A Talent Within

A Talent Within Synopsis Evelyne, born into nobility, and Annika, a peasant girl with a deadly secret, struggle to change their destinies in Valmora, a medieval world controlled by religion, magic, and men. If only she’d been born a boy, Evelyne could fight with her brothers and fulfill her dreams of glory. Instead, her father has arranged her marriage. Annika knows she’s different. She has gifts the Valmorans call talents, and she’s waited too long to turn herself over to the Temple for training. If she tells anyone now, she will burn as a heretic. Their blossoming love changes everything. Both are forced to confront who they are when saving an innocent life exposes Annika’s talent and she’s held prisoner by the unforgiving Temple Paladin. Saving Annika will cost Evelyne all she’s ever known, but her sacrifice may lead them on a path to love and a destiny that will change Valmora forever. A Talent Within Brought to you by eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc. http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share. A Talent Within © 2023 By Suzanne Lenoir. All Rights Reserved. ISBN 13: 978-1-63679-422-8 This Electronic Original Is Published By Bold Strokes Books, Inc. P.O. Box 249 Valley Falls, NY 12185 First Edition: June 2023 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Credits Editor: Barbara Ann Wright Production Design: Stacia Seaman Cover Design by Fred Miller eBook Design by Toni Whitaker Acknowledgments Pretty much everything I do starts with my sister Holly, who in response to my worrying about my grammar when I was twelve, said, “That’s what an editor is for.” Once I got over that hurdle, the next step in my writing journey was trying to get the attention of my first girl crush (who never knew!). A few dozen very short stories later, I’d discovered how fun it was to write. So on to the thanks… Thanks to my good friends, who read a lot of bits and pieces of my work over the years and encouraged me to keep trying. Thanks to the GCLS Writing Academy program and to the instructors for giving of their time and knowledge. Thanks to the Class of 2021 for their continued encouragement, and particularly to classmate Nan Campbell for helping me decide it was time to submit my manuscript. Thanks to Wynn Malone and Beth Hawkins for a lot of writing discussion Zooms that grew into two-hour random and fascinating philosophical debates. Thanks to librarian Maddy Wells for reassuring me it would fit the YA category and making me change the title. Genius, I tell you. And a huge thank you to Chris Sandusky, who read every single version of the story. She’s read my story as many times as I’ve written and rewritten it. That is a best friend. Finally, thanks to all the folks at Bold Strokes Books for taking a chance on a queer YA fantasy novel by a first-time writer. And a special thanks to my editor, Barbara Ann Wright, for convincing me I’m a legitimate author now. For Brianne, who always believed I could do this. I love you. Chapter One Annika dreaded market days. She preferred staying near her cottage, safe and alone. But she tapped her staff on the ground, driving the gaggle of geese onward as she and her father, Steffen, approached Byetown. Lord Cederic’s flock produced a record number of goslings, and now fattened, twenty of the best ones were ready to sell at market. They had walked half a day to arrive in time to sell the birds. On the edge of town, two men cleaned muck from a cart, dumping the filth into a stream. Their tunics shabby and stained, they stood ankle-deep in shite and offal. As Annika and her father passed, both men stopped their work and watched her. The taller one rested his arm on his shovel and eyed her. There was nothing kind in his expression. Now that she was seventeen and with her hair uncovered, signifying her unmarried status, men leered at her. Her pale skin and fair hair, rare for Valmorans, always made her something of an oddity, but now the stares were filled with the sin of lust. She touched the Maiden hanging at her neck, hoping for protection from the men’s evil thoughts. She reached back and pulled her hood over her head, shielding herself from their prying eyes. In town, the houses along the street were mud brick and wood structures, some with thatched roofs, others with wooden shingles. None seemed to be square; some had a unique angle or a crooked doorway. Others had second floors jutting out over the street, nearly touching the buildings across from them. The road felt restricting. The smells of rotten vegetation and human shite hung in the air, overwhelming Annika’s senses. On a typical market day, people moved in a flurry of activity. Women and men carried large rolls of rough fabric on their backs or yokes with clay jars of butter or loads of hay, wool, and wood, much of it bound for the Royal Court in Tarburg. Today, there were fewer people, and Annika was thankful. She hated being in a town—any town—with a crowd. When she and her father stayed home in their cottage outside their tiny village of Marsendale, she felt safe. As soon as she left the familiar sights and sounds of the open fields and the wide horizon, she withdrew into herself. She felt it now. She hunched her shoulders to make herself smaller. And the discomfort didn’t take into