, positioned so that the tip of it was hovering above his feet, which were clad in simple leather shoes of the like that weren’t even worn by the poorest of Zeig anymore.

Once Torben had finished surveying the stony likeness of what had been one of his dearest childhood heroes — like any boy of Zeig, even to the present, he was sure — Torben looked at Emma, who appeared to be quietly taking in her surroundings, before he led her back out and to the guard, whom he gave the lantern.

As Emma had requested, the guard led them alongside the trickle that was the Bärhöhle River, as it wound its way along what was the far back of the Caves until, after a longer distance than Torben had always imagined, he started to hear a louder, waterfall sound.

Finally the guard stopped and they were able to see the small creek plummet over a less than one metre wide lip for a distance of up to three metres by Torben’s best guess, after which there looked to be a steep slope of stone which the water disappeared beneath, heading for the fissure that was naturally illuminating the area from the other end.

Pronunciations:

Bärhöhle: barehuhl

Königin: kuhnihgihn

Twilight Between: Day 7

Word Count: 42,038

Summary of Events:

Torben was working on writing down his thoughts for his private audience when he and Emma were summoned to supper, where Torben was asked by the Häuptling what he'd been up to; when he answered, Torben was accused of seeking to get slavery abolished, and he spent the entire meal explaining his stance of slavery reform, but coming away discouraged because he failed to address everything he'd wanted to, and that the Häuptling, although impressed by his argumentative skill, still believed that Torben would fail. Emma was troubled by her father's distress and refused to let him shut himself away, and even spoke firmly to him despite the fact that she didn't like to do it, eventually getting her father to admit his fears to her . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“I do not believe Kronprinz Theoderich will listen to me,” Papa said. “I do not believe it is worth the effort to take the chance. I do not even have a courage equal to that of my father, who said with his own mouth he was a coward, when he had even said that I had a greater courage than he did. I am afraid.”

She could see it in his eyes, and she felt troubled to see it there. So many emotions she had seen in Papa’s eyes but fear had never been one of them.

“I’m sorry Emma,” Papa said, turning away, rather as if ashamed.

He walked back to the window, but this time leaned forward to rest his elbows on the sill, and his head in his hands, his shoulders quivering with shaky breaths.

“You are not alone Papa,” Emma said. “The Verbund agrees with you.”

“We are so few,” Papa said, his voice a weary whisper.

“There is also all the important men of Außtöst, Deuchbren, Aifos, Beldonersteine, and Arbrienne,” Emma said.

“They wouldn’t come and help,” Papa said. “To them, if Zeig wills to die, it may die, and they will merely take possession if its effects thereafter.”

Emma felt tears pricking her own eyes, which she was sure were more than just because of the emotion in Papa’s voice, but also because of her mind’s imagining what Papa had said. She loved Zeig, and if it were to cease to exist, she would be without a homeland.

“Oh Papa,” Emma said, emotion choking her voice. “I know that Häuptling Ölberg didn’t want to listen to you, but you didn’t say it to him like you said it at the Bear Square, which is how you’re going to say it to Kronprinz Theoderich. You’re going to tell him how bad it is for Zeig, and as the head of Zeig he will want to do what is best for his country.”

Papa straightened and turned to look at Emma, looking troubled. “Men are not often won over in a day Emma, especially considering that this is the way things have been for over eight hundred years.”

“But still Papa,” Emma said. “He surely will not be hostile to you when you tell him that you wish for him to at least consider the Außtöst Munster for the good of Zeig. A good König wants to do what is best for his people, and no König wants to be a better König than a new König.”

With a sympathetic look, Papa stepped up to Emma and brushed at the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs gently. “You are right, and you are wise beyond your tender years my little Emma. Danke schön.”

He bent down and kissed her forehead.

“I will try Emma,” he said softly. “For you, and that the Bärenjunge of which you are a part will be stronger and healthier than the aged bear which was mine.”

Emma wrapped her arms around Papa and held him tightly. Papa wrapped his arms around her in return, but much more gently. She knew well the uphill battle that Papa had committed himself to, and she didn’t want to see him giving up now.

