The day had dawned dark and cold despite the deep pink that streaked across the skies as she made her way to the spring.  The gods must be pleased this morning.  Alexia smiled as she picked herbs to place in her medicines.  The girls will have good business then...makes the men happy.  She paused as she thought of the potions she would need to make for the evening to come.  Anything that could aide her girls, and keep them working, would be beneficial to her.  As she approached the clear water of the pool before her, she sat at the edge and peered into the water.

A small cough broke her thoughts, then the small cry that followed brought her to her feet.  As her hand slipped into her cloak, she began to move slowly over to the bushes where the noises were coming from.  Pushing the branches back, she gasped at the sight that was before her.  It was a halfling babe.  Reaching down, she picked up the child and pulled her closer to her, scrutinizing her for any imperfections.  hm...Good enough for a slave.  Looks like everything is in good shape. 

The girl's hand reached up and grasped her fingers as they trailed over her cheek, and the woman smiled slowly.  Perhaps more than a slave... 

Alexis' search for herbs forgotten, she wrapped the child up in her cloak and turned, leaving the pond as quickly as she had appeared.

**********************************************************

Alexis returned to the harem as the afternoon sun beamed down upon the streets of Aldron.  Slipping inside, she moved quickly through the kitchens to her quarters in the back of the building. 

"Alexis.  Child, where have you been?"

She stopped and turned, glaring at the woman who stood before her.  Mikado was beautiful, but wasteful.  The money she brought in was barely enough to pay for her face creams, much less benefit the harem.  "First, Mikado, I am not a child.  Second, that is none of your concern."  Her arms tightened around the child as the woman approached her.

"What do you have there?  Why, it's a babe!  Are you going to keep her?"

Alexis nodded, gazing back down as the child opened her large green eyes and crinkled her nose at the other woman.  "Yes.  If she is beautiful, then she will join your ranks.  If not, she will make a handy slave."

Mikado nodded, reaching out and tickling the child's shock of pink hair.  "Where ever did you find her?  Are you going to name her?"

"Of course."  Snatching the child from Mikado's reach, she glared once more.  "I found her in the woods, abandoned.  She will be called Cyanna Grayce.  Now, don't you have preparations to make for tonight?  Your customers should be arriving within the hour." 

Mikado sniffed and turned, pushing through the double doors that led to the woman's quarters.  Alexis sighed softly, shaking her head at the babe in her arms.  "She is trouble, child.  I do hope that you turn out to be a better investment than she was."  Turning, she moved quickly to her quarters to prepare the child's place and to begin the medicines she had so suddenly discarded that morning.

Ok...so I can't sleep tonight, and I have the craziest idea.  If I can sell books on Ebay, why not write one?  So here's the deal...all characters and story that I write belong to me.  No one else.  Not even close.  But would you guys, my dearest readers, care to help?  Follow the story...tell me where I should or should not go with this in the comments section.  And I'll write in your suggestions!  Here's the synopsis: 

Cyanna Grayce, half-elf, half-human, was left to die as an infant by her adulterous mother in the woods of Aldron.  Rescued by a slave, she was trained from a young girl to work in the local harem.  Crowned Queen of the region, this is her journey from harem to throne as she faces her own demise.

Chapter One

Aldron-Jylius 231st Era

My Dearest Claryce,

My beloved, my strong one.  You were the strength that kept me fighting all those years ago when I thought my search had ended.  Yet my troubles had only begun.  I would go and lean over your crib to watch you as you slept, praying to the Gods that you would be spared the fight that I had endured.  The fight that I began to train you for from the moment you could walk.  Could speak.  Could understand.

I myself was trained at an early age to fight, but only to defend myself.  I was never taught the subtle tricks a woman could play on the minds of men to do her bidding.  Of any race.  Or of how diplomacy could stop a fight before it had begun.  No, the Gods abandoned me to the fate of a harem beauty when they rescued me from the cold woods on the outskirts of Aldron.  I was rescued as a babe, but it wasn't until I had you that I was saved.

