Eden Forest
(Part one of the Saskia Trilogy)
Aoife Marie Sheridan
Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy)
Copyright © 2015 by Aoife Marie Sheridan
All rights reserved.
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
ISBN-978-1515368892
Published by Aoife Marie Sheridan
Also available in eBook and paperback publication
BY AOIFE MARIE SHERIDAN
OTHER WORKS BY AUTHOR AOIFE MARIE SHERIDAN:
THE SASKIA TRILOGY
EDEN FOREST #1
CITY OF SECRETS #2
THE RISE OF THE QUEEN #3
DEMON SERIES
HUNTERS (PART ONE)
HUNTED (PART TWO) (COMING SOON)
Dedication
This Book is dedicated to Emmet Proudfoot.
EDEN FOREST
Prologue
I pull down my brown tunic to try and cover my ever-
growing stomach. Sweat trickles down the back of my
neck as the sun burns high in the sky, yet I have a sense
of peace as I dig my hands into the cool soil that surrounds
the flower beds. I close my eyes and inhale the beautiful
scent of thousands of roses with lavender lady flowers and
violets as their companions.
“Suis, could you fetch me a beaker of water?”
Suis jumps up off her knees.
“Of course, ma’am.” She runs off along the path that winds
through the rose beds.
I kneel back on my haunches while waiting for Suis to
return. My mind wanders to the festival only two days away. I
am excited, yet terrified. The festival is held every ten years for
women of the age of twenty-five. The king and queen match us
personally for our future husband or wife. I rub my belly gently;
I have all I need for now.
“Here you are, ma’am.” Suis hands me the water.
“Do you have a stomach ache? Because if you do, my mum
always says rosemary leaves settle it.”
A tingle of fear runs through me. I have to be more careful.
If Suis saw me rub my stomach, then who else might have?
I square my shoulders and take a deep gulp of water. “I will
remember that. I actually grow some in my garden, but thank
you for the advice, Suis.”
Suis pushes the clay off her small hands, already forgetting
about my stomach. She is only sixteen and my first apprentice so
I am not entirely sure if my teaching is in any way good. The bell
rings once, signalling it’s time for lunch. We wash our hands by
the fountain before making our way to a large barn where food
is served for the gardeners. There are about twenty of us that
are spread out amongst the four sections of the gardens. Each
section holds different flowers and plants. The section that I
work in is S1. This is the smallest of all the sections; only Suis
and I work here.
When we arrive at the barn, there is a large queue formed
already, and I have to wait in line in the sweltering heat. It never
bothered me before, but with swollen ankles and a sore back, it
is getting harder.
“Next,” the server calls in a rough voice and slops soup
into a wooden bowl, while another and equally rough server
hands the man at the top of the queue a bread roll. I can’t blame
them for their lack of enthusiasm. Once we are finished eating,
they have to serve all the workers from the vegetable and fruit
gardens, and they exceed our numbers threefold.
receiving a reply. I sit myself at one of the long wooden tables
that have been worn down from years of use. The cracks that
run along the wood are wider, allowing me to see my toes
peeking out of my sandals. Suis sits down beside me, glancing
around the barn, looking terrified.
“Why are the guardians outside, ma’am?” she asks with her
eyes wide and innocent.
“First of all, Suis, please call me Marta, and the guardians
are always stationed here to make sure the work is done. If the
work is done, then there will be no trouble.”
Suis looks into her soup. “And if the work is not done?” Her
voice quivers a little. I can see by her face that someone has told
her some nasty rumours; the children seem to think it fun to
scare one another, but it’s hard to make someone feel safe when
they are so afraid.
I pat her gently on the back. “The work is always done.
Don’t fret, child.” Then I give her a square look. “And don’t be
listening to silly stories. Unless an adult tells you, always assume
it is untrue.” She relaxes her posture, relieved that everything
will be all right, and she digs into her soup.
Nicon sits down across from me. “Marta.” He looks at Suis
and acknowledges her with a nod. Then he raises his eyebrow
in a question. Is it okay to talk in front of her? I give him a nod.
“Any word on the supplies?” Nicon asks in a whisper so none
of the guardians can hear.
