Like To Target the Heart was set entirely in the kingdom of Tirglas (with the exception of the epilogue), To Poison a Prince is set in a single realm, this time the empire of Udynea where Darshan hails from. In the beginning of the book, they’re headed for the capital city, Minamist. Getting there isn’t the easiest for them, especially with what appears to be someone out for Hamish’s blood. A large portion of the story happens in Minamist, specifically the Imperial Palace. And I’ll be sharing ten facts about the place…
- Minamist is situated on a river delta that runs down from the Shar, a massive lake in the centre of the empire, to a huge circular harbour. Originally consisting of just the islands dotting the delta, the city has expanded many times over the centuries that its poorer parts now on the mainland.
- The city marks the spot where the first human explorers landed on the continent. It was them who built the continent’s first defensive complex that, over several millennia, became the basis for the palace grounds.
- Bridges and narrow, earthen pathways keep every habitable island connected (in some districts, they also support buildings). Most bridges are tall enough for smaller vessels to pass under, but many of the older ones cut off the bigger sail-powered trade ships coming down from the Shar.
- Because of the meandering path the bridges make, transporting goods via boat is the preferred method and the mouth of the river is often just as crowded with delivery vessels as the surrounding roads are with carts. Boats that travel closer to the shoreline are often poled, but a great deal are propelled by spellsters who use their magic to cross the water faster than any person could row. Some of the wealthier residents also travel this way.
- Minamist was originally known as the capital of the Domian Empire until the ever-expanding Udynean people captured it over a thousand years ago. Some of the larger structures, such as the palace and a few temples, still bear their architecture. This is the only recorded time the capital has been under siege.
- There are multiples public baths dotted throughout the city. The most extravagant resides in the richer quarter and consists of two pools, one hot and one cool. It’s one of the few spaces where segregation of age or gender is unheard of. The same is meant to apply to species, but elves are often made to feel uncomfortable in the wealthier baths.
- Unlike most cities in Udynea, the islands that make up the Cleric’s Quarter have a temple dedicated to every single deity worshipped within the empire, no matter how small their following. The largest of these temples belong to the Great Mother and the Goddess Queen Araasi, who are both worshipped by the majority of Udyneans.
- The palace complex takes up an entire island and consists of three sections: the “public” section at the front where the council hall sits in the middle of a great courtyard; the true palace grounds where the larger gardens, guest palace, barracks, stables, library and a multitude of other buildings lie; and the imperial grounds, where the imperial palace and the princess palace stand either side of the imperial gardens. This layout has changed only a fraction from the original capture.
- As it is in the rest of Udynea, magic is freely used within the capital. Out in the city, the most notable legal usage are the glowing shop signs, some of which flash multiple colours. Within the palace grounds, the heating of the many buildings and the elaborate lighting of spaces such as the throne room and ballroom are commonly overseen by a bevy of servants. In the days before indoor plumbing, magic was also used to fill private baths and the massive laundry coppers.
- An empire wouldn’t be complete without its various guilds and academies, and Minamist prides itself on knowledge as well as power. Every major venture has at least a main headquarter in Minamist, be it from the humble merchants and makers, to the spies and assassins. There are also two magic academies: one focuses on training the basics of control and defence, whilst the other specialises in healing (affectionately called the Knitting Factory by its scholars) and doubles as a hospital for those who are willing to take the risk that comes with being healed by students.
And there you have it, ten facts about Minamist. Of course, there’s more to learn about the biggest city on the continent and her people, but I’ll leave that up to Darshan and Hamish to mention.
Book Title: To Poison a Prince
Author: Aldrea Alien
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: Leonardo Borazio
Release Date: July 31, 2021
Genre: M/M Fantasy Romance
Trope/s: Hurt/Comfort, Man in Peril, Cultural Differences, Dysfunctional Family, Mystery Murderer, Opposites Attract
Themes: Royalty, Wedding, Revenge
Length: 269 231 words
It is book 2 in the A Tale of Two Princes series
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Someone is out to murder his husband and he might just be the reason they succeed.
Blurb
Imperial Crown Prince Darshan knew his journey home wasn’t going to be the modest one he hoped for, especially not after eloping with Hamish, a former prince—and now exile—of Tirglas.
When he thwarts a clumsy attempt on his husband’s life during a soirée hosted by his long-standing rival and half-sister, he figures the worst is behind them.
