by Ivy Clyde
“Did you notice anything strange after we were together?”
I grinned. “I experienced many wonderful things when we were together, Daria.” My voice was suddenly husky as my body thrummed with the need to touch her. Her cheeks grew pink as she met my gaze.
“You haven’t felt any difference, have you?” she asked.
What could I tell her? After spending a single night with her, my mind was consumed with lust and desire. It was impossible to concentrate on anything else. I’d been waiting for her as soon as I came back to the palace, counting the hours until she would be back in my arms.
“If you’re asking whether I’ve suddenly shifted into a gigantic fire-breathing creature, then no,” I said with a sigh. “But we could give it another try…just in case.” I leaned forward and was just about to capture her lips between mine when she placed a finger on my mouth.
“I’m not done, Adal,” she said with a pout that had me smiling.
“Sorry, love. Please continue.”
“After coming out of the temple, we received news of Norvin’s capture. We were able to rescue him, but not in time.” Her lips trembled as her eyes filled with tears. “He’s badly injured. I’ve been so exhausted I couldn’t use my inner energy to heal him. Cain is waiting with him for you. Can you bring them to the palace so they have a place to hide?”
Ice flowed through my veins. It was bad that both Cain and Norvin had been implicated now. I’d expected only Daria to arrive but for a twist of fate, both my friends accompanied her. While it was an extremely dangerous situation, I was happy to have them back. It was terribly lonely without their company.
“Where are they now?”
“I can show you,” said Daria, getting to her feet.
I got up and moved towards her. Placing my hands on her shoulders, I made her sit on the chair again. “Tell me where they are and I will go get them. There’s a concealed tunnel I use to sneak out of the palace without being seen but it’s not suitable for too many. Even getting Cain and Norvin back with me would be cumbersome.”
“Are you sure you won’t need my help?”
“Absolutely. Stay here for now.”
I went out of the study to find a servant. From the tale Daria told me, I was sure she was exhausted and in need of a good meal and rest.
“Get me fruit, snacks, and tea,” I commanded a young maid passing by in the corridor. She bowed low and hurried away.
I waited there until she came back with another maid, carrying trays of food. Gesturing for them to take it inside the parlor room, I stood back. Once the dishes were laid out, they stepped away, bowing to me. I excused them with a wave of my hand.
Going back to Daria, I called her back to the parlor.
“I had some food brought for you,” I said, gesturing at the spread. “If you want to sleep, you can take my bed. The only thing I would request is you stay in these quarters until I get back. Prince Zane is in the palace right now.”
“I heard.”
Wisps of anxiety coiled around my gut. We seemed to be getting pushed in the corner. We’d expected it to happen, but not this soon. My elder brother was the ruling prince of Baledonia. He was meek and submissive, but I doubted Ivan cared. He sent his son to Huadu just to bully him or force him out of the way. I had to be careful to hide both Cain and Norvin while Zane stayed in the palace.
“Please, Daria,” I said, placing my hand on her shoulders. “Please stay here.”
She smiled at me and nodded. “I’m not going anywhere. Just make sure you get Norvin and Cain back.” She handed me a hand-drawn map. “You will find them if you follow the directions here.”
“Thank you, love,” I said, tucking the map inside my robes. Stepping close to her, I kissed her before leaving.
9
Adal left me in the spacious parlor room, closing the doors behind him. The table was laid with a variety of dishes, most of which I’d never tasted before. I walked closer, looking at the pretty food displayed in small porcelain plates. An ornate iron teapot, heavily carved with floral designs, steamed in the corner. I smiled at the arrangement, taking a moment to sigh with relief.
Adal promised me to get both Cain and Norvin back to the palace. It was my absolute trust in him that made me relax despite being in a completely strange place with no backup plan of an escape.
