Writing - part xxxx176 Enchantment Series, Seiorse

19 September 2025, Writing - part xxxx176 Enchantment Series, Seiorse

Announcement: I still need a new publisher.  However, I’ve taken the step to republish my previously published novels.  I’m starting with Centurion, and we’ll see from there.  Since previously published novels have little chance of publication in the market (unless they are huge best sellers), I might as well get those older novels back out.  I’m going through Amazon Publishing, and I’ll pass the information on to you.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21^st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I’m using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I’ll keep you informed along the way.

Today’s Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing websites http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus two basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don’t confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the writing.

4. Don’t show (or tell) everything.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

6. The initial scene is the most important scene.

 

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of a novel:

                     1.     Design the initial scene

2.     Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.      Research as required

b.     Develop the initial setting

c.      Develop the characters

d.     Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.     Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.     Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.     Write the climax scene

6.     Write the falling action scene(s)

7.     Write the dénouement scene

I finished writing my 31^st novel, working title, Cassandra, potential title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors.  The theme statement is: Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events.

I finished writing my 34^th novel (actually my 32^nd completed novel), Seoirse, potential title Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment.  The theme statement is: Seoirse is assigned to be Rose’s protector and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five goddesses and schoolwork; unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.     

Here is the cover proposal for the third edition of Centurion:

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I finished writing number 31, working title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warrior.  I just finished my 32^nd novel and 33^rd novel: Rose: Enchantment and the Flower, and Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment.

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

For novel 30:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

For Novel 32:  Shiggy Tash finds a lost girl in the isolated Scottish safe house her organization gives her for her latest assignment: Rose Craigie has nothing, is alone, and needs someone or something to rescue and acknowledge her as a human being.

For novel 33, Book girl:  Siobhàn Shaw is Morven McLean’s savior—they are both attending Kilgraston School in Scotland when Morven loses everything, her wealth, position, and friends, and Siobhàn Shaw is the only one left to befriend and help her discover the one thing that might save Morven’s family and existence.

For novel 34:  Seoirse is assigned to be Rose’s protector and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five goddesses and schoolwork; unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.

For novel 35: Eoghan, a Scottish National Park Authority Ranger, while handing a supernatural problem in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park discovers the crypt of Aine and accidentally releases her into the world; Eoghan wants more from the world and Aine desires a new life and perhaps love.

Here is the scene development outline:

1. Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2. Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3. Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4. Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5. Write the release

6. Write the kicker

Today:  Let me tell you a little about writing.  Writing isn’t so much a hobby, a career, or a pastime.  Writing is a habit and an obsession.  We who love to write love to write. 

If you love to write, the problem is gaining the skills to write well.  We want to write well enough to have others enjoy our writing.  This is important.  No one writes just for themselves the idea is absolutely irrational and silly.  I can prove why.

In the first place, the purpose of writing is communication—that’s the only purpose.  Writing is the abstract communication of the mind through symbols.  As time goes by, we as writers gain more and better tools and our readers gain more and better appreciation for those tools and skills—even if they have no idea what they are. 

We are in the modern era.  In this time, the action and dialog style along with the push of technology forced novels into the form of third person, past tense, action and dialog style, implying the future.  This is the modern style of the novel.  I also showed how the end of literature created the reflected worldview.  We have three possible worldviews for a novel: the real, the reflected, and the created.  I choose to work in the reflected worldview.

Why don’t we go back to the basics and just writing a novel?  I can tell you what I do, and show you how I go about putting a novel together.  We can start with developing an idea then move into the details of the writing. 

Ideas.  We need ideas.  Ideas allow us to figure out the protagonist and the telic flaw.  Ideas don’t come fully armed from the mind of Zeus.  We need to cultivate ideas. 

1.     Read novels. 

2.     Fill your mind with good stuff—basically the stuff you want to write about. 

3.     Figure out what will build ideas in your mind and what will kill ideas in your mind.

4.     Study.

5.     Teach. 

6.     Make the catharsis. 

7.     Write.

The development of ideas is based on study and research, but it is also based on creativity.  Creativity is the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing.

If we have filled our mind with all kinds of information and ideas, we are ready to become creative.  Creativity means the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  Literally, we are seeing the world in a new way, or actually, we are seeing some part of the world in a new way. 

The beginning of creativity is study and effort.  We can use this to extrapolate to creativity.  In addition, we need to look at recording ideas and working with ideas.

With that said, where should we go?  Should I delve into ideas and creativity again, or should we just move into the novel again?  Should I develop a new protagonist, which, we know, will result in a new novel.  I’ve got an idea, but it went stale.  Let’s look at the outline for a novel again:

1.      The initial scene

2.     The rising action scenes

3.     The climax scene

4.     The falling action scene(s)

5.     The dénouement scene(s)

 

I’d like to get Ancient Light republished and the other novels in this series published.  I’m afraid I’ll have to do it independently, but I don’t think I can trust Amazon to do it. 

 

Now, to another series.  I didn’t get tired of Ancient Light, but I finished it.  Before Ancient Light was finished, I wanted another series that fit in the world of Ancient Light, but that focused on new characters and places.  The first novel was Hestia.  Actually, Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth.  In Hestia, I developed a novel based on another goddess.  This time one of the Greek Titans.  In fact, the only Greek Titan who remained in the Greek pantheon.  I’ll explain more, next.

 

Rose: Enchantment and the Flower is another Enchantment novel.  I developed the protagonist as an example in this blog.  The point was to create and document a nearly perfect protagonist, and then I used her to write a novel.  What was so unique about Rose?

 

Rose is a nearly perfect Romantic protagonist.  She was an isolated child who lived in abject poverty because her mother left her, her father died on her, and her grandparents died before that.  I should also relate that her father mortgaged the house and used all the proceeds.  So Rose, an unwanted child was left in a house in Rousay of the Orkney Islands with no money, no supervision, no help, and no one knew she even existed—that is until Shiggy Tash came to use the house during an assignment.

 

Shiggy Tash is a member of Stela—she even has her own novel (Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse).  Shiggy’s purpose is to work to defend the United Kingdom from the supernatural.  She is well versed in this work.  Her job is also to protect the British and UK supernatural from adverse events.  When Shiggy comes to use Rose’s house, it shouldn’t be unusual that Shiggy can detect her. 

I should mention that Rose is half Fae.  Her mother was Fae and her father was from Rousay.  She can hide in plain sight, except from those who are trained or who have the second sight.  Shiggy is both trained and has some natural inclination, also trained, in the second sight.  She spots Rose right away.

 

Before I continue with the plot, I should mention some other characteristics of Rose that makes her an ideal Romantic protagonist.  The first is her bearing.  Although she was raised in isolation, her grandmother taught her to act like a completely civilized person.  She has a bearing that is remarkable for so isolated a person.  Second, the house attic is filled with books, and Rose loves books.  Rose has spent her entire young life reading the books on the upper floor.  She has read English, French, Latin, and Greek books.  You might ask how that might be.  She does have Fae powers and can understand Gaelic and the Fae languages.  She is a linguistic genius.  Third, Rose knows how to use Fae glamour and is unaccountably good at it.  She has a special type of glamour that allows the manipulation of minds and bodies of humans and the Fae.  This type of power is very dangerous, but Rose is a very controlled person.  That’s her nature and training.  Then Shiggy comes.  I’ll relate that, next.

 

Rose meets Shiggy while Shiggy is checking out her safe house.  Things might have gone very differently if anyone else had come to Viera Lodge on Rousay Island.  Rose had no reason to hide herself, but everyone else who came to the house had made plenty of noise—Shiggy is a kind of spy.  Her job is in intelligence, and the last thing she needs is a liability.  Shiggy is also the best kind of person to discover Rose, because Rose is half Fae and Shiggy knows how to work with the Fae.  This is the best for Rose, but Rose has no idea at all.  Plus, how do you approach a young woman who has hidden from the world for her entire lifetime.

 

The first step is capture.  Rose is a very slippery type of being, all the Fae are.  They are hard to catch, hard to see, harder to keep under control.  Shiggy knows this.  She also has a lot of tools at her fingertips.  It’s a little difficult to express the entire scene without giving you the scene.  I think this is one of the most entertaining scenes and situations I’ve written in my novels.  The meeting between the protagonist (Rose) and the protagonist’s helper Shiggy, should be exciting and fun.  Perhaps I’ll give it to you.  I’ll do that, next.

 

I dumped the breadcrumbs.  I hated to do it because it was partially my observations on Europe, but here we are.  I’ll give you the first scene and chapter from Rose.  This way you can see the development of an initial scene and a protagonist.  Here’s the first part—I’ll pass it to you in sections:

 

January 2028, Rousay, Orkney Islands, Scotland   

 

The once Shiggaion Tash, now Shiggy Tash, stepped out of her small and ancient Triumph touring car.  She clutched her gold Gucci bag closer to the heavy black Givenchy coat that covered her short blue Zuhair Murad skirt.  It was freezing and the short skirt didn’t help much, but that was a necessary inconvenience when she needed constant access to her special, um, gear.  She gazed up at the whitewashed brick side of Viera Lodge and shrugged.  It was the best The Organization could do on short notice, and in this area. 

Actually, the house was remarkably nice for the Scottish Orkney Islands, and especially for tiny Rousay Island in particular.  She’d memorized everything about it.  It should be very pleasant if all the information she received was correct.  The house was newly refurbished around 2024.  There was a garage, but she didn’t trust them during operations.  Perhaps if she had a second vehicle.  She glanced back at the tactically parked Triumph, and mouthed, “Old Scorch, you’ll have to make do with the cold.”

The house was two storied and pretty ancient.  She knew it was originally built around 1836.  It possessed a section at this side that held the kitchen with a large new bath above.  Every external wall of the house was freshly painted white, she had guessed whitewash.  In the setting winter sun, it certainly looked like whitewash, at least under the brilliant orange reflection of the sun. 

The rest of the house rose up beyond the kitchen and into its upper story.  The place was supposed to be haunted, but Shiggy didn’t believe in ghosts.  She took a very careful visual scan around the grounds and buildings.  She had been scanning the place since it came within sight from the road, the B9064.  She had seen nothing with her infrared scanners or visually to alarm her.  She had seen no other cars since she drove out of the Rousay Orkney ferry terminal. 

