Chapter 15 Raith
RAITH
Oren lunged toward me with his blade and I parried the blow, spinning away from him.
My arm ached and my shoulders were stiff; I’d gone too long between practices and was paying for it.
The sound of clashing swords filled the air as we sparred on the trodden grass on the edge of the garden, our battle hidden by a tall, thick hedge.
With a quick move, Oren disarmed me and flashed me a triumphant smile.
I sighed as I stepped back and rolled my shoulders while sweat dripped down my forehead.
Oren’s lined face was flushed as he grabbed a flask and chugged some water.
It was an unusually hot day for this time of year, and we were both wilting a little because of it.
“Can’t you magic away this weather?” Oren asked, as he closed the flask.
I yanked my black shirt off and used it to wipe my face, before tossing it aside. “And defy the Sun God? I think not.”
He snorted. “The gods gave you magic for a reason. Surely you can use it to spare an old man a heat stroke.”
I picked my sword up off the ground. “Not a chance. I might actually defeat you if that happens.”
He got into his fighting stance, his body still agile despite his age. “Unlikely. Not if you keep neglecting to practice.”
I gripped my sword tighter. “I’ve been a little busy.”
“Indeed,” he said, his voice heavy with disapproval. For what now, I wondered? I was sure he had a long list of areas where I was falling short.
“Is everything ready for the celebration tomorrow?” I asked, as our swords met again.
“Of course.” He sniffed, as if he was offended I was even asking.
“And the ball?”
“Everything is in order.” He paused, his mouth curling in distaste. “Your cousin has accepted the invitation.”
“A pity, but not a surprise. He’ll want to see if my new wife is a threat to him.”
He dodged my next blow easily. “And is she?”
“Most definitely.”
We finished that round with another point going to Oren, to no one’s surprise.
He’d taught me everything I knew about using a sword from the time I was a child.
I preferred to use magic, but it was prudent to have many ways to defend yourself and those one was responsible for.
Not that it had helped me protect Silena, but that only spurred me to practice harder.
As I wiped sweat off my brow, I caught sight of Rose standing to the side, staring at me as if she’d never seen me before.
Staring at my bare chest, to be precise.
Her cheeks were flushed, though I had a feeling that wasn’t from the heat, and a rush of lust rolled through me at the way her thin gown hugged her hips and her ample breasts.
Our gazes locked and heat passed between us, and I became aware of how much I wanted her, and how I could tell she wanted me too.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice rough.
The heat in her eyes flared into annoyance.
“Finding a secluded place to cast spells in the garden, as you told me to do. I heard some noises here and thought to investigate. The better question is, what are you doing?” Her eyes dropped to my chest again, like she couldn’t help herself, and I got a tiny glimpse of her tongue as it ran across her lower lips.
“Practicing, obviously,” I said, trying not to let show what the sight of her pink tongue did to me. Needless to say, my trousers were a lot tighter than they’d been a minute ago.
She crossed her arms. “It looked like Oren was practicing, and you were getting smacked on your rear.”
My eyes narrowed. “And it looked like you were staring at my chest instead of doing magic.”
Her arms dropped. “I most definitely was not! I was simply blinded by your pale skin and had to stop to shade my eyes from it.”
“More like you were wondering what else I could do with a sword.” I slid my blade into my sheath slowly and deliberately, while her eyes widened.
Oren cleared his throat. “My queen, was there something you needed? I think we’re about finished here.”
“No, I’m quite all right. You can carry on playing with your big sticks.
” She cast me one last look that was something between amused and irritated, before taking her skirts in hand and continuing on her stroll.
The path twisted around a hedge, and within seconds she’d vanished from sight.
I found myself wishing she’d return, while also feeling relieved she was gone.
I let out a long breath and wiped my forehead again, feeling ten times hotter than when I’d been sparring. Rose had the ability to make my blood boil like no one else could. And not just with anger either.
“It seems the two of you are getting along then,” Oren said, with a knowing smile. “Ah, I remember when my wife would look at me like that. Sun and Moon, I miss her.”
I grabbed my shirt off the grass. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play the fool with me.” He rested a hand on my shoulder. “Most men in your position would consider themselves lucky. Is it truly so terrible to desire your wife?”
My back stiffened. “It is when you’re still mourning your former wife.”
A look of pity crossed his lined face. “Oh, Raith. Silena would want you to be happy. It’s time for you to move on.”
“I don’t see you moving on and finding another wife.”
