Weekend Writing Warriors: A Guard For Life...

Week 11: A Guard for life..."

Welcome Eighters! Happy springtime--I hope it feels like springtime where you are. It finally does, here.   Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly blog-hop. Each week, participants sign up HERE at Weekend Writing Warriors, then post 8 sentences of their work, published or unpublished, to go live between 12:00 noon Saturday, and 9:00 AM Sunday EST.  Then we visit each other, read, comment, critique, encourage--all those great things that do a solitary writer's heart good.

Give it a try--we're a pretty nice bunch of people.  :-)

This week, returning to my WIP, ATNS. This takes place about a third of the way through the story.

The setup:  This snippet is from the near the middle of the book.  The reader is getting a glimpse of backstory of how things work in the Rialtan Empire, and how Abraxum came to be Cuylrh's (the young King) guard for life.


The scene started with Cuylrh leaving camp in the middle of the night, and Abraxum followed him. Cuylrh has just hit emotional rock bottom rock bottom over his grandfather's unwillingness to accept Rissa (of Earth) and he's poured out his heart to his old guard. Cuylrh knows it's decision time--leave Rissa behind and break both of their hearts, or hurt his grandfather, but he doubts his ability to withstand the wrath his grandfather will dish out-- if he chooses Rissa.

Cuylrh was raised by his grandparents. His mother  is Damonia and his father is Jaretheda. Daekartha is the High King and grandfather.

I know--confusing introducing two new characters.

Abraxum, the old guard of the group, had been Daekartha’s choice for Cuylrh.  In true Rialtan tradition, when a new King was born-- along with inheriting a world, he'd been given the most trusted guard in his father’s household.

But wise, old Daekartha, not trusting the demon heart of the newborn’s mother and the weakness of the newborn’s father, Jaretheda, had superseded his son’s choice with his own.  Any plans that Damonia may have had to control the direction of Cuylrh’s life had been thwarted by Daekartha's strategic move, appointing Abraxum as the babe’s first guard.  

It had been a world of anger and heartbreak, much like the world was once again.

Abraxum hurt for all involved.  He knew that Daekartha’s involvement had never been motivated by influence or control, but out of love, simple love for the boy.  Many had been the time  the High King proudly announced to all  that Cuylrh was the most beautiful child he had ever seen.  

That's it.  What jumps out at you, good or bad ? I'd love to hear it and am truly grateful for every bit of criticism, opinion, and shared wisdom..  Thank you so much for visiting! 

Note* If you are launching a book, offering one for free promotion, or  have a blogpost you'd like shared, tweet me @Teresa_Willow and I'll retweet it for you. :-)

And... Blogger is not cooperating today. Why oh why is it randomly changing my text size???