Taking a pink patterned china cup, I poured myself some fragrant tea. Choosing a selection of white dumplings, I took a small bite. “Mmm.” A moan escaped me at the amazing taste of the soft, meat-filled dumpling. Stuffing the rest of it in my mouth, I took a long draught of the tea. It was heavenly to eat such good food after the meager meals I’d been making from foraging.
Once I’d eaten my fill, I decided to look around Adal’s quarters.
I walked through the doorway into a narrow corridor. There were doors located on both sides but I didn’t look into any of them. The corridor ended in a pair of tall, glass doors. Pushing it open, I walked out in an open terrace.
A late afternoon sun shone overhead as I stepped out into a beautiful garden spread out over the vast space of the terrace floor. Roses, bunches of pink bougainvillea and other flowers were spread out everywhere. Breathing in the heady fragrances, I walked through the narrow pebbled pathway. I’d never seen anything like this before. Cool breezes blew by, making the long sleeves of my dress flutter backward as I looked all around at the myriad of exotic blossoms.
I stared up at the sparkling blue sky overhead, suddenly realizing how far I was from Linmoor.
I’d traveled to the other kingdoms on missions before but I’d never truly observed the things around me. My sole focus had been to kill my targets, nothing else. My goal was far more important now, and far more dangerous. With three companions at my side, it had been impossible to stay on a steady course. Every calamity brought a change in our plans. Yet, somehow I would have all three princes beside me now.
I took a seat on a bench nearby, content to spend the time there until my princes returned.
When the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky turned a dark purple, I began to worry once more. The distance from the palace to the shack by the stream wasn’t too far away. They should’ve been here by now.
Complete darkness fell over the terrace garden. My feet were getting tired from the hours of pacing.
Only when the moon rose high in the sky, did I hear noise coming from inside. Alert, I ran into the corridor, following it until I came back to the parlor room. Relief washed through me at the sight of Adal and Cain, standing beside a plush sofa with Norvin laid on it.
Rushing towards them, I hugged Adal. “Thank you so much for bringing them back safely.”
He patted my back gently. “I’m sorry it took so long. It was best to wait till night fell and we could come to the palace without being seen.”
Stepping away from him, I glanced at Cain. Meeting my gaze, he gave me a nod.
“Are we all staying here?” I asked, looking between Cain and Adal.
“We thought about it,” said Cain, taking a seat on the table and pouring himself cold tea. He drank it in one go and released a satisfied sigh. “Adal will give me a position among his servants. Norvin will be hidden in one of the rooms here while you go back to pretending as a maid.”
“Cain will be my personal book duster,” said Adal, pouring himself some tea as well.
“What is that?”
“A person to dust my books,” said Adal with a grin. He glanced at Cain and they both chuckled, sharing a private joke between them. Clearing his throat, Adal shifted his attention to me. “As a prince, I can make people do the most ridiculous of tasks. Walking with me in the archives and dusting things for me on the spot is a position many would kill to have. Besides, no one will be suspicious of him and we can talk for as long as we want without attracting attention.”
“What would I have to do as your maid?”
“Nothing much, other than keeping an eye on Norvin,” said Adal. “Servants
will come daily to clean and deliver food, but you can command them if you like. Just make sure they don’t enter my study. It’s the best way to hide him.”
“Norvin’s features are so rare, anyone will suspect him to be the deposed Redfall prince just by taking a look at him,” said Cain. “You have to make sure he stays hidden.”
I decided to look for henna leaves the first thing the next morning. While I didn’t have the power to change his eye color, the natural dye would definitely hide the midnight-blue of his hair. I gazed at him, still unconscious on the sofa. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. It was the only sign he was alive.
Cain stuffed the rest of the cold food in his mouth. I watched him, feeling pity rise up inside me. If it weren’t for Helena, he could have gone back to his own palace and still lived as a ruling prince in Iorna. For the umpteenth time, I couldn’t help but curse the woman who brought such pain on me and my princes. Live well, Princess, I thought, gritting my teeth. Your days are numbered from now on.
