Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Hugo needs to get married.
His family’s prospects have been dwindling since the death of his father, and he has to make a good match to save his mother and two younger brothers.
He just doesn’t expect his mother to sink all his hopes with a single lie.
My son can spin straw into gold!
Now, the queen might execute him over such nonsense.
However, Prince Everand has better, sweeter plans for him.
Can Hugo really win the heart of a prince? Not to mention survive kidnappings, dungeons, wolves, and the plotting of a possibly mad king out for revenge?
Hugo will need more than magic to protect his prince and keep his head.
But nothing can make him give up his chance at happily ever after.
A Heart of Gold and Glass is a retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale with a few magical twists and turns that will leave you swooning over Hugo and his precious prince Everand
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
One
After a week of dreary, endless rain, the clouds had moved on, and bright-blue skies stretched overhead. It was going to be a gorgeous spring day.
The break in the long rainy spell also meant that paper birds filled the skies. Invitations, letters, and even shop notices fluttered in the folded shapes of different birds, from delicate finches to fierce hawks. With just the touch of a crystal purchased at the postal shop for a couple of copper coins, each letter sprung to life.
There were rumors that rich aristocrats kept on staff a servant or two who possessed the magical gift of turning letters into birds. They never had to use store-bought magic for their letters.
The Baker household had received a dozen paper birds, which hopped about the mailbox, waiting to be picked up. As Hugo approached, the paper finches and starlings settled into the box, unfolding themselves into neat squares. He flipped through them as he strolled to the breakfast room. At least half were invitations, then there were a few personal letters, a few bills, and finally, best of all, a note stating that his new suit was ready to be picked up from the tailor’s shop.
Hugo ran through the house, tugging on his jacket and then checking his reflection one last time in the glass to make sure his appearance was proper. He passed a hand through his light-brown hair, smoothing the soft waves into place prior to putting his hat on his head. Then he was out the door, tossing over his shoulder to his mother and brothers that he was off to town to pick up his suit.
He didn’t care one fig about the suit. He needed to get out of the house and breathe the fresh air. To stretch his legs and hear something other than his brothers bickering with each other or with their mother.
The Season was about to begin, and tension was running high in the Baker household. Hugo had to find a husband, preferably a rich, titled one. Otherwise, they were going to be in a terrible financial position by winter.
But that wasn’t a problem for today.
Hugo was determined to enjoy this break—possibly one of his last—before all his attention turned to being the best-looking, most interesting, most talented person…to win the heart of a good man.
Hugo shoved that stomach-churning thought aside and gazed at the muddy road ahead of him. The Bakers lived in a house outside the town proper of Buckleford, which itself was a short carriage ride to the royal capital of Frostbourne. It was only a ten-minute walk through Shaggy Butternut Woods to Buckleford, and Hugo was more than happy to be out in nature. The actual birds were chirping and darting between the trees. Rabbits and squirrels were scurrying through the undergrowth, searching for a meal while trying to remain hidden from the larger predators lurking nearby.
He hummed to himself as a bend in the road revealed the first glimpse of Buckleford with its neat and tidy stone buildings. It was home to a few hundred people and the main stop for the local farmers. Everything would be sold to merchants here in Buckleford prior to moving on to Frostbourne and other cities throughout the kingdom. The town was quaint and busy as most of the locals stopped here rather than traveling on to the more expensive Frostbourne. There was little need to leave Buckleford. It had a wonderful open market and shops that provided everything a person could want.
A sigh of relief drifted from his parted lips as he left behind the muddy road for cobblestone and sidewalks. While ample puddles dotted the road, the shopkeepers had taken the time to sweep most of the sidewalks clean. There wasn’t much he could do about the mud on his boots, but the rest of him was at least clean and presentable.
It would take Hugo a couple of minutes to pop into the tailor’s to pick up his suit and then ten minutes to walk home. That wasn’t long enough of a break from his family.
However, after he grabbed his parcel, he could do a bit of window shopping. If he already had something in his hand, they would believe he had money in his pocket to spend and wouldn’t hassle him about browsing. He could kill at least an hour or two this way and be home in time for lunch. That sounded like a perfect day.
Hugo turned onto the main street with its plethora of shops. People buzzed about dressed in their finest for shopping and paying calls. It seemed as if the entire town had headed out to enjoy the spring day. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted nuts danced in the air. Here and there he would hear the drifting notes of music being played.