Pronunciations:

Aifos: ayefohss

Beldonersteine: belldohnerst'ayn

Arbrienne: ahbreeehn

Ölberg: uhllberg

Danke: dahnkeh

Schön: shuhn

Twilight Between: Day 6

Word Count: 36,008

Summary of Events:

Emma and Torben went to the royal fortress for the viewing of König Baldrich's body, along with every other Fürst in the kingdom — as the Häuptlinge had gone the day before, and all the other noble ranks would follow after — which was the first ever visit to the fortress for either of them. Adler continued working, as well as watching the mostly women who were picking the apples that he was then loading onto the wagon to take for sorting, particularly watching the youngest of the pickers, as she was the easiest to differentiate from the others . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Adler had removed all the crates from beneath the first tree and walked toward the second tree when he saw the young picker take an apple from the tree, examine it, shine it against her sleeve, and then sink her teeth into it.

The Aufseher, apparently, didn’t notice immediately, thus she was able to get quite a few bites out of the apple before there was a shout and the crack of a whip that seemed to only prompt her to eat faster until the Aufseher strode over and seized the apple from her hand, crushing it under the heal of his boot as he cursed at her before dragging her away from the tree and out of Adler’s sight behind the horses before he saw motion to his right.

A handler was rushing down the slope and before long the young picker was being led by her Halsband away from the orchard, the handler’s Sklavestab pushing her forward.

“Work!” came a shout that startled Adler from behind.

He looked over his shoulder to see a different Aufseher on the other side of the row of trees moments before the Aufseher did a low snap of his whip, whose tail bit into the back of Adler’s still-tender right leg.

Adler yelped at the pain before quickly taking up a crate and hurrying toward the wagon.

“Keep them working show-off!” the Aufseher behind Adler hollered.

“I'm not a show-off!” the Aufseher who’d caught the young picker eating the now-crushed apple shouted back.

The one behind Adler made a scoffing noise, but didn’t make a retort, while Adler kept working and wondered what would happen to the young picker for having been caught trying to sate her surely desperate hunger.

Once the wagon was full Adler climbed onto the back and banged with the heel of his hand with the other slave to inform the driver that they were ready to move.

“Keep going!” the Aufseher shouted when the wagon slowed.

Apparently he was in a place to gesticulate to the driver, or even — and Adler didn’t like the thought — to get the horses going with the crack of the whip that he heard accompany the Aufseher’s shout before the wagon started moving again.

They soon reached the sorting building, where they started loading off crates, and as they worked, Adler heard a rather loud crack and a distinctly feminine shriek. He looked at the other slave.

“She’s being flogged,” the other slave said simply. “That is the punishment.”

Adler looked toward where he was sure the flogging area was and felt badly. He hoped they wouldn’t give her too many lashes, and that they would allow her wounds to heal before she was forced to return to work; or, at least, heal somewhat.

Considering that the desire was hard work over long hours, Adler was surprised that the diet wasn’t more sufficient, but he was pretty sure he knew the answer at the same time, as he was well aware that slaveowners were profit-driven men.

Pronunciations:

Häuptlinge: hoyptlingih

Aufseher: owfzehuh

Twilight Between: Day 5

Word Count: 30,123

Summary of Events:

After being given just one day to recover from his branding, Adler was set to work in a fruit orchard, where he was tasked with loading full crates of apples into a wagon to be taken to a sorting facility, which he had to admit, wasn't necessarily all that bad — except for the pain in his leg. Torben was wanting to work on what he would say to Kronprinz Theoderich in his private audience, but didn't know how to start, so he took Emma on a walk to the Bear Square, whose centrepiece was a stone fountain of bears that had been created over 300 years ago to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the Kingdom of Zeig, and whose symbolism — especially when it came to two of the bears in particular — was well-known and widely taught . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Additionally, the sculptor had noted that he’d deliberately designed the fountain so that neither the cub nor the male bear were splashed on by the fountain’s waters, but only by what he had called the fountain of the heavens — or, more simply, rain — so as to show their importance, as the lack of water running over them regularly would make their natural erosion slower than that of the other bears.

And, so far, it’d proven true; neither the Bärenjunge nor the Großer Bär had been copied and replaced since the fountain’s construction on the order of König Baldrich VII, which had been commissioned for the Thousandth Anniversary of Zeig, which he had anticipated presiding over, despite the fact that he turned 90 years old two years before that anniversary.

