Her Reputation (The Empire: Book 1)

by Laura R Cole

  *

  Phoenix fingered the necklace that her mother had given her for her birthday a moment before snapping the lid to the box shut once again. She hadn’t had any more strange dreams since taking it off, but that didn’t really prove anything. There hadn’t been any more attacks either.

  A knock sounded at the door and her mother came in.

  “Can I speak with you a moment?” Layna asked.

  “Of course, Mother. You know you never need to ask.”

  “It’s about your friend, Rhys.”

  “Oh? Did he find something?” Her mother paused and looked uncomfortable. Phoenix’s heart sank. He had found something bad.

  “Nothing to do with the investigation,” her mother answered slowly, “but I’m not sure what he’s up to.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He was in the palace vaults looking for documents for Levi to search through, and I caught him taking something else.”

  “He stole from the vaults?” Phoenix asked incredulously. She knew he wasn’t always completely honest, but that seemed over the line, even for him.

  “Not just anything,” her mother continued. “He took the Bloodstone.”

  “He what?” Phoenix croaked. “Why on earth would he do that? If he was going to steal something there are a lot easier things in there to get money from.”

  “I’m not sure,” her mother admitted, “but for some reason I got the feeling he was going to return it. I just can’t for the life of me figure out why he would want to borrow it.”

  “That is very odd. And more than a little disturbing.”

  “So no ideas what he’s up to?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Phoenix sighed. “I find that people don’t tell me anything anymore.”

  Her mother picked up on her melancholy. “I’m sorry, sweetie. One of the perks of being royalty, I guess. But don’t worry. When you find the right people to let in, it won’t matter that you’re the Princess.”

  Phoenix smiled at her. “I hope so.”

  Her mother rose and brushed off her gown. “Well, I guess whatever Rhys is up to, I’ll just have to wait and see if it turns back up. Maybe his mother will have some insight.”

  Phoenix thought about asking her mother not to mention the incident to Rhys’s mother but decided against it. She hated to see him get into trouble – and his mother was notorious for hating his mischief – but if he was getting into something that involved the Bloodstone, perhaps it was for the best.

  She sat at the window for a bit, gazing out across the landscape below. It would be nice to be able to have someone to talk to without worrying about what she was or was not supposed to say as the Princess. She sighed. Rhys was a good friend and didn’t treat her differently just because she was a Princess, but he wasn’t exactly one to sit around and just talk either. If she needed to have a late-night secret excursion somewhere she knew who to ask, but if she wanted to talk boys or gossip, he’d disappear faster than she could blink. Wren was better at putting up with her girlish tendencies, but even so, the older they got, the more their tastes in subjects differed. And now, she didn’t get to talk to him at all. Regina was her closest female friend, but even she, though she tried her best not to let it, was intimidated by Phoenix’s station.

  As she thought about Regina, it was suddenly announced that the girl was there. Phoenix smiled and answered the door herself. Regina gave her a quick hug and fluttered around the room. She reached out to touch something on Phoenix’s dressing table, then thought better of it and retracted her hand with a nervous glance over her shoulder.

  “So,” she said, turning to face Phoenix, “the palace is abuzz with romance rumors about you and the dashing Lord Gavin. Do tell!” She giggled and sat next to Phoenix, crossing her legs and placing clasped hands together on her knee.

  Phoenix giggled with her. “He is quite charming,” she agreed amicably. “I enjoy spending time with him and admit that I can’t help but take pleasure in his attention.” She ached for someone to talk plainly to and decided to let down her walls just a tiny bit. “I’m not sure that he’s ‘the one for me’, but with everything that’s been happening, it is really nice to have someone who makes me feel good about myself.”

  Regina’s smile wavered the tiniest bit before she had control of it again. “He’s just a passing fancy for you?”

  “Is that horrible of me?” she asked guiltily. “It is, isn’t it?” She wasn’t really sure what her feelings for Gavin were anymore really, but felt more comfortable denying them to Regina. She hadn’t failed to notice the looks that Regina had been giving Gavin lately. Apparently his charms had been working on both of them.

  Regina waved a hand at her. “Don’t be silly. You’re the Princess. He’ll be happy to have been able to spend the time with you.” She paused and pursed her lips. “You will be disappointing many people, though; I must say.”

  “How so?”

  “As though you don’t know,” Regina answered, playfully tapping her on the leg. “A marriage between the First Advisor’s son from old Treymayne and the Princess of old Gelendan united together as rulers of the newly united Elaeld? It’s rather poetic, isn’t it?”

  “I guess so,” Phoenix acknowledged. “A good enough match to give up a chance at a true soul-mate?” She looked wistfully out the window. “Look at my parents. They are so perfect for each other that their magics meld together to make them the most powerful mages known since before the Dark King. I’m certainly interested in Gavin, but I’m not sure that it’s that kind of compatibility.” Her expression darkened. “Though I won’t ever really know for sure if it’s real love like my parents did anyway. Not without talent.”

  Regina looked a bit taken-aback by her honesty. Usually, Phoenix was more reserved. To her credit, however, she went along with it. “Why not?”

  “Without magic to meld together like it did with them, how would I know?”

  Regina smiled. “You’ll know. It’s not like all love stories have magic involved. You’ll see.”

  “I hope so.” Phoenix smiled gratefully at her friend.

  “So how about Wren, then? You seem to have no shortage of suitors. Any chance of a love match between the two of you?” Regina asked with a teasing tone.

  Phoenix laughed. “Afraid not.”

  “Pity.” The girl winked at her. After a few moments of silence her expression turned serious and she asked, “Any new news on the attacks?”

  Phoenix sighed and shook her head, sobering at the change in topic. “No, and the two men don’t seem to have gotten any better – or had any change at all.”

  “Well,” Regina reached over and took Phoenix’s hand, squeezing it. “Most people have come around to the conclusion that you had nothing to do with it, so that’s something.”

  “Really?” Phoenix asked.

  “Of course!” Regina replied as though Phoenix’s surprise was silly. “Everybody loves you; some of them just got carried away with the rumors. I’ve been telling everyone how foolish they’re being.”

  Phoenix squeezed Regina’s hand back. “Thanks,” she said emotionally, “that really means a lot to me.”