It was well past noon on the Noble Road, and Drake was well past done waiting for the last member of their caravan. He’d only been informed that he and Sky would be adding one more carriage to their vanguard during their trip home, a carriage that would join them on the road rather than leaving with them from within the city. He wasn’t remotely happy about it.
But one did not simply say no to the noble court.
Both Lydia and Samuel had vetoed him getting out to stretch his legs on the road while they waited for their last carriage—they’d stopped in sight of some hills that would be just perfect for assassins—so Drake was stuck in his armored carriage waiting for his “guest” to arrive. Still... at least he had the option to get out and stretch his legs.
Emily reclined on the bench across from him, languidly popping grapes off a bunch and dropping them, one by one, into her mouth. Her legs remained immobilized in a combination of splints, casts, and bandages.
Broken legs couldn’t be healed with battle maid gloves, and even Darion’s fleshbind rarity wasn’t up to the task. It would take empathetic regeneration like Raylan’s to get Emily back on her feet any sooner than a week. He’d continue to treat her every day on the road.
Emily had also had the rest of the manor waiting on her hand and foot since the battle. She was milking her “kraken killer” title for all it was worth, but Drake didn’t begrudge her a little pampering. She had been awfully heroic on the beach, saving the entire manor... as she often liked to remind everyone.
It wasn’t long before he could stand the silence no longer. He looked to Emily, who paused with a ripe, wet grape halfway to her mouth. She raised an eyebrow.
“Did you want one?”
“I just want to be on the road,” Drake griped. “There has to be a statute of limitations on this request, doesn’t there? We can’t wait until nightfall for our guest to join us.”
“Can I speak freely, lord?” Emily asked hopefully.
Drake snorted. “When do you not?”
“I’m quite happy we get to take Prince Lorel back to Gloomwood Manor with us. The Judge would never have entrusted us to escort him unless she trusted us more than the other manors. She chose you even over Lord Proudglade! Doesn’t that mean something?”
“Yes,” Drake said. “It means she trusts me to take out her trash.”
Emily chortled and dropped the grape into her mouth. “I don’t think that’s it at all,” she added after she chewed. “Lord Ashwind remains desperate to curry favor with the Judge. If she simply wanted someone to accept unwelcome tasks, she would have sent Prince Lorel with him. His manor is even more secure than my own.”
“Except the kromians would melt in the heat,” Drake reminded her.
“Lord Mistvale also has whole lakes that would be more suitable for kromian visitors,” Emily continued. “And instead of honoring them with this trust, she honored you. So don’t be so vexed by this charge, lord. I think you impressed the Judge during your time here.”
“Maybe,” Drake agreed grudgingly. “I’d prefer not to impress her ever again.”
“You sure you don’t want a grape?” Emily asked hopefully. “Open your mouth. I’ll toss them from here. If I make one in, you have to give me a raise.”
He glanced at her in surprise. “Do you want a raise? I’ll give you a raise. How much are we even paying you these days?”
She made a face. “Well, I don’t want one for free.”
“You’re telling me chopping a ten-story tall kraken to death doesn’t earn you a raise?”
“That was a bonus, lord.” She grinned. “One I have already received.”
A call from one of Sky’s rangers alerted him to the arrival of another carriage. “Finally!” Drake waited anxiously until a knock came at his door. “Time to greet the smelly fish prince.”
Once Lydia knocked, he immediately opened the door. “Fish tank arrived?”
She frowned, hand raised in mid-knock. “A carriage is on approach to our position from a side road. It is escorted by capital guards. I don’t see... did you say a tank?”
“Unless they put them in a jar or a vat. I guess we should go find out, right? We have to officially welcome the exiled kromian prince to our vanguard.”
“Correct. Lord Skybreak, Lady Skybreak, Lady Marissa, and Samuel now await your arrival. Sky’s rangers, and Sachi, have confirmed our surroundings are clear of assassins. It should be safe to emerge and join the others in greeting our guests.”