In the end, König Baldrich VII had died days before his 91^st birthday and it was his son, König Athanarich VIII, who revealed the fountain on the Thousandth Anniversary which had occurred 333 years ago. Kronprinz Theoderich would be the tenth König over Zeig since the fountain’s construction.

Only the Großer Bär and the Bärenjunge had seen over three and a quarter centuries of life unfold around them, including every single Coronation Day, and as he looked at them and thought back on their symbolism — including the fact that the Großer Bär was alternately known as the König Bär, or the animal personification of the König — he started to come up with an idea.

“There is a sight you know well, Your Majesty,” he said aloud, looking into the stone eyes of the Großer Bär that glowered at him. “The Bear Fountain. I am sure you see it at least every week, if not even sometimes on successive days. Did you, as I, learn what the different bears of the fountain symbolised?”

“Papa,” Emma said.

“I know I’m talking to a stone bear,” Torben replied, not breaking his gaze with the stone eyes. “I need to practise.”

Emma said nothing, meaning his addressee was her only concern.

“Specifically, Your Majesty, do you recall what the Großer Bär and the Bärenjunge symbolised?” Torben went on. “Emma, pretend you’re Kronprinz Theoderich, tell me what they symbolise.”

“The Großer Bär symbolises the König,” Emma replied after a hesitation.

“And who is the König?” Torben asked.

“Me?” Emma replied uncertainly.

“Now the Bärenjunge,” Torben said. “What does he represent?”

“The future of Zeig,” Emma replied.

“Indeed,” Torben said. “The future is young. It always is. What is young, is vulnerable, it can be destroyed far easier than what is mature, and it is my conviction that the future of Zeig is not as healthy as the Bärenjunge. It is at best a sickly Bärenjunge, and it is only getting sicker, and weaker, to the cusp of death.”

“Why?” Emma asked. “How?”

“Because of something only you have the power to change,” Torben replied. “You hold the greatest power in your hand of any man in this Kingdom, and yet, under your watch, hundreds, even thousands — millions! — die every day because of the complacency of your forefathers. Slow, lingering deaths they die, while their murderers do not merely go unpunished, but are even celebrated, honoured, and respected; and the more of them that die, the sicker and weaker the Bärenjunge that is our future gets.”

Pronunciations:

Bärenjunge: behrehnyoonguh

Großer: grohssehr

Bär: behr

Twilight Between: Day 4

Word Count: 24,141

Summary of Events:

Adler regained consciousness to find himself in a dark building on a wooden bed; before long he discovered that there were a lot of other slaves in the building, as they all got up and went to work, while he was allowed to remain behind. Torben mulled over a variety of things related to the private audience he would be having with Kronprinz Theoderich following his coronation before the carriage reached the Sky Falls, the tallest waterfall in the country, which he stopped to show Emma. Not terribly long after passing the falls, Emma noticed buildings descending into a valley with a river at the bottom of it; Torben informed her the buildings were Äußere Odalrichsaal and the Königstrom meaning they were just a short ways from their destination . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Although she knew her geography, she found that seeing actual trees, water, stone, snow, grass, hills, and mountains was far different than seeing lines drawn to resemble them at much-reduced scale on a piece of paper.

Glancing to her left, she saw there was just bare stone beside them, rough and craggy, with a few hardy trees growing despite the predominance of the stone, then the carriage made a rather sharp turn and Papa’s window showed Äußere Odalrichsaal, while her window showed rocks and trees.

There was a total of three turns before buildings were out of Emma’s window and a smoother turn brought them into the thick of Innere Odalrichsaal, which was actually the smaller part of the city, but was the part of the city where the most important people lived, and much of the most important business was done.

The street was good and broad, allowing room for two wide, heavy wagons to pass one another while leaving space for the same to be stopped on either side of the road without any sustaining damage.

Black was everywhere. Cloths draped from windows, ribbons on doors, and black clothes on all the people who were about their business, which Papa had told her most citizens were allowed to resume — albeit while still wearing black — following their having done next to no work on the day the König had died; unless the König died overnight, then it was the day after his death.

Flags were the other thing Emma noticed there to be a lot of, each of them bearing a thick black ribbon above it to show mourning, even when the flags were on such poles where they could be lowered to half-staff.