Claryce, I am tired of fighting, my child.  My life has been a series of abandonment, of loss, of pain with too few victories, and few words for the Muses to record in the history books.  I adore you, my beloved.  Never forget that your mother trained you well.

Sincerely,

Cyanna Grayce, Regenia of Aldron

The light from the flames flickered dark shadows across my hands as I layed the quill back in its place.  The darkened words that marred the parchment were truth, but I feared the response that they would bring.  My existance was only because I had fought for what I had.  For what I believed to be right.  For what I thought I had loved.

Yet it was all forsaken tonight when my Chief Counsel turned against me.  They turned to the Dark Ones...the elves whose mere existance was a blight upon my fair region.  Their souls burned in their garnet eyes with a hate so fierce that many an enemy had run from them when their ambassador would appear before their king.  I hated them.  Hated the counsel for turning against me.  Hated myself for not being strong enough to fight them. 

Let them learn with blood to listen to reason then.  That was my thought when the news had come my way.  Let them shatter the shield of peace that I struggled so to build and feel the throws of war once more.  I did not speak my thoughts, only turned away.  Now, as the flames flicker against the shadows that haunt my thoughts, I think back to my past.  To my beginnings and wonder how it had come to this.  Why had they betrayed me so?  Where did I fail? 

I turn then to gaze upon the reflection that stares blankly before me.  The human features of my father mar the beauty of my elven blood.  My eyes gleaming with unshed tears as I allow my gaze to fall down to the blade that lays slanted on the nightstand.  Shakily, I grasp the handle and peer down at the metal before me.  The reflection returns; mishapen as the images of my story fill my mind with the emotions I had long forgotten.  How did I reach this point.....

I got the collectibles section and the art section up and running, though I have to admit that I have many more collectibles than art right now. lol 

I've been able to add a ton of comic books, and other items.  I researched each one of these, and was amazed at what the values are, and what people are listing them for; or in the case of stores, selling them for.  It's insane!

So I'm hoping that my reasonable prices on these pieces bring in more customers, and help get the name of West Stone Collectibles out there.

Oh! Also, in an effort to be more eco-friendly, we email our invoices instead of printing them out and adding them to the shipping box.  Hey, less paper, more green, right?  It's a very small part of what we can do for our environment. 

We're looking to post original artwork on our site, and so I'm contacting everyone that I know who is into art to get them to put their work up.  Hopefully, this section will be up soon!

The art that I'm hoping to add is wonderful: black and white photos, abstract paintings...my own sketches.  It's harder than I thought to get in touch though.  lol Sounds crazy, eh?

I did go to my first pawn shop this afternoon to search for any collectibles, but I really didn't find anything.  hmm....I have some other ideas but was really just curious.  I'd never been in one before.  It was dark, but clean and had some displays. lol But my klutziness kicked in and I almost knocked down on of the shelves when I tripped over a power washer that was in the aisle.  What a way to make an impression, eh? 

Nothing more to add for today.  We will have the art section up (crossing my fingers) within a week, and the collectibles section up this weekend.  Check us often to see what we have!

Have a great day!!

West Stone Collectibles is now up and running!  We're going to be selling a wide variety of collectible items, but for now, our focus is on books.  We'll have artwork on here soon enough though, collectible action figures and comics too.

I thought that this would be a good way to introduce myself.  I'm a small town  Southern girl who has collected books from the age of seven and have been drawing for just as long.  The logo for West Stone Collectibles is an example of my work.  What do you think? 

We want to set up a store where the buyers can tell us what they would like to see, what they don't like, and what they do.  Without the buyers, we wouldn't have eBay afterall....so customer service is huge at my store.  As stated, our policy is Buyers First!  If you're not happy, then I'm not happy. 

Check us out at any time.  We're always updating our merchandise, and if you sign up for our newsletter, then you'll be the first to know when something new has been added.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!