“You won't find any in Osaria, Count Nazari,” I said airily. “Pretty things tend to wither in this city.” Gothel scowled at the dig I'd made at the kingdom, but I didn't care. If she wanted me to pretend I was happy about these proceedings then she was going to be sorely disappointed.
“Pretty things tend to bloom in my company,”Aladdin responded, his gaze burning with the intensity of a thousand suns.
My face dropped and I returned to my seat as Gothel ushered him away.
I don't want to bloom in your company, I want to bloom alone.
Aladdin glanced at Gothel with no trace of warmth in his eyes then descended from the stage, walking on his injured leg and nearly concealing his pain as he strode away.
Zira and Jacinda took their seats on the cushions at my feet.
“How handsome a couple you'd make. Two glowing stars joined eternally, burning forever and ever,” Jacinda said with a sigh of longing.
“Shut up, Jacinda,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes.
Zira giggled and Gothel whipped her robe into her face as she turned on her heel and headed back into the shade beside my father.
“He's not all bad,” Zira whispered, glancing up at me.
I shifted uneasily in my seat.
I didn't want this life. I didn't want a husband who'd claim my father's throne and never allow me to have a say in the kingdom’s laws. I wanted to sit on that throne and seize the power which was rightfully mine. Except it wasn't my right. Because of what I didn't have between my legs.
Screw men. Especially men with midnight eyes and presumptuous smiles designed to steal women's hearts.
My heart is mine. And no one can have it. Especially not Count Aladdin Nazari.
I tried to run forward to help my master as he struggled to stay on his feet but Cassian reached out to stop me. His hand almost closed on my arm and I gasped as I willed my flesh to turn to smoke before he could touch me.
Cassian stared at me in surprise as his hand passed straight through my arm before looking around quickly to see if anyone else had noticed.
Super subtle. Sometimes I think you want to get banished to the lamp again.
“I’m afraid of being touched,” I muttered.
“Sorry,” Cassian said with a frown though I hadn’t actually meant to tell him that. “But you can’t go to your master now. He has to go up on the stage and accept his position in the next round.”
“But he’s hurt and I-”
“He’s a big boy, he can manage for a little while. Look, he’s going to the Princess now.”
I stood on tiptoes to look beyond the crowd of Lord Kalaviv’s servants as Master approached the stage where the Princess was waiting to award him with a green rosette. The guards who ringed the stage parted so that he could climb the steps to kneel before her.
The crowd on the other side of the ring were going wild, applauding and calling out my master’s name as he threw them a rueful grin.
The Princess seemed a little nervous as she stepped forward and Master looked at her. She was very beautiful. Her eyes glimmered and her long golden hair was so unusual, it drew my attention despite all the other people around us.
I twisted a finger through a lock of my own hair thoughtfully, watching as the strand which was wrapped around my finger changed colour until it looked just like hers.
Bad idea idiot. You’re supposed to be human. Humans don’t just change their hair colour whenever they’re feeling jealous.
“Jealous of what?” I breathed as I returned the lock to my own midnight colour.
Of the way your master’s looking at her.
I frowned at Master as his eyes danced and he said something to the Princess which made her smile. Why should I care what way he looked at her? Cassian released a huff of irritation so low that I almost missed it and I glanced at him as he watched their interaction too. He had a smile on his face that spoke of his pleasure in our master’s win but his eyes were hard with disapproval.
Green doesn’t look good on him either.
“Cassian isn’t green,” I mumbled and he looked at me as he heard his name.
“What was that?” he asked with a faint frown.
I didn’t mean it literally, you stupid goose. I meant green with envy. He’s jealous.
“Oh. Apparently I think you’re jealous,” I explained to him and his lips pursed.
“What reason would I have to be jealous?” he asked, clearing his throat as his voice caught on the last word.
Because he thinks the Princess is as pretty as your master and he doesn’t like how good they look together.
I looked at Cassian with pity in my eyes. “I didn’t realise how you felt about him... Well apparently I did but not all of me. But it’s okay, maybe it’s not too late to tell him.”
“Tell who what?” Cassian asked, his brow creasing.
“Master. You should tell him how pretty you think he is if it’s upsetting you-”
Fail. Absolute fail. Sometimes I have no idea how we’re the same person. I feel like you’re doing this on purpose just to make me die of shame. Which would be an improvement because I have been desperate to die for about eight thousand years now.
“I... Kyra I think you’re confused,” Cassian said gently, his eyes shining with pity.
He’s looking at you like you’re a horse with a broken leg.
“What does that mean?” I hissed.
Too broken to fix. Ready for death. Which is true. I’m so ready for death it’s unreal.
I frowned because that last remark hadn’t held the certainty I’d grown used to from my other self. It was like I was repeating the same old lines I’d said a million times before but now they didn’t necessarily line up with the truth. I wondered if being out of the lamp was changing things. Maybe I didn’t want to die at all anymore.
Maybe. But that’s only because we’re out here, and I’m not convinced that’ll last. One mistake and we’re back in the lamp. Back in the dark. The cold. The isolation.