“Then let’s get the formalities out of the way and get on the road.” Drake had never been so eager to leave for home. “I still think it’s insane to have us host the exiled kromian prince when there’s a whole capital here, but what do I know? Do we even have fish food?”
“I believe the kromians eat the same type of meat we do, lord.”
“They also swim around in the same water with their poop. All fish do that, you know.”
Lydia made her concerned face. “I would suggest you not repeat that in front of Prince Lorel.”
“Hadn’t planned on it.” Drake stepped out of his carriage. “But you can bet I’ll be thinking it the whole time.” He grinned evilly at Lydia. “And now, you will be too.”
She lightly cleared her throat. “Shall we go now, lord?”
“And now I’m thinking that as well!” Emily called angrily from the carriage. “Why?”
Drake winked at Emily, shut the door, and looked at Lydia. “Lead on, loyal steward.”
He followed Lydia through a circle of carriages and wagons pulled into a defensive ring with his zarovians in clear view and Sky’s further out. No one was going to sneak up on them in the middle of the day. He joined the others Lydia had called out at the edge of the circle just as the carriage sent by the noble court emerged from the nearby trees.
Only Sky and Drake were officially required in order to greet the prince and invite him to join their vanguard. Still, it looked more respectful to have all the important people standing at attention. Samuel had suggested it best they make Prince Lorel feel important.
A full contingent of capital guards escorted the exiled prince’s carriage, fourteen by Drake’s count. The noble court was taking no chances with Lorel, though the chance of kromians setting an ambush this far inland was unlikely. Getting the prince as far from the sea as possible was likely one reason the Judge had chosen Gloomwood Manor to host him.
A single coachman rode atop the carriage, which had armored plates on his left and right and a plate in the front. The coachman could duck down behind it if they were attacked on the road. He didn’t seem to be wearing any armor, and he wasn’t one of Drake’s people, so it seemed they’d be having one additional house guest on the trip home. Drake assumed, given the capital needed all the soldiers it could get, the capital guards wouldn’t be coming.
The whole carriage was riding low. Even with a team of six horses pulling it, it was moving slower than he’d expect a carriage of that size to move. They absolutely had a fish tank in there, and given how fast it moved, it was going to slow his whole caravan down. Drake’s mood grew worse as he stepped up to join the others, but Sky’s smile improved it a bit.
“To host the prince is a great honor,” she reminded him. “The Judge has placed an immense amount of trust in both of us. Let that ease the burden.”
“You’re not the one who has to keep our fishy prince entertained for however long it takes to end this war,” Drake reminded her. “I don’t even know what kromians do for fun.”
“Spear games, lord,” Samuel said calmly from his other side. “While the physics of spear throwing in open air are quite different from water, that should provide enough novelty that it could occupy our guests for some time. After that, we can offer riddles.”
“Kromians like riddles?” Drake asked doubtfully.
“Everyone likes riddles,” Viktoria assured him.
He frowned at her. “Well, I don’t.”
Marissa smiled knowingly as she watched the heavy carriage slowly approach. “What better way to keep the mind sharp than by challenging it to think?”
“Lots of things,” Drake said. “What about Sudoku? That could keep them busy for days. Or...” A satisfied smile pushed through his funk. “We could teach them all to fish.”
At his side, Lydia sighed quietly.
As the carriage rolled onto the Noble Road, Drake grimaced as the whole carriage leaned dangerously as it rolled over a difference in terrain. There was definitely a huge tank of saltwater in there. If it broke, were the kromians going to dry out before they got home?
He’d simply pray that didn’t happen. Even a day after he’d fully recovered from his... argument... in the sacred chamber, the thought of the compulsion he’d felt afterward left a bad taste in his mouth. Yet more proof blood magic compulsion had to go.
Still, he was leaving the capital at last. Back to his manor. Back to his home. So far as he was concerned, the Eidolons could sleep until he was dust in the ground.
