by J. G. Maltos
“About that.” My fingers twirl in shame like a kid who had been scolded. “I wanted to apologize to both of you for what happened earlier this week. I know you guys were only following orders.”
Nathaniel waves a careless hand, a smile still on his face. “Water under the bridge, Princess. Right, buddy?”
Bash shifts uncomfortably beneath Nathaniel’s weight, but offers a forgiving smile nonetheless.
Nathaniel's eyes twinkle as he looks at Koura," Plus, it was fun seeing our all-stone-like leader lose his wits over a woman."
"Oh really?" I urge on, giving Koura a side glance. He turns his head slightly, avoiding my gaze.
Nathaniel takes my bate, "Yes! We have never seen him like that before. I could say our punishment for letting you escape us was well worth it."
Koura clears his throat, "Alright, alright. Don't you have patrols to do?"
Nathaniel catches on and rolls his eyes, “Duty calls.” He turns back to me and scratches the back of his head. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Princess. And try to enjoy the ball. Who knows, things could get exciting?” He drags Bash away with him to god knows where.
Without realizing it, my mind wanders to Aries. Would he be here also?
The pain in the soles of my feet reminds me why I hate parties so much. Although the heels are beautiful, they are not made for walking, much less dancing. After a while, I notice Zee standing alone by the refreshments. A pang of guilt sits in the bottom of my stomach. I was so nervous, I didn't even realize I had hogged Koura for the majority of the night.
"Koura, can you please get me a drink?" I smile kindly at him and push him in Zee's direction.
He nods reluctantly, detaching himself from my arm. "At this rate, I'll just be your water boy," he chuckles before walking away.
I look at Zee and smile as her eyes brighten at the sight of Koura walking toward her. They talk for a few minutes. I stare at Koura back, waiting for him to turn toward me, and when he does, I flash him a thumbs up.
He shakes his head and laughs, finally realizing what I had meant to do. He offers Zee his arm and guides her to the dance floor. I hold back these forgein emotion I can't decipher.
Fortunately, I stand next to an amazing ice sculpture, watching as people move freely amongst themselves. It feels almost strange being in such a contrasting environment after years in isolation.
Suddenly, I feel a presence next to me and I turn to meet the eyes of the man I had anticipated seeing. His bright golden eyes stare at mine. My breath catches in surprise at the sight of him. He is wearing a slim dark blue suit with dark brown dress shoes. My stomach does an involuntary flip as his shoulder brushes mine when he moves in front of me.
"What are you doing here?" I skim over the party, nervous to see if anyone would notice such an obvious outsider.
He peers down at me through long lashes that kiss his cheeks with each blink. "I am here for the ball. And for you, of course."
My back stiffens at his confession. "I thought we were going to see each other later today. You knew about the celebration before I did." I raise a questioning eyebrow, challenging him to deny.
"I did think long about it and realized some opportunities should not be missed." His eyes linger on my dress. The corner of his lip tugs upward. "I am quite happy with my decision."
My heart quickens, but I try to play it off with a smirk of my own "Flattery will get you everywhere, Aries."
"In that case," Aries offers me a hand. "May I have this dance?"
"Why you may."
He raises one perfectly arched eyebrow, yet says nothing else of the nickname. His warm hand wraps around mine and I take a sudden breath from his touch. Aries gives me an apologetic smile.
Aries hand slowly moves from my back to my hip, leaving a burning trail where his hands had touched. We move with the beat of the music smoothly. He isn't stiff like he was back in my room. His feet are light and I chuckle at the idea of him using his shadow form to guide his feet smoothly.
I move my head back. Our cheeks brush shyly against one another, sending a jolt of electricity throughout my body. When I finally lock eyes with his own, I am entranced by the man whose eyes hold thousand years of memories.
"I wouldn't have pegged you as much of a dancer," I taunt him.
"There is much you do not know about me, Princess." He seems more relaxed now compared to our past encounters.
"And what secrets are you hiding?"