Because the black band on the Königlichflagge was at the top, the tails of the ribbons were lost in the flags hanging at half-staff, but the part that was tied about the staff was visible.

Since the air was still, none of the flags waved much, but instead hung still, creating jumbles of black, yellow, green, and red as they hung on the staffs, with the stripes being more distinguishable on those flags which hung on posts projecting out from buildings.

After winding their way down several streets lined with buildings that were predominantly made of stone, some with a coat of coloured plaster over top to differentiate them from those buildings adjacent to them, they came to a wide, open square with a large fountain whose centrepiece featured several bears, the Königlichtier of Zeig.

“This is the Bärplatz,” Papa said.

Emma nodded, she’d suspected as much because of its size and the fountain.

“And up there,” Papa said, pointing.

Looking up after Papa’s hand, Emma could see what was formally known as Odalrichsaal Festung, the imposing, grey fortress wherein the König lived.

It was broad and tall, and looked in many ways as if it were one with the cliffs of Bärhöhleberg behind it, which had no trees for several metres on either side, before the trees resumed in a thick blanket.

Pronunciations:

Äußere: oysehreh

Königstrom: kuhnihgstrum

Innere: ihnehreh

Königlichflagge: kuhnihglihchflahggeh

Königlichtier: kuhnihglichchteer

Bärplatz: bareplahtz

Festung: fehstung

Twilight Between: Day 3

Word Count: 18,019

Summary of Events:

Emma was sitting outside when a messenger came from the Häuptling; when he left, she went to her father's study and learned the messenger had brought an official invitation to König Baldrich's funeral, as space in the caves beneath the mountain were limited. Torben felt annoyed by the invitation, as it saddled him with the need to bring a woman with him, until he was struck by the idea that he could take Emma with him, as she was a woman — even if a very young one — and was overflowing with questions about what all would happen. Adler arrived at his new master's home, which he determined was in the far south of Zeig, as he could see the sea, where the wagon carrying him and the other slaves who'd been bought with him to a low shed well toward the back of the property . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

The door of the wagon was unlocked and opened and one of the handlers fished his Sklavestab inside, hooking the chain closest to the slave who was most in line with the door and pulling.

With many a wary look toward him, the slave edged toward the door, drawing two more after him when their chains became tight.

Apparently realising that this slave wasn’t at either end of the chain the handler unhooked the slave, deftly turned his Sklavestab around, and beat the slave with it five times, cursing at him.

“Where is the end?” the handler demanded.

Cautiously he edged toward the doorway, flinching when the Sklavestab’s sharp-pointed metal hook came close to his face as the handler went for the chain coming from his collar and pulled him roughly out.

Once he was out on the ground his collar was hooked by another handler and the chain unlocked by a third before he was led toward the low shed, which he quickly realised was a forge by seeing the elevated heating place aglow with orange.

Glowing red-hot over the coals was a carefully formed brand that, if the master owned any livestock, was used to mark them as well as his slaves, and was registered in the brand registry.

The handler behind him gave him a hard push that dropped him to his knees before he was pushed further forward until he was laid on his stomach.

Several men came at him from all sides as the handler moved to be above his head, pulling on his collar so as to almost choke him, with two taking hold of his arms, and two taking hold per leg.

Those on his right leg drew up the leg of his linen pants and he writhed in anticipation of the pain that he knew was going to sear through him, just as when the hot brand had been applied to his forearm just above his wrist a couple months before.

One of the men holding his legs slapped his back, and he felt the collar’s unrounded corners bite into his jaw before there came the sound of more footsteps.

“Ready?” a man asked toward his feet.

“Ready,” two men responded.

He barely had a chance to feel the heat of the brand nearing his flesh before he felt the horrible searing sensation, but was unable to scream because of the choking position the collar was in around his throat.

Instinctively he writhed against those who held him, desperate to be free of the agonising pain, and was beaten for his efforts by hands and even sticks before finally he felt as if the pain was subsiding, even if hardly, and ceased to strive against those who held him.

They all then released him — except the handler, of course — and he was goaded to his feet despite the screaming pain on the back of his leg.

He could hardly think for the pain he was in, but was goaded forward by the pressing of his collar, as well as other beatings and proddings until the agony was more than he could bear and he collapsed, his consciousness abandoning him.

Pronunciation:

Sklavestab: sklahvehstahb