No one spoke as the carriage rolled onward, then slowly and awkwardly came to a stop. It wasn’t going to be easy to stop either, and Drake tried to remember if the Noble Road had any significant downhill slopes. If the brakes broke on that fish wagon, it could go barreling through half his vanguard before beaching the kromians in the dirt.
Drake glanced at Sky. “You start us off. I’ll do whatever you do.”
“We’ll keep this short,” she replied just as quietly.
After a considerable and annoying delay, the door to the carriage opened. A kromian dressed in the same almost nothing they usually wore hopped out. Water coursed off his bluish body like he’d just stepped out of the shower. He held a gleaming golden spear but no other weapons, but looked ripped and formidable.
Another kromian hopped out in the same way, this one female, and Drake couldn’t help but notice that she had a fully human figure save for her webbed hands and feet... and that she was wearing the equivalent of a tiny golden bikini. He wondered if Goktul could make some light armor for these people at the manor. They’d be sitting ducks otherwise.
Finally, the prince himself emerged. He wore his golden tiara and little else. How were the kromians even getting out of the tank inside that carriage? Were they flopping out like dolphins? Despite his annoyance, Drake found himself awfully curious about the design of this fish tank on wheels. Perhaps he could sneak a look after a few days on the road.
Sky strode forward. “Prince Lorel, welcome.” She spoke just loud enough to be heard across the distance as she advanced, and Drake walked at her side. “As lord of Skybreak Manor, I pledge my rangers to your protection. You will not come to harm so long as I draw breath.”
Prince Lorel graciously inclined his head. Sky glanced subtly at Drake.
Drake cleared his throat. “Prince Lorel, welcome. As lord of Gloomwood Manor, I pledge my people to your protection, and hope you will accept all the hospitality my manor can offer. No one will harm you while you are in our care.”
Lorel smiled graciously. “Thank you, both, for your gracious offer of protection. I accept, and it is my honor to be in such esteemed company. I only hope it will not be for long.”
Probably a lot longer than you think, Drake thought silently. It’s not like we have a bunch of submarines we can send to torpedo your friends. He had no idea how the capital planned to fight the kromians, but winning that war wasn’t his problem. That was a problem for Lord Brightwater, Lord Proudglade, and Lord Mistvale.
“I apologize for the delay in our arrival,” Prince Lorel continued. “There were a few difficulties with arranging our transport, but I’m now confident we are ready for travel.”
“That’s good to hear,” Drake said diplomatically. “Do you have any concerns about the journey, or anything else, before we get underway?”
“Only one, Lord Gloomwood. If it would not be an imposition, I would like to travel with you today and speak of the accommodations we will need at your manor. Our needs are rather specific.”
No fucking way. I don’t want my carriage smelling like raw fish this whole damn trip. Aloud, Drake simply offered a thin smile.
“I apologize, Prince Lorel, but that won’t be possible today. The blood thrall who defeated Prince Varnath’s kraken is also traveling in my carriage with my steward, and she requires a whole bench to remain comfortable after her battle injuries. You understand.”
“I see.” Lorel looked a bit uncomfortable. “Then... when can we discuss our accommodations?”
“We’ll have plenty of time to talk once we make camp for the night,” Drake assured him smoothly. “Once we know exactly what you’ll need, we can send a rider ahead of our vanguard to inform my people and get them started. Your accommodations should be well along before we reach my manor. If they aren’t too cumbersome, they may even be finished.”
“Then... that is fine,” Lorel agreed. “Thank you, Lord Gloomwood. I simply wish this arrangement hadn’t been so rushed. I was only informed I’d be joining you this morning.”
Drake was surprised that the prince had gotten the same amount of notice that he had about joining the joint vanguard of Gloomwood and Skybreak Manors. He’d assumed the Judge had planned this all out days ago and kept it secret. If she hadn’t...
There could be another reason, other than attempting to annoy him, the Judge had sprung this on him at the last minute. Had she intended to send Prince Lorel with another manor lord and had to alter her plans for some reason? Did she have intelligence he did not?