Aries pulls a mischievous grin. "It would not be much of a secret if I told you, Princess."
"I guess we all have something-" My voice fades. My eyes trail a couple walking up to Elite Theon and his wife. They turn away and I catch a glimpse of Elite Amir Tydeahn from the Lightning Kingdom. My breath picks up and my hands curl into fists to keep from shaking.
"Princess?" Aries' eyes darted around the hall, looking for a threat. "What is the matter?
"It’s them," I force out clenched teeth. "The Lightning Kingdoms Elites."
Aries immediately tightens his hands around my waist. We keep dancing, but Aries is leading me away, toward the opposite side of the hall. The anger builds within me and I let go of Arie's hand, turning to where Elite Amir and Elite Zara sit.
The ache in my chest sparks a fire and pumps it through my veins. My palms warm with the connection to all the dancing flames within the room. I can feel the flicker of the fire ready for my command. The vibration crawls up my arms and up my neck with every step I take. My only focus is the Elites as I raise my hand, seeing the red flames outlining under my palm ready to raise hell upon them both when a strong arm catches mine.
I sneer at the soldier. "Let go of me, if you know what is best for you."
"No, Princess." Although his face is unfamiliar to me, Aries’ voice speaks through him. His eyes are charcoal black, staring right at me and I realize what he is doing.
"I can end this today." I try to yank my arm from his grasp but his grip holds firm. I glare in disgust at what he is doing to the soldier, and what he is preventing me from doing. “Don’t you see? It’s because of them! It has to be! But I can end everything today. I can make them pay for what they did to my family. I can free my people.” My vision blurred with suppressed tears. “I can free myself.”
"I drew a line to never overshadow you, Princess, but—" His steel grip tightens, and I bite back a wince. "Do not make me cross it. There is no clear proof they had any involvement in the rebellion all those years ago, and if you attack them now, you will make the relationship between the kingdoms tenser than they already are. Is that what you want? They could retaliate by making your people suffer more. Think clearly, Princess. This is not the time to lose control of your emotions." His pitch-black eyes bore into mine as if trying to look deep into my soul. “Your palms are glowing red,” he points out. “I don’t think this is the way you want to reveal your other abilities. Especially to all the Elites.” His voice softens. He must have recognized something in me, but I tear away from the contact, not wanting to know what it is he saw.
I swallow the lump that sat in my throat. Hating that his words are true, I glance back to where Elite Amir and Elite Zara are sitting. How can they be sitting so comfortable when my people are suffering under their protection? I grind my teeth and use all of my willpower to turn away.
Elite Zara's eyes land on mine as I turn. Her face holds no emotion, but something in me says she is assessing me. I catch sight of Koura and Zee on the other side of the room. His gaze follows the arm that holds me still and anger flashes before his eyes. I yank my arm away from the soldier's possessed body and push through the large doors leading out of the hall, leaving Koura and the guard behind. My palms slam against them in frustration. My breath comes out in jagged breaths through my sobs.
I was so close. I could have made them suffer. I've been broken and beaten. I am far from normal. My scars are proof that they have taken so much from me. I do not care what the Elite think. My gut tells me it is them.
> “Princess…” Aries calls me hesitantly. I groan now that I am not alone. My emotions are all over the place and I can feel the unreliable energy that flows in me still.
I cringe as the pain in my chest increases. I am living in my nightmare, one that I can’t control. A nightmare embedded itself into my mind like the scars on my body, never letting me forget.
“Leave me,” I beg.
I hear no reply but assume he has left. So, I force myself away from the double doors, and head in the opposite direction, away from the pain and away from them.
Who are you when you have nothing?
Chapter 10
I walk aimlessly through the castle halls and catch my reflection on an antique mirror that decorates the hall. My makeup is smeared from tears. I try to wipe away the excess black mascara that has transferred under my eyes, but I seem to only make it worse. I sigh in frustration as I give up on my appearance. It’s not like I would be returning to the party anyways.
