Sneak Peek of Book 2 - THE HIDDEN BLESSING

Hi there! Today I have for you...a sneak peek of Book 2, THE HIDDEN BLESSING!

-An excerpt from Chapter One-

Chapter One

The morning sun streamed through the stained glass windows in the small room, casting intricate designs on the rows of empty chairs. Thick draperies framed the raised dais where a baby cradle was positioned in the center of the stage. A narrow writing table with a scroll on it stood against one wall. A small, dark haired figure set down an ink well and quill next to the scroll with a smile.

The heavy door at the back of the dais creaked open, causing the tiny figure next to the table to start in surprise. A tall blonde woman quietly entered the room, holding a blanket-swaddled infant in her arms.

            “I didn’t mean to frighten you, Talia,” Samantha, Princess of Mittra, whispered to the fairy as she crossed the dais.

            “I wasn’t expecting anyone to arrive so early,” Talia replied. “Bring Emmalyn Meredith in here. Oh, Sam, she has your eyes, doesn’t she?” the fairy asked while cradling the newborn.

            “Nolan says she does, but they still might change color. He also insists that she wrinkles her nose the same way I do, but I told him he’s ridiculous!” Samantha laughed as she tucked the pink blanket more tightly around the baby. “Shall we put her in the cradle while we wait for everyone to arrive?”

            Talia sighed as she walked over to the cradle. “I suppose you are right. I have not been able to hold her for the last few days with your mother and Nolan’s mother being in constant attendance,” she complained good-naturedly as she laid Emma down in the wooden cradle.

            “But you have the honor of being her first fairy godmother,” Samantha assured her friend as she looked down at her daughter. “I know that I have benefitted from having you as mine!”

            Talia wiped away a tear with a smile as she turned to the little table set on the dais. “It seems like only yesterday when you were in that cradle while your mother and I discussed your fairy blessings. And, before you ask, I do have the list of acceptable blessings for today’s ceremony,” Talia said teasingly as she set out a long sheet of parchment from her bag.

            “And your magic quill?” Samantha asked, lightly touching the pen.

            “Of course! I never go to a blessing ceremony without it now,” Talia laughed. “I have asked a few of the older fairies to be here at Emmalyn Meredith’s private ceremony. And I did not include Osric and Elan!”

            Samantha rolled her eyes. “Oh dear. What would they give my poor daughter that they did not give to me? Hopefully she’ll grow up to appreciate the thought we put into her gifts.”

            The door to the chamber opened and the guests began to file in. Samantha smiled and beckoned to Nolan, who joined her on the dais.

            “Everything set?” her husband asked after he dropped a kiss on her cheek. “No secret fairy blessings lurking behind the draperies?”

            Samantha playfully swatted him. “None that Talia has been able to detect. And I didn’t turn out so bad, did I?”

            Nolan smiled down at her. “Not after I educated you.”

            Samantha’s eyes shone back at him. “You’re lucky there are witnesses around right now,” she whispered in his ear. “I’ll have to get you for that later.”

            “Am I late?” an elderly fairy called out from the doorway in a high-pitched voice. “Oh, dear. I had such a good gift to give to the little princess!”

            “Hush your voice, Sophronia!” another fairy called out. “The baby’s sleeping! We all only arrived a minute ago. You have not missed anything.”

            “Hush yourself, Hazelora!” Sophronia grumbled as she found a chair.

            Talia shot a look at Samantha. “I don’t want to have a repeat of Osric and Elan,” the fairy murmured to the princess.

            “Let’s bring them to order and . . . you can charm them into silence if it gets out of hand,” Samantha said.

            King Bennett, Queen Adelaide, King Elden, and Queen Nadette made their way into the room, settling into the row of chairs set on the left side of the dais.

Samantha smiled at her parents and in-laws. King Bennett’s once red hair had now faded to gray but his mind was still as sharp as ever. King Elden walked a bit slower than he had before but his eyes sparkled merrily, especially when surrounded by his grandchildren. Adelaide and Nadette both had fine wrinkles around their eyes, a fact they lamented when they visited each other. We’re so blessed to have both of our parents, Samantha thought before standing next to Nolan at the side of the cradle.

            “Thank you for joining us today,” Nolan said in a clear voice that carried to the back of the chamber. “Our daughter, Princess Emmalyn Meredith Adelaide Chrysanthemum Talia of Mittra is to receive her fairy blessings today from this esteemed body of fairies. We thank you for being in attendance and blessing our child.”

            “You have all received a card with a number on it, and the blessing you will give to Princess Emmalyn Meredith. Will the fairy with the first blessing please step forward?” Talia asked with a smile.

            Alvara stood and a dazzling purple shimmer shone about her. “Princess Emmalyn Meredith, I bless you with the gift of confidence,” she said and then sat down.

            Talia glanced over to see the charmed quill writing out the blessing. Good, it still works. ”Number two?”

            Gelsey was a young fairy with a delicate lavender shimmer. “Little princess, I bless you with the gift of being a hard worker,” she said in a soft voice.

            The remainder of the gifts was given quickly. Laila gave the gift of languages, Hazelora gave the gift of being a graceful dancer, Alvin gave the gift of courage, Orin gave a strong sense of justice, Dain gave the ability to listen thoughtfully, Wyston gave the ability to be compassionate, Rhoslyn gave the gift of curly hair, and Lorelle gave the gift of long fingernails. Nolan raised his eyebrows towards his wife at the last gifts given and she rolled her eyes.

            “I let my mother and your mother each choose one,” Samantha explained in a whisper. “I thought it would help make up for my deficits.”

            Nolan had to hold his breath to keep from laughing while Talia called up the last fairy, Sophronia. The tiny fairy bobbed her way to the center of the room and smiled widely at the royal family on the dais.

            “I am number eleven! And I have written here a very worthy blessing, I must admit. I would have liked to have a blessing like this myself,” Sophronia bubbled, her shimmer a faint lilac surrounding her white hair. “I also must say how glad I am to be here and how honored I feel to be invited to a princess’ blessing ceremony! I know you could have invited someone else and yet you chose me! I was so excited that I decided to give the princess the gift of loving the color pink! Pink is a splendid color for any girl to wear, especially a princess.”

            The entire room was silent for a moment before the shouting began.

            “Did you really just bless the princess with a preference for a color?” Hazelora yelled, her shimmer sending out deep purple sparks. “You—you—I can’t even speak to you! What a disappointment!”

            “Do not yell at me! I am your older sister!” Sophronia squeaked back. “I think this is a better gift than long fingernails.”

            “The fingernails blessing was your mother’s choice,” Samantha murmured to Nolan as they watched the fairies yell back and forth.

            “What do we do now?” he asked Talia, who was staring out at the normally good tempered fairies with a look of amazement on her face.

            “I do not know,” she replied faintly.

~~~

THE HIDDEN BLESSING will be available very soon for you to buy! 
Add it to your Goodreads "to be read" pile. :)

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