New Eros Chapter will launch Tuesday Night — Teaser Included · 5:22pm January 28th
Sorry for the delay, but I'm still tweaking it and trying to give prereaders more chance to hit it. Just remember that when it does drop, you'll see three new chapters and not just one. That's because I'll be breaking up the prior chapter into three to make the chapter size more in line with the rest of the story, like I said in a previous blog.
I've also gone ahead and changed the numbering system on the Eros chapters to reflect what chapter of Continuation and Chronicles the events described occur within/after. Credit where credit is due; the suggestion was that of reader Kevin Lee. Hopefully the new scheme will be a little more intuitive than before.
It'll be back to working on Midnight Rising for a while after this, but don't worry—Feathered Hearts is definitely not forgotten. But to tide you over, have a surprisingly non-adult teaser from the new Eros chapter:
To Gilda’s surprise, her initial experience with the Ibexian memory sharing magic was far different than the one she had with the Changeling variant.
In the latter’s case, she was fully aware of all the other minds linked to her and their thoughts except when it was her own memories replaying. But even then, she retained some peripheral awareness of what was being mentally said to her, even if it was difficult to hold onto it for more than a few seconds or recall it afterwards. But this time…?
This time, the Queen began by opening a link to her and her alone, gently requesting entry to her mind and memories just as she had before. Granting it quickly—perhaps because of greater trust and familiarity, it seemed much easier than before—she felt all her memories of the day earlier replay rapidly without any background chatter to interrupt it, or provide some measure of the passage of time like there had been before.
In fact, there was no mental conversation to speak of this time—at least, not until the Queen herself spoke after her replay concluded. Such an amazing progression of events, many of which not even I was aware. You are as brave and bold in battle as any griffon, Grizelda Behertz, and none—not even the Tribune—will be able to dispute that, she told her as the replay ended. I see that you also fretted at the start whether you were truly worthy of your new rank? Be assured that you are one of the finest young Centurions I have ever seen.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, Queen Lepidoptes. Gilda found herself with an uncharacteristic urge to hug the insectile alicorn ruler, but she didn’t know how from inside the spell, where the Changeling Monarch was just a warm and welcome presence in her mind.
In response, her mental vision swam. You are very welcome. But if it is an embrace you wish… the Queen’s thought trailed off as Gilda suddenly found herself in a small sunlit room surrounded by varied Changeling and griffon finery, facing the sitting and smiling Queen. The Changeling Monarch then opened her forehooves in invitation, to which Gilda uncharacteristically leapt into her hug like a cub finding her mother after being separated from her.
It was something she would never have done with her real mother, given how distant and standoffish she had acted over the years—which, as Gilda thought about it, went a long way towards explaining her own lifelong aversion to physical contact. But now…?
Now, she soaked up the Queen’s presence like a sponge, unable to quite suppress the feeling that she had finally found the maternal figure she’d always wanted. And perhaps never knew she needed.
Her thoughts able to be read directly by the Changeling Monarch under the influence of the ibexian magic, the Queen simply held her close and laid her head atop Gilda’s, the feeling as real as if it were happening outside of their minds.
I am Mother to many, Grizelda Behertz. But I will certainly not object if you wish to see me as yours, given I find you a fine griffon and a worthy daughter, the Queen told her. Your affection is but another form of love for us, so I can feed on it just as readily as the events outside. But lest you think this is a one-sided arrangement, we can give love back as readily as we take it, she told her, holding and rocking her gently like a cub in her arms.
Which was exactly how Gilda felt in that moment, going back to her long-ago youth and all the affection that was withheld from her by her tradition-worshipping parents. In fact, in her mind’s eye, she was a young cub being held and cradled by the Queen, who sang softly to her in the suddenly-intelligible Changeling tongue as Gilda drank in the attention and affection, feeling warm and safe in her presence.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for everything you’ve done for not just the Kingdom, but for me and Marco… she thought to the far older female, wondering then how old the Changeling Monarch truly was. But doesn’t giving love back cost you power? Are you weakening yourself by doing this? she suddenly worried.
I am nearly one hundred thirty years old. And worry not, Grizelda Behertz, she reassured Gilda. For the greatest insight of my life, and the one I teach to all young drones, is that to give love is to create more of it. That to share it enriches not just the Hive, but all our sources of love, from individual Griffons and Caleponians all the way up to the Griffon Kingdom itself. That, in my view, is the true role of our race in the world, even if it is not an opinion shared by other Queens and Hives...
I'll probably launch the new chapter around 8 PM Tuesday night, US EST. Sorry to make you wait, but I'd really like more prereader feedback before I unleash this one.
It was just a joke about the new chapter! But thank You for the preview!
Looking forward to it
A motherly Changeling queen towards allies... I like the idea. Maybe I impliment it in time into one of my own.
Have a great week start