He is referring to wine I am getting him. It is a rarity here
in Saskia, as the queen has banned all alcohol from our village,
saying it’s for our own good, but not everyone agrees. It is only
allowed at times of celebration.
Dominic, my best friend’s husband, knows people who know
people. “Not yet, but soon,” I whisper. He inclines his head and
starts eating.
He is a rather large man and with his build would be more
suitable as a woodcutter, but he signed up to be a gardener. He
towers over all of us, but would never hurt anything. He is a
gentle giant.
I eat my soup quickly. “See you, Nicon.”
He sets his wooden spoon aside and drains his bowl by using
it like a mug. He wipes his face with the back of his hand. “That
was tasty. See you later,” he says with a smile. I laugh, as he has
bits of bread stuck in his beard.
Once back in the garden with Suis, I give her instructions
to remove all the dead leaves. Then I return to my own work.
After a few hours, I watch Suis from the corner of my eye. She
is struggling, catching her hand on every thorn while trying to
remove any dead leaves.
“Ouch.” She places another bleeding finger in her mouth. Her
small face is scrunched up, making her features look smal
ler.
“Suis, go wash your hands by the fountain and take a break.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” She speaks with her finger in her mouth,
making me laugh.
“Call me Marta.” She smiles, nods, and leaves to wash
her hands. I return to my work, turning more soil. A shadow
appears over me, a guardian. There is always one stationed at
each garden, making sure the work is done. He is young so I
know he will be harsher than other guardians.
He looks at me with a scowl. “S1, where is your apprentice?”
We are called by our sections. It is easier than names.
I rise and incline my head with respect. “She has gone to the
fountain to tend her wounds, sir. She will be back shortly.”
The guardian leaves without a second glance, his face stoic,
and makes his way to the fountain to make sure I have told the
truth. Suis arrives back shortly after the guardian is gone and
looks at the rose bed as if in a challenge.
I say nothing of the guardian, as I do not want to upset her.
It will only give her cause to worry. “Do you have an affinity,
Suis?”
She looks at me, confused.
“Of course, everyone does.”
“ Air, ma’am… I mean Marta.” She gives me a shy smile.
“Then use it.” She frowns. I walk behind her and place my
hands on her shoulders. “Close your eyes.” She closes them
really tight. “Relax, Suis. I want you to reach out with your
mind to the roses. Can you feel them?”
She nods. “Yes, yes, I can.”
“Now feel along them until you come to a blank area. Can
you see it?” She nods. “Okay, that’s the dead leaves. Now send
wind to knock them off.” The rose bushes begin to rustle.
“Gently. You only want to get rid of the dead leaves.” One by
one, the leaves flutter to the ground.
Suis opens her eyes. A smile spreads across her face when
she sees all the dead leaves on the ground. When she smiles,
she looks prettier. “No more thorns to poke at me,” she says
gleefully.
The bell sounds. It rings all over the village, signalling the
end of the day. We put away our tools before leaving and head
back toward the village. The streets are full of villagers buying
and selling goods. I have to squeeze through the crowded square
to get to the other side where I live.
The village is encircled with large, round towers that house
all guardians. From the square they look really small, yet their
presence is felt always. They were built with black stone and
a red slate that covers the circular roofs. The colours were a
reminder that danger would never pass the guardian towers.
Once, they had given comfort to the people of Saskia that we
were looked over and protected, but now they are a reminder of
our darker days.
My small white cottage comes into view with its bright
yellow straw roof. The village is scattered with small cottages
for workers with no families. They are just sleeping quarters
with a cooking and resting area. It is all I need. When I get
to my bedroom, I gather the fresh garments and soap I have
wrapped up on my bed and make my way to the spring to clean
the sweat and soil from my body. The main springs are located
beside the castle, but are always full with workers at this time of
the day. I found a small spring not far from my home that was
rarely used, and I love the peace and quiet.
On the way, I have to pass the memorial garden, just at the
end of the village. I don’t help maintain it, as it’s too painful.
My parents are buried there, along with other villagers. King
Morrick came up with the idea that we should build the garden
in memory of all the villagers who were wrongly accused of
being traitors from the time Saskia was at war with the previous
king, King Paulus.
