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Rhea Bringhart
a rough-cut book bubble about
The Guardian (The Legend of Little Red Riding Hood & Her Wolf)
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author Insight
Ice at First Sight
Hi all! I'm Rhea. First off, I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the life of Little Red after the wolf ate her granny. Yep, she lived... but poor granny. I love a good story that makes you think, laugh, and feel, but also leaves you all warm and cozy after finishing the last page. Don't you? This is my writing in a nutshell. I want to make you think; I want you to look back over my scribblings and wonder at life and its deeper meanings. All the while giving you a golly fun ride, of course! I write as if my momma will read it, so clean and fun, but some of my books can get dark and I have plenty of action and adventure, so be prepared. Promised HEA... eventually. *As of now, you can find my work on Patreon and get many free chapters before I publish over Amazon and other online retailers. Plus, you will get exclusive content and possible interactive opportunities! After the full release of the books on Patreon, I will pull down to publish Ebooks for you to enjoy by a cozy fire with hot tea or cocoa. Enjoy! ~Rhea Bringhart
Book Excerpt
The Guardian (The Legend of Little Red Riding Hood & Her Wolf)
The blood drains from my face when I take in the giant. He weighs twice or even three times as much as I soaking wet. He’s thick around as a tree trunk and tall as a draft horse.“Come now, Henry. Are there no better things for you to accomplish than Sir Garreth's job?” The cultured, almost musical voice interrupts my stare at the man I'm supposed to fight.I turn from my assessment of the giant to find bright blue eyes—almost ice like in their analytical calculations—trained on my face from beside the noble.Take that gaze elsewhere, please. I'm no one.My internal grumbling does absolutely zilch. His gaze remains.His eyes remind me of a lapis lazuli gem I once saw when I was in the market hunting for bread. The stunning stone was a deep blue, the color of a fall sky. I gulp. His eyes are just the beginning. The face is much as I imagine a statue of some impervious warrior, hard as granite—but boy howdy, is it pretty. High cheekbones and arching eyebrows are impervious and commanding. His chin is slightly square, but just enough to add prestige instead of being blocky. Dirty blonde hair sweeps over his forehead and just touches his eyebrows.It's annoying how good looking he is. He's probably a jerk.Ran snickers in my mind. "Biased much?" she says."You try having some of my experiences with such beautiful men and women, especially nobles, and then tell me I'm biased," I reply."Not everything pretty is mean," She chides in my mind."You're an exception to the rule... most of the time."She huffs in indignation, even though humor coats our bond.The annoying noble quickly rises and tries to bow. "Your—"“Enough of that, Henry. We’re all friends here.” He throws a glance at Henry that's frosty enough to freeze the North Wind.I wonder who this man is, to make a noble such as Henry scrape and bow. Henry is an important noble if you take in his fancy doublet and the gold coins dangling from his neck that would each feed a family for a full season.This man is likely either a duke or royalty. The key? He’s much too young to be a duke unless he offed his father.I take a gamble and curtsy. Not the most elegant thing in trousers with a sword strapped to my hip. Not to mention I've never curtsied a day in my life.“Your Highness,” I say, trying to keep up my dignity even as my face flames with the surrounding twitters and gasps from the women in the square.Their fans flutter faster as they take in the prince coming to join this little show.The prince breathes out in annoyance, and for a horrible moment I’m afraid I guessed wrong. “Henry, this is exactly what I’m trying to avoid.” He gestures at me."But, Your Highness—" Henry goes to defend himself, his golden-ringed fingers flailing.The Prince cuts him off with a wave of his hand. “Enough. I believe this girl has yet to gain entrance to the trials.”I raise a brow at that, wanting to remind him I'm right here and if he wants to talk about me, he might as well acknowledge me."See? Jerk," I send to my bond"I reserve judgment as of yet. He's trying to get you into the competition.""That's... true." But I don't want to change my opinion. It's all nice and comfy knowing where I stand and how all high nobles and royals are self-absorbed pains in the behind."You're going to have to get past this if you want to be a prince protector.""I'm not going to be Prince Protector, you overgrown rabbit. I'm just—""Just finding the assassin trying to kill the prince. I know." Her voice holds a hint of laughter, as if she knows something I don't.My mind is jolted back to the present when Henry speaks again. “I’ve given her a way in, Your Highness. What comes next is now beholden to the... girl." The pesky noble takes a breath, eyes darting over to me before narrowing. His gaze returns to the prince, giving a faux apologetic bow. "The Queen put me in this position of deep trust. I only wish her to prove worthy of you.”I have no intention of causing a family rift between royalty. Better steer clear of that, or else risk my head along with my country's sanity. You don't want to get on the bad side of the Queen. Promise.“Your Highness, thank you. It was a pleasure. I am very glad to know there are still honorable,” I emphasize my point with a look at Henry, “royals and nobles among the courts. Good day.”I might not like the pretty prince, but he's better than some.A sputter erupts from the noble Henry. “Why, of all the indignities—”“Careful, my lord. You might be mistaken for a tomato and thrown at someone’s head,” I say with an innocent flutter of my eyes.I turn on my heel and stride away as I feel twin pricks of heat on the back of my head. If looks could kill... thank goodness that's not a Gift.A quiet chuckle comes from the direction of the prince. My head snaps around to stare at him, as straight faced and eyes as icey as ever. Not even a twitch of his lips. I'm left wondering if I imagined the humor from the enigmatic royal.I turn on my heel, marching directly to the giant.“Sir.” He turns to look at me with cruel dark eyes in a blocky face, causing a cold rush of fear to prickle over my skin. He must be part ogre. I force saliva down my throat. “I challenge you to a duel.”
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