Bed of Rose and Thorns Read online

  Books by Lee Hunt

  The Dynamicist Trilogy

  Dynamicist

  Herald

  Knight in Retrograde

  In the world of Dynamicist

  Last Worst Hopes

  In the world of The Dead Gods

  Bed of Rose and Thorns

  Testimonials for Lee Hunt’s works

  For Bed of Rose and Thorns

  ⚡️“This spectacular standalone fantasy from the prolific Hunt bursts with epic battles and avid romance.” Booklife Reviews Editor’s Pick

  “A beautifully crafted setting with complex character dynamics and layers of political intrigue… A showstopper. Hunt’s ambitious standalone latest has everything—a well-imagined fantasy world, great characters, incredible tension, and fierce love. The real genius here is the mixture of extraordinarily deep worldbuilding with relevant and complex themes, which include identity, intolerance, love, passion, friendship, integrity, honor and more.” - Prairies Book Review

  “An intriguing storyline, scenarios grounded in the real world, and a breathless pace make Hunt’s latest standalone fantasy a must-read.” - BookView Reviews Recommended Read

  “4 out of 4 stars.” Online Book Club.org

  For Last Worst Hopes

  "A great read with strong characterization. It's likely to appeal to fans of epic fantasy novels such as those of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan." - Reedsy Discovery

  ⚡️"A superior epic fantasy, driven by strong characterization and a sense of utter desperation." -Booklife Reviews Editor's Pick

  "A Cracking page-turner with an unlikely group of misfits."

  - Prairies Book Review

  "Hunt exemplifies how to make heroes shine within the large cast of a sprawling saga." - Kirkus Reviews

  "A skyrocketing plot interspersed with deliciously entertaining and well-constructed scenes of fierce battles and magic." - BookView Reviews Recommended Read

  For Knight in Retrograde

  “Strong characters face a maelstrom in this intense, intellectually rigorous fantasy series finale. This final volume of Hunt’s fantasy trilogy bursts at the seams with notions of science, spirituality, and politics pertaining to the 21st-century political climate. The unique pulse of this series remains the author’s dedication to thematic sprawl and a hard-science magic system.” - Kirkus Reviews

  “This is a sterling end to a rich, concept-driven series. This trilogy finale will thrill readers who want thoughtful, inventive fantasy powered by ideas.” - Booklife Reviews Editor’s Pick

  “I highly recommend the Dynamicist trilogy, and Knight in Retrograde in particular – Hunt has crafted something truly special here.” - J. Scott Coatsworth, Liminal Fiction

  For Herald

  “Surrender yourself to Lee’s fantastic world of magical physics to rediscover what you thought you knew about reason, morality and the unbreakable bonds of friendship and love. As an innovator and physicist, I found myself reflected in the characters of The Dynamicist Trilogy. I felt chilling empathy for their challenges when fear shot up my spine and a strong sense of tribalism with their desire to invent and change the world. Wisdom grabs at the reader from every page.” - Amanda Hall, CEO of Summit Nanotech

  “A bold fantasy sequel that delivers on the first volume’s call to action. This has deep relevance to life in the early 21st century.” - Kirkus Reviews

  “This is an exciting, expansive, and ultimately satisfying exploration of the meaning of heroism, the economics of magic, and the role of innovation in society. Readers looking for a thoughtful take on the wizard-school story will enjoy this mix of philosophy, mathematics, and action.” - Booklife Reviews

  “Herald's quite a ride, one I’d recommend taking if you love fantasy and want something that’s not like everything else already on your SFF shelf. And that’s one of the highest compliments I can give to a well-written, page-turning book like this one.” - J. Scott Coatsworth, Liminal Fiction

  For Dynamicist

  "I highly recommend Dynamicist – it’s a well-thought-out, high-minded fantasy with a very satisfying set of twists and turns that’s not quite like anything else I have read in high fantasy. And to me, that’s a great accomplishment indeed." - J. Scott Coatsworth, Liminal Fiction

  “This is a compelling story for readers who crave complex worldbuilding. This intricate, philosophical update to the wizard school story will appeal to fans of cerebral fantasy.” - Booklife Reviews

  “A philosophically minded series opener that deftly merges science, fantasy, and college life.” - Kirkus Reviews

  FIRST EDITION

  Bed of Rose and Thorns © 2022 Lee Hunt

  Cover art by Jeff Brown

  Interior design & typesetting by Other Worlds Ink.

  All Rights Reserved

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Distributed by Ingram Spark

  Printed in Canada by Blitz Print

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Title: Bed of Rose and Thorns / Lee Hunt.

  Names: Hunt, Lee, 1968- author.

