A hand came to rest on her shoulder, and Liliana looked up; her father had stood, and was watching someone approach with a pale face. His palm on her shoulder seemed unsteady, but surely that couldn’t be the case! Her father was unshakable. She turned her eyes forward again, and saw that it was King Rannak himself. She tried to rise, but her father’s hand on her shoulder prohibited such action.
“Cedric, Jenine.” King Rannak’s voice was pleasant enough, despite some of the rumors. Many things might be said about the king, but no one could ever fairly say he was ugly. Normal in appearance, perhaps, but never ugly. “I’ve made my decision. Bring her.”
The pressure on her shoulder released, and Liliana’s father offered her his hand. “Come, my dear.”
To Liliana, it felt as though the world was spinning. What was going on? The look on her father’s face was resigned, as if he had no choice in whatever was going on here. Her mother’s smile reached her eyes.
“I’m sorry, my Liliana. I have no choice.” Her father whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. Those words, in that tone, in the place they currently were, made Liliana even more certain: something dreadful was about to happen.
Coming to a stop before the dais, a new hand presented itself to Liliana, and she took it daintily. “Stand beside me.” It was an order directly from the King.
Liliana obeyed, and turned to face everyone else present in the room. Her stomach sank even more, seeing open relief on the faces of everyone but her father.
“I present to you all my newly betrothed, Liliana Kunzel. May we share a long and happy life.”
Title: Dragon Called
Author: Melissa Christopherson
Genre: Fantasy
Liliana’s life is perfectly normal. A young woman who has grown up in the kingdom of Kalvia, she knows all too well the importance of secrets. As a member of nobility, she is even expected to have a few of her own!
When her parents take her to a ball, Liliana expects her life to go on as normal after it’s conclusion. Instead, she finds herself swept into a betrothal with a man whom all of the whisperers say is crazy.
As the evidence builds up, Liliana must make the choice to stay in a nation where secrets are the currency…or step out of her human-ruled kingdom into a world so much bigger than she ever imagined.
Melissa Christopherson is an avid reader, passionate writer, and lover of everything literary. She serves as an AmeriCorps Service Member in the Iowa Reading Corps and is proud to help kids enhance their literary abilities. She served two years as a Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo in the Iowa area to help other authors grow in both ability and confidence.
She was born in Mason City, Iowa, and has spent most of her life reading books and spent most of her younger years daydreaming. While in high school, she participated in Academic Decathlon for four years, and credits the reading assignments for the club for further expanding her literary horizons. She is currently pursuing a degree in English, with a client-centered distributive minor.
Links
Website: http://www.melissachristopherson.com/
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