Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
ILLYRIA
One thing I’ve learned about giant palaces — being that I’ve only ever been to two of them — is that they’re always so silent.
It’s not a home, not really. A home, at least for me, is full of clattering plates as my mother cooks, the sound of my father fixing a broken pipe and the laughter of kids running around outside in the sun.
It’s the smell of lasagne, the warmth of every room that made me feel like I was home.
The palaces? They are too big, strange and empty to ever feel like that to me.
Yet, I’m staying here for at least a while and I want to try and make it a home.
I keep wandering the corridors, looking for people, because there must be maids or people working around here all the time, given how clean it is.
Spotlessly clean, almost. There are no cobwebs or dust lining the walls or floors, yet I never see anyone except the random, elderly woman who delivers food to me three times a day.
She doesn’t speak and the two times I’ve tried to follow her out in the corridor, she vanishes into thin air.
I need to find Merry, and have some human — or not so human it turns out — contact.
I wander around the main floor of the palace, trying to remember which way leads to Meredith’s room for longer than it seems possible.
I’ve learnt that three floors hold the guest rooms, judging by the fact Merry and I have our own rooms here, so does Zyran.
Her brother, the king, must have rooms somewhere else.
I sigh as I come to another dead end and swiftly turn around, heading down a new corridor.
At least when I was in the fire court, the small area I was allowed to move around looked different.
The paintings were easy markers of where things were, and there were mostly silent guards to ask for directions.
But this place has barely any paintings on the walls, and they all look similar.
It’s dark and gloomy, very uninviting, but my mother brought me up to make the most of any situation.
She would tell me to enjoy the four poster bed I have, the food that is foreign but tastes amazing and the safety I’ve been given here.
It’s likely the safest I’ve ever been in my life.
The human district was not safe, and more than once, I barely managed to escape a drunken man at the pub we worked at.
Bane chased them away for a time...but then he left me.
Nope, I refuse to think of him and his pretty face, big muscles and growly ways.
Every girl is warned not to get involved with the shifters.
..and I did anyway. It was risky and messy, and if it went wrong I could have ended up with a rune on my forehead and a slave to him for the rest of my life.
Yet, he was different. He respected humans and liked them.
.. and I fell for him. Hard. Even as messy and crazy as it was.
He left, Illy, and he didn’t come back. He got what he wanted, like most men do, and disappeared.
I should be thankful I’m not pregnant. Thank the goddesses.
I keep going, heading around corners, until I finally see the door I know is Meredith’s.
I found it! I grin, rushing over, lifting my hand to knock just when I hear a woman’s moan, followed by groans and other noises.
Go Merry! I fist bump the air and look up, hoping that Tannith is watching us right now.
I promised Tannith once that I’d never stop trying to be Merry’s friend, even if she never let me in or pushed me away.
I made a silent promise to the ghost of Tannith to do my best to be Merry’s friend when I saw her in their old apartment, a broken look in her eyes.
Tannith’s death broke a part of Meredith and I know I will never be the friend she was, but I can damn well try to be something close.
“Are you going in?” I nearly jump out of my skin, turning to find King Dain standing a few feet away from me.
His thick arms are crossed, his gold hair looks like it lights itself, and he is crazy handsome.
I always knew Meredith was pretty, but I never thought about what a male version of her would look like.
Dain is hard to look at without blushing.
I never liked blond guys. But gold hair guys, apparently, I definitely have a thing for.
He’s just so big. Thick muscles, a small trim waist, and in general, very good looking in his posh and tight clothes.
A chiselled jawline. Gold eyes darker than Meredith’s but hauntingly watching me.
Dain quirks an eyebrow, leaning his shoulder against the wall in a very un-king-like manner.
I look between the door and Meredith’s brother, who definitely does not want to hear what I just heard.
Can I drag him away? Doubtful. I’m glad it’s Meredith though.
She needs something. Even if it’s a giant man with bat wings. Whatever works for her.