I still feel angry, even though it has been over twenty years
since the war. I was only five at the time and my parents
were decapitated in front of me for sheltering wounded
rebel guardians. They rebelled against King Paulus for his
evil ways, as he had brought darkness and suffering to the
Saskian people for almost fifty years. I shiver at the memory.
But rumours were circulating lately that he still lives.
Nobody ever found his body after the clean-up started, but
we all hoped he was so badly burned there was just nothing
that remained. The rumours are starting to frighten people
who fought and lived through the dark times. My parents
faces come back to me, both of them on their knees as I was
made to watch. I wipe the fresh tears from my eyes. I am still
amazed by how much it hurts after so long.
When I reach the spring, my stomach growls. I pat it gently.
“Wash first, then food.” I strip off my work clothes- a long
brown tunic that has short sleeves just to the elbow and slits up
the sides of my legs to allow flexibility while gardening. Brown
is worn by all workers outside the castle, and blue is worn inside
the castle.
I lace my tunic with soap and scrub viciously, making sure
to get all the soil off it. When I finish, I hang it on a nearby
branch of a tree. After I remove my sandals and undergarments,
I let my hair down, removing all the pins. It falls just at my
shoulders, a cascade of black curls.
There is a dip at the side of the spring that I use to lower
myself into the water. It is warm from the sun’s rays. The
water splashes against my body, loosening every muscle. After
lathering my hair with soap, I dip my head back and rinse.
I stay a while longer than usual, daydreaming about what
my baby will look like. I have only two months left, yet my
bump is tiny. I thank God for small mercies. You can’t take
a lover before you are matched. It is against our rules. My
stomach flutters with excitement and fear at seeing Morrick at
the festival. I know we can’t speak to each other, but just to see
him will be enough.
I dry off and get dressed, returning to the village, greeting
people as I make my way through the winding cobbled streets.
“Marta.” I turn around to see Corrona. “Come to mine. I
made us supper.”
I link my arm with hers. “This is why you’re my best friend.
You always know when I’m hungry.”
We laugh and talk about the festival over supper. Corrona’s
cottage is just like mine, except her resting area is covered in
materials, beads, and pins, as she is gifted at dressmaking.
She is making my dress for the festival, but it had to be altered
several times for my growing body.
“So how do you feel?” Her eyes fall to my stomach. She is
the only other person I could tell, besides Morrick, about being
pregnant, but she doesn’t know who the father is. It is for her
own safety. I know what I am doing is reckless and stupid, but
I love him.
She gives me one of her lopsided smiles. “Daydreaming
again?”
I blush slightly. “No,” I say while smiling. “How are you,
more to the point?”
Corrona will be due any day. She is practically glowing and
her smile couldn’t get any wider. “I can’t believe it, me and
Dominic having our own baby. I have waited so long for this.”
Her face becomes sombre. “But I’m afraid.”
I sit beside her and wrap my arm around her shoulder. “It is
going to be all right, Corrona.”
I lay my head on her shoulder for my own comfort as well as
hers. All baby boys are checked when they’re born to see if they
have an affinity for air, and if they do, the child is taken from
its mother and reared in the castle to be a guardian. It’s every
woman’s worst fear, but it only happens to about one in thirty.
So I pray to God that Corrona and I will be one of the lucky
ones, that either we have a girl or a son with a different affinity.
The next morning at work, Suis is all excited. “Morning,
Marta.”
I smile at her childlike expression. She reminds me of a
mouse, a cute one. She is only sixteen so she still has time to
bloom. “Morning, Suis.”
She dances from one foot to another. “Do I get to use my
affinity again?”
“For the next few days, yes. As you can see, the dead leaves
are almost endless, but they will end all the same. Then you
must use your hands.”
Her smile falters only slightly. “Okay, at least I can use it for
a few more days.” She stands there smiling.
“You can start now.”
“Oh, yes, sorry. Yes.” And off she goes, full of enthusiasm.
The day goes by quickly and without problems. After work, I
wash and dress quickly, as I am meeting Corrona tonight. There
is a gathering in the main barn for all the ladies of the village
to celebrate the matching festival that will be held tomorrow
night.
The barn is lit by hundreds of candles, giving it a magical
and romantic feel. I squeeze Corrona’s hand with excitement.
The barn has been lined with wooden benches with an aisle
down the middle. Corrona and I squeeze into the second row.