I had walked through every hallway, thinking only of the Earth Kingdom. As much as I hate to admit, Aries is right. No matter how much I want to attack the Lightning Elite at that moment, doing so would do more harm than good. But, as the days go by, I'm finding it harder and harder to control the emotions that have connected with my powers. I had confessed to Aries that I have fire abilities but missed the small information about air. I haven’t tried to use those abilities; they seem to sprout on their own, or it seems.
A part of me aches at the idea of going back to the place where I lost everything. Anyone would be reluctant, but not anyone is a Princess and I have a duty to my people. I think back to my conversation with Physician Xenio. I have to find the crystal. The Lightning Kingdom must have left it in the Earth Kingdom. The crystal works stronger when it's on its soil, but can still be transferred around.
The only question now is, how do I leave without the Elite knowing? Although I am not a prisoner, the attacks from earlier show that I still should be wary of who I trust. If word gets out that I am heading to the Earth Kingdom, then the crystal could be gone long before we even get there.
Koura says he has a plan but now, having almost been face-to-face with the two people I trust the least, I want to leave by tomorrow night at the latest. Hopefully, I can still catch him after the ball and let him know his plan may need some tweaking. The girls can make an excuse that I got a stomach bug at the party and will be recovering in my chambers for the time being. Odette can scrap something together to help me blend in with the people. The more discreet the better.
Just as I am about to reach my chambers, tying up any loose ends of my plan, Aries manifests in front of me. I jump back, startled out of my thoughts.
Aries pauses for a moment, his eyes assessing the state I am in, smudged makeup in all its glory. My face holds no emotion as I look back at Aries, his golden eyes lock on mine, and push past him.
"Are you all right, Princess?" His voice makes me stop midway. His golden eyes skim me one more time. I shrink back from his gaze.
I clear my throat, forcing the words to come out strong although that is the last thing I feel. "I am fine."
Aries raises an eyebrow at my clear facade and reaches for my arm. "I—"
I raise a hand, "I am not in the mood to talk."
"I apologize, Princess, for how I spoke to you. You have every right to feel what you feel. It was not my place to say otherwise," he admits, his tone still firm and distant.
"It's fine," I clip, annoyed more at myself than with him. I try to shake him off once more, but his hold tightens.
I let out a sigh of defeat. I'll need his help to leave the castle, and I can't exactly ask for a favor with a scowl on my face. "You were right," Pride strained my words. "I'm useless to my people if I am locked away—again," I rub my forehead. “Or revealing my other abilities to a hall full of Elites.”
Aries doesn't say anything in return. He only stares at me. His golden hues that hold so much history and knowledge captivate me, making me wonder what is going through his mind.
Suddenly, I feel highly aware of my appearance and I begin toward my chambers. This time, he doesn't hold me back. I pause just as I reach my door and turn, giving him one last glance. "I have a plan to leave for the Earth Kingdom. I want to leave tomorrow night. I am going to meet Koura to go through the details." I wait for a response, but he simply gives me a short nod. "You can be there if you want."
"Of course," his firm tone leaves no room for argument. "You wouldn't be going without me anyway."
"All right, see you later then." I push past my door and give him a thumbs up. Aries squints his confused eyes at my hands and I shake my head before shutting the door.
I head to Koura's room as soon as it hits midnight, waiting for the guards' footsteps to disappear down the hall before leaving my room. If I calculated everything right, I have fifteen minutes before they return for their next round. I close the door quickly and sprint down the hall, toward the stairs where I know they lead to Koura's chamber.
I reach his door with a quicked heart and knock an eager hand against the wood of the door. No one can see me entering his chamber at this late an hour. Never mind the Elite, the staff will have a field day with the rumors they'd spread.
The guard’s boots echo down the hall, getting louder and louder as they near the turn to Koura's hallway. If I knock again the guards could hear me. At this rate, I might just get caught outside his doors anyway. I can hear their swords clinking against their belt, so I hop on the balls of my feet, raising a hand to knock again when Koura finally flings open and pulls me right as the guards turn the corner.