Cassian’s gaze had travelled back to Master and the Princess as she presented him with the rosette. She reached out to pin it on his chest but he’d removed his shirt so she had nothing to pin it to and a faint blush lined her cheeks as she looked over his exposed body.
Which you’re staring at too if you hadn’t noticed.
I frowned, wondering if that was true or not as my gaze followed the curves of his muscles where they stood out firmly through his skin. His body gleamed with sweat after his bout in the ring which should have been gross but somehow wasn’t. My gaze drifted down to the muscles at the base of his stomach where they tapered into a perfect v before they disappeared beneath his waistband and I bit my lip.
Oh sorry, my mistake, you’re just ogling him like a piece of meat because you like his personality.
“I do like his personality,” I protested.
Before I could respond to myself again, the witch stepped towards my master and a chill ran down my spine. I could see her beautiful features which she presented to the world but I could see the darkness beneath them too. Her true face was a wicked, rotting thing. A skull with eyes of ice and a forked tongue like a snake’s. She gazed at my master with suspicion in her eyes and malice in her soul.
“She’s evil given flesh,” I murmured and Cassian looked at me sharply.
“You mean Gothel?” he asked, almost reaching out for me again before stopping himself.
I nodded, fear trickling through me as I watched her taking the rosette from Rapunzel's hand and pinning it to my master’s waistband. She smiled but I could tell there was no warmth in it and the way she looked at my master was assessing, like she was weighing him up.
“What do you know about her?” Cassian asked, his voice filled with intensity.
“She hides her true face from the world,” I breathed in response. “She cheats death and is death.”
“What does that mean?”
“She’s evil,” I replied with a shrug, wondering
why he couldn’t see what I could. “And any sane man should fear her.”
Cassian seemed to want more from me but I didn’t know what else I could add to elaborate on it.
Lord Kalaviv’s entourage moved away from us as he headed out of the ring. Anger and shame lined his features as he accepted his defeat and the fact that he wouldn’t be claiming the Princess’s hand in marriage.
We headed towards the stage as my master stepped down and I gave him a wide smile as I ran forward to meet him.
“You were amazing!” I said excitedly and I noticed the Princess’s gaze travelling over me.
Scale it back, you’re embarrassing yourself.
“Well we knew that before I beat that loser,” Master said confidently.
“You’re right, beating him wasn’t that impressive really,” I agreed.
“I didn’t say that,” he protested.
“Yes, anyone could have beaten him,” I agreed quickly. “Perhaps tomorrow you will go up against some real competition and have a chance to do something more impressive.”
Congratulations, you went from over the top to just plain insulting him. Perhaps you should point out the fact that you think he’d look better with both of his eyes on the right side of his face and just seal in his disgust with you.
I decided not to reply to myself as both Cassian and Master were giving me the she's-lost-her-mind looks again but I was beginning to think I was wrong about that idea anyway. No one had two eyes on one side of their face and Master’s eyes were actually quite nice just the way they were. They were dark and deep and his long lashes made me want to watch him blink and blink and blink-
You’re a total lost cause. Watching people blink is not a hobby.
“It’s better than not watching people blink,” I pointed out, though thankfully Master and Cassian had started talking and they weren’t listening to my ramblings anymore.
They were discussing the finer points of the fight as Master moved towards a servant who held a pitcher of ice cold water ready for him beneath a silk awning.
He drank the contents of one glass then tipped a second over his head, sighing happily as he pushed his wet hair back out of his eyes and Cassian looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel.
The Princess was looking over at Master again as the water ran down his chest and I noticed a lot of other noble women doing the same. It made my stomach feel all knotty and I frowned in confusion.
Gothel snapped something to draw Rapunzel’s attention back to her and she looked away once more as the next two contenders moved into the ring.
“Kahn’s got this one in hand without even having to try,” Cassian murmured as the huge man bowed to an older man with dark oil slicked through his hair.
“I want to use the bathhouse. This heat is exhausting,” Master said, his gaze flicking to the brawl which was about to begin before he turned away from it towards the palace.
“We should watch the other bouts and see what we can pick up about the winner’s fighting styles,” Cassian objected. “Any advantage could be pivotal to you winning again tomorrow and-”
“And that sounds like a great job for you,” Master agreed and I couldn’t help but giggle.
Cassian opened his mouth to object again but Lord Kalaviv drew closer and he was forced to hold his tongue.
“Good match, Count Nazari,” he said, totally ignoring the fact that he’d just interrupted our conversation. He held his hand out and Master shook it with a smile, pulling him close and gripping his arm like they were great friends.
“It was for me, anyway,” Master said and I almost giggled again but Cassian caught my eye, warning me not to. As Master drew back I noticed something glinting in his palm which he quickly concealed in his fist.
“Indeed,” Kalaviv replied curtly. “Would you care to join me to watch the remainder of the matches? I know many Nazaris back in my homeland, perhaps they’re some distant cousins of yours?”
“Perhaps,” Master agreed with a shrug. “But my father died when I was young and all I really inherited from him was my title and my estate. Mother remarried and I never had much to do with the Nazari side of my family after that so I wouldn’t really know. And thank you for the offer but I don’t plan on watching the remaining matches, I’m in need of a bath.”