He’d put Samuel on finding that out. Samuel handled the spy things. He could probably figure it out before they reached Gloomwood Manor.
“If there is nothing else, Prince Lorel,” Sky said calmly, “we should get underway.”
“Yes, of course.” The prince swallowed visibly, and as his eyes swept the land around them, he looked visibly troubled by the lack of water. “Thank you. That will be all.”
The prince retreated into his carriage. Drake listened as closely as he could and detected a faint splash, which suggested the tank might be open on the top. The two guards entered one after the other, and then the door closed.
He wondered if any of them had pooped in the tank just yet.
Author's Note: With the pre-order set, I can now happily reveal that my publisher, Aethon Books, will be releasing the first book of Rise of a Manor Lord on Amazon on January 23, 2024, and we will be getting an audiobook as well, which is going to be awesome. I've really enjoyed the response to the story here on ScribbleHub, and I hope my books will find an additional audience on Amazon.
Though it goes without saying, the entire story will still be posted on SH and RR first, for free, and the current arc (Book 3) will bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. This includes revealing Drake's full discussion with Orphena, why everyone wants to talk to his tree, and why Lord Crow summoned him in the first place... as well as the big secret his mother has been holding onto for twenty-five years.
Book 1 will cover the events from when Drake gets abducted by Lord Crow while on his quest for beer and donuts to the point where he leaves Gloomwood Manor to head to Korhaurbauten with his staff fully behind him and full knowledge of how his rarity works. So, chapters 5-79 will be going away at the end of next Friday to comply with Amazon/KU requirements.
If you'd like to further support this story by dropping a rating on Amazon when it comes out (or recommending it to your friends who don't read on SH or RR), I'd greatly appreciate it! Otherwise, you can expect Rise of a Manor Lord to wrap up in February 2024. It's always a thrill to see people enjoying my work, so thank you for all the comments and kind words.
Next week, Drake learns more about his tree and tries to adopt some new kitties.
Read Ahead on the Patreon
Chat on the Discord
It was well past noon on the Noble Road, and Drake was well past done waiting for the last member of their caravan. He’d only been informed that he and Sky would be adding one more carriage to their vanguard during their trip home, a carriage that would join them on the road rather than leaving with them from within the city. He wasn’t remotely happy about it.
But one did not simply say no to the noble court.
Both Lydia and Samuel had vetoed him getting out to stretch his legs on the road while they waited for their last carriage—they’d stopped in sight of some hills that would be just perfect for assassins—so Drake was stuck in his armored carriage waiting for his “guest” to arrive. Still... at least he had the option to get out and stretch his legs.
Emily reclined on the bench across from him, languidly popping grapes off a bunch and dropping them, one by one, into her mouth. Her legs remained immobilized in a combination of splints, casts, and bandages.
Broken legs couldn’t be healed with battle maid gloves, and even Darion’s fleshbind rarity wasn’t up to the task. It would take empathetic regeneration like Raylan’s to get Emily back on her feet any sooner than a week. He’d continue to treat her every day on the road.
Emily had also had the rest of the manor waiting on her hand and foot since the battle. She was milking her “kraken killer” title for all it was worth, but Drake didn’t begrudge her a little pampering. She had been awfully heroic on the beach, saving the entire manor... as she often liked to remind everyone.
It wasn’t long before he could stand the silence no longer. He looked to Emily, who paused with a ripe, wet grape halfway to her mouth. She raised an eyebrow.
“Did you want one?”
“I just want to be on the road,” Drake griped. “There has to be a statute of limitations on this request, doesn’t there? We can’t wait until nightfall for our guest to join us.”
“Can I speak freely, lord?” Emily asked hopefully.
Drake snorted. “When do you not?”
“I’m quite happy we get to take Prince Lorel back to Gloomwood Manor with us. The Judge would never have entrusted us to escort him unless she trusted us more than the other manors. She chose you even over Lord Proudglade! Doesn’t that mean something?”
“Yes,” Drake said. “It means she trusts me to take out her trash.”