 Shiggy locked her car with the clicker, it was silenced, and held the car keys between her fingers while digging into her purse for the house keys.  She unbuttoned her coat as she stepped cautiously toward the outside door to the kitchen.  Shiggy stopped at the left side of the door and flattened herself against the wall.  She shivered and made a face, then she moved her head forward, but not within the plane of the door and listened closely.  Nothing.  With one hand she unlocked the kitchen door and pushed it open.

She waited a goodly interval listening before she slipped silently through the door and into the kitchen.  She noted, the stone walls of the house were very thick.  The door jams indicated they were at least two feet thick.  The house was cold, but not freezing, not like the outside.  She shivered again.  That stupid real estate bink had told her they checked everything and turned on all the utilities.  This was a pisser. 

The interior remained lighted well enough from the setting sun through the windows for her to see very well.  The kitchen was nicely done up in modern white and black.  A rectangular table sat in the center surrounded by simple red upholstered chairs.  The place smelled musty, and she made another face.  It was supposed to be immediately usable.  That’s what they had told The Organization and her boss, Sorcha.  Shiggy didn’t turn on the lights—no reason to alert any unexpected inhabitants. 

Her lip curled up as she ran a finger along the countertop—dust.  Everywhere dust.  She shook her head and rolled her eyes.  Well, this room was clear.  Not as shipshape as she hoped but clear of any threats.

Shiggy pulled off her heavy black Givenchy coat and laid it quietly over one of the kitchen chairs.  She needed access to her weapons and no impediments to her activities. 

With movements that were unusually quiet for a woman wearing Christian Louboutin metal shanked stiletto heels, Shiggy made her way to the open interior kitchen door.  She intentionally left the exterior door unlocked and unlatched for the moment.  The motion sensors in her car would tell her if anyone approached this side of the house from the exterior.  She had pointed one of the sensors directly toward the house.

The interior kitchen door opened to a dining room with a large dark oak table, chairs, and a sideboard.  On the opposite side of the room to the right, a couple of doors, she knew, led to closets and a water closet.  On the left, lay a vestibule.  The vestibule contained a door to the outside and the garden as well as the stairs to the upper floor.  Further to her right lay another door.  It was also open, and she knew, from the house plans, led to the front parlor—what the plans called the sitting room.

Shiggy slipped to this door and glanced through it.  She had to move further into the sitting room than she liked because of the thickness of the stone walls, but she noticed nothing that warned her, at first.  She stepped slowly and silently into the room.  It was also partially lit by the 50setting sun.  The slanting bright light shown through the two front and two windows on the left side.  Twin modern leather swivel chairs stood before the two main windows, with the front door between the windows.  The front of the house faced south toward the coast and the Eynhallow Sound.  There wasn’t much of a front entrance—only a single wooden door.  Across from the swivel chairs sat a white leather couch, and between them a glass topped coffee table.  “So, 1980s,” Shiggy mouthed.  On the right side of the room and nearly directly in front of her stood a large wooden desk.  More than once, she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.  It was okay for a safehouse, but pretty backwoods, from her experience—even Sherwood House was more modern. 

On either end of the room lay a fireplace.  The one on her left looked like a gas hearth and the one on the right like a wood and coal fireplace.  She caught a whiff but noted no wood or ashes on the right hearth like she expected from the scent.  She took a deeper breath and smelled damp ash that was unusually fresh.  Shiggy moved silently closer to the wood fireplace and sniffed.  She definitely smelled wood ashes and a whiff of smoke.  Perhaps wood and paper smoke.  Someone had recently made a fire in one of the hearths in the building.  That was a problem with these old places when the fireplaces remained operational.  Even when the damper was closed, the smell of ash and smoke would reenter from the chimney pots.  That likely meant the fireplace in the bedroom above the dining room had recently been used.  From her diagrams and pictures, the master bedroom’s fireplace on this side had been removed to add the new bath, and the other side upper rooms had their own chimneys.  Interesting, this might mean nothing or something.

Shiggy didn’t turn on any lights.  She checked the lock and latch on the front door, then moved back into the dining room.  She checked the closets and the water closet, then stepped to the vestibule.  The back door to the gardens and garage was also locked and latched, that left the stairs and the upper floor to check.  Her heels were a couple of weapons she didn’t want to lose, but she needed to move quickly up and down stairs, so she slipped them off.  She left her Christian Louboutin stilettos at the side of the stairs where she could reclaim them when she returned. 

Now, Shiggy became completely noiseless.  She crept at the left edge of the stairs against the wall where she knew the risers would not creak.  She made her way to the top of the stairs and lay down at the last one where no one should be able to easily spot her. 

On the landing, directly ahead of her, lay double doors, now closed, she knew these entered the master bedroom.  At her left the closed door should be the second bedroom above the lower level water closet and cloakroom.  On the right, the door to the bedroom above the dining lay open.  From inside came the thin scent of wood and paper smoke as well as the flicker of a moving shadow like someone or something stirring in front of a small flame. 

Shiggy’s lip turned up in a feral smile, and she moved very quickly from the top of the stairs to the right side of the door.  She reached under her short skirt and pulled out a graphite pistol, labeled Etan Arms AR-2 on the frame and Móralltach on the slide.  It was loaded with 9mm kurtz graphite rounds.  She didn’t take the time to change out the magazine for one loaded with brass and hollow points.

Shiggy held her pistol and opened her golden clutch.  She pulled out a small camera on a transparent flexible extending stick and let it out a few feet.  Her company phone also came out of her clutch and she pulled up an already open app and nodded.  The camera showed exactly what she wanted. 

Shiggy started at the floor level and gave the stick a twist, it extended and turned around the frame of the door until she could see exactly what was going on in the room.  Her brow rose.

Through her phone, she saw a tall and slender person.  It looked like a woman, but it was hard to tell.  The woman wore a child’s dress.  It was a dingy looking brown, but the camera acuity couldn’t tell if that was due to dirt or just its color.  The dress was short and tight.  The woman’s skin was pale.  Perhaps it was the palest skin Shiggy had seen on a human being, and she had seen some beings with pretty pale skin.  The woman looked like someone who had never seen the sunlight.  She squatted in front of the fireplace.  Her hands reached out before a small fire.  That was interesting, but even more interesting was her hair.  It was long and fine with tiny curls and as red as any red hair Shiggy had ever seen.  It was so red and the woman so pale, Shiggy almost convinced herself this being had to be something other than human. 

Well, she needed to check for sure before she pushed her phone’s panic button.  Shiggy pulled another device out of her clutch.  It looked like a piece of wood with a clear stone imbedded in it and a hole worn through the stone.  Across the hole, at the very edge of perception, Shiggy blew a couple of odd and ancient sounding Celtic words.  Then she held the hole to her eye and looked through her phone at the woman again.

Shiggy let out a silent sigh—the woman was at least mostly human, and she didn’t need special backup.  The regular protections should be sufficient.  She touched her crucifix and the small cross of iron under her blouse just to make sure they were still there.  Shiggy pulled back her camera and put everything away in her clutch.  The woman appeared too interested in her small fire to perceive anything else.  Shiggy still needed to check out the rest of the house.  She wanted to get this confrontation over as quickly as possible.

Shiggy replaced the pistol in her thigh holster.  The woman didn’t appear to be armed and she was obviously unaware.  Shiggy pulled a handful of long zip ties from her clutch and slung the clutch behind her back.  The zip ties went neatly into the leather belt on her skirt. 

Shiggy took a deep breath and moved to the side of the door.  She peered quickly around the thick jam and moved silently into the room.  The woman didn’t hear her at all.  Shiggy simply grabbed the back of her neck with one hand and pressed on her windpipe with the other.  The woman gave a cut off screech that came out like a soft hiss.  It was so quiet it couldn’t have been heard beyond the room. 

At the same time, Shiggy put her knee against the woman’s back and pressed.  The woman flailed, trying to take a breath.  Shiggy let go, and the woman fell forward against the stone mantel.  Her head hit the stones with a soft crack, and she went limp. 

“Whoops,” Shiggy mouthed. That had to hurt.  Shiggy shrugged and pulled the woman’s arms behind her.  She zip tied her wrists together and then pulled her long legs together and zipped her ankles together.  Shiggy turned her over and saw it was a girl.  Likely not more than fifteen perhaps not less than fourteen. 

As Shiggy had noted before, the girl had flaming red hair.  Perhaps the reddest hair she had seen on any human being.  The girl looked as slender as a willow or perhaps a garden flower.  Thin and tall with the appearance of a wildflower.  Her very dirty face was a pleasure to behold.  A thin but noble nose and cheeks touched with rose and dirt.  Lips fine and red as if they had been recently pinched all set perfectly and delicately in a heart-shaped face.  The girl looked like fine porcelain—the face of a doll in a human frame.  Achingly beautiful, wonderfully made, but dirty as humanly possible.

Shiggy rolled her eyes, and gave a noiseless snort, the girl’s beauty was almost wasted because of all the dirt and her childish fashion.  She searched the girl.  Her clothing was not only unfashionable but filthy.  The dress wasn’t brown.  It was a grey dress that had been worn so long and under such dire conditions that the bland color was soiled almost beyond recognition.  The girl had nothing on her except a small pocketknife.  Shiggy took it.  She didn’t even wear any underwear.  “Gross,” Shiggy mouthed.

After the girl was trussed and searched, Shiggy took a look at the fire.  The girl had been holding a stick with a plucked and eviscerated pigeon on it.  That had fallen into the small fire.  She moved the pigeon out of the flame and to the side.  No need to cause more of a blaze or other incendiary problems. 

There was nothing else to do here.  Shiggy checked the girl again.  She was still breathing and bleeding, just slightly from her lips and the scrape on her head.  Shiggy pulled up one of the girl’s eyelids.  Her pupils looked normal.  Shiggy stepped around the girl and headed to the closed door across from this bedroom. 

 

I’ll give you the next section tomorrow.

 

So, we have met Shiggy and Rose—only we don’t really know who Rose is.  Shiggy found an intruder in her safe house.  The beginning is filled with mystery and secrets.  Just why is this girl in the house?  Why is Shiggy in the house an in Rousay?  What is Shiggy’s mission?  I love building a novel from these unspoken questions.  Let’s see what happens next.

