The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Twenty: The Truth Comes Out

Back at the Obsidian Palace beneath the Aquamarine Ocean, Empress Renée had picked up a mussel shell and stormed into a garderobe for privacy before speaking with anyone. She required immediate answers before she could face any seafolk. There she urinated on the underside of the shell and set it aside for a minute to process. She paced dramatically in the tiny chamber, anxiously waiting for the time to pass quicker."Change color," she growled at the shell. "Change,change!"Nothing happened to the color of the shell. Once the minute was up, the empress bashed and punched the walls of the garderobe. The Mystery Miracle Worker's theory had been proven accurate, at least in Renée's case."Curse you!" Ren&

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Prologue: A Difficult Task Indeed

Three hundred years had passed and there were new rulers to the kingdoms on land and the empire under the sea. Gerardo had left his mark on the hearts of the seapeople and his name had gone down into history on land and throughout the five oceans. Gerardo's only child, a son he and Mira named Jaskaran, became emperor after he married a naiad named Renée. Renée was infertile, so she and Jaskaran adopted a mermaid and named her Nadia. After a ceremony to make her heir, Nadia became the only heir to the throne. It was not long after that Nadia became deathly ill and Renée refused to leave her child's bedside. A couple more months passed, and the miracle worker whom the emperor and empress hired said that Nadia was getting better and should be healthy again in a year, but when Renée looked at her daughter, she didn't believe the miracle worker and remained hopeless.

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter One: Hasty Assumptions

The day was only hitting its peak at the Obsidian Palace where Emperor Jaskaran and his two advisors held a meeting in the grand drawing room. They sat at a round, polished stone table with another naiad and a merman with a shark's tail. The dim light of the glowfish chandelier above them left dramatic shadows on their faces as they feasted on their luncheon and discussed matters light-heartedly. The meeting seemed to be going very well for the emperor and his advisors until a booming voice jolted the smooth current surrounding them."I require a word with His Majesty!Immediately."Jaskaran paused for a moment to eye who had dared interrupted them. When he recognized it was his wife, he breathed a heavy sigh and addressed his guests. "I apologize for this. Please wait outside, we shouldn't be long."

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Two: The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

Unfortunately, Rein had not yet recovered from her regrettable episode three hundred years ago when the infamous Emperor Mentir tore her wings off her back. Ever since, she had been eating the petals of the burdania flower to keep alive as pixies cannot live without wings for the most part. To further Rein's misfortune, this flower was native to the Maja Forest and when she had left this forest the first time, she had not done so on good terms. Returning without wings was humiliating, and making amends was painful. Interestingly enough, even after spending another three hundred years in the forest, not all hard feelings had been amended and Rein was anxious for this opportunity to leave again.Throughout these years, Rein spent much of her time perfecting her hunting, running, climbing, and jumping skills. She now looked about the age of a twenty-year-old with a black design devel

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Three: An Island for the Immoral

Arcor was an ungoverned city where the most dedicated criminals came to smuggle and trade, where the outcasts came to live, and where the bloodiest of pirates came to hire their crew. This gave it a reputation of being the most unpleasant city in the world and it nearly took up the entire island.Unlike Rein, Empress Renée was unmolested on her way to Arcor and she shored the same day as Rein was carried onto the pirate ship. The empress took cover in a snowed-out wooded area away from civilization as all the ports and beaches seemed to be in constant use by filthy, crazed Arcorians. She kept her light gray cloak wrapped tight around her and pulled her hood on to hide her streaming blonde hair and most of her face. Then she waited in the frozen air of the woods for a while where she struggled to invoke the courage required to enter the city.

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Four: The Proposition

The two pirates who had taken Rein captive returned to the cabin with the captain just as the jar containing Rein began to tumble off the desk. Immediately the captain dove for the jar and caught it just moments before it shattered on the floor."What did ya do?" the captain scolded as he brought himself back to his feet."We left the jar on the desk so it wouldn't roll like that, Cap'n," the first pirate said. "She musta did that herself."The second pirate observed Rein closely. "She don't look so good.""You fools!" the captain exclaimed as he removed the lid. "She's suffocating 'cause ya put the lid on the jar!" He poured the limp pixie into his hand and set the jar on his desk. "Return to yer posts, ya bottle-h

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Five: Desperate Times...

Rein buried her face in her hands. All species of fairies had witnessed the creation of Xyntriav and they knew of all the wonders of the world... almost every detail. For instance, they knew how the Cataras Springs worked, they knew about the two keys allotting people inside, and they were aware of the three entryways which existed."What interest, exactly, do you have in the Cataras Springs?" Rein asked as she sat on the edge of the cigar case."I desire to drink the waters of the Spring of Agelessness," answered the captain."You do realize it is only agelessness you will receive and not immortality.""I do realize this," he replied. "But it be agelessness I want and not immortality. If I wanted immortality, I wou

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Six: The Oath

Rein jumped back with a yelp and kept low in the trinket box. She couldn't bring herself to look Captain Tzatara in the eye as he gazed down at her with an expression on his face which she couldn't read."There ya are, Little Pixie."Rein had no way to reply. She thought about begging for mercy, but quickly ruled that out as pointless. Without a word, the captain held out his large, musty hand for Rein to climb onto it. She hesitated and looked back and forth from the captain to his filthy hand. Finally, she reminded herself that it might be wise to cooperate."Now, ya know I have to punish ya for that," Captain Tzatara said as he carried Rein back to his desk.Rein hated the way his tone implied that he didn't want