Emily chortled and dropped the grape into her mouth. “I don’t think that’s it at all,” she added after she chewed. “Lord Ashwind remains desperate to curry favor with the Judge. If she simply wanted someone to accept unwelcome tasks, she would have sent Prince Lorel with him. His manor is even more secure than my own.”
“Except the kromians would melt in the heat,” Drake reminded her.
“Lord Mistvale also has whole lakes that would be more suitable for kromian visitors,” Emily continued. “And instead of honoring them with this trust, she honored you. So don’t be so vexed by this charge, lord. I think you impressed the Judge during your time here.”
“Maybe,” Drake agreed grudgingly. “I’d prefer not to impress her ever again.”
“You sure you don’t want a grape?” Emily asked hopefully. “Open your mouth. I’ll toss them from here. If I make one in, you have to give me a raise.”
He glanced at her in surprise. “Do you want a raise? I’ll give you a raise. How much are we even paying you these days?”
She made a face. “Well, I don’t want one for free.”
“You’re telling me chopping a ten-story tall kraken to death doesn’t earn you a raise?”
“That was a bonus, lord.” She grinned. “One I have already received.”
A call from one of Sky’s rangers alerted him to the arrival of another carriage. “Finally!” Drake waited anxiously until a knock came at his door. “Time to greet the smelly fish prince.”
Once Lydia knocked, he immediately opened the door. “Fish tank arrived?”
She frowned, hand raised in mid-knock. “A carriage is on approach to our position from a side road. It is escorted by capital guards. I don’t see... did you say a tank?”
“Unless they put them in a jar or a vat. I guess we should go find out, right? We have to officially welcome the exiled kromian prince to our vanguard.”
“Correct. Lord Skybreak, Lady Skybreak, Lady Marissa, and Samuel now await your arrival. Sky’s rangers, and Sachi, have confirmed our surroundings are clear of assassins. It should be safe to emerge and join the others in greeting our guests.”
“Then let’s get the formalities out of the way and get on the road.” Drake had never been so eager to leave for home. “I still think it’s insane to have us host the exiled kromian prince when there’s a whole capital here, but what do I know? Do we even have fish food?”
“I believe the kromians eat the same type of meat we do, lord.”
“They also swim around in the same water with their poop. All fish do that, you know.”
Lydia made her concerned face. “I would suggest you not repeat that in front of Prince Lorel.”
“Hadn’t planned on it.” Drake stepped out of his carriage. “But you can bet I’ll be thinking it the whole time.” He grinned evilly at Lydia. “And now, you will be too.”
She lightly cleared her throat. “Shall we go now, lord?”
“And now I’m thinking that as well!” Emily called angrily from the carriage. “Why?”
Drake winked at Emily, shut the door, and looked at Lydia. “Lead on, loyal steward.”
He followed Lydia through a circle of carriages and wagons pulled into a defensive ring with his zarovians in clear view and Sky’s further out. No one was going to sneak up on them in the middle of the day. He joined the others Lydia had called out at the edge of the circle just as the carriage sent by the noble court emerged from the nearby trees.
Only Sky and Drake were officially required in order to greet the prince and invite him to join their vanguard. Still, it looked more respectful to have all the important people standing at attention. Samuel had suggested it best they make Prince Lorel feel important.
A full contingent of capital guards escorted the exiled prince’s carriage, fourteen by Drake’s count. The noble court was taking no chances with Lorel, though the chance of kromians setting an ambush this far inland was unlikely. Getting the prince as far from the sea as possible was likely one reason the Judge had chosen Gloomwood Manor to host him.
A single coachman rode atop the carriage, which had armored plates on his left and right and a plate in the front. The coachman could duck down behind it if they were attacked on the road. He didn’t seem to be wearing any armor, and he wasn’t one of Drake’s people, so it seemed they’d be having one additional house guest on the trip home. Drake assumed, given the capital needed all the soldiers it could get, the capital guards wouldn’t be coming.