 

Shiggy then made a very careful approach to the next bedroom.  She pushed open the door with her pistol ready.  No one was in the room.  Shiggy nodded and moved to the master bedroom double doors.  She silently opened the latch and pushed open the door.  Inside lay a large bed, a settee, a dresser, and occasional furniture.  In Shiggy’s eyes, the decorations and decorating were terrible.  She barely noticed them as she checked the room, the bath above the kitchen, and finally the dressing room to the far left of the double door entrance. 

Inside the dressing room, lay a door to a closet, a full-length mirror, and a woman’s dark dressing table.  She checked inside the closet.  There was nothing otherwise of note in the small room.

At the front of the master bedroom, just to the right and across from the double door entrance, lay another smaller set of double doors.  They opened to a narrow stairway and led to an attic room.  Shiggy made her way to the top of the stairs.  She found nothing except bookshelves, books, and some older furniture.  The space was completely enclosed without any windows, and bookshelves, filled with old books—they lined every wall of the room. 

This was also likely where the girl had been staying.  The bedclothes below were untouched in any of the bedrooms, but in this room, the smell of soiled human was unavoidable.  Shiggy couldn’t tell exactly where the girl had been sleeping, but it was likely somewhere in here. 

“Finally,” Shiggy let out a little louder sigh.  She felt much better about this place as a safe house and a base for her operations.  Now, to get rid of the girl and set up her equipment.

As Shiggy made her way down the stairs from the attic room, she heard scuffling coming from the bedroom where she had left the girl.  Shiggy rushed to the bottom of the stairs and the small double doors.  She arrived just in time to spot, through the large double doors of the master bedroom and the open second bedroom, the girl with her hands loose make a motion toward her ankles.  In seconds, the girl was free and standing.  She took a single backward glance at Shiggy and without a word, ran out the bedroom door directly to the stairs leading to the bottom floor. 

By that time, Shiggy stood in her way at the top of the stairs.  The girl didn’t bat an eye, she vaulted over the rail of the open stairs and down toward the bottom floor.  The girl landed perfectly at the bottom and spang into the dining room.  Shiggy was astounded that the girl didn’t break her legs.  She couldn’t but help appreciate good skills like that. 

Shiggy thought only a moment about letting her go.  Chances were, the girl would disappear into the darkness, and Shiggy would never see her again, but then again, Shiggy couldn’t allow any compromises to her position or her work.  She could always turn the girl into the local constable after she extracted any information she needed.  “No lose ends,” Shiggy mouthed as she took the stairs in a jump as far and gracefully as the girl’s. 

The girl was barely across the dining room when Shiggy caught her.  She kicked the girl’s knees from behind and grabbed her shoulder.  With a twist, the momentum took the girl up into the air forward and in a half backwards summersault.  The result would have been tragic enough if she hadn’t been running forward at the same time.  She came down on her back first, against the kitchen doorframe, and then second, with her head against the hardwood floor.  She slid just a little further into the kitchen and didn’t even twitch after that.

Shiggy ran across the kitchen and flipped on the lights.  Now, she could inspect her guest a little more closely.  Shiggy noted the zip ties still attached to the girl’s ankle and wrist.  She mouthed, “I should have guessed.”  This time, Shiggy pulled silver metal chains from her clutch and bound the girl by her arms and legs to one of the kitchen chairs.  Arms behind with the chains through the back of the chair, and legs slayed one at each side of the chair shackled with the chains attached to the back chair legs.  Not a very lady-like position.  This time, the girl was bleeding from her lips, forehead, and side of her head.  After trussing her up, Shiggy took a wet rag and cleaned her up a little.  Only a little, the girl was filthy.  Not just her dress, but her face and all the rest of her.

What we needed was a chance for the girl (Rose) to show off her skills and for Shiggy to get another chance at action.  This was intentionally set up for this reason.  We will learns, with Shiggy more about Rose, but I want Shiggy to be interested for more than one reason in the girl.  That will make more sense in what happens next in the scene.  Shiggy must see this girl as very special for more than one reason.  The point is to build to the reasoning and logic of what happens next.  Plus, I think a little action in the initial scene makes for a good novel.  I do hate writing an initial scene without it, but I’ll give you an example of that with the next Enchantment novel.  Perhaps I’ll give you that initial scene too.  In any case, we still need to find out about Rose and Shiggy.  That’s next.

 

Shiggy went out to her Triumph and extracted a couple of traveling bags from the boot.  She walked back to the house.  This time she locked the kitchen door and went around to recheck all the doors and now the windows.  She turned on the lights.  The sun had fully set by then.  She carried the larger bag to the master bedroom and began to set up her temporary sensors.  That would be enough until she could make them more permanent and hide them.  They would eventually become part of The Organization’s safe house system if they decided to keep the place.  At the same time, she turned up the heat and checked on the other utilities.

When Shiggy returned to the kitchen, the girl was struggling against her shackles and the chair.  She had moved it a few feet across the floor.  Shiggy kicked the legs of the chair and caused it to fall backwards onto the floor.  The girl went with it.  She struck her hands and arms with a thud, and her head followed along afterward.  That sounded like a melon hitting stone.  The girl lay dazed with her legs slayed to either side of the chair and her too short dress well above her naked thighs.

The girl hadn’t made a sound.  Shiggy felt a little sorry for her, but this kind of physical control was usually an indicator of a trained intel asset.  That’s the last thing she needed.  The girl did either have special skills, or perhaps she was just very well trained.  Unless aided by glamour, usually getting out of zip tie bonds was an advanced technique, and Shiggy knew how to foil all the usual techniques. 

Out of pity, and because she wanted to check, Shiggy flipped the chair back up on its legs and slapped the girl’s dress back down.  She shook her head, the girl’s wrists and ankles, where the silver chains touched them, were covered with welts and little boils.  Shiggy pursed her lips.  Well, she was sensitive.  Shiggy pulled back the girl’s hair, yeap pointed ears.  Shiggy needed to be especially careful now.  There still wasn’t a reason to push the panic button, yet. 

Shiggy sucked on her teeth.  The girl’s head lolled against her chest.  She was still out.  Not quite out cold, but she was out.  Shiggy’s stomach growled.  Time to make dinner.

Shiggy took the smaller bag and began to unpack it.  She put butter, eggs, milk, yogurt and some other stuff in the frig.  She filled one of the kitchen cabinets with dry goods.  She didn’t leave anything out that would indicate the house was in use. 

The cooktop propane gas kicked on right away, and Shiggy made scrambled eggs for herself with toast, butter, and jam.  While Shiggy was eating, the girl’s head slowly raised.  She licked her lips.  Shiggy just kept eating.  When Shiggy was done, she cleaned up the dishes and put them in the dishwasher.  She glanced around the kitchen.  Nothing showed that anyone was in the place.  That was good.

Shiggy took one of the kitchen chairs and set it across from the girl, well out of range of any possible or potential attack.  Unless the girl could make miracles Shiggy hadn’t heard about, there was no way she could get loose or attack anyway.  Shiggy was just very cautious by nature.  She hadn’t had a problems since she had been on assignment, well not since Sorcha, her boss, had allowed her to go on these unsupervised assignments.  She had a few problems at first, but she wouldn’t think about that.

Shiggy stared at the girl for a few moments.  She contemplated different means of getting information from her, then sighed.  She might as well start with questions.  First to the basics.  Shiggy sat in the chair backwards to the right of the head of the kitchen table with the chairback facing the girl.  She opened her official computer just within reach to her left on the table.  Shiggy pulled her knife out of its hidden sheath under her arm.  It was a Gerber graphite combat dagger with smooth edges on each side—perfectly balanced for throwing.  Then she made sure the girl could see the pistol in its inner thigh holster between her legs. 

The girl licked her lips again and blushed.  She held her head high with an elegant tilt to her chin.

Shiggy held the knife in front of her and pointed it at the girl’s eyes, “I’m not about playing games here.”

The girl turned her head to the side and swallowed hard.

Shiggy tapped the handle of her knife on the chair back.  It made a loud noise in the kitchen.  “I’m not that adverse to you looking wherever you please, but it does help me determine whether you’re lying to me if I can see your eyes directly.  You very much will want to convince me that you’re telling the truth.”

The girl’s lips trembled, but she stifled that and stared directly at Shiggy, “What do ya want from me?”  Her voice was light and melodious tempered with a sharpness that sounded very interesting, and in a thick Rousay Scottish brogue that Shiggy had to think to translate.

Shiggy grinned, “That’s better.  First of all, what’s your name?”

The girl raised her chin in an aristocratic motion, “I dunno why I should tell you, but it’s Rose Craigie.  What’s your name?”

Shiggy ignored her question.  She kept the girl in sight but turned to her computer on the table and entered the name in the database.  It was securely connected via a cell backfeed to London.  Shiggy frowned, “What’s your Community Health Index Number?”

“I dunno what that is.”

Shiggy pointed the knife at the girl, “Every child in Scotland is given such a number.  When were you born?”

“I dunno.”

Shiggy almost called her a liar.  She held her temper, “How old are you?”

“I dunno.”

“Really?  How old do you think you are?”

“Me gram and my paps died eight winters ago.  Me ma left soon after.  Me da died five winters back.”

“And you have no idea how old you are?”

The girl, Rose, shook her head.

“What was your father’s name?”

“James Sinclair.”

“Why aren’t you Rose Sinclair?”

The girl lowered her head slightly and blushed, “He said I wasn’t worthy of it.  My mother gave me my name.  She claimed to be a Craigie.  She called me Rose Craigie.”

Shiggy let out a loud sigh, “I’m not calling you a liar.  I can find a James Sinclair and his parents in this parish.  I can’t find your name, love.  What’s your mother’s full name?”

Rose’s mouth worked a bit, “I was never sure if she was telling me the truth, she called herself a Desert Rose.  Desert Rose Craigie.  Me da called her Rose.”

“Where did she live?”

“We lived in the barn at the back until gram and paps died.  She left soon after.  I told you.”

“I remember.  So, on to the big question.  Why are you here?”

Rose glared at Shiggy and spat out with an encompassing twist to her shoulders, “This is my house.  Why shouldn’t I be here?”

“Tisn’t your house.  I know the owners.  They rented it to me.  They had it refurnished and redone not that long ago.”

The girl trembled with rage, “It is my house.  It’s the only place I’ve ever known.  Me da left it to me.”

