It's the final day of #RinthCon!!! Verena and Amiel are getting ready to go home, but they've spotted a strangely familiar face...
If you like this story, check back in with us over the next few days to see how the rest of the Inklings cast and crew are spending their time!
United Vidden can be purchased here: https://a.co/d/2O6dpJ0
Check out our other books here: https://www.inklingspublishing.com/bookstore United Vidden
“Amiel, come look at this!” Verena cried, auburn hair flying behind her as she grabbed her husband’s hand and pulled him to a nearby booth.
“Rennie, please.” He used her pet name, half laughing and half begging. “I don’t know how much more Sir Andross and I can carry.”
He gestured to himself and the knight trailing behind them. Both men were overloaded with bags of unique clothing, handmade trinkets, and books. Lots of books.
Verena, too, had her arms full, but in her innate gracefulness either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t seem to care. Much like the non-physical burdens she shouldered in her role as queen back home, she appeared to carry her shopping bags as though they weighed no more than a loaf of bread.
Amiel, on the other hand, felt like he had a jorse slung over his shoulders. Based on Sir Andross’ not-so-subtle labored breathing behind him, Amiel gathered that he was in a similar boat.
“I apologize, here I thought I was accompanied by two fully trained knights,” she teased, emerald eyes twinkling playfully in that way that had made Amiel weak in the knees since they were children. “Did they not prepare you for such trials during your time at Aul Keep?”
Upon hearing this, Sir Andross immediately straightened behind them, but Amiel just shook his head.
“Rennie--”
“Amiel ra Aulden.” Verena stood up as straight as she could and adopted a voice that Amiel had grown to recognize as the one she used when they were disagreeing in meetings among the Council of Peers. “Today is the final day of RinthCon and as queen, I hereby declare that we make sure we see every last booth before the day is through and we have to return home.”
“Well, as king,” he retorted pointedly, but not without returning her playful grin, “I hereby grant your request. Please, lead the way.”
Without missing a beat, Verena whirled back around and began to sprint towards the display she’d been eyeing.
Amiel smiled as he trailed behind her, admiring the way her floral pink skirt flowed and flounced as she moved. He had initially pushed back at the idea of leaving their kingdom to attend the convention, but even he had to admit that it was nice to leave their royal duties behind for a bit. It had been a long time since he had felt this carefree and, well, normal, and he knew Verena felt the same.
Instinctively, he touched his chest where his amulet usually lay, before remembering that he’d forgotten it at home. He was anxious at first when he realized it wasn’t with him, but as the days went by, his anxiety and negativity lessened more and more, and a calm ease had blossomed in their place.
Perhaps I don’t need to wear it as constantly as I think, he casually mused to himself.
“Amiel, Sir Andross, look at this.” Verena’s voice shook him out of his thoughts.
She sounded far more serious than she had a moment ago and Amiel’s heart quickened in response. It didn’t sound like she was afraid or upset, but utterly shocked and mystified in a way that he wasn’t sure he’d ever heard from her.
Back on high alert, Amiel followed her gaze to a booth towards the end of the aisle. There stood a woman wearing a pirate’s hat balanced atop her bright purple hair, surrounded by piles of books and chatting happily with a wolflike humanoid as she held up one of the novels.
Instantly Amiel was filled with a strong sense that he knew this woman. He was certain he’d never seen her before, but there was a curious soft warmth that filled his chest, almost as though they’d been familiar in a past life he had no recollection of. He didn’t even have to look at Verena, or Sir Andross for that matter, to somehow know innately that they felt the exact same.
His eyes drifted to the book in the woman’s hands and immediately he felt all of his hairs stand on end. They were a good distance away but he could still make out the title: United Vidden.
“Her banner identifies her as being from Earth, and a first-timer to the convention,” said Verena, echoing his confusion. “How could she know about Vidden?”
“Look at the sign next to the book display,” Sir Andross spoke from behind them, a slight tremor in his voice.
They looked, and Amiel felt another chill snake down his spine.
**COMING SOON -- UNITED VIDDEN BOOK 2: WAR RISING**
“War?” Verena breathed, almost to herself.
Amiel tore his gaze away from the mysterious booth to face his wife, and was met with the same bewilderment turned concern in her eyes that he was feeling.
“Should we…talk to her?” Verena asked, deferring to Amiel in a rare admittance that she had no idea what to do next.
Amiel couldn’t blame her, he had no clue himself. As warm and familial as looking at the woman made him feel, he had the sense that it was almost…wrong for them to even be in a room together. That they shouldn’t be able to exist on the same plane even.
But King Amiel ra Aulden was not one to back down and walk away without answers, so he swallowed the odd feeling down and nodded to Verena and Andross.
With a final trepidatious glance at each other, the trio steeled themselves and began to make their way towards the booth and the friendly-looking woman with the purple hair.
None of them were sure what the apparent owner of “Inklings Publishing” knew about their world that they didn’t, but they were going to find out.
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