Do You Write To Let Off Steam? AND A Story For My Daughter

Hello lovely readers 🙂

I find myself plagued with curiosity today. Do you ever find yourself writing to let off steam if you’re a writer? It hit me today that I need to let off some of my creative bubbliness in an opposite direction to my novel. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving working on my novel in preparation for sending it to my editor at the end of May but I just feel that to concentrate properly on it I need to stop my mind wandering to other possible story lines. I find it true what Albert Einstein said:

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” – Albert Einstein

I love my novel (and hopefully others will too) but my mind wanders to other story ideas, other Worlds, other characters and other reality’s. I so wish I were more like my friend J S Collyer who is an exceptional writer. Her passion for writing can go from intense sci fi to dark, terrifying and addictive horror. I at times feel like a one track pony, if you’ll forgive the phrase, but I do so love fantasy. Anything can happen in a fantasy novel and believe me when I say anything can happen in my brain lol 🙂 And J S does always say write what you know, write what you love and surround yourself in it so I will 🙂 Today’s story is written for one of the three greatest loves in my life, my daughter Alyssia (the other two being my boyfriend Duane and of course my writing.) She has been such a joy in the five months she’s been here that I want to do something, if only small, to celebrate her and the exceptional, selfless person I know she’ll be. So please enjoy my little slice of creativity below. Please check back occasionally, I will add to this story as ideas come to me 🙂

To Dance a Dance of the Soul

The night was a dark one for this time of year. None of the shining stars were seen, their bright diamond brilliance missed by all. Even the crescent moon seemed dim. Those that were highly religious stayed in doors on a night like this, believing it a dark portent of some untold doom. The marble paved streets were empty of all. Well, all except one lone figure masked in a seemingly unending dark mist. The figure ran towards the nearest wall and manage to scale it in one long leap. The figure then ran across the roof towards the jewellers, the only clear signs it was human were the crystal blue eyes appearing from the mist and the long braided ponytail streaking from its back.

The figure approached with caution, noting the palace guard stationed around the roof top. It sighed in frustration. Patrols had become much more frequent in recent years making its job ten times harder but it had to smile. It did so love the thrill of it. It waited for two particularly large guards to pass the jewellers and then it somersaulted over the alleyway. Oh it had magic to do all this for it but doing it yourself made it far more interesting. The figure gently removed one of the crystal panels from the roof of the shop and floated down towards the centre. There were the average security spells in place but the figure wasn’t worried, it could unravel these in no time. Eventually, all was clear and the figure had to grin. It turned towards the Anteran diamond surrounded by lesser Underrian emeralds. The figure knew that the diamond was the main prize but it couldn’t hurt taking all of them. The figure grinned a devilish grin…

* * *

Alyssia sighed. Why couldn’t her father understand? The plight of their people went unheard while her family enjoyed the trappings of society. To her it was just a guilded cage. She took hold of her long braid in agitation. It was a habit left over from childhood, one that was drilled out of her but still showed when she was truly frustrated.

Tonight she was stuck at one of her fathers banquets. She stretched on the soft purple dais wanting the people to see the lazy over indulged crown princess she pretended to be. No one needed to know her secret, it made it easier for her to move around.

The golden horns at the entrance of the banquet hall sounded, no doubt signalling more of her fathers pompous lords trying to stake a claim to her. She was tired of women in their kingdom having no rights. That was the first thing to change when she was Queen.

The doors opened steadily and Alyssia had to admit she hadn’t expected such a sight. A tall and handsome man entered wearing an air of confidence around him like a cloak. His skin was golden bronze, his soft black hair tied at the knape, a longer braid underneath and his clothes spoke of royalty. Alyssia actually found herself gaping. She’d never seen such a handsome man. He turned and fixed his crystal blue eyes on her, trying to charm her with his develish grin. Half of her wanted to sniff in indignation, the other half wanted to adjust her purple silk gown to hide her sudden surge of nerves.

‘Announcing Lord Prince Damon of the Illium.’

Oh wonderful, she thought. Him being a prince gave him a better chance with her father. She really didn’t need this now; she had plans that couldn’t be interrupted now. She was vaguely aware of her father moving to talk to him but she tuned them out. She wasn’t stupid, she knew how beautiful she was, a great prize to any bold enough to try and claim her but let them try; even if she were married off to some fool the wedding night would be lethal for one of them.

She felt her personal dais indent with a significant weight and sighed knowing instinctively who it was.

“Your father really wants to marry you off,” a deep, rather unsettling voice said to her with a chuckle. “Are you that much of a pain princess?”

Alyssia tried to ignore him but his scent was intriguing, she felt herself leaning more toward him. Becoming irate with herself she merely sighed as if bored, threw up her right hand and a small wall of burning ice seperated them. She heard that same deep chuckle and a murmured “Guess so.” She felt him move off the dais and walk away. She was a little saddened by his absence. Really? she though to herself. Am I that weak? She shook with some unknown emotion and sought to see where the Lord Prince had gone after her rejection. He seemed in distraught discussion with his servant, gesturing wildly while he spoke. What was he up to?

*
* *

… and moved to take up the gems while removing the dark headscarf. His white teeth couldn’t be hidden and he carried on grinning. This had been too easy. The Royals had been busy on the party and no one saw him sneak out. Who would anyway? They all assumed he was off nursing his hurt over his rejection.

He went to pick up the diamond and found it was stuck. No not stuck, someone had hold of it from the other side of the cushion. He narrowed his eyes trying to see something, anything, but he could see nothing but blackness. He called upon his elemental magic and looked again through enhanced vision. Now he could just make out a smaller figure dressed as he was with a similar braid and the most expressive eyes he had ever seen. He felt something stir within him until he realised he had seen those eyes before.

“Princess?”

“By all the Gods…” he heard uttered in her beautiful voice. Well, this was interesting…