The silver mare was galloping at full stride, its lean muscles flexing with natural grace, nostrils flaring. The three-tiered obstacle loomed closer. Closer. Closer. Leda dug her heels into the beast’s sides. She tensed her legs, bent forward. Relaxed her shoulders, eased her grip on the reins, and murmured in the horse’s ear. They leapt, mythicizing gravity as the silver’s body soared over the upright like it was but a nuisance. Leda’s smile nearly touched her ears as she closed her eyes, cherishing the wind through her hair and the smell of adrenaline surrounding them. Her stomach was in her ribcage, her heart about thrice its usual size.
On the descent, she leaned backward to move with the mare. They landed with a jarring thud. Urging them to a standstill, Leda laughed and ran a hand down the animal’s smooth neck.
“Good girl, Ezra.” She reached into her back pocket to pull out a treat. “There you go. You were amazing today, sweetheart. This is why you’re my favorite… But don’t tell Marcio.” She released the reins and laid down on Ezra’s back, sighing.
She’d only just closed her eyes when the mare made a disgusted sound, pawing at the grass. Leda frowned and pulled herself into a seated position to see what the horse was on about.
Mighiel.
Her brother was leaning against the camp’s fence with crossed arms and a condescending glare. She pulled a face, whispered, “Ezra, do you think we can trample him and call it an accident?” The mare whinnied and Leda rolled her eyes. “I know. I know. Murder is never the answer. Why do you always have to be right?” She got a huff in reply and gritted her teeth, leading the horse to meet him.
She remained mounted, quite enjoying the way she could look down on him. “Did you just come to glower at me or is there a point to your presence?”
His hair had been tied back, leaving his face open. The Hayvinger face: sharp features and dark eyes full of familiar hypocrisy. It was unnerving how much that gaze resembled her father’s.
When he spoke, his voice was laced with venom. “I didn’t miss your little stunt last night. Father may have been oblivious, but I’m not.”
She stiffened, staring at him in terror before raising her chin. “I can’t say that I know what you’re talking about.”
He leaned over the fence, yanking Ezra forward by the bridle. The horse neighed indignantly, and Leda gasped as she was jolted towards him. His face was right at her side, too close for comfort. She squirmed.
“Don’t be coy with me, little sister. Freedom? Freedom from what? From the privilege of running in the Election? From the chance to bring glory to the family name? You’ve always been an ungrateful brat. You are not worthy of being a Hayvinger.”
Tears stung the backs of her eyes. “I get it. You think it should have been you, and you’re probably right, but because of a bullshit tradition, it can’t be. I can’t not be our Representative. I am a Hayvinger, whether you like it or not, and the only thing that makes me unworthy to the rest of you is the fact that I don’t believe I’m better than the rest of the world because of my last name.”
His glare drove a dagger through her chest. “This family would have been so much better off if you’d never been born.”
The breath was knocked out of her. She hurried to wipe the tears from her face and jumped down to meet him face-to-face. She was so tired of keeping her mouth shut, of listening to pompous men rant about glory. When she finally spoke, she let her words shoot lightning.
“You know what I wanted freedom from? From everyone in this house thinking they have the right to control my life. From having to be something I am clearly not. From being looked down on and lectured to in the name of a family who doesn’t give a shit about its actual members. If you want to run to Father like the lap dog you are, go ahead. See, I may not have wanted it, but I am the Hayvinger Representative. That makes me the head of this household. There isn’t a guard or a servant on this estate who would obey your orders over mine. I’d advise you to remember that the next time you think about coming to me with idle threats, brother.”
Her chest was heaving, blood pounding in her ears. He was gaping and staring at her with wide eyes. A thrill ran through her as he spun to sulk all the way back to the manor. There was excitement in her veins, but also dread. What would happen when her father heard? Next to her, Ezra snorted. She could almost hear the “good riddance” in the horse’s scoff and burst out in laughter.
Enter the pre-order giveaway to receive the first 3 chapters immediately, and stand a chance to win: a signed paperback copy, a character art print, and a bookmark.
One more chapter down, one more to go! Book One of the Panaysia series is almost finished and you can find the updated chapters this way!!!
Excerpt: "It seems the Prince hasn’t whipped that fight out of you,“ she sighed, "It doesn’t matter what I want from you. What matters is who you are, little Iris.” Her eyes glinted dangerously, and instinctively Iris took a step backwards.