“That’s a shame about your father,” Kalaviv said with a frown. “May I inquire as to how he died?”
“Trampled by a herd of elephants while voyaging in the south. Mother always did tell him that his exploits would end badly one day.” Master shrugged.
I gasped. “Oh that’s so sad. I didn’t know,” I said, tears pooling in my eyes.
Kalaviv’s eyes turned to me in surprise. “Does your maid often voice her opinions while her betters are speaking?” he asked coolly and I could see anger flashing in his eyes.
“Her betters?” Master asked darkly. “I see no one here who is any better than her.” His gaze stayed fixed on Kalaviv and I could tell the comment had been aimed at him.
Cassian cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at my Master.
“Well, like I said, I’m headed to the bathhouse. I’d say I’ll see you later but I suppose I won’t now that you’re headed home.” Master smiled tauntingly at Kalaviv and turned away.
I looked up at the Lord as he scowled at me and I took a step back.
“Your master will need fresh clothes prepared, Kyra,” Cassian said, waving a hand at me dismissively. “You should hurry to catch him.”
“Okay,” I agreed eagerly, turning away from the angry noble and running to catch up to my master.
He looked down at me as I fell into step beside him. “Sorry about that,” he muttered.
“About what, Master?” I asked. “Shouldn’t I be the one who’s sorry for being a bad maid?”
“No. That man should be sorry for thinking he’s better than someone just because he holds more money and power than them. I would offer to kick his ass for it but I’ve already done that so I suppose I don’t need to.”
I grinned at him. “You did,” I agreed. “I thought he might cry at the end.”
“That would have made my day.” Master chuckled and I almost glowed as I realised I’d pleased him. “Would you like a gift?” he asked with a knowing smile.
“A gift?” I asked in surprise.
He held out his hand and offered me a signet ring which I’d seen on Kalaviv’s hand. There was a ruby at the centre of it and I held it up to the light to look at the red colour better.
“Thank you,” I breathed. I’d never had a gift before.
Not that you can remember anyway. Plus he stole it so it’s not all that thoughtful.
“It’s still the best gift I’ve ever had,” I replied, pushing the ring onto my finger. It was too big but I didn’t mind.
It’s too big because it’s not meant for you. I’m not going to let you get all swoony over some stolen trinket.
“Don’t get too excited, Kyra,” Master muttered seeming embarrassed by the gesture now. “And it might be a good idea not to wear that where anyone will see it.”
“Why?”
Because Lord Kalaviv will be looking for it and if he catches you with it he’ll have the guards cut off your head.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted my head cut off but I did like my gift all the same.
“Because it’s a little bit stolen,” Master admitted with a smirk.
“Okay then.” I slipped it into my pocket but the warmth of it slid into my heart. I couldn't remember the last time anyone had gotten me a gift. Maybe no one ever had before. “Can I get you anything, do anything for you? Make you something or serve you in some way?” I offered.
“No,” he said. “Isn’t there something you would like to do for yourself?”
“For myself?” I asked with a frown.
“Yes. You know, don’t you have any hobbies? Hopes? Dreams?”
“I dreamed of getting out of the lamp. And you made that dream come true, Master
. So now all I want to do is please you...”
Master stopped suddenly and turned to look at me. We were standing in the middle of the decorative gardens, completely alone for once. A towering pergola arched over us, hiding us beneath a swathe of trailing yellow flowers.
“So you don’t want anything at all for yourself?” he asked and the idea didn’t seem to sit well with him.
I bit my lip, sensing that if I said no then he’d be displeased but not having any other answer to give him. He stared at me, waiting for a response and eventually I had to just admit the truth.
“I only want to make you happy, Master,” I shrugged.
“Don’t call me that,” he murmured. “I don’t think I like it anymore.”
“But you are my master and my job is to serve you and-”
“Just call me Aladdin, like everyone else,” he said and his eyes burned with so much intensity that I was forced to nod.
“Okay... Aladdin.”
He smiled at the sound of his name on my lips and I hesitantly smiled in return.
“And do me another favour,” he said.
“Anything,” I agreed.
“Try and think of something you’d like for yourself. You were human once, you had hopes, dreams... wishes. Maybe you should try to remember some of them.”
I found myself nodding even though I had no idea how to even begin doing what he'd suggested. How could I remember what I’d wanted as a human when I could hardly even remember my sister’s face?
“By tonight I want you to tell me something you want for yourself,” he said firmly.
“Okay,” I breathed though I hardly knew where to begin with figuring that out.
Aladdin smiled at me before moving on, leading the way back into the palace. My mind whirled with the idea of what he wanted from me but I was determined to do as he’d requested. I just had to think of one thing. How hard could that be?
You can hardly even think of the right colour for the sky. You’re doomed.
The more I saw of Kahn, the more his altered appearance set my skin prickling. Apart from his size, everything else about him had changed. His bald head was now overflowing with auburn locks, his face chiselled and his muscles more defined.
Forbidden Fairytales- The Complete Series Page 21