The whole carriage was riding low. Even with a team of six horses pulling it, it was moving slower than he’d expect a carriage of that size to move. They absolutely had a fish tank in there, and given how fast it moved, it was going to slow his whole caravan down. Drake’s mood grew worse as he stepped up to join the others, but Sky’s smile improved it a bit.
“To host the prince is a great honor,” she reminded him. “The Judge has placed an immense amount of trust in both of us. Let that ease the burden.”
“You’re not the one who has to keep our fishy prince entertained for however long it takes to end this war,” Drake reminded her. “I don’t even know what kromians do for fun.”
“Spear games, lord,” Samuel said calmly from his other side. “While the physics of spear throwing in open air are quite different from water, that should provide enough novelty that it could occupy our guests for some time. After that, we can offer riddles.”
“Kromians like riddles?” Drake asked doubtfully.
“Everyone likes riddles,” Viktoria assured him.
He frowned at her. “Well, I don’t.”
Marissa smiled knowingly as she watched the heavy carriage slowly approach. “What better way to keep the mind sharp than by challenging it to think?”
“Lots of things,” Drake said. “What about Sudoku? That could keep them busy for days. Or...” A satisfied smile pushed through his funk. “We could teach them all to fish.”
At his side, Lydia sighed quietly.
As the carriage rolled onto the Noble Road, Drake grimaced as the whole carriage leaned dangerously as it rolled over a difference in terrain. There was definitely a huge tank of saltwater in there. If it broke, were the kromians going to dry out before they got home?
He’d simply pray that didn’t happen. Even a day after he’d fully recovered from his... argument... in the sacred chamber, the thought of the compulsion he’d felt afterward left a bad taste in his mouth. Yet more proof blood magic compulsion had to go.
Still, he was leaving the capital at last. Back to his manor. Back to his home. So far as he was concerned, the Eidolons could sleep until he was dust in the ground.
No one spoke as the carriage rolled onward, then slowly and awkwardly came to a stop. It wasn’t going to be easy to stop either, and Drake tried to remember if the Noble Road had any significant downhill slopes. If the brakes broke on that fish wagon, it could go barreling through half his vanguard before beaching the kromians in the dirt.
Drake glanced at Sky. “You start us off. I’ll do whatever you do.”
“We’ll keep this short,” she replied just as quietly.
After a considerable and annoying delay, the door to the carriage opened. A kromian dressed in the same almost nothing they usually wore hopped out. Water coursed off his bluish body like he’d just stepped out of the shower. He held a gleaming golden spear but no other weapons, but looked ripped and formidable.
Another kromian hopped out in the same way, this one female, and Drake couldn’t help but notice that she had a fully human figure save for her webbed hands and feet... and that she was wearing the equivalent of a tiny golden bikini. He wondered if Goktul could make some light armor for these people at the manor. They’d be sitting ducks otherwise.
Finally, the prince himself emerged. He wore his golden tiara and little else. How were the kromians even getting out of the tank inside that carriage? Were they flopping out like dolphins? Despite his annoyance, Drake found himself awfully curious about the design of this fish tank on wheels. Perhaps he could sneak a look after a few days on the road.
Sky strode forward. “Prince Lorel, welcome.” She spoke just loud enough to be heard across the distance as she advanced, and Drake walked at her side. “As lord of Skybreak Manor, I pledge my rangers to your protection. You will not come to harm so long as I draw breath.”
Prince Lorel graciously inclined his head. Sky glanced subtly at Drake.
Drake cleared his throat. “Prince Lorel, welcome. As lord of Gloomwood Manor, I pledge my people to your protection, and hope you will accept all the hospitality my manor can offer. No one will harm you while you are in our care.”
Lorel smiled graciously. “Thank you, both, for your gracious offer of protection. I accept, and it is my honor to be in such esteemed company. I only hope it will not be for long.”