“We have a lot to talk about,” she continued, adjusting her gown, and stretching out along the length of the couch. “You might as well take a seat.”
Chapters Eighteen to Twenty have been uploaded! Check out these fresh new chapters on Wattpad. Only two chapters left to go before Book One is completed!
Excerpt from Chapter Twenty: Kash turned to face the bar again, his shoulders hunched, and it was only then that he realized two things. He’d mentioned the Prince, and he’d never told the young man what his name was.
Spinning around, heart pounding anxiously, Kash scanned the bar, but the young man had slipped easily through the crowd and vanished.
It has been a hectic week and a bit but I have finally been able to update Panasyia!! Chapter seventeen is here!
Excerpt from the chapter:
"Don’t take my kindness for fragility,“ Keela continued, crossing her arms. "We have a system in Panasyia that works, but I still believe that pets are humans too. If they do something that deserves punishment, then so be it. But if they do not, then they should have the justice they deserve.”
The latest chapter of Panasyia is up! If you like Fantasy, Romance, and the Captive Prince series, this may just be for you! I was inspired to write this story after reading C.S. Pacat’s work!
Excerpt from Ch. 15: That was his family crest, but he didn’t admit that. Lorain nobles usually got their family crests to show their status and their family. He was taking a huge risk showing it, but for some reason it didn’t bother him. Chances were, Mila didn’t even recognize the crest. He hadn’t recognized Iris after all.
“I’ve had to carry around my duty as well,” he said quietly, “so, I understand that feeling.”
Mila stared at the tattoo, his brow scrunched. He recognized the symbol, but from where? He glanced up at Iris, eyes searching for the memory. “Iris who are you–”
Panasyia is an original Wattpad story inspired by the Captive Prince Trilogy. Follow Iris, a newly sold slave as he’s sent to the country of Panasyia where he will be presented to the Crown Prince Mila as a gift for the union of Lorai and Panasyia. As Iris tries to figure out a way to escape this new life of his, Mila finds himself at the mercy of the Panasyia noble court.
Currently I am fixing the disconnect I’ve noticed in the story, and adding more/different content! It is drawing closer to an end so please stay tuned and let me know what you think of the story ^-
Last night the 2nd Round of Qualifiers was posted… And Alexis of Troy made it through to the last round!! I am so proud of this random story that I literally came up with in a couple of hours. The contest isn’t over yet but the fact that I got this far is so amazing ❤️
I have decided to participate in Wattpad’s Open Novella Contest!! The goal is to write 20,000 words in 13 weeks, using a prompt given from the ONC crew. I am thrilled to introduce the novella I will be working on for this contest: Alexis of Troy! This is a comedic story of a girl thrown into the legend of Troy. Aided by a frustrated goddess, Alexis must find a way back to her world without messing with the timeline. The only problem, she’s caught the attention of one Paris, Prince of Troy!
If you love Korean Dramas, and love reading fanfiction, this might just be the story for you! (though this is not fanfiction per say, it is definitely inspired by all Korean Dramas I’ve watched).
Summary: You may have never heard of the Kingdom of Tangna, which is said to been created by magic. Tangna is safe haven for its people, who feared the dark threat that was growing in the West. With one last attempt to protect his people, Emperor Yong-Sun had a sorcerer place the kingdom in a place no one would ever think to look: a simple, wooden closet.
The emperor was killed, but his family and people survived, living in safety in the closet. They had all they needed to build a life for themselves, and soon they started to expand and grow. The sorcerer’s magic created a habitable world within the closet, and for centuries it lay hidden, the closet sealed away in the ruins of the old kingdom, eternally preserved.
In 2020, for Crown Prince Chin Kang-Dae, there is no life beyond the doors that borders his kingdom. Technology has developed, and the kingdom of Tangna continues to live in peaceful ignorance of the truth behind its creation. The history has become nothing more than legends. Until, one day before his coronation, Kang-Dae is visited by a weathered, sorcerer. She tells the prince that the darkness is coming, and Tangna will be destroyed unless Kang-Dae leaves the closet to find a way to stop it. When Kang-Dae refuses, she casts a spell on him, and, when he awakes, he finds he’s not in the Kingdom of Tangna anymore, but in a country known as Korea.