Shiggy sat back.  She interpreted from her computer, “Your da mortgaged the house and spent all the proceeds.  When he died, the house went to the bank.  The bank sold it.  Your da left you as much of this house as he left you his name.”

Rose cursed in Scottish Gaelic.  She cursed again, “Then what am I to do?  What’s to become of me?”

Shiggy leaned forward again.  She tapped her teeth with her dagger.  She gave a couple of thoughtful sighs.  She looked Rose up, then down, then she asked, “Can you cook?”

Rose sucked on her bottom lip, “Not well.  My gram taught me the basics.  I cooked for my father until he died.”

“You cook pigeons.”

“I can cook whatever I can get to eat.”

“That’s interesting in itself.  Let’s say I brought you chicken and rice, could you cook it?”

“I probably could.  I’ve cooked chicken, and I’ve cooked rice before.”

Shiggy chewed her lip, “Have you been to school?”

“Gram and paps said I should go, but da would never let me.  He said I was not to let anyone see me.”

“That’s very interesting too.  No education at all.  That would make you pretty useless.”

Rose squared her shoulders, “I can read and write.  I’m not uneducated.”

“Really?”

“Me gram was a teacher.  She taught me to read and to write.  She taught me some maths too, but da said it wasn’t necessary to teach such things to girls.”

“It is very necessary, that is maths.  Can you learn?  Do you like to learn?”

“I read all the time.”

“That’s good.”  Shiggy thought in silence for a long while.  Finally, with a smile she pronounced, “So, Rose Craigie, I have a proposal for you.”

The girl looked up at her.

“I am going to live in this house for a time.  I have a job to do while I’m here, and I don’t want to have to deal with cooking, cleaning, and all those other domestic details.  Can you cook, clean, and look after this place while I’m working?”

“It’s my house.”

“Listen, love, it isn’t your house.  If wishes were fishes and all that, but they aren’t.  The other option is that I…well here are the other options.  I could turn you over to the local constable.  I suspect that would not go very well for you.  You aren’t registered as a citizen of these isles.  They might try to deport you.”

“I understand deport.  You actually think they might try to send me to some other country.”

Shiggy smiled very broadly, “It’s always possible, but I suspect they would go to my second option first.  That’s to put you in the Looked After services.  They’ll put you away with a nice family, perhaps, who will look after you.  After you time out in a few years, what will you do?  You have no education, no prospects, nothing.  I can offer you a little bit more than that.”

Rose glanced down at the floor, “What do you really offer me?”

“Don’t you want to hear option three?”

“Now, you’re just taunting me.”

“I am taunting you.  You’ve already caused me some difficulties.  You’re in the house I borrowed, and I’m trying to figure out what to do with you.”

“What’s option three?”

“It’s really not up to me, but there’s always the Youth Court.  You are trespassing and have been for a while from what I can tell.”  Shiggy let the words out slowly, “You could go to prison.  They would feed and educate you there.”

The girl visibly trembled, “I dunna wanna to go to prison.  I must always keep the soil under my feet.”

“Look at you, there’s soil all over your body as well.”

Rose scowled, “I ask you again.  What do you really offer me?”

“Here it is, sweety.  I already told you, all you need to do is take care of this place while I’m working.  Cook, clean, keep an eye out.  That’s all.”

“What about after that?”

“Well, love, I can’t just leave you here.  If you accept my offer, you’re on probation.  If you really please me, then we’ll see.  You can think about my offer as long as you want.”  Shiggy stepped to the back door and checked the lock and her sensors.  She turned off the lights in the kitchen and walked toward the dining room door. 

I like subtle writing, but I hope this isn’t too subtle.  The point is that Shiggy has to do something with Rose, and she has few options that are good for Rose.  She wants a solution that give her options and works for Rose.  I hope you can tell Shiggy really likes Rose and her potential.  She knows there is much more to the girl.  I’ll finish this up, next.

 

The girl cried out, “Wait a moment, you aren’t going to leave me here tied up all night, are you?”

“That’s the basic idea.” Shiggy knelt down at the girl’s level.  Close, but not too close, “Listen, trespasser, at the moment, I own you.  Look at me.”  Shiggy grasped the girl by her hair and pulled her face up and toward hers, “I’m giving you time to think about it.  The kitchen and in chains is a great place for a dangerous girl like you.  The last two times I left you alone, you tried to escape.  That was a breach of my trust.”

Rose spoke coolly, “I didn’t know who you were then.  I thought you were a burglar, not just a sadist.”

Shiggy shook the girl’s head with her hair, “Very witty that.  I’m liking you better and better all the time.  Now, I intend to leave you in the kitchen, in chains, with the doors locked, and here’s what I expect.  First you will sit quietly and contemplate my offer.  I have a number of sensors I’ve set up inside and outside the house.  I’ll know if you move an inch.  If you do, that is, if you try to escape or make any kind of noise or mess, I will gag you and beat you until you stop moving, at least for the night.”

Rose’s throat went dry, “That might kill me.”

“You have no records.  You don’t exist as a person.  I have my work to do, and that’s that.”

Rose licked her lips, “What kind of work is that?  Are you a regular sadist, or just an opportunity murderer?”

Shiggy shook the girl’s head again, “You really surprise me.  Scared to the point that you are trembling and about to piss yourself, but able to hurl insults like it will do you some good.  No one is coming to rescue you.  I really have zero desire to hurt or… you know, but I made my offer.  There are always the three options.  Do you want to negotiate them?”

The girl shook her head.

“Good.  I’m tired, and I have a lot to do before I go to sleep.”

Shiggy stood, picked up her computer, and headed to the inside kitchen door.

The girl exclaimed, “Wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“I want to negotiate my options.”

Shiggy studied her nails, “The three?”

“No, no, your offer.”

“I don’t plan to negotiate, love.  I made my offer.  I expect you to accept it or not.”

The girl continued, “Here is my counteroffer.  I expect food and clothing.”

“Food and clothing you shall have.  Is that all?”

The girl was almost tripping over her words and Shiggy had to listen closely to understand them, “I want books and training, plus a place to sleep.”

“Done.”

“You must also promise to help me buy back this property.  It’s mine, and I want it.”

“Na, that’s a bit too much.  I’ll make this a part of our contract.  If you do pass probation, I’ll give you the tools to potentially buy this property.  Remember, you must be or become valuable to me.  If not, then we’ll have to negotiate options one through three.”

“Then I agree.”

Shiggy turned back on the lights.  She placed her computer on the table again and began to type.

“What are you doing.”

“Writing up our contract.”

The girl became silent.

When Shiggy was done, she turned the computer toward the girl, “Can you read this?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then read it.  I’ll move it down as you read.”

“This says I must accept any punishment you deem fit.  Is that really legal?”

“If you want to take up my offer.”

“I don’t think it’s legal.”

Shiggy waved the computer in the girl’s face, “Listen, legal or not this is what I offer you.  I’m making you an offer, it’s what you negotiated.  I put in all your requirements.  I get to put in mine.”

“I guess that’s fair.”

“Of course it’s fair.”  Shiggy grinned, “Not only is it fair, it’s unbelievably generous especially compared to what the other three options are.  Do you agree?”

“I agree.”

Shiggy signed the bottom of the document with her finger, “Here’s your first test.  I could make you sign it with your nose.”

The girl looked up at her mouth agape, “Please don’t make me, but I will if you insist.”

Shiggy smiled, “Now, that is exactly the response I wanted to hear.”  Shiggy unbound the girl’s arms and held the computer up before her. 

Rose signed her name with her finger, “I didn’t know you could do this kind of thing with a box.”

“It’s a computer, love.”

Rose rubbed her wrists, “So, your name is Shiggy Tash.  I’ve never heard a name like that before.”

Shiggy grinned even larger, “I’m really loving you.  You are a potentially brilliant child.  I am called Shiggy Tash by my friends.  You shall call me Ms. Tash or ma’am.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, I will show you what it means to please me.  I am very happy with you at the moment Rose.  We shall begin to make you the person you should have always been.” 

The setup is done.  We have Rose and Shiggy in agreement.  Shiggy is very pleased.  Rose is potentially a wonderful find.  She is literally a diamond in the rough.  The little bit about buying back her property will become a major part of taking control of Rose, and her peoisowers for good.  Rose is ultimately a solitary being.  She wants her place, and it was taken from her.  The return of her property will become a major point in the novel and the next novel.

 

Rose ultimately needs to be redeemed.  She needs care, education, and refinement. She has everything in a perfect package.  The problem is training and using her.  This is what the novel Rose is all about.  There are also great secrets about Rose we don’t know yet.  Shiggy will tease many of them out of her, and we will learn about her skills and abilities.  We will also meet one of Roses potential trainees.  It’s all a setup from the beginning.  When Shiggy discovers Rose, she must report back, and boy is Shiggy’s boss interested in Rose.  Rose can potentially take care of a certain type of being that is a constant problem for Stela and for Shiggy’s boss.  They are preparing Rose for just that work.  In addition, I planned for Rose to be the guardian of another certain being and person.  I would like to write another novel about this part of Rose’s life too, but I haven’t yet.  Perhaps in the future.  Right now, I think I need to move to the next Rose novel, Seiorse: Enchantment and the Assignment.

 

Seiorse: Enchantment and the Assignment is the follow-on for Rose.  I’ll have to explain this again because it is a very interesting novel.  When I wrote the novel, I wanted to present the initial scene which was a confrontation between Rose and the five goddess girls, Sveta, Klava, Robyn, Pheobe, and Sophie.  This becomes the pivotal scene in the novel, and is a perfect scene for the initial scene in the novel.  Unfortunately, it can’t work as the initial scene for two reasons.  The first is the buildup to the scene requires more than a chapter.  The second is that the novel to be stand alone requires a development of Rose, Seiorse, and the situation of the goddess girls. 

 

What I had to do is to make the initial scene the scene where Seiorse is assigned to Rose as her handler.  Rose hates this, but she really does need a handler.  Rose does everything to make Seiorse unimportant to her mission and handling.  However, in the novel, Rose is forced to accept Seoirse and makes him dependent on her and her dependent on him.  This is an interesting turn of events based on the pivotal scene.  What I should do is give you the first scene of the novel and then the pivotal scene.  This should introduce the novel and show exactly what I wanted to achieve in the novel.  It won’t give away the novel, but it really presents the strength and the situation I present as the initial scene and then the pivotal scene.