  Description: First Edition. 2022 ISBN 978-1-7779734-3-8 (soft cover); 978-1-7779734-4-5 (Ebook/PDF); 978-1-7779734-5-2 (Audiobook)

  Edited by: John McAllister ([email protected])

  Created with Vellum

  For the leaders.

  Contents

  Characters

  1. Eleven Years Ago

  2. Eleven Years Ago, Later That Night

  3. Redirection

  4. Fit to Ring

  5. Shadows of the Past

  6. Doorway to Time

  7. Lessons

  8. Taking Advantage

  9. Liar’s Lesson

  10. Negotiations

  11. Discouragement

  12. Audience

  13. Discovery

  14. Agent

  15. Iceberg’s Tip

  16. Frustration

  17. The Second Note

  18. Garden

  19. Moment in a Bottle

  20. The Tallest Tower

  21. Vampire

  22. By Any Other Name

  23. Eleven Years Ago

  24. Untombed

  25. Force of Nature

  26. Eleven Years Ago

  27. Love of Another Kind

  28. The Dread Queen

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Characters

  11 years ago

  The Queen

  Sir Ezra, a banished Knight of the Queen

  Lady Kay, the Queen’s Advisor

  Sir Marigold, a Knight of the Queen

  The Prince of Erle, husband to the Queen

  At Province

  Lady Kristen Province, noble woman Ezra was sent to guard

  Lady Rachel Province, the youngest daughter of Lady Kristen

  Pontes, Lady Kristen’s secretary

  Danielle Stonehouse, owner of the Stonehouse

  Brendan, an assistant to Danielle

  Gilbert, a squire at Lady Kristen’s estate

  Sergeant Estes, a sergeant at Lady Kristen’s estate

  At the capital

  Constable Bobby Archibald, a senior member of the constabulary

  Sir Jennyfer Shryke, a Knight of the Queen

  Sir Roger Corning, Knight Captain

  Sir Valerie Simons, a Knight of the Queen

  Sir Kenneth Kantor, a Knight of the Queen

  Lady Jayne Orton, senior treasurer to the Queen

  Lord Seltser, secretary to the Queen
br />   Lady Jacqueline Paron, a noblewoman

  Lord Ronald Paron, Lady Jacqueline’s cousin

  Sir Castel, huge champion of the Parons

  Sir Eaton, a knight of the Parons

  Professor Olivia, a professor at the Pyracantha Institute

  Adjunct Professor Parsons, a professor at the Pyracantha Institute

  Lady Beatrice Whall, a member of the Queen’s Council

  Sir Gregory Whall, Beatrice’s cousin and champion

  Lady Alanna Gill, a noblewoman performing the role of “Thorn” at the Queen’s Council

  Lord Jonathon Sutton, a member of the Queen’s Council

  Keavan Fawcett, the Queen’s armorer

  Brayden Fellows, a dead actor

  Saraith, the name of a figure of legend, and … an actress

  Chapter 1

  Eleven Years Ago

  A loud, unwelcome sound, something hard crashing, jolted Sir Ezra. It told of some new act of violence, some new brutality to initiate a fresh breaking of his heart. It was deafeningly loud, even though it came muffled through the door. His eyes moved from the door to the four Knights of Erle who stood opposite to him with their hard eyes, curved swords, and straight allegiance to the man on the other side of the thick wood of the portal. He willed a tremor out of his hands, hands that wanted to reach of their own volition to the door and open it. The trembling warned of a potential that he could not allow to become real. Those hands that always wanted to reach against will and propriety to the woman, the Queen, on the other side of the door, and touch her.

  I never have. I never will.

  It was a burning pain, a heart-fluttering disturbance, but loving someone so great, so lovely, driven, strong, intelligent … so perfect … was a reward of its own. Honor was said to be a gift that you gave yourself. If so, it was one that Ezra gave himself every time he stopped his hands from reaching out, every time he stopped his lips from speaking forbidden truth, but it was a painful gift. Almost as painful as love. Honor was the gift he needed to give her, more useful than giving her his useless love, because if he kept his honor he could stay here. He could guard her.

  I’m the only one. The only one left.

  The other Knights of the Queen had been sent away at the Prince of Erle’s insistence. His supposed fear of betrayal.

  Ezra had refused to go, was now her only guardian, and his ears strained to hear through his helmet of heavy-gauge steel for any sound she might make. The armor had always been a barrier between Ezra and the world, between him and her, but it was far from the only one. The door to her royal bedchamber was thick oak, an eternity of thickness, but not half as deep as the distance his choice had made between her and him.

  There was another crash and now a scream.

  Her scream, but different from the others he had heard, those screams of passion and release that had dashed and broken his heart so many times. This scream was of fear, and it was accompanied by a dark undertone he had only heard once before.

  “Don’t touch it,” came the flat tones of one of the Knights of Erle.