“I’m a crusty old man with a son your age. You’re a king in the prime of his life.”
I shook my head. “Now is not a good time for romance. Maybe someday…but only once things are safer in Ilidan.”
Oren pursed his lips, but then nodded. “How is the magical training coming along?”
“She’s more powerful than I expected, but rash and inexperienced. She has no patience and wants to skip ahead to the most powerful runes without learning the basics first.”
“And she’s as stubborn as you are,” he pointed out.
“Well, yes.”
Oren chuckled. “I remember a young lad who would follow his father everywhere and beg him to teach him some new runes. He certainly wasn’t patient either.”
I cast a spell to refill both of our flasks with more water. “I was a child. She is not.”
“Perhaps you should remember that as well. You can’t teach her the way your father taught you.”
I gave him a stern look. “I think I know the best way to train her in fae magic.”
He shrugged. “If she’s as strong as you say, it would be in our best interests to train her quickly. We could use her in the fight against the Shadow Lord.”
“No.” The word came out more vehemently than I’d intended. “I will not risk her life. Not now. Not ever.”
A smug expression crossed Oren’s face. “Ah, so you do care about her.”
I paused as conflicting emotions stirred inside me. Obviously, I cared about her. I would not train her in magic otherwise. But things with Rose were…complicated. “She is my wife,” I simply said.
While Oren returned to the castle, I found Rose in another part of the garden, her face twisted in concentration as she traced a rune to conjure fire.
Her power flared, sparking bright as flames burst to life from a cluster of twigs.
I nearly conjured more water in case I needed to douse the flames, but she managed to keep them under control. Barely.
“You seem to have an affinity for fire,” I said.
She quickly turned toward me, startled. “Do you think so?”
I nodded as I moved toward her. “No wonder you had such trouble with frost.”
She let out a surprised laugh as she pushed back her long, dark hair behind her pointed ears. “One would think frost was in my blood and not fire, after growing up in the frozen north.”
“Rose, no one would ever mistake you for anything but fiery.”
A small smile touched her lips, before she wiped at her brow. “Perhaps, although in that case I should be able to handle this weather better. It rarely gets this warm in Talador, especially in the fall. I’m not used to it at all.”
“Make sure you drink plenty of water and you’ll be fine.” I gestured toward the space where she’d been practicing. “Show me what you’ve been doing.”
With a wry smile she turned and began casting her runes, her movements quicker and more confident than they’d been before, which in turn made her spells more powerful.
In the three days since we’d cast snowflakes in my workshop, she must have worked hard at this.
She had stronger magic than I’d imagined, and as I watched her bend and twist the flames to her will, something like pride filled my chest.
“Yes, definitely a fire affinity,” I said, with a quick nod.
“What is your affinity?” she asked, as she took a break to drink some water.
Sweat gleamed on her chest above her low neckline in a most distracting way. I forced myself not to stare, even if the sight of her full breasts rising and falling with each breath was hard not to admire. “I have two. Lightning and shadow.”
“Two?” Her eyebrows darted up. “I didn’t realize that was possible.”
“It’s rare. I’ve only heard of a few others with two affinities.”
“Including the High Queen?”
“Indeed. Her affinities are wind and stone. A powerful combination.”
“It must be wonderful to have two,” she said, as she easily conjured a ball of fire and made it jump from one hand to the other.
“It is, but with more power comes a heavier burden.” If not for my affinities, the Shadow Lord might not have targeted my kingdom at all. I’d gladly give them up to protect my people, without question.
“Oh Raith, always so solemn.” She lightly brushed her fingers against my jaw, igniting a flame inside me. “At least admit you enjoy the power a little.”
I nearly leaned into her touch, so desperate for more of it after being starved of any intimate contact for years.
Instead, I summoned my willpower and stepped back.
“Magic is a responsibility, not something to be enjoyed. Continue practicing. We have the royal procession tomorrow, but the next morning I want to see what you’ve learned. ”
She gave me an overly dramatic curtsy, giving me another glimpse of her ample cleavage. “Yes, master,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Is there anything else you require?”
“No. That will be all.”
I turned to leave, but spotted a bead of sweat dripping down her neck, and cast a quick spell.
Clouds gathered in the sky above us, blocking out the sun and instantly cooling the air by a few degrees.
If she was going to practice fire, at least she wouldn’t overheat or become dehydrated at the same time.
Dammit, maybe I cared about her a little too much.