 

I really didn’t like making this the initial scene of the novel, but I think it is a fun scene.  It does meet the criteria for an initial scene.  It includes the meeting of the protagonist (Seiorse) and the protagonist’s helper (Rose).  It is not action oriented, but it includes some excitement and contention.  It does set the novel and the plot.  It sets the initial setting.  It does introduce the protagonist.  It sets the novel on its way, but you will have to be a judge on the level of excitement and fun.  Here is it, in parts:

 

August 2028, London, Great Britain   

 

      Seoirse Séamas Wishart stepped out of his car, an old and non-descript grey Vauxhall Astra, in front of a marvelously constructed red-brick Victorian house that was situated in a quiet London neighborhood near Kensington Palace Gardens.  He parked on the street because an open wrought iron picket fence surrounded the property.  In front of him stood a brick walk, with a red brick gate post on either side, and an open iron gate made like the fence.

      Seoirse tried not to look too out of place as he glanced around the front.  He stood at the gate before the edge of the walk.  The house sported a wide covered porch with a white wood railing and heavy ornate posts.  At the center, the entrance was capped by a pitched roof above wide brick stairs reaching up to the porch and the twin-stained glass oak framed doors.  The porch stretched across the entire front of the house and around the sides.  To the right lay a connected large gazebo with a domed roof.  The rest of the house stretched up from the first floor to a wonderfully varied second story.  At the left, an octagon tower reached from the second story to a third where windows stretched all around it.  Its roof was a tightly pitched pinnacle that looked like it should have carried a knight’s pinion at its peak.   Below the tower were windows too, and behind the tower, to the far left, another square wall with windows.  On the right, lay a square room with a large window and a pitched roof that copied the entrance.  Smaller windows indicated a third floor above it.  Between the tower and this room lay a small window and red bricked wall.  At the back to the right, behind the gazebo, Seoirse could make out another lower roofline.  Perhaps it was an outbuilding or another part of the strangely varied line of the house.

      Ivy covered the place.  That, and brightly colored flowers turned the red brick walls into green-tinged brilliant ones.  It made the entire building look like an arbor castle encircled by foliage.  Except that the walkway was immaculate, the porch was untouched by ivy, and the windows were clear and sparkling, Seoirse felt certain he had come to Cinderella’s ensorcelled fortress.  

      Seoirse stood tall and slender.  His face was thin and serious with freckles over his finely shaped nose.  His lips fit nicely into his well-formed face, but they looked overly serious too, until he smiled.  Then his lips and face and cheeks exploded in mirth.  His smile could make you smile, and you didn’t notice the dimples in his cheeks and chin, until he smiled.  That’s when everything lit up and became apparent.  His hair was light blond with faint brown highlights, and his eyes were a dull grey, until he smiled and then you wondered what color they really were.  Because, when he put on his serious face, he appeared like someone you should listen and follow–handsome, elegant, upright, and becoming.  When he smiled, you wondered exactly what kind of fun and mischief you could get into together.  He was just that kind of young man.

      Seoirse glanced down at his clothing and smiled.  He was no prince.  He wore a modern dark suit coat and matching dark pants.  The coat sleeves and the pants legs were a little too short, but his shirt was a classy parchment color.  All his clothing was a little wrinkled and incorrectly pressed, and nothing was any special brand, but it wasn’t bargain basement either.  His shoes were nondescript black trainers from Selfridges with white socks.  He hoped the shoes looked enough like dress shoes.  He rushed here so fast he’d forgotten to bring his black oxfords and dark socks.  He didn’t wear a tie because he’d forgotten that too.  To compensate, he buttoned his shirt to the top button.  The suit was slim fit and he thought he looked good in it—good enough to meet with a high level boss in the Organization and anyone else involved in his mission.  He felt a little too warm in the end of summer heat, but he wasn’t sweating too much.  With a lilt in his step, he strode down the set red bricks of the walk, up the front steps, to the door.  There he stopped. 

      The twin stain-glass panels on the oak front doors depicted an art deco girl with unbelievably red hair surrounded by a storm of ivy.  The artistry of the glass and the beauty of the girl took his breath away.  He paused a little too long looking at the image, gave a large smile, and then pulled the bell.

      Seoirse heard the doorbell jingle inside, and almost immediately a tall butler opened one side of the door.  The butler smiled, “Good afternoon to Ivy House.  You must be Mr. Wishart.  You’re expected.”  He opened the door the rest of the way. 

      Seoirse pulled out the card he held in his sweaty hand, “I do have a card.”

      The butler smiled again.  With a tight and slight bow, he proffered a silver tray, and Seoirse stepped inside as he placed his card on it.  The butler closed the door behind them and made a gesture, “If you’ll please follow me, Mr. Wishart.  I’ll announce you.”

      Seoirse followed the butler down the foyer into a large open receiving room.  It possessed heavy wooden stairs at the back that led to the upper floor.  He glanced around.  The interior was all ancient-oiled dark oak.  The stairs led up to a railed walkway and hall.  The walkway went all around the second story of the large receiving room, and Seoirse could spot doors at each corner and turn. 

      Before the stairs, on the right, lay an open formal parlor and on the left, across the receiving room, a few closed doors.  Artwork covered the walls.  They looked like very old oil paintings.  The two of them walked straight back, to the right past the stairs.  A formal dining room sat behind the parlor, and to the left, Seoirse heard sounds like meal preparation, possibly the kitchen.  They walked further back down a long hallway whose walls were covered with framed photographs.  The photos depicted children of all ages, a woman, and, in many of the photographs, a man dressed in military uniform.  He was a colonel in the last.  The butler led him to a closed door just behind the dining room. 

      The butler checked a small panel to the left of the closed door, and then made a single rap on the door.  Seoirse could see a red then green light blink on the panel, and he heard the door lock click.  The butler opened the door to reveal an informal parlor.  Before Seoirse stepped into the room, he glanced around. 

      The furniture was all age darkened leather, but the room wasn’t dark at all.  Large, framed windows at the back let the thick rays of the late summer sun blaze through them.  The lights were all on anyway. 

      The butler stepped a pace into the parlor, and Seoirse followed at his side.  Then Seoirse got a glimpse of the entire room.  A leather loveseat centered on a low mahogany tea table faced a large hearth.  On either side of the loveseat sat large thickly upholstered leather chairs.  In the seat closest to the door sat      a short and very thin woman wearing an impeccable white suit.  She appeared so radiant, she looked like she put out her own luminescence.  The sunlight literally seemed to gather in her creamy coffee au latte skin and long black tresses to be reflected back from them.  She appeared as though she was not yet thirty, but appearances can be deceiving, and her appearance was a little stressed.  That gave her a look of maturity.  Her eyes were almond colored and slightly almond shaped, thin lidded like an Egyptian tomb painting but without makeup.  Her beauty took Seoirse’s breath away.  He wondered if there was a touch of glamour about her and tried to take a discrete sniff.  He noticed a little something, but then Seoirse’s glance took in the other woman who sat in the chair just opposite.

He stared at the most beautiful woman or girl he had ever seen.  He guessed that she was no older than twenty, but she could be younger—it was hard to tell.  Just like the stained glass of the entrance, she had flaming red hair.  Perhaps the reddest hair Seoirse had seen on any human being, and he had seen some very red-haired women during his work in Scotland.  Her skin was pale as possible as though she never entered the sunlight.  The girl looked as slender as a willow or perhaps a garden flower.  Thin and tall with the appearance of a wildflower.  Her face was a pleasure to behold.  A delicate but noble nose centered in cheeks touched with rose.  Lips fine and red as if they had been recently pinched, all set perfectly and delicately in a heart-shaped face.  The girl looked like fine porcelain—the face of a doll in a human frame.  Achingly beautiful, wonderfully made, and arrayed finely as humanly possible.

Seoirse knew that, and he was no expert on any kind of fashion.  This girl wore a blue silk dress that had to cost thousands of pounds.  Her shoes matched the dress as though they were a pair, and yet, Seoirse knew they weren’t a set at all.  Her hair and makeup appeared perfect.  The makeup so perfect, she looked as if she had none on, but her lips and cheeks were strikingly touched with pink. 

The first woman wore white business attire that matched her position and complexion.  She radiated, business-like and professional formality.  The younger woman was something else entirely.  Seoirse knew she had to be a princess—at least she looked exactly like he thought a princess should look.

The woman in white glanced up in slight annoyance, “Yes, Francis, is this the gentleman?”

Francis, the butler, placed his tray with Seoirse’s card on it where the woman could easily pick it up, “Mrs. Marshall, may I present Mr. Seoirse Wishart.”

Mrs. Marshall pointed to the loveseat, “Mr. Wishart, you sit there.  Francis, now that we’re all gathered together, please bring us a nice tea.”

Francis nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”     

      Seoirse sat where he was directed.  He took glances to the left and right.  Slightly more to the right.  He really did try to control where he was looking, but the girl on his right was so drop dead gorgeous and so princess-like, he could barely contain himself.  He was kind of sweating now, and he couldn’t help but notice her scent.

      She didn’t stink, the girl smelled like the sweetest fragrance of berry on the vine.  Seoirse knew it was glamour, the most powerful and amazing glamour ever, and he wondered if she was using glamour on herself.  He was really sweating now.

I’ll give you more, next.

      After Francis left the room, Mrs. Marshall raised her head, “Seoirse Wishart.”

      Seoirse jumped.  He was a little slow to answer, “Yes, ma’am.”

      She pointed at the princess on his right, “Lady Rose Tash, may I present Mr. Seoirse Séamas Wishart.  Mr. Wishart, this is the Lady Tash.  You may now stop staring at the lady.  I know she is very beautiful, and it isn’t glamour at all.  She really is that beautiful.”

      Lady Tash turned her head straight ahead.  She crossed her legs very prettily and looked away from him. 

      Seoirse moved his glance intentionally to the center and the hearth.  There, over the fireplace hung the portrait of a very handsome and regal looking man—the colonel from the photographs.  Out of the side of Seoirse’s eyes, to the right of the hearth, behind Lady Tash, lay another door.  By the ease of the Lady, he guessed it was either a closet, an entrance to a water closet, or perhaps a phone closet.  For the moment, he ensured his field of view took in anything except Lady Tash.