“I don’t think you should go in there.” I clear my throat. “I’m definitely not... and I will stand in front of the door in a bad attempt to stop you going in. For Merry’s sake and yours.”
“Why?” His lips twitch in amusement as he straightens.
He towers over me and I’m quite tall myself.
In a heartbeat, he closes the space between us and his scent floods me.
Musky, peppermint and some kind of spice.
He smells really, really good. Dammit. I’m distracted by this man’s scent and I have to make sure he doesn’t go in her room.
I put my hand out between us, my fingertips grazing his chest, warmth exploding across the tips. “No, no... she is having fun.”
His face pales slightly and he takes a step back. “Right. With the gargoyle.” I can hear the disapproval in his voice and I don’t get his problem with Zyran. Zyran has kept Merry alive and safe, and clearly loves her. Any fool can see that. I tuck some of my red locks behind my ear.
“Maybe we shouldn’t stand outside the door. It’s a little weird.”
“Yes.” He takes several large steps back and out of the way. “Why the fuck are we still standing outside here?” I hurry to his side and I stay silent until we reach the end of the corridor.
“Should I bow to you? I mean, you are king. Do I call you your majesty or something like that? I’ve never really been around royals before...and I’m fucking up. Whoops, sorry. Now I’m swearing in front of a king and—“
His hand falls on my arm, a soft touch and I shiver. “You don’t need to bow to me. I fucking hate when people bow to me.” His eyes flicker across my face, then my hair, for a moment. “It’s Illyia...”
“Illyria Ravenglass, human, twenty two years old and I have no titles or fancy stuff like you. I do have a potty mouth and a fiery temper when someone upsets me or my friends. Or family.” I answer as truthfully as I can.
He fully smiles at me and dammit, my heart smacks in my chest. I thought the stupid thing had stopped working but it apparently will beat for a handsome king.
“A pleasure to meet you, Illyria. Would you like me to show you around? I know I haven’t been particularly present, but now that you’re staying here, perhaps it would be good if you knew your way around a bit better?
” A simple offer but still, I hesitate. I don’t know this king, and last time I trusted a supernatural male, I ended up heartbroken and my friends gone.
He searches my eyes for a moment and I sigh.
“Okay, but only because I get lost every day here and I still think I should call you your majesty.”
“Dain is better. I might have a crown but it’s just a crown, and I’m still a person. Many people don’t see past the crown.” He bluntly states. For a moment, all I get from him is the vibe he is lonely. I guess, I am too. I will be even more when Meredith and Zyran go back to the packs.
“The castle was designed to be like this — I mean, hard to find your way around — in case of unwanted guests. When I was a child, Meredith and I used to play hide and seek for hours because it’s very easy to hide in the many, many places around here.
It takes years to be able to recognise the corridors but I can show you some tricks. ”
“Thank you, Dain.” I offer back. Warmth glows in his dark gold eyes.
Dain stays at my side, showing me down the corridors, explaining certain turns.
He shows me to the kitchen, which is full of servants who all stop and bow at the waist when they see Dain.
I definitely should have been bowing at him.
Dain shows me various lounges, open spaces, the doors to the throne room — though we don’t go in — and then we make it outside, looking out over a huge maze of black flowers that almost look like they have been wiped with glitter.
My mother, who made the very dress I’m wearing, loves everything glittery and bright.
This would be her dream. A pang of sadness hits my chest. I miss my parents.
“Before I bumped into you, I was going to ask Meredith if she wanted to go horse riding. She always loved it as a child.” Dain explains.
“I know she can’t stay here for long this time, and I wanted to get to know her a little better.
She is all the family I have left and yet, I really don’t know much about her now.
Other than she is clearly brave and has annoyingly bad choices in men. ”
I snort. “You haven’t even met the heirs yet.
They are something else.” I smile as he scrunches his nose.
“But wait, you have horses here?” My eyes widen.
“They don’t have them in the human district.
I believe there are some in the other courts, but I never left to see them.
The last of the horses were used as food in the wars years ago.
Animals never do well where I’m from. I only know what they are from books. ”