Probably a lot longer than you think, Drake thought silently. It’s not like we have a bunch of submarines we can send to torpedo your friends. He had no idea how the capital planned to fight the kromians, but winning that war wasn’t his problem. That was a problem for Lord Brightwater, Lord Proudglade, and Lord Mistvale.
“I apologize for the delay in our arrival,” Prince Lorel continued. “There were a few difficulties with arranging our transport, but I’m now confident we are ready for travel.”
“That’s good to hear,” Drake said diplomatically. “Do you have any concerns about the journey, or anything else, before we get underway?”
“Only one, Lord Gloomwood. If it would not be an imposition, I would like to travel with you today and speak of the accommodations we will need at your manor. Our needs are rather specific.”
No fucking way. I don’t want my carriage smelling like raw fish this whole damn trip. Aloud, Drake simply offered a thin smile.
“I apologize, Prince Lorel, but that won’t be possible today. The blood thrall who defeated Prince Varnath’s kraken is also traveling in my carriage with my steward, and she requires a whole bench to remain comfortable after her battle injuries. You understand.”
“I see.” Lorel looked a bit uncomfortable. “Then... when can we discuss our accommodations?”
“We’ll have plenty of time to talk once we make camp for the night,” Drake assured him smoothly. “Once we know exactly what you’ll need, we can send a rider ahead of our vanguard to inform my people and get them started. Your accommodations should be well along before we reach my manor. If they aren’t too cumbersome, they may even be finished.”
“Then... that is fine,” Lorel agreed. “Thank you, Lord Gloomwood. I simply wish this arrangement hadn’t been so rushed. I was only informed I’d be joining you this morning.”
Drake was surprised that the prince had gotten the same amount of notice that he had about joining the joint vanguard of Gloomwood and Skybreak Manors. He’d assumed the Judge had planned this all out days ago and kept it secret. If she hadn’t...
There could be another reason, other than attempting to annoy him, the Judge had sprung this on him at the last minute. Had she intended to send Prince Lorel with another manor lord and had to alter her plans for some reason? Did she have intelligence he did not?
He’d put Samuel on finding that out. Samuel handled the spy things. He could probably figure it out before they reached Gloomwood Manor.
“If there is nothing else, Prince Lorel,” Sky said calmly, “we should get underway.”
“Yes, of course.” The prince swallowed visibly, and as his eyes swept the land around them, he looked visibly troubled by the lack of water. “Thank you. That will be all.”
The prince retreated into his carriage. Drake listened as closely as he could and detected a faint splash, which suggested the tank might be open on the top. The two guards entered one after the other, and then the door closed.
He wondered if any of them had pooped in the tank just yet.
Author's Note: With the pre-order set, I can now happily reveal that my publisher, Aethon Books, will be releasing the first book of Rise of a Manor Lord on Amazon on January 23, 2024, and we will be getting an audiobook as well, which is going to be awesome. I've really enjoyed the response to the story here on ScribbleHub, and I hope my books will find an additional audience on Amazon.
Though it goes without saying, the entire story will still be posted on SH and RR first, for free, and the current arc (Book 3) will bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. This includes revealing Drake's full discussion with Orphena, why everyone wants to talk to his tree, and why Lord Crow summoned him in the first place... as well as the big secret his mother has been holding onto for twenty-five years.
Book 1 will cover the events from when Drake gets abducted by Lord Crow while on his quest for beer and donuts to the point where he leaves Gloomwood Manor to head to Korhaurbauten with his staff fully behind him and full knowledge of how his rarity works. So, chapters 5-79 will be going away at the end of next Friday to comply with Amazon/KU requirements.
If you'd like to further support this story by dropping a rating on Amazon when it comes out (or recommending it to your friends who don't read on SH or RR), I'd greatly appreciate it! Otherwise, you can expect Rise of a Manor Lord to wrap up in February 2024. It's always a thrill to see people enjoying my work, so thank you for all the comments and kind words.
Next week, Drake learns more about his tree and tries to adopt some new kitties.
Read Ahead on the Patreon
Chat on the Discord
