A Peek At My Up-and-Coming Novel: "Marked for Death" (It's a bit lengthy, but bear with it yeah?)

Prologue

  

The servant silently walked through the doors of the bedchamber. There was a consistent wailing cry. No, two wailing cries. Twins. The servant nearly froze in shock. Twins being born for the kingdom was unheard of. There was a sudden cry of rage and an expensive vase shattered against the wall near the servants head. The servant edged into the extravagant room and saw why the King was in a rage. The queen was dying. By the amount of blood on the sheets, she had fifteen minutes, at the most.

The servant took another couple of steps into the room. The King noticed him and stopped his rampage, obviously thinking.  Then he walked over to the crib concealing the two children. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. The King suddenly straightened up and waved the servant over next to him. The servant hesitated at first, but the King’s beckoning hand seemed to become more urgent. He quickly walked over to his King.

“Servant. What is your name?” the King asked. “My name? It has been so long since anyone spoke it my King… but it is Kaefstan. Kaefstan Rouge. Why do you ask, my King?” the King nodded and twisted off one of his four rings. “Kaefstan. There is a trade ship at the Space Docks. Take my son with you to a planet far from here, far from this galaxy.  I… We cannot bear to lose another of our family.” He placed the ring into Kaefstan’s hand and closed his fingers around it, hiding the ring from sight. He then picked up the bundle of blood-red blankets, from which a deep, contented breathing was issuing. The child was asleep.

Kaefstan nodded, knowing that the King was exiling not only him, but his own son, for the good of the kingdom. There was suddenly the sound of grinding coming from the elevator, indicating that it was coming to a stop. “I’ve informed the priests that only one child was born,” the King told Kaefstan. Kaefstan went to bow, but the King gently laid a hand on his chest. “Kaefstan Rouge, loyal servant of the Kingdom of Castrofe, I release from your duties with this final order,” the King said, “take my son. Raise him to know what it is like to be a commoner among the Stars. For I fear the house of Uroam has forgotten what we came from. Protect my son with your life.”

There were voices just beyond the door. The King ushered Kaefstan towards one of the many secret servant entrances. “Sir, your majesty, what should I name him?” the king smiled at Kaefstan’s question with a twinkle in his eye. “I’m sure you shall think of something, Kaefstan. You always do. Now go! To the Space Docks!” Kaefstan half-ran half-walked through the corridors, trying his best to stay hidden, even when no one else was in sight.

As he walked behind the kitchens, he heard voice through the thin wall. “The King is doomed. Priest Cloff knows what must be done, for the good of the Kingdom. The house of Uroam shall fall this night,” dark chuckling followed this statement. Kaefstan let out a small gasp. This was the true reason the King sent his son away. The chuckling stopped. “Did you hear that, Scourge?” Kaefstan held his breath and slowly backed away. “I hear a rat!” another voice shouted. This voice was deep, gruff, scarred. The shout was followed by a fist coming through the wall. “Hello little rat!”

The hand had snatched at Kaefstan, grabbing a handful of robes. Kaefstan did the only thing he could have. He unsheathed his dagger, the one he was told at the beginning of his service to always have with him, and sliced through the hand in one fluid motion. The hand fell, leaving nothing but a stump behind, spouting blood. There may have been a scream, but Kaefstan didn’t hear it. He was already sprinting out through the gardens and vaulting the back wall.

Kaefstan dropped thirty feet and landed on the roof of a shop, in the market square. He rolled off, being sure to keep the child safe in his arms. He may have heard a small crunch emanate from his left foot, but he ignored it. “Nice of you to drop in. Would like to have a look at my wares?” a voice spoke behind him. Kaefstan slowly turned and laid eyes upon quite possibly the ugliest woman he had ever seen. Words couldn’t even begin to describe her, but the banner draped over the table read Madamé Madame, Fortune Teller.

“Perhaps a charm necklace for the babe? I see a great destiny awaits him, especially since he is the last of the line of Uroam.” Madame said. Kaefstan used to believe fortune telling was nothing but, as the old term goes, smoke and mirrors. That changed real fast. “Please. The Space Docks. Do you know the quickest way to get there?” Kaefstan asked. Madame motioned for him to lean closer. Kaefstan complied.

“Do you truly wish to take this child from here, for now? He will suffer much pain, misery, and death before he returns. It would be easier to abandon him,” she said. Kaefstan didn’t have to consider for a second. “It is my duty. The last orders of the king. I will not fail.” Kaefstan answered. Madame smiled. “I thought so. Take this,” she placed something around the child’s neck, a charm of some sort. No easy feat with such a fat babe. “and go this way.”

She waved her arm and a short, dark tunnel opened behind her. “Do not fear, Kaefstan Rouge. He will be strong. Stronger than his forefathers and stronger than those who have suffered the Mark.” Kaefstan was suddenly uneasy. “Why do you help me — us?” he asked. Madame smiled and, for a moment, Kaefstan saw the beautiful woman she once was. “Let’s just say I have my own score to settle with the Priests of Gall. Now, flee!” she said, then pushed him down the tunnel, the entrance closing behind him, blocking the sounds of the market.

Kaefstan only needed to follow the tunnel for about a hundred yards before he came to the end. He laid his hand on the blank wall in front of him and sighed. A dead end. Then he heard a small hiss and dim light suddenly appeared to make the outline of a door. Kaefstan pushed gently and the door swung open, revealing the Space Docks. He stepped out and the door swung shut behind him. He turned and searched for any sort of trigger mechanism, finding nothing. Even when he knocked, it seemed solid all the way through.

Kaefstan was about to conduct a more thorough search when he heard shouting. It was guards under the command of the Priests of Gall. Kaefstan bundled the child more securely in his arms and sprinted for the nearest ship. He dashed up the loading bridge just as the crew was pulling it in. Kaefstan checked the child’s breathing. Amazingly, it was still asleep, even after all that had happened. It had a content smile on its face.

Stop thinking of it as an ‘it,’ Kaefstan. Is it male or female? What will I name it? Kaefstan scolded himself. He slowly adjusted the bundle and checked. Male. Definitely male. He readjusted the blankets and went about thinking of a name. “Oi! You! Whatchya duin on dis ‘ere ship?” spoke a gruff male voice. Kaefstan looked around. He was surrounded by nearly the entire crew. “Umm… My name is Kaefstan Rouge. I seek safe passage to…” Kaefstan paused. Where is the only safe place for this child?

“The Edge. Or near it anyways. As close as you can get us.” A couple of the traders stepped back, some made a sign to ward off evil, and some even cracked a smile like it was a joke. Than a big, muscular man stepped forward. From the band around his arm, it was obvious he was the captain. “We’ll take to Duranda. It’s a desert planet just on the Edge. Literally as close as you can get. Just tell me one thing. What is the child’s name?” Kaefstan looked down at the sleeping babe. “His name? His name is Zane. Zane Uroam.”