• CHAPTER ONE


    The air was thick and musty with the mixed scents f sweat, sweet smelling oils and burning Cedar wood.

    By the large stone fire place, laid on a sheep skin rug, were a tangle of arms and legs of two lovers.

    Their breaths were heavy with exertion and their entwined bodies shimmered and glowed.

    As they held each other closely, savoring the lingering touch of one an’ other, what had just happened was very wrong but very right.

    Their minds started to wander and cloud as their bodies awoke with sudden urges. They yearned with a great need for each other.

    In the end the urges became too much, and again they preformed, with great passion. With lust in their lips and the ever present need to explore, they slowly created a new masterpiece.

    Through the low moans and beads of sweat, someone watched silently from a secret passage with sinister thoughts whirling though his twisted mind.



    Riana woke late to the morning sun smiling at her through thin films of fabric over the balcony window. Riana smiled to herself and stretched in her bed of midnight blue satin sheets. She sat up and looked around; there was no sign of her lover, Jack.

    He must have left for morning duty, but she wished none the less that he was here with her, laid with her on the burnt oak four poster bed. She wondered as she rose and made her was over to the fireplace, where they had found to time to make it over the great distance of the room and into the bed. It made her smile as she placed her hand on the cool grey stone of the mantel piece, as she carried on with train of thought she glanced down at the sheep skin rug, but instead of happy memories her body filled with dread. What Riana saw in the mist of white slowly brought tears to her eyes.

    Blood...

    It wasn’t hers, so why was it there? What was it doing there? Whose was it? Panic rising through the veins of her body, it dawned on her, as if she had been physically stricken.

    She let loose a pathetic and heart wrenching sod.

    “Jack!”





    ** * **





    It was a warm autumn day; Riana was in the private gardens that led from her chambers.

    She was tending to her rose bushes she took pride in so much.

    It had been two weeks since jack had disappeared, she was still distressed, but who could she tell?

    What was between them was forbidden.

    She was the heiress to the throne and he was a kitchen servant.

    She grieved for him, but she still wished with every fibre of her being that he was still alive, but where?

    She may not be able to openly grieve for him, but she could punish who ever had done this severely.

    So she had hired someone from the organisation ‘TST’ (Trackers, Spies and thieves).

    She should hear news within the next two weeks on whom and why did this.

    In the meantime she would cry in her own time.

    Riana sighed as she heard heavy boots pounding the misty pink and white stones of her garden.

    Who was it now; she had requested that the guards at her room let no one enter her quarters.

    She turned around in her crouched position and slowly looked at to see a very tall man standing in front of her.

    He put out his hand and she took it, feeling the coolness of this rich coffee coloured skin, rising gracefully from the ground as she stared at him.

    He was a handsome man in his late 20’s, with the soft lines of his High cheekbones, rich, almost black eyes and beautiful, sleek jet black hair. Every inch of this man was warm or so she though until he spoke and let loose a voice deep and icy, that made her insides wriggle and writhe with uncertainty.

    She did not like this man despite all his loveliness.

    “Ah, good morning Princess Riana what a pleasure it is to finally meet you” he said with an over extended bow.

    Riana bowed her head never taking her eyes of this man.

    “Many thanks and good morrow, who do I have the pleasure of meeting this fine morning?” she recited politely.

    He smiled, and his face lit up with mischief.

    “My name is Tomas Still, and I have news of a negative sort, shall we sit?” Tomas said whilst pointing to a stone bench under a trellis laden with vines, late blossoms, and the occasional fruit.

    Riana thought that this man much worked for ‘TST’, and followed compliantly.

    Once sat comfortably she turned to look at him and he smiled silently at her.

    “What news do you bring?” she said

    “I bring news that I know of your seeded little romance with the kitchen servant.