Bookish Orchestrations: Courage and Corruption

About the Book

Catherine is going with her mother and younger siblings to the mountains to hide from the coming war. While she fears what might happen she is looking forward to some time away from her twin brother, with whom she often fights. One foolish act changes all their plans, and one story caused not only confusion, but more fighting.

Christopher does not believe his father’s story that they are descended from royalty. He is sure the story his father tells cannot be true. However, he is forced to go to the mountain castle of Coraway along with his mother and siblings. Will his father ever see him as a man? Will he and his twin ever be able to stop fighting?

Little do Catherine and Christopher realize that they hold the key to Taelis’ future in their hands. While they discover the truth before it is too late?

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About the Author

Sarah Holman is a not so typical mid-twenties girl: A homeschool graduate, sister to six awesome siblings, and author of many published books and short stories. If there is anything adventuresome about her life, it is because she serves a God with a destiny bigger than anything she could have imagined.

You can find her at her website: www.thedestinyofone.com

Excerpt

His father held up his hand and Christopher fell silent once again. “If you cannot care for one animal, that proves something to me; it proves that you are not responsible enough for the battlefield. Wielding weapons and defending all that you hold dear takes a man of maturity and responsibility, and you have shown you are devoid of both those virtues. I think Sir Leonard will feel the same way.”

Christopher hung his head, feeling the sting of his father’s words. He wanted to scream that his father was wrong, but not only would that be disrespectful, it would also anger his father. He had to find a way to help his father see he was ready.

“I suppose there is only one thing to be done,” his father said, his voice heavy with sadness.

Christopher did not dare lift his head as he waited to hear his fate. Would he be forced to earn the money for another goat? Perhaps his father would make him watch the other animals for a time or even muck out the stalls. Catherine would pay for this. It was her fault that they were even in this situation.

“You know that I have made arrangements for your mother and younger siblings to stay with my cousin at Coraway Castle. They will be safe there until this coming war is over. It seems that you will need to join them.”

Christopher’s head jerked up. “Nay, Father! You cannot send me away like a young child. Lord Sittell needs all the men he can find.”

His father closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “That is right; he needs all the men he can get, but you have proved that you are not ready for manhood. Perhaps my cousin, the Earl of Coraway, will be able to teach you responsibility, since I have failed.”

Angry tears gathered in Christopher’s eyes, but he refused to shed them. “How can I prove myself in battle if you send me away?”

Sir Johnathan knelt before his son and looked up at him with unshed tears glistening in his eyes. “I have tried, Christopher. There are so many things that I have tried to teach you and Catherine, but I have failed. You have more need of responsibility than you realize, but you refuse to develop it.”

“I will, Father. Let me go to battle,” Christopher begged.

His father shook his head, reached behind his neck and unfastened a chain he had always worn. At the end of the chain hung a ring. Christopher had caught glimpses of it now and again, but his father always was quick to conceal it from sight.