Chapter Six
The Bound
My nose is still bleeding, even after two hours. I throw another rag down and take a swig of my whiskey, savoring the taste as it burns its way down my throat.
Fucker .
He was supposed to go easy on me, we were sparring, not actually fighting to the death .
Enzo never knows how to hold back. He’s been too angry, too unstable since he felt Elaenor last. He’s slowly becoming unhinged, and a lack of control is dangerous, especially right now when everything is so tense.
Right now is when we should be in control.
Should be methodical. Should have a plan.
But we aren’t and we don’t. We are going into everything blind.
Doing everything without a plan. Because we don’t know what to do.
It’s been months and we still don’t know what to do.
The windows in my room are open, letting the spring air filter in. The flowers here have been blossoming like crazy, setting off my allergies. Who knew I would have an allergy to wisteria?
Wisteria is the nation’s flower, and all who need or want it, have to buy it from here.
It’s a simple flower that can either fill a room with a thick floral aroma or be used to kill or decapacitate.
Much like hemlock and poppy, it has many uses, and every godsforsaken inch of this country is covered in wisteria trees and pollen.
It’s a wonder Rakushia’s citizens haven’t all accidentally killed themselves, although Emery always tells me the flower has to be prepared a certain way to make it toxic.
I can’t imagine a country would allow their entire nation to be filled with plants that could kill anyone who it came into contact with.
Unless that person is Tobias. He probably would and he’d call it population control.
To combat my allergies, Master Lenus has been giving me a tonic made of honey and elderflower every morning, which has been helping, but now with my nose busted it just makes it worse.
I can’t even take a deep breath without choking on my own blood and snot.
My irritation peaks as another wave of pain shoots up my nose.
I reach for the rag again as a blur of gold and white barrels into my room.
“What happened to you?” The intruder taunts as she throws herself on the bed.
My chambers here in Rakushia are small compared to my room back home in Labisa.
A small writing desk sits in the far corner, a single sofa in front of the fireplace, and a four-poster bed in the center of the back wall.
A door by the bed leads to the small bathing chamber and dressing room.
I don’t have a balcony here, which I despise.
Even Scarlett got a balcony and she’s nothing but a pain in the ass.
Not to mention the large room they set aside for Elaenor when she eventually arrives. A room fit for a queen, as Enzo said.
It's bullshit.
“Good morning to you, princess.” I plaster a smile on my face and turn in my chair to face her. Her golden blonde hair is shining in the sunlight, pooling around her like molten metal. Her hazel eyes are glowing in the bright light filtering through the open windows.
“Let me guess, you were an asshole to Enzo again and he finally let you have it?” She’s smiling as she takes in my bloody nose, her rosy lips splitting to show her straight teeth.
Emery is one of those people who is effortlessly beautiful.
Whether she is wearing a dress worth more than someone’s house, or in her fighting leathers.
She is the type of woman men go to war for.
“Emery, have you nothing to do but bother me?” I feign annoyance, my free hand on my chest as I wipe at my nose.
“Oh don’t act like you don’t enjoy my company, Nithie.
” She winks as she stretches out on the bed, her dress spreading around her like liquid.
She knows how to tease me, make me want nothing more than her skin on mine to ease the ache settling in my limbs, but after a single night when I first moved here a year ago, she hasn’t been willing to cross that line again, regardless of how much I try.
“Oh I enjoy your company, it’s you who doesn’t enjoy mine.” She giggles and sits up, propping a pillow behind her head.
“I enjoy your company just fine, Nithie, it’s your dick I’m not fond of.” I snort and throw the bloody rag back on the desk where it lands with a wet slapping sound. I glare at the cloth before turning towards Em.
“That’s a first.” I mutter.
“Well, I prefer something…more feminine.” She says slowly, cocking her head to the side.
“You can say you prefer girls; I don’t care. In fact, I would be more than willing to be a spectator during your enjoyment of women.” I walk over to the bed and climb up next to her. She hits me in the face with the pillow, my eyes instantly watering as she hits my already bloody nose. “ Ow .”
“Pig.” She spits and I gasp before rolling on top of her, holding her down with my thighs.
Her small frame is lean, comprised of honed muscles that make her lethal.
I’m not afraid to admit that she would win in the ring.
She’s trained her entire life to be a weapon, and a weapon she is.
A wraith as her father calls her. The greatest weapon in his arsenal.
“That’s quite rude and unladylike.”
“You are very heavy, my prince. Maybe consider a diet?” My eyes widen and she freezes.
“Don’t.” She warns. I don’t hesitate, my fingers find her armpits and she squeals so loud she could rival a hog.
“Nithe, stop!” She half-screams half-laughs as I tickle her.
Her body bucks underneath mine as she tries to get free, but I keep her pinned.
“Take it back!” I can barely hear myself over her screaming as my fingers tickle any part of her I can touch.
“Can you guys maybe shut the fuck up?” I jump as a snarky, feminine voice erupts from behind.
Whipping my head around, I see Scarlett standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
Her jaw is clenched, brows furrowed, and eyes narrowed so much she could rival a cat.
Her brown hair is in a messy braid, the blue dress she’s wearing hanging off her awkwardly.
She’s lost a lot of weight since she was first brought here, but I suppose an all-liquid diet tends to do that.
I roll off of Emery and prop myself up against my headboard.
“Better?” I snap. She has a habit of being annoying at the most inconvenient times. Well, it’s never convenient for her to be annoying.
“You two are disgusting. If you insist on being in a room next to mine, the least you can do is keep it down when you are doing whatever it is you are doing.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest and squints her eyes in my direction.
“Don’t be such a prude, Scar. We weren’t doing anything.” Emery is breathless, and I can almost hear her heart pounding in the awkward silence. She sits up, propping her elbows up behind her as she brushes her golden tendrils from her eyes.
“I am the farthest thing from a prude, as you know.” Scarlett scoffs, but a glimmer of amusement flashes through her brown eyes. I glance between the two of them. Emery is sucking on her teeth and Scarlett is staring her down. I can almost feel the tension radiating off of them.
Oh. Oh.
I can barely contain my laugh as I slide off the bed with widened eyes.
“I’ll leave you two alone, just stay off my bed.” I chuckle as I push past Scarlett, exiting my room.
“I don’t know what you are thinking, but you’re wrong!” She yells after me, which only makes me chuckle louder, the sound echoing off the bare walls.
Good for them. I think Em could do better, but honestly Scarlett needs to blow off some steam if she’s ever going to become a productive member of this group.
Which she needs to become soon, or my father will push her out of the palace.
Scarlett is stubborn, strong, but she couldn’t survive out there. Not when we are on the brink of a war.
My footsteps echo off the wooden stairs as I descend to the bottom floor.
I head towards the council chamber, hoping to get my father alone.
He doesn’t withhold much, but he tends to be more secretive when there are others around.
And ever since Thel left, he’s been holing up in there with Kass, not allowing any of us to join them.
I know the three of them are old friends, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my father was trying to find a way to absorb Rakushia as his own country.
Although that shouldn’t be his priority, Elaenor should.
I have questions, complaints, concerns, all of the above, in regard to Elaenor and his plans, and I’m hoping he’ll answer at least one of them. The one that will also affect me.
Like I expected, the Labisian King is in the council room, pouring over the map like usual.
The council chamber is a small rectangular room that holds a table big enough for ten.
Golden banners line the walls, showing off the Rakushian flag.
A yellow background with a bundle of purple wisteria in the center tied together with a rope.
Why they chose yellow to compliment the purple flowers, I’ll never know.
It’s not the most attractive color combination.