  Ezra had not realized that his hands had moved to the door on their own, that he was beginning to vibrate again, almost imperceptibly for now, that the potential was once more building.

  The knights opposite to him all had their hands on their sword hilts, their knuckles white with tension.

  They knew. They expected the scream.

  Faster than thought, in unity of mind and body, Ezra drew sword, let slip his power, filled the room with a deep, violent bell sound—a sound like ringing thunder—and swung with all the resonant love and strength and ferocity he carried within himself.

  Chapter 2

  Eleven Years Ago, Later That Night

  “It will be war, plain and simple, bloody and violent, the ending of which we cannot know the where or when of,” said Kay, calm and even despite her dark words and rhetorical eloquence.

  “What will it take to win?” asked the Queen, her long blonde hair hanging down like drooping flowers around a tired garden. That delicate, limp, arresting fan of hair hid a darkening bruise over one blue eye and puffed lips.

  Seeing the injury nearly set Ezra to trembling and chiming once more. But exhaustion aided will this time, and he kept his love and concern for her caged inside. Enough passion had been loosed, enough death delivered, for one night. He was utterly spent. It had taken hours to scour the palace with his one precious ally and hunt down and execute the remaining Knights of Erle. And kill their prince.

  His Queen’s husband.

  Morning had nearly come before Ezra was able to force open the gates that had been stealthily locked by Erle—locked by armed men in the hours that Ezra had stood guard, ignorant of the unfolding plot—to allow Sir Marigold and everyone else who had been sent away by Erle back into the palace. Some, like Marigold, had never lost sight of the palace walls, while others had been spellbound by the deep-pitched, ominous sounds of thunder coming from the Queen’s home.

  The sounds of Ezra’s soul, unleashed.

  Kay smiled unhappily. She had been among the first to reenter a secretly emptied castle, though she was no knight. “In war,” she said, “there can only be losers. Though perhaps we can ensure that we lose less than Erle.”

  “What can we do?” asked Ezra. He was sitting in a chair in his now ruined plate armor. He should have been standing. In either woman’s presence, he should only ever stand, but he had lost too much blood.

  Why am I here?

  Ezra knew why. He was the only one who knew what had happened. He was the only one who had, bleeding and half-dead, burst through the Queen’s door to confront her and the Prince of Erle.

  No, that wasn’t true. Kay knows. The Queen would have told her some of what had happened while his lacerated hairline, shoulder, hand and thigh, and knee were being sewn up by Sir Marigold, and the broken metal loops dug out of his skin where they had been hammered through plate and chain and soft underlayers from some subset of the numberless blows he had taken.

  “You should be dead, idiot,” Marigold had said. “This artery,” she spat while sewing the inside of his upper left thigh, “I don’t know how you didn’t bleed out. It was too close.”

  Kay and the Queen would have had plenty of time to talk while his only friend had cursed him, finished sewing the ripped skin closed, helped him hastily to don once more his scrubbed, dented, grievously fatigued armor and return to his apprehensive position beside the Queen.

  “There is a way out of war,” said Kay, looking sadly at Ezra. “Perhaps.”

  Ezra knew that whatever that way out was, it had already been decided by these two great women. Both ladies were gazing directly at him. He asked, “What must I do?”

  As the Queen abruptly looked away, thoughts hidden by bruises and hair he would have died to touch, Kay told him.

  * * *

  It felt like death. But death would have been less painful. Death would have been without the broken heart that preceded the end of thought and self.

  Honor is a gift I gave myself.

  Gone now. I have one gift only left to give.

  Love is the gift you give to someone else.

  Chapter 3

  Redirection

  “Don’t fight the steel, Gilbert,” said Ezra, his words echoing from within his own steel helm. “It has a way that it wants to move. Denying that won’t help you in a fight.”

  Gilbert paused, sword over his head in position to strike downward on the thick wooden dummy. “My sword has a will?”

  He was only thirteen years old, so Ezra tolerated the silly question. It’s my own fault, anyway. “Not exactly. Come to rest, and I’ll lay this out more objectively for you.”

  Ezra knew that he could not be perfect, no one could—not even the Queen whom he tried so hard not to think about—but it was important to try to be perfect. And although he held a lie deep inside himself, although he hid his feelings every moment of every day, he knew that the truth should be
spoken whenever possible. Even against such romantic half-truths as personifying a weapon. Fairy tales would help no one.

  “Your sword has no will. There is no magic in the world.”

  None without a cost.

  “Magical swords are not real—but momentum, mass, weight, speed, direction are all real things that you must understand and know how to make use of. How you change the direction of your blade is affected by its balance, and your balance by your feet, your shoulders, and your wrists. To move from one direction to another, quickly and with killing force, must be done correctly.”