      Right then, Francis returned with a tea cart.  He served them each tea and set a tall triple plate stand filled with small sandwiches, biscuits, scones, and little pastries.  The clotted cream and marmalade went to the side.  Francis gave Lady Tash her choice first from the triple tray.  She took penny sandwiches and most of the biscuits, then to Mrs. Marshall.  He left the triple plate on the tea table in front of Seoirse. 

      Mrs. Marshall gestured, “You may tuck in Mr. Wishart.  I’m sure a young man like you will need more than one serving.”

      Lady Tash gave him a look that said, if he eats it all, he’s just a pig.  Seoirse knew that look, his sisters, Azure, Sable, and Accalia radiated it at his brother, Lachlann and him all the time.

      Seoirse put his napkin on his knee and took a couple of remaining penny sandwiches from the plate then a scone.  He properly slathered the scone with jam and clotted cream.  By then the door had closed and locked.  A green light blinked on the inside panel and on another panel in front of Mrs. Marshall.

      Mrs. Marshall took a sip of her tea, “Now, finally, we can get down to business.”  She gave Seoirse a look and tilted her head, “We’ll be speaking mainly about Lady Tash’s assignment first.  Then, we’ll bring your assignment into the picture, Mr. Wishart.”  Mrs. Marshall raised her head a trifle, “Perhaps we require a little more detailed introductions.”

      Lady Tash put up her hand, “I don’t want anything revealed about me.”

      Mrs. Marshall sighed, “That’s what this meeting is all about.  Mr. Wishart, ensure you do nothing that would make Lady Tash unhappy with your decorum, person, or morals.  In fact, I’ll start in right away.  Why didn’t you wear the uniform I provided you?”

      Seoirse blinked, “I thought it was from the Organization for my next assignment.”

      “This is your next assignment.  It looks like I really need to take you in hand before you cause me any more significant problems.”  She drank another sip of tea, “Listen closely to me Seoirse Wishart.  When we are in conference as we are now, I’m most correctly Ms. O’Dwyer.  I happen to be the current director of Stela in the Organization.”

      Seoirse’s throat suddenly became very dry.  He put down everything and stood, “I’m very sorry Ms. O’Dwyer.  I had no idea.  He gave her a low bow.”

      Mrs. Marshall or Ms. O’Dwyer waved him back down, “You really should be bowing to Lady Tash.  As it is, it’s too late now.  I’d hoped for a little more on your part, but everything is already in place, so I’m not making any changes at present.  Right now, we need to discuss Lady Tash’s assignment.”

      Lady Tash squinted, “I sincerely don’t wish Mr. Wishart to hear any of these details.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer waved her cup about, “He really must, and I don’t want you to keep anything back.  It’s critical that he is fully engaged and knowledgeable about these things.”

      Lady Tash was getting a little agitated.  Her lips trembled, “Why must he?  We’re moving into some very dangerous circumstances at this point in time.”

      “Don’t get your knickers in a wad, Lady Tash.  Mr. Wishart is the second son of Lady Wishart and Air Commodore Calloway.  He’s very sensitive regarding the Fae and a potential, albeit a low potential, to be the Chancellor of the Book of the Fae.  You’ve met his mother and his father.  Lady Wishart is perhaps the main reason you have your current assignment.”

      Lady Tash squinted again, “That’s not true at all.  It’s my ability to control glamour and Robyn Nelson that determined my assignment.”

      Seoirse smiled, “That’s smashing.  I didn’t think anyone could handle sweet Robyn, but you can?”

      Ms. O’Dwyer nodded, “She can and does.  Now as to the new assignment.  Attention Lady Tash, I’ve moved you and Robyn Nelson up from the tenth level to the lower sixth form at Monmouth Haberdasher’s School for Girls.  You’ll still be in Bagnall Oakely House, but you will physically move to Augusta House for your lodging.  You’ll no longer share a room together.  You’ll live next door to her.”

      Lady Tash cocked her head, “Why move us up so far?  Robyn’s still only nine.  Won’t that cause me more problems?”

      “It may cause problems, but the purpose of your previous assignment was to integrate Robyn into the school and into her class.  Now that I know you can do it, and she can sustain it, we can move Robyn closer to her actual educational level.  Yours too by the way.”  Ms. O’Dwyer turned toward Seoirse, “Listen closely Mr. Wishart.  Lady Tash is not at all what she seems.”

      Lady Tash slapped the table, “Do not tell him about me.  I will not permit it.”

      “Cool your jets, Rose.  Mr. Wishart has an important role to play in this assignment.  I told you he needs to know what’s going on.”  Ms. O’Dwyer took another sip of tea, “Mr. Wishart, Lady Tash is as well educated as Robyn if not better educated than Robyn.  She’s a little hidden diamond in this school.  She’s like you, well enough educated for me to send off to university, but like you I have other work for her to do.  She’s graded like the other students, but by agreement with the Headmistress, she doesn’t compete against the other students.  You’ll not either.”

      Lady Tash’s lips made a tight line, “What do you mean, he will not either.  Monmouth is an all-girl’s school.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer put up her hand, “Monmouth also has an affiliated all-boy’s school.  You surely knew that.  I haven’t arrived at Mr. Wishart’s assignment, yet.  We’re still on yours Lady Tash.”

      Lady Tash sat primly and cleared her face, “Please, then proceed.”

      “Thank you.  Now, I’ve moved you and Robyn into the lower sixth form.  Also moving into this form, dorm, and place are Sveta and Klava Mardling.  In age, they’re both a year younger than the other girls.  They’re both in Imbert Terry House and will be moving into Augusta House dorm with you.  They also will no longer share a room together.  Here are their pictures.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer pulled a couple of eight by ten head shots from a folder at the side of her chair.  She pushed them across the table to Lady Tash.  Mr. Wishart took a quick glance at them when he forwarded them on.

      Lady Tash gave him a look that said, if he didn’t pass them on quickly, she would grab them from him herself.  So, he just caught a very brief glimpse of the two girls.  They weren’t very interesting looking to him anyway.  They appeared pretty enough, but like regular schoolgirls.  They had a complexion and hair similar to Ms. O’Dwyer so he guessed they were similar in other ways.  He knew just a little about Ms. O’Dwyer.  Enough to know that she was very dangerous and powerful.  His mother had told him, as well as many of the Fae.  Although the Fae tended to ignore beings like her.

      Lady Tash asked, “Can you tell me about their powers or is Mr. Wishart not read into that extent?”

      “Mr. Wishart is to know all.  I’ll explain everything about these girls to you.  They are twins, and they are the next two goddesses of darkness and light.  Sveta is the next Goddess of Light, and Klava is the next Goddess of Darkness.  Their powers are still developing, but Sveta is likely as powerful or more powerful than Robyn.  About Klava, it’s hard to tell.  Klava, like most Goddesses of Darkness, is a little introverted and very private.  Secretive too.  She doesn’t really want anyone to know about her power or how powerful she is.”

      Lady Tash pursed her lips, “Who’s been training them?”

      “I’d like to say I’ve been, but that’s too far from the truth.  Their mother Leila, who is a very responsible woman…”

      “The same who caused the great Christmas despair in 2014?”

      Ms. O’Dwyer blushed, “How did you know about that?”

      “Ms. O’Dwyer, the Fae are my friends and servants.  They tell me everything.”

      “Yes, Leila was responsible for the Christmas despair of 2014, but she had good reasons for it.”

      “The reasons for lack of control are meaningless.  What she might have taught her daughters is highly relevant.”

      “I know Leila has been bringing up her daughters with great care and discipline, but Sveta is especially unruly and extremely jealous of Robyn.”

      Lady Tash did a doubletake, “Why would she be jealous of Robyn at all?”

      “You know Robyn?”

      “That’s a ridiculous question.  I know her perhaps better than anyone.”

      “I believe you do.  Robyn has been in on Sveta for years.”

      “You don’t mean?”

      “I do mean.  Robyn has badgered and provoked Sveta year on year since Robyn was four or so.  You know just how smart Robyn is.  You also know Robyn accidentally inherited the powers of a Goddess of Light.  Sveta is no slacker, but she’s just a child herself.  Robyn has her convinced they’re in competition.”

      “Ms. O’Dwyer, you do realize that moving Robyn to lower sixth will just exacerbate this large problem.”

      “That’s why you’re here.”

      Lady Tash flounced back in her seat, “I thought this would all come back to me.  What do you want me to do about these problem children, and how do we measure success?”

      “Now, you’re talking, so to speak.  There’s a little more to this.  Take a look at these pictures.”  Ms. O’Dwyer pulled two more eight by ten photographs from her folder.  She passed them down the table.

      Seoirse just had time to note two very beautiful and mature looking young ladies.  They looked very similar to Ms. O’Dwyer and the Mardling girls, but their complexion was lighter and they appeared taller.  They were a little more interesting to Seoirse because they didn’t look like little girls, still, compared to Lady Tash, they were children.

      Lady Tash examined the pictures, “These are your daughters.  This is Phoebe and this is Sophie—they aren’t more problems for me, are they?”

      “Actually, the problem is Sveta.  She originally was very close to her cousins, but because of Robyn, she’s taken an aggressive dislike to both of them.”

      Lady Tash leaned across the table and took on a sultry accent, “So, the Lady Tash is now taking out the garbage as well.  Why are your own difficulties in managing your family suddenly my problem?”

      “Well, it is your assignment and in the national interest.  So, tell me how you’ll manage this?”

      “One moment, Ms. O’Dwyer.  In the first place, what are the goals of this assignment?”

      “The original goals have not changed.”

      Lady Tash ticked off on her fingers, “My original assignment was to train Robyn to learn to properly, guard herself in appropriate ways, and to control her powers, so no one is hurt.  For complete success, Robyn must learn to use her powers only for good and to help others.  To prepare her to the highest level, I must train her to face any adversity and still act with forbearance and mercy. Further, for the return of my property, I must get her through a full year and accommodated to the school, and she must not harm herself or anyone else.  I’m allowed to use corporeal punishment as necessary, and this was originally for all five including your daughters.”

      “Your memory is excellent Lady Tash.  That was exactly your charge.  Now, tell me how you’re going to achieve this new assignment.”

      “Ms. O’Dwyer, you still have not explained the goals of my new assignment.  You must spell them out for me.”

