Kingdoms - Book 6 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter One

Princess Jobyna Chatelain's face was flushed from the heat in the kitchen. She was in her element, rolling out the spicy dough on the freshly floured board.

    Happy memories, forever cherished in her mind, gave her a glow of joy. The manor house ovens emitted captivating aromas that made the mouth water in anticipation of the culinary delight.

    King Luke Chatelain unobtrusively entered the cookhouse and slipped his strong arms around his sister's slender waist, hugging her. Prince Konrad from the kingdom of Proburg had followed Luke and he stood sheepishly in the doorway, amused by the king's boyish antics.

    As Luke released Jobyna, she swung around, waving the rolling pin. In mock consternation, she shrilled, "Luke Chatelain! If you don't..." the reprimand halted abruptly as her fern-green eyes locked with Prince Konrad's blue gaze.

    Snatching two gingerbread bears from the cooling rack, Luke tossed one to Konrad, pushing as much cookie as he could into his own mouth.

    "If I don't —what?" the king queried, his voice muffled by the delicious, warm gingerbread.

    Embarrassed, Jobyna turned and continued rolling the mixture, "You shouldn't talk with your mouth full!" She could not resist adding, "Even though you are the king!"

    Luke promptly pushed the remainder of the tasty morsel into his already overloaded mouth and took another.

    Jobyna spun around, remonstrating, "Dinner is to be served later in the dining room; you'll spoil it." She pouted, saying, "I wasn't expecting you for a few hours yet and I made just enough mixture for sixty gingerbread men, now I'll be short. I'll finish these and then I can come and greet you properly, if you please, Your Majesties." The princess dropped a mock curtsy and returned to the dough. She was upset because Luke's early arrival had spoiled the welcome she had planned for him.

    Snatching two more cookies, Luke flipped one to Konrad. The brother muttered, "We'll go outside Little Sister and await your welcome." The two young men ambled from the kitchen.

    Jobyna discarded her apron and turned to Daisy, the kitchen maid. Daisy glared at her mistress with great consternation in her large, muddy-brown eyes.

    "Yes, I know. My brother is the king, and I shouldn't speak to him as I do, and in the presence of Prince Konrad! Please finish this Daisy. The children will come for them before the hour's up."

    The princess rushed upstairs to her bedchamber, where Chrissy had set a dress at the ready.

    "Cor—'n they'n here already, Miss." The chambermaid fetched a wide-toothed comb while her mistress sponged her floury face. Somehow between the two, they completed dressing Jobyna in record time. Chrissy managed to fix a green bow in her mistress' hair but was still arranging the coppery tresses as Jobyna descended the stairs.

    The king and Prince Konrad waited in the garden beside two crosses erected to mark the place where Luke and Jobyna's parents were buried. Luke explained to Konrad how the servant, Sabin, had helped him and Jobyna escape from the wicked self-appointed king, Elliad John Pruwitt.

    "We hadn't been in Litton very long when a loyal knight, Felix, arrived. He said that he was on duty on the wall, over there, when my parents were killed in the garden here. Evidently it was very sudden. Father had wanted to reason with Elliad, but..." Luke's voice faltered, "Felix said, Father, he embraced Mother, and the knight, Berg, at Elliad's command, thrust his sword up through Mother's back, into Father's heart.        

"According to Frencolian law there were supposed to be papers signed regarding the execution, also the bodies should have been officially identified, preferably by a relative, but this wasn't done, for obvious reasons. Felix left his post and rode to Litton to warn us that Elliad wanted to capture us and rid the country of all Chatelains. I was his last threat to the throne, being related to the late King Leopold. As Elliad had already poisoned Cousin Leopold and disposed of any who questioned his authority as king, I suppose my parents' murders meant nothing to him and ours would have touched his conscience even less..." The orphaned king shook his head, trying to dispel the bitterness he found creeping over him at the memory of his parents' deaths. "The only consolation is that Father and Mother were believers and are in Heaven. I will see them again..."