Park Mi-Cha is a charismatic, lazy girl who is used to coasting through life on her charms and wits. Now, failing out university, still living at home with no idea of what to do with her life, Mi-Cha is facing constant scrutiny from her parents and friends who are all starting to build families and lives of their own. Mi-Cha’s life is flipped upside down when she is rescued by the mysterious, but strange Kang-Dae, who insists she’s going to help save his kingdom. But, evil follows Kang-Dae, and Mi-Cha soon finds herself facing two wars she isn’t prepared for: the war to save a kingdom, and the war for her heart.
…but book two will be here soon enough! The story of Iris and Mila grows darker as they face betrayal, deception, and the struggle to survive. Check out the first book of the Panasyia series on Wattpad! It has been reinvented with a new book cover and everything!
He’s a villainous prince. She’s a virtuous queen. Their despise for one another will ignite desire.
Chess has been the Queen of Heart’s perfect, devious son all his life. With Wonderland as his playground, he revels in consuming blood and pleasuring lovers in his bed. That is, until he’s blamed for his mother’s death and a price is put on his head.
Ever has been in hiding for years, biding her time until she can reclaim the Ivory kingdom. Until she can drive a blade through the heart of the cruel prince who once tried to murder her.
With a mutual enemy hunting them both, Chess offers Ever a bargain, one she has no choice but to agree to.
Redoing my Writeblr Introduction for 2022 since a lot of my projects and publishing goals have shifted slightly in the last year.
First of all, let’s get the ‘hello’s’ out of the way! My name is Ari! I’m a fiction writer in her thirties based in the South-East of England.
I live with my mother and my cat, and spend my days wandering through the fantasy worlds that I’ve created, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
While Tumblr is my primary social media platform I’m also on Instagram, Facebook, and reluctantly Twitter. If you’d like to follow me on any of those platforms, you can find links to my profiles via my website; www.aristaholmes.weebly.com
My planned projects can be found below the cut. If you’d like to be added to my general tag list, or one for a specific project, please let me know! Either drop me a message on this post, or shoot me an ask. My inbox is always open <3
I’ve also created dedicated side blogs for each project, where I reblog any project specific content, world building notes, prompt fills, or snippet shares etc. Links to those side blogs can be found below.
Seasonal Novella - Once Upon A Fey Touched Holiday
The Fey Touched Trilogy is a Portal Fantasy and planned to be my debut novel series. I’d ideally like to publish Book One, Changeling, in the first quarter of 2023, so I’ll be focussing on completing the entire trilogy in 2022 so that I can follow a rapid release schedule for the series.
Assuming no delays or unanticipated crisis cropping up, I hope to have my Newsletter up and running by October 2022 to offer the free prequel short story to anyone who signs up.
Tag List:@/jezifster
Changeling Blurb
Fey go missing in the mortal realm. Everyone knows that.
When Lizzy’s mother is the next to vanish she is expected to grieve and move on. Instead Lizzy wants to find out what happened, but the answers she seeks can’t be found in the fey realm of Arbaon. With the help of her best friend, Booker Reed, Lizzy is determined to retrace her mother’s final steps, straight through an illegal portal and into the mortal realm.
Whatever leads she expected to find, it wasn’t an academy of vampires, and a world stalked by their rabid cousins, the kavians. Forced to rely on the vampires for protection, and secluded away behind the high walls of Speculo School, it quickly becomes clear that not everyone is pleased with Lizzy and Booker’s investigation.
With danger building the further they dig, the two fey need to decide if the answers they seek are worth risking their lives for. The longer they remain with the vampires, the more Lizzy begins to suspect that her answers instead lie amongst the deadly kavians.
An unlucky vampire from the wrong side of town. A monster hunter with a golden voice. A man-eater on the loose. A unique, refreshing, and unconventional urban fantasy and paranormal romance about what happens when supernatural opposites attract.
For centuries the Kingdom of Rosa has prided itself as a place where nature and the arts are nurtured and celebrated. The people who live there are known to be talented and ambitious and Iseul Hann is no exception. Despite her young age, her immense musical talent had granted her a position in the royal orchestra, and being promised to the love of her life has left her with nothing else to wish for.
That is until one night everything is taken away from her. Alone and defeated she ends up in a different Kingdom living a life she doesn’t want. With nothing left to lose, when her path crosses with a man that Kings and Queens tremble before, Iseul asks for the only thing he can give her. Closure.