      “Sorry, so I must.  Your original instructions remain the same.  However, you must also ensure all five also complete their education in their current form through a full year.  They must be accommodated and integrated into the school and their Houses, and they must not harm themselves or anyone else.  You may still use corporeal punishment as necessary.”

      Lady Tash’s look was grim, “Our original agreement for my property only included Robyn.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer waved her hand, “Our agreement about your house is still contingent only on Robyn.  Your new assignment, as my agent, includes the others.”

      “You’ve made this immensely more difficult for me.”

      “I didn’t mean to.  You displayed great success in your original assignment.  I just require more.  I have four other children who need some help, and I know you can provide it.”

      Lady Tash sighed, “I do owe everything to you.  Under duress, I shall accept the assignment as you stipulated.  As long as our original agreement about my house stands.”

      “One moment, I still want to know how you’ll initially approach this problem.”

      “The problem of jealousy, envy, and resentment?  As with Robyn last term, I’ll apply the aristocratic tea party plan and try to win over the warring parties.  That should compel a good beginning.  It will also allow me to assess the full extent of the problems I face.”

      “Very good, I accept your plan and confirm your assignment.  You’re cleared to do as you see fit and as you best determine.”

      Lady Tash sat back and smiled, “Now, what about Bozo?”  She pointed with her thumb at Seoirse.

I’ll finish this, next

 

Perhaps some commentary before we are done and done.  The major point I’m trying to make here is that it is reasonable and possible for a sequel to have a less exciting initial scene.  I wouldn’t attempt this for a first novel in a series.  Rose captures the imagination through action and mystery.  Seoirse captures the imagination through the presentation of a situation.  Presentation of the situation isn’t as exciting or powerful as the action of Rose, but as I explained, the real action scene that gets the novel Seoirse going requires some real setup.

 

I will give you some of this action scene because I think it is important to see why the setup and how that setup was necessary.  I won’t show all the setup because it’s three chapters worth, but Seiorse is the type of novel that required this degree of buildup to the major action scene.  I’ve confronted this problem in my other novels and handled it in various ways, but any great novel requires this kind of thought and development.

I will say, the design of Seiorse took a lot of time and I covered much of it in this blog. 

 

In the beginning, I wanted to make Rose the protagonist, but she really didn’t fit my needs, and she made a much better protagonist’s helper.  I brought in Seiorse for two reasons.  The first was to give a different PoV (point of view) than Rose, and the second was to bring in a romantic counter to Rose. 

 

Rose never had a boyfriend and might be destined to never have one—that’s her personality, but by being forced into the assignment with a handler, Rose had to make up some reason for Seiorse in her life, and Rose just turns everything into drama—she can’t help it.  She isn’t a drama queen at all, but she is a captivating and powerful person who gets exactly what she wants.  She does have failures which is what the novel Seiorse is all about.  I’ll give you the end of their assignment conversation with some details about it, and then we will see what it is all about—perhaps I’ll give you the little scene that undoes Rose with Seiorse.  We’ll see.  That’s next.

 

      “Really, Lady Tash, I don’t remember you behaving this rudely before.”

      “It isn’t rude, Ms. O’Dwyer.  If this boy is another problem I must navigate in my assignment, I certainly don’t need the additional liability.”

      “That’s good because, Mr. Wishart is no liability.”

      “Then what is he?”

      “He’s your protection and your handler.”

      Lady Tash snorted, “I need neither protection nor a handler.” 

      “Look at me Lady Tash,” Ms. O’Dwyer eyed her, “During your last assignment, which is still ongoing, by the way, I was required to recall you, and you lived in the wilderness, such as it is, in Wales, for over a month.  I don’t wish that to happen again.”

      Lady Tash gave a smug look.

      “Perhaps it will help if I provide a little information about Mr. Wishart.  You’ve met his mother.  As you know, she’s the Chancellor of the Book of the Fae.  Because of his background and family, he’s very sensitive to the Fae and other beings in the land.  That’s why he works for me in Stela.  I’m certain he can see that silkie you usually have about you, and any others in your entourage.”

      Lady Tash blustered, “That’s a distinct breach of confidence, and Airgead is not here because I intentionally did not invite her into your house.  You insisted I leave her at the usual place.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer gave Lady Tash a steelie look, “It’s very important that you keep them in their place.  A Fae being in my house would be a certain disaster.”

      Lady Tash’s eye twitched.  She mouthed, “I’m part Fae.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer laughed, “You’re thinking that you are part Fae, aren’t you Lady Tash?  It would still be a disaster.”

      “That’s another breach of my confidence.”

      “Are you paying attention, Lady Tash?  You’re the reason I’m assigning Mr. Wishart as your protection and handler.  He can manage many Fae difficulties.”

      Lady Tash whispered, “I can certainly handle any of those.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer’s voice raised, “He can also protect you, so I don’t need to make another recall.”

      Lady Tash sat up straight, “How can he do that.  He’s just a boy.”

      “He’s not just any young man.  As I told you, he’s sensitive to the Fae and other beings in their realm.  In addition, he, unlike you, has completed the upper sixth form at Eton.”

      “Really?” Lady Tash gave Seoirse another appraisal.  She frowned.

      “Yes, really.  He already graduated from Eton, at the top in his class, and was to matriculate to Cranwell, but I assigned him to you.”

      Lady Tash proudly raised her head, “Very well.  What else can he do?”

      “Unlike you, Lady Tash, Mr. Wishart has completed extensive training under the tutelage of my best instructors at Eton and in his other, ahem, educational pursuits.  He is highly proficient with weapons and fisticuffs, knowledgeable about the Fae and glamour, an expert horseman, and exceptionally well trained in our military and intelligence structure and operations.  His only lack as an asset is that this is his first unsupervised assignment.”

      Lady Tash squinted, “Unsupervised?”

      Ms. O’Dwyer lifted her chin, “It’s time for him to take the responsibility as handler for an assignment.  I thought this would be the perfect one.  It has potential danger but is not particularly dangerous.  It’s important, but not as important as many under my purview.  He needs experience, and you, Lady Tash, require help, protection, and handling.”

      Lady Tash lifted her lip, “Young men and handling are right out, especially this young man.”

      Ms. O’Dywer and Seoirse blushed.

      Ms. O’Dwyer snarled, “You need to reconcile yourself to Mr. Wishart.  He’s your handler and your protection.”

      Lady Tash snarled back, “Very well.  I see where all this is going.  I just want my house back, and I want to go home.  I’ll accept him in these capacities as long as I know exactly how he can help me, and what he’s going to do.  I don’t need him mucking up my work or plans.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer smiled, “That’s precisely what I wanted to hear.”  She turned toward Seoirse, “Mr. Wishart, please inform Lady Tash how you intend to support and defend her?”

I’ll add to this, next to complete the chapter.  Then I’ll contemplate giving you the scene of note in the novel.

 

I want to point out the details of this initial scene and the encounter between Rose and Seiorse.  Mrs. O’Dwyer’s (Mrs. Marshall) introduction and briefing to them is meant to provide the information necessary for the reader that sets up the characters and the novel.  It by no means tells all, but gives the basic information necessary for those who haven’t read the first novel Rose, and reminds any who did as well as introducing Seiorse. 

 

Seiorse isn’t really that bad a chap.  I presented him as I did to provide some basis for Rose’s negative response to him.  He also didn’t exactly follow Mrs. O’Dwyer’s instructions, and I wanted them both to upbraid him about that.  Why?  Part of the appeal to me and in the novel about Seiorse is that he changes radically because of Rose.  I tried to note his attention to her as well as his interest in her.  Because he is trying his hardest to get into her good graces as well as influence her positively, he must and will change.  He will become the young man she expects at her side as a protector and handler.  Rose is interested, but not really in him.  This will change for her as she recognizes his abilities and intelligence.  That’s much later, but we need to start someplace.

 

Do you remember zero to hero?  Whatever you do in your writing, you really want to present a zero to hero plot for any comedy (the protagonist overcomes the telic flaw).  To build a zero to hero, you need a good zero.  That means your protagonist must start at zero.  It does no good for you to present a fully developed and perfect character—that’s no zero.  You would be going from hero to hero.  That’s okay for a marvel or a Harry Potty god or messiah, but not at all appropriate for any good Romantic style novel or plot.  Thus Seiorse must go to zero in the mind of Rose and Mrs. O’Dwyer.  Note Mrs. O’Dwyer still trusts him or she would have pulled him off the assignment right away.  There is hope for Seiorse, but Rose’s opinion and attitude are much of the issue.  Seiorse must overcome this problem to build up his hero points, so to speak, with Rose.  I’ll finish this chapter, next.  That’s the plan anyway.

 

      “Yes, ma’am.  I’ve already studied the campus and made connections.  I’ve a private room in Buchanan House and am assigned as the dorm head resident there.  That will allow me to secretly keep any and all equipment the Organization provides us.  The room can also be used for private communications and meetings if necessary.”

      Lady Tash raised her hand, “I, for one, will not be going to a man’s private bedroom without an escort or chaperone.  That would compromise my dignity and propriety.”

      Seoirse didn’t pause, “I didn’t intend for us to meet there.  I expect to use the woods near the Monmouth Cemetery.”

      Lady Tash crossed her arms in a large ‘x,’ “That’s even worse.  That’s where boys and girls meet for trysts, and everything else imaginable.”

      Seoirse cocked his head, “But, you’ve been meeting there for beer and cigarettes with your homies from Baggy the last semester.”

      “That was with girls, not with boys.”

      Seoirse scratched his head, “If that won’t work, I can accomplish operations with my Fae helper who can provide communications with your silkie.”

      “What about you and the use of glamour?”

      “Unfortunately, I can’t use glamour on my own, but I can detect it and tap it with the aid of words, gestures, and items.”

      “Are you a friend of the Fae?”

      “Not officially.”

      “I see.  What else can you do?”

      “I plan to keep an eye on you all the time, and especially when you’re engaged in your work.”

      “Mr. Wishart.  Most of my work happens in my or other girl’s rooms.  There’s no place for any young man.  It’s the engagement of their hearts and minds that allows me to act and gain their trust.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer snapped her fingers, “Mr. Wishart isn’t there to accomplish your assignment for you, Lady Tash.  His job is support.  I expect him to be ready and close by if you need him.”