“Zane is here,” said Adal after a while. “You have to stay concealed from him, Cain.”
“I’ll be careful,” said Cain, swallowing a whole dumpling.
“I will stay here until Norvin gets better,” I said, attracting both their gazes. “Once he is well, I will leave for Drakhaven and take him with me. Cain can hide here until I am able to kill Ivan.”
Cain brought his hands to cover his face as he shook his head. “You’re bravery has no limit, Daria. You were scared out of your mind when you saw me in the cave. It was the same when you saw me at the tower. If you were that terrified of my true form, how will you react to Ivan’s?”
I paled. It was something that haunted me ever since I saw a dragon for real.
“I never planned to kill him in his true form,” I said, suppressing the shudder that went through me. “I will find him at a vulnerable moment and kill him then.”
“There’s something else I’ve been thinking,” said Adal. “If we could find a way to turn ourselves into true dragons, we could take him on ourselves. Three dragons against one. It gives us a fair chance.”
“I have no idea how it happened with Cain,” I said, sitting down at the table between them. “Some of it could be the magic I felt in the underground chambers. But it may be something else altogether.”
“There’s only one way to test that theory,” said Adal, laying a hand over mine.
I met his intense gaze. My heart raced at once.
Cain coughed loudly and cleared his throat.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Adal,” he muttered. “Ask if she’s interested first.”
“I am,” I said, blushing furiously but keeping my gaze on Cain. “We can give it a try.” I turned towards Adal. “Is the dragon temple in Baledonia similar to the one in Iorna?”
“I have never been to the one in Iorna,” said Adal. “You’ll be the judge of that when I take you there.”
Cain got to his feet and stretched his body. “Get me some real food, Prince Adal. You’ve lost all sense of decorum,” grumbled Cain.
Chuckling, Adal nodded. “I was about to do that but you kept eating that leftover stuff. Let’s hide Norvin first, though.”
Cain and Adal carried Norvin inside one of the rooms. Cain stayed with him there while Adal came out. “I will go find a maid to serve us some food. When she comes in, ask her to clear away the table. She would do it anyway, but just pretend to be my personal handmaiden.”
“Got it!”
Adal gave me a smile and strode out through the door.
Coming back, he made me wait in the parlor, disappearing into one of the rooms down the corridor.
I nervously waited for the maids to arrive. It was one thing to pretend for a short while but my performance as a handmaiden had to be convincing. Suddenly, I wondered if the etiquettes in Baledonia were the same as in Iorna.
Soon, I watched three maids coming in. I kept a distance from them as they worked to clean the table and remove the leftover food. From time to time, they would furtively look my way, but other than that, they stayed quiet, moving quickly to set up the table with fresh dishes.
When everything was in place, they excused themselves. Making sure to close the door behind them, I called for both Adal and Cain.
A goofy grin appeared on Cain’s otherwise grim face. “I’ve been starving the past few days. Shifting takes the heck out of you.” He strode forward and sat at the table.
“I will stay with Norvin,” I said, walking past Adal. “You guys can catch up in the meantime.”
“Aren’t you hungry?” he asked, laying a gentle hand on my elbow.
“No. I am still full from before.”
I walked inside the room where Norvin was laid out on a bed. Reaching his side, I sat down at the edge and gently moved away the strands of hair falling on his face. His bruises looked slightly lighter than before but it could just be my imagination.
“Why aren’t you awake yet?” I asked in a soft voice. “Your injuries are healing. We are safe. We are together. Please, wake up.”
Silence.
I don’t know how long I sat there. My gaze was fixed on Norvin’s face, my mind lost in the memories we shared together since the first time I met him as a strange snake and called him Naya.
Frustration built up inside me.
Removing the blanket covering him, I took off his tunic. Once he was bare bodied, I helped him in a sitting position. It was a bit of struggle as Norvin was at least a foot taller than me.
Sitting behind him in a yogi-position, I placed my hands on his back. Closing my eyes, I began channeling my inner force into his body. I felt warmth and energy seeping out through the spot where I was connected with him. Norvin’s body siphoned away my strength, repairing every injury Mekhi inflicted on it.
I knew I should stop, the energy transfer was getting to be longer than what was required but I was determined to make Norvin wake him. Cold sweat trickled down my neck as my head swam. A hacking cough built up inside me and I sputtered, feeling something else rise up in my mouth, filling it up.
“Daria!”
The voice distracted me. My stomach heaved and with a loud cough, I threw up a splatter of blood.
“Stop it, Daria!” a familiar voice commanded.
I could no longer keep myself steady as my head swayed so badly, I felt my body fall back on the bed.
“What the hell were you trying to do?” Adal’s face swam in my vision as my eyes opened a crack.
“Why won’t he wake up?” I moaned.
“He is fine but you’re killing yourself!”
I felt my body lifted into a pair of strong arms. Adal’s sapphire-blue eyes were blazing with anger as he walked out of the room.
A minute later, I was being lowered onto a soft bed.
“Where are we?” I asked in a slurred voice.
“In my bedchambers.”
Too exhausted and with a throbbing headache that promised death, I lay on the softest pillow while Adal used a wet cloth to wash away the blood in my mouth and chin.
“You’re such a troublesome woman,” said Adal, his voice seething.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“You’re not allowed to talk either. Just stay still.”
The spot beside me sunk as Adal’s weight settled over it. He covered both our bodies with a blanket and drew me against him. The heat seeping from his body warmed me immediately, driving away the chills that seemed to be settling into my bones. A contented sigh escaped me.
“Where is Cain?” I asked, speaking into his chest.
“He went to the servants’ quarters. You’re the one who keeps worrying me though.”
My heavy eyes closed as I nestled against him.
10
I woke up to an empty bed, but Adal’s warmth lingered among the bedsheets. Feeling better than last night, I rolled onto my back. The air smelled of lavender and sage, a scent I was beginning to associate with Adal.
Sitting u
p, I looked around, taking in the vast bedchambers belonging to the prince of Baledonia. It was lavishly decorated with painted walls and dark mahogany furniture. My dress from yesterday was hanging off the back of a chair. Dark crimson stains marred the pale pink fabric. Looking down, I realized I was wearing an under robe. On the same chair, lay a stack of fresh clothes.
Putting them on, I walked out of the bedchamber.
Adal was sitting at the table in the parlor room, his whole focus on a book. An array of breakfast dishes was laid out before him but they all looked untouched. Even as I approached him, his gaze remained stuck to the tome in his hands.
“What are you reading?” I asked, coming to stand before him.
He looked up, his eyes traveling down my body and up again to meet my gaze. “You’re looking better today.”
I nodded. “I feel better too.” Adal looked breathtaking in his royal robes of navy blue that made his azure eyes stand out even more in his beautiful face. Golden curls fell in soft waves around his shoulders. My hands itched to touch the silken strands. Instead, I asked, “Have you eaten yet?”
“No. I meant to eat but got distracted. Why don’t you join me?”
I sat down in the chair next to him. “Is Norvin still unconscious?”
He nodded. “He is alive, Daria,” said Adal in a soft but firm voice. “You don’t have to transfer your inner strength to him. Because of last night’s stunt, all his wounds have faded. I don’t think his unconsciousness is related to an injury. It’s something else.”
“Something else?”
“Perhaps, he doesn’t want to wake up yet. Give him some time.”
“What about Cain? Have you seen him yet?”
“No. I don’t go to the archives until late afternoon. That’s the place we’ll be meeting so that our relationship doesn’t appear to be anything more than master and servant.”
Taking a porcelain plate decorated with blue floral designs, I began loading it with dumplings and date cakes. “Have some food first,” I said, sliding it before him. Next, I poured him a cup of fragrant tea.