"Damn, Al!" Koura says quietly. "You want us both to get in trouble?"
"I'm sorry, but I really needed to talk to you about going to the Earth Kingdom." I rush before he decides to kick me out.
Koura walks away and turns the lamp at his desk to light his room. His toned physique looks defined by the shadows the lamp created.
“Are you alright? I’ve been looking all over the castle for you. Who was that guard that put his hands on you?” He asks with worry on his face. Anger boils inside of me as I remember Aries overshadowing the soldier.
I turn away from him. “Do not be mad.” I bite my lip. “He stopped me from doing something I would ultimately regret.” I confess. I steal a glance at him and blood rushes towards my face as I see him only wearing his sleeping bottoms. "Can you put a shirt on please?"
A chuckle escapes Koura, "Intimidating, isn't it?"
"Hardly," I huff out, crossing my arms over my chest." I need to speak with you seriously."
"Fine.” Koura retrieves his shirt from his bed and puts it over his head. "There. Now answer my questions. Who was the man who you were dancing with? And what were you about to do?" He blazes questions. I try to hide my guilt of not telling him about Aries. I know I can trust him with Aries but a small part of me wants to wait until I have more answers of my own.
I crossed my hands, "He introduced himself and requested a dance." Koura's eyes narrow, seeing a hint of something flash across his eyes. I quickly turn around and walk towards his desk. I have always been a terrible liar. “He is not important,” I say out loud. I sit at his desk as he takes his seat at the foot of his bed and gives me his full attention. I shift in my seat, feeling the hairs on my arms stand. It's no longer just the two of us in the room. "And to answer your second question, I almost lost control again," I say finally. "I need my crystal to help flush out whatever it was they injected me with. I want to leave tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night?" His eyebrows bunch together in disbelief. He runs a slow hand through the ends of his hair. "That is too soon."
"I am not wasting any more time, Koura. I know it's risky to leave so soon, but it's riskier to let my powers be the way they are. I'm leaving tomorrow, regardless of who comes with me." I caught his eye. "Speaking of which, who did you have in mind to help us?"
Koura’s back straightens at the question. "Zemir
ah. She knows the hidden passageways in the kingdom. That would be a great advantage to us should anything go wrong."
My eyes widen to hear Zemirah will be joining but I nod in agreement. Zee may have been the daughter of a lady of the court, but she had more freedom in the kingdom than myself. Oftentimes, she will go out into the town and bring me back little knick-knacks she found. Having someone familiar with the outside of the kingdom will be beneficial.
"Who else would be joining us?" I ask, remembering he had others in mind as well.
"Bash and Nathaniel.”
I nod. "I'll ask Odette to make us something tomorrow that helps us blend in. If I remember well enough, the trip would take two days. Do you think we can spare some horses to help with supplies?"
"It'll be hard taking three horses without anyone questioning anything." He taps a finger to his chin, contemplating. He must notice my rigidness and quickly shoots me a smile. "I'll have all of that arranged for tomorrow night, don't worry. I'll send the girls early in the morning with knowledge of the plans. I have to be up early for training."
He presses the back of his hand to his mouth, stifling a yawn, and I take that as a sign to be on my way. I'll need my rest anyway. It's a long trip that we have to prepare for.
I head toward the door and I turn to face Koura. "Thank you, for everything," I say wholeheartedly. "Let me know if there's anything you'll need."
Koura leans back on his bed, giving me a lazy wave. "I'll have it taken care of. Meet me by the stables a quarter after sundown."
"I’ll be there," I say, feeling the realization that I would soon be in the Earth Kingdom creeping up on me. "Goodnight, Koura." I whisper as I step out of the room.
Just as the door closes behind me, Aries' shadow appears
"We have got to work on your entrances!" I hiss through startled lips.
"Princess," Aries' worried tone dissolves the spark of anger that lit up within me. "Are you sure setting the date for tomorrow is a good idea?"