Yet, the threat of death continues to shadow them across the empire. Someone is intent on making the rumours of his husband’s demise a reality, someone who can erase the memory of their very presence from people’s minds.
Darshan must discover who is behind the attempts before they succeed. But who can he trust when the culprit is capable of slipping by the most vigilant of guards?
“Your highness,” Katarina said in a clear address to himself. “I hear you’ve travelled through imperial lands for some months. What is your current outlook on it?” Although she spoke Udynean, the musical hint of her own language whispered through. A much softer melody than the last hedgewitch Hamish had met.
He swallowed the wine and considered the past eight weeks of travel from the distant port of Haalabof to here, of the seemingly endless roads winding along the lands and the villages small enough to barely warrant a mention on a map. “It has certainly been an experience.” He’d been propositioned at least seven times along the way. Maybe even more that had been too subtle for him to notice.
The hedgewitch’s eyes almost sparkled. “You simply must give me details, your highness. It’s so rare to have an outside opinion on Udynea.”
Hamish opened his mouth, his agreement balancing on his tongue, only to remain silent as Darshan laid a bejewelled hand atop his.
“I’m sure my husband is most eager to oblige the request, Madam Hedgewitch, but perhaps another time would be more suited?”
Her lashes fluttering, Katarina lowered her head. “Of course, vris Mhanek.” She picked at the rest of her meal, perhaps looking for a reason to remain silent as she vibrated with an energy that reminded Hamish of his nephews when they sorely wanted to natter people’s ears off.
A pang of longing turned his stomach. A yearning to embrace his sisters, to hear his nephews scheming and his niece’s laughter. He would even take his brother’s good-natured ribbing just for a chance to hear his voice.
Hamish swallowed, blinking furiously to stem the tears threatening to spill. He hadn’t expected to feel homesick, but he’d never been beyond Tirglas before, hadn’t even been more than a week’s travel from Mullhind Castle for years. Now it was months away and there was more land to cover before they reached their destination.
A whole continent between him and his family; people he would never get to see again thanks to his mother’s poisonous ire.
“Do eat up, brother dear,” Onella purred, jolting Hamish from his thoughts. His sister-in-law gestured to the plate before Darshan, the rings adorning her fingers glittering in the candlelight. She had changed gowns, or at least the filmy topmost layer, and her arm showed no sign of Darshan’s attack. “All that dancing must’ve worked up quite the appetite. I can’t imagine the poxy inns you’ve stopped at during your travels had meals sufficient for a man of your power. You must be ravenous.”
Darshan smiled. Hamish wasn’t sure how his husband managed to seemingly detach the expression from his face, but the sight prickled his skin. “I think I’ll pass, dear half-sister.”
“But isn’t quail your favourite?” Onella pressed. “Did all those stodgy meals up north affect your palate?” She leant closer to one of the men flanking her and continued on in a loud whisper. “I hear they do ghastly things like stuff sheep stomachs and eat them.”
“They do indeed,” Katarina piped up as grumbles of distaste trembled along the table. “And the stomachs of cows and pigs.”
“There’s little from an animal we dinnae eat or use,” Hamish added, ferocious pride for his homeland’s self-sufficiency puffing his chest. “And what’s left goes to feed our dogs and pigs. We dinnae let a thing go to waste.”
“Clearly, trade relations with a superior people isn’t listed as one of those things.” Onella sipped at her wine, her gaze boring into him. “But I suppose you’re not privy to such matters, being dead and all.”
A woman part way down the table flung her head back and guffawed.
“He seems very lively for a dead man,” pointed out the woman sitting next to her as her neighbour continued to wheeze.
“Clearly not in the literal sense,” Onella said, her gaze remaining firmly on Hamish. “But it would seem that the news of how the current queen of Tirglas disowned her younger son hasn’t reached all present company.”
Darshan straightened in his chair. “Has it not?” He took up his glass and tapped his forefinger against it, waiting whilst a servant topped up the wine. “What is the rumour mill coming to if it cannot keep up with such trivial concerns?”
Aldrea Alien is an award-winning, bisexual author of fantasy romance with varying heat levels. Born and raised in New Zealand, she lives on a small farm with her family, including a menagerie of animals, who are all convinced they’re just as human as the next person. Especially the cats. Since discovering a love of writing at the age of twelve, she hasn’t found an ounce of peace from the characters plaguing her mind with all of them clamouring for her to tell their story first.
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