      Lady Tash smirched, “I don’t see much need for him at all.  I shall try to ignore him, and he needs to keep out of my way.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer sighed, “That’s all I expect.  Try not to kill each other.”

      Lady Tash raised her lip, “I’ll be too busy preventing your five dangerous little goddesses from killing each other and me.  I’ll not give a single thought to Mr. Wishart.  Before we’re done, however, I must insist that someone take him into hand for instruction on clothing and decorum.  I can’t be seen around such an uncouth young man no matter his other skills.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer looked Seoirse up and down, and gave a vaguely forced grimace, “I’m not sure why you’re complaining so much.  Although it’s not what I’d like either, he’s dressed suitably for our meeting and his position.”

      Lady Tash blustered, “I require much better than that.  He looks like a bumpkin.  It’s embarrassing to him and to me.  I hope, at least, his uniforms are properly fit and managed.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer smiled, “Actually, I wanted him to look a little more like a normal schoolboy than you might be expecting.  Just like you’re playing a part, Lady Tash, Mr. Wishart is also playing a part for the Organization.”

      Lady Tash looked away and grimaced, “Very well.  I understand to some degree, but I don’t like it at all.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer stood, “Now, Mr. Wishart has an automobile, and I’d like you to return to school with him.”

      Lady Tash stared, “You’re kidding, right?”

      “I’m not kidding at all.  I’d like you to get to know Mr. Wishart better, and a three-hour drive from here to Monmouth should provide that opportunity.  In addition, Mr. Wishart will update you on your cover.”

      Lady Tash’s mouth opened wide, “My cover?”

      “Your cover.  It will provide you the opportunity to communicate privately, and as Mr. Wishart has planned.”

      Lady Tash stood, “I’m not in favor of it, but I do accept this small disrespect.”

      Ms. O’Dwyer unlocked the door with her switch, the lights all turned red, and Francis, the butler opened the door, “Yes, Mrs. Marshall?” 

      “Show Lady Tash and Mr. Wishart to the door please.”

      He bowed, “My pleasure, Mrs. Marshall.”

Yes, this is an initial scene that is not that action packed.  There is actually little action and a lot of friction between Seiorse and Rose.  That’s the excitement I wanted to provide for this scene.  As I mentioned, I really wanted to use another scene as the initial scene, but it was impossible.  Unfortunately for the scenes, the real scene I wanted to use requires information and build up.  What is it?

 

If you notice in this initial scene, Rose has been assigned to oversee five girls who are the daughters of goddesses or actual goddesses themselves.  We also see from the initial scene that there are issues between the girls as well as potential issues socially.  The next scenes will show this conflict and their problems straight out.

 

The movement of Robyn, a goddess, into the upper form plus her relationships with the other girls, especially Sveta will cause these problems.  What I wanted to do in my original plans for the initial scene was to show just how Sveta attacked Robyn and Rose that then led to the large conflict and then resolution in the novel.  As I wrote, the problems and the situation is so complex, I just couldn’t jump directly into it—the reader wouldn’t understand what is going on at all.

 

I could mention that there was a time when that was the norm for some writing.  I mean the 1970s to 1980s when many novels were considered modern for being confusing.  This is also why I write in my rules for writing, number 2. Don’t confuse your readers.  This follows number 1. Entertain your readers.  I think it is nearly impossible to entertain while your readers are confused.  I couldn’t stand many of those 1970s and 1980s novels—they suck and they will never be read again.  They are already forgotten and will never be used again—even though the illuminati taught them and used them as examples for great writing.  This is why you never trust writing professors and professorets especially if they think James Joyce is a great writer.  You can begin to trust anyone who will state straight out that James Joyce is the most terrible published author in the English language.  The second is the writer of Lolita.  Child porn hidden and taught as literature has no place in polite or even impolite society—it has a place in prison. 

 

I’ll give you the scene in question or at least part of it, next.

 

Just before 1900, Robyn and Rose sat at the large table in Dr. Rowley’s classroom.  They covered it with a perfectly pressed white lace tablecloth.  Rose brought her best tea set, a Victorian masterpiece and likely in the £10,000 range.  Rose had tea ready to steep and treats ready to serve.  She wore a very expensive pair of jeans and a very special top with her Jimmy Cho flats.  Robyn just wore her regular jeans and a nice top—that’s about all she had.

When Sophie and Phoebe came to the door, Rose sprang to her feet.  Robyn remained at the tea table.  Rose went to the door and gave a graceful curtsy, “Good evening, Sophie and Phoebe.” 

They both dimpled.  They wore frocks.

Rose continued, “Please come in.  This isn’t as nice as my room, but it’s still pleasant that you could come.”

Robyn stood and greeted them.  They sat where Robyn indicated.

Not much later, Sveta and Klava came to the door.  They also wore frocks.  Rose curtsied elegantly to them too, “Good evening, Sveta and Klava.”

Sveta raised her nose.

Klava took Rose’s hand, “Hi Rose.  I’m so glad you invited us.”

Rose escorted them to the table.  She seated them.  On her right, sat Sophie and Phoebe, on her left, Sveta then Klava.  Sveta placed her cell phone on the table in front of her.  Robyn sat directly across from Rose, and between Klava and Sophie.

Rose began with the tea.  She prepared it, steeped it, and poured it.  Her movements were perfect and refined.  She made each element appear graceful and beautiful—the preparing, the pouring, and the serving.  After everyone held their tea, Rose brought out her large platter, filled with biscuits, small cakes, and chocos.

Sophia asked, “Rose, where did you get all this?”

Rose, all smiles, made a theatrical whisper, “I ordered it from the caterers.  It’s amazing what you can get if you just ask.”

Sveta added, “And can pay for.”

Robyn pressed her lips together as if she wanted to respond, but she didn’t.

Klava instead came back with, “Really, Sveta, she did this all for us.  What matter how she did it?”

Sveta sipped her tea.

Rose picked up her cup, “Now, to our business.”

Sveta glowered, “About time.”

Rose nodded to her, “Although you’re in Terry and we’re in Baggy, I just wanted to get us all together.  You ladies share a great power and a secret which we do need to keep under wraps, and one you need to learn to properly use and control.”

Sveta frowned, “Just who are we?  Phoebe and Sophie have no power at all.  Only Robyn here, other than my sister and me are blessed with any kind of power.”

Rose cocked her head, “Actually, Sveta, I wasn’t talking about that type of power at all.”

Sveta’s frown deepened, “Really, then what do you mean?”

“I was speaking about position, knowledge, and elegance and not actual power.  I understand that you, Sveta and Klava are both daughters of a goddess, the Goddess of Darkness.  You Phoebe and Sophie are also daughters of a goddess, the Goddess of Light.  Robyn and I are not the daughters of any goddess, but we know who you are, and we wish to work with you?”

Sveta’s brow creased, “Work with us to do what?”

“Work with you to do what goddesses and the daughters of goddesses are supposed to do.”

Sveta huffed, “And what exactly is that?”

Rose smiled, “Just like a lady, the purpose of a goddess, as I understand it, is to help the people around her to reach their most proper and highest goals in life.”

Phoebe nodded vigorously, “That’s so.  My mother told us, the purpose of the gods and goddesses was to point to the one true God, the Dagda, and his Son.  Certainly, our purpose is to do that too, and definitely for the good of others.”

Sophie looked skeptical, “Isn’t that the purpose of every person?”

Rose sipped her tea, “That may be true, but to those whom special gifts are given, much in return is expected.”

Klava leaned forward, “That makes sense to me.  But how do we accomplish anything like that?”

Rose grinned, “At the moment, I’ve no special plans, but I was hoping that we together could figure out just how to make these things come about, and how to help others here in our forms and school.”

Sveta stood, “One moment, I’m not clear on this at all.  We’re all living very peacefully in our own lives and schooling.  Why should we attempt to help others or listen to you?”

Robyn couldn’t hold her tongue, “Look, Sveta.  You all have no friends at all.  I was just like you until Rose came around.  She showed me how to make friends and how to interact with others…”  Her voice petered out, “Sorry about that, Rose.”

Sveta clenched her hands into fists, and visibly trembled, “What do you mean by that, Robyn?”

Rose made a placating gesture, “Please, sit down Sveta.  In the main, Robyn is right.  I’d like to help you make friends, and to interact with the other girls.  Isn’t that what you’d like too?”

Sveta didn’t sit down, “Robyn is a bink and a toff.  We’re all happy with our lives and our schooling.  We don’t need anyone or anything else.”

Phoebe raised her hand, “I hate to disagree, but I think Robyn and Rose are right.”  She lowered her head, “I’d like to make friends.  I’m just not sure how.”

Sveta turned toward Rose, “Did our mothers put you up to this, or is this just some kind of trick?  Why are you here in the first place?”

Robyn spoke between bites, “Rose looks after me.”

Sveta turned her head toward Robyn and then back to Rose, “How could that be?  How could Rose be able to look after Robyn.  What are you not telling us?”

Rose opened her hands, “My job is to look after Robyn.”

Sveta’s chest was heaving, “And now, you intend to look after us too?  I really want to know—how you can look after Robyn?  Do you have some power yourself?”

Rose turned her head slightly to encompass Sveta, “I’d rather not say.”

Sveta took a deep breath, “One moment, you said it was your job.  Do you mean that?  Is it really your job.  Do you work for them?”

Rose asked, “Who’s them?”

 

This scene stands well on its own.  The main players are introduced at the beginning.  We have Rose and Robyn, then Sophie and Pheobe, finally Sveta and Klava.  As Rose explained: Sophie and Pheobe are daughters of the Goddess of Light and Sveta and Klava are daughters of the Goddess of Darkness.  The reason I wanted this to be th initial scene was to show the confrontation between these girls and Rose that would set the entire novel into play.  The main participants are Rose and the girls.  Seiorse is on the outside here.  He comes into play later—that is when he has to rescue Rose. 

 

You don’t know everything about these girls, but enough from the initial scene to understand that Sveta has a problem with each of them  Sveta wants revenge, and she will try to get her point across although she will not succeed because of the very powerful and wonderful Rose.  As I noted, this scene will set in play the entire novel.  I’ll give you more, and in the end you will understand.

 

There’s more.

 

I want to write another book based on Rose and Seoirse, and the topic will be the raising of Ceridwen—at least that’s my plan.  Before I get to that, I want to write another novel about dependency as a theme.  We shall see.

 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic