Chapter Twenty-One
Avari
The curse my mother cast on me proved difficult to recover from. Though my powers slowly returned and for a while I felt almost normal, the damage lingered. My strength slipped day by day until River finally summoned his doctor.
It took a full week to recover, a long week with Michael buried in his spy work and River consumed by whatever came with ruling a kingdom. I tried not to think about the possibility of him joining the battle on the Gem Fields; choosing a side felt impossible.
In the quiet days, I befriended a few kitchen staff who taught me simple recipes. One day, I planned to try them myself.
Anya understood that in my weakened state, I couldn’t soar with her above the Fogoyan skies, so she stayed with me on the ground while I read about fire magic.
Those peaceful hours with her felt like honey for my blistered soul.
I missed her, and at last I could rest, truly rest, while the remnants of the curse faded away.
‘Focus on expanding it,’ River instructed when we resumed training. Only, instead of me training him, the tides have shifted.
When I woke yesterday without pain and able to take full breaths, I told him we could start. He looked relieved, maybe as eager to return to our little routine as I was.
Copper-coloured embers flared from my palms as I released them. I kept focusing and applying pressure in hopes of building their size and intensity the way I used to when I practised alone.
River watched for a while, then announced, ‘I think I know what the problem is.’
‘So there is a problem,’ I muttered. I always felt something off about my fire.
‘Yes. But it’s not the fire,’ he said, stepping closer.
‘What is it then?’
‘Here, feel this.’ His hand engulfed mine as he slowly intensified the flames surrounding us. ‘Can you sense the difference?’
For a moment, I simply watched our kindred flames chase one another.
‘Is there a difference?’ I asked.
He let out a quiet laugh, covering his mouth with his knuckles when he realised I was serious.
‘You need to let go,’ he instructed. ‘You’re smouldering it. It has no room to grow.’
‘Said the pot to the kettle,’ I shot back, wishing I could set his hair on fire. Between the two of us, he was the real control freak.
Still smiling, he released a sigh that revealed a little of his frustration. ‘Everyone does it at first.’
‘I don’t feel like I’m smouldering it.’
‘Have a noose around your neck long enough, and it starts to feel like a necklace,’ he said, focused on my hand.
‘And he’s a poet now.’ My frustration simmered. How could I still be failing the basics?
‘I’m a man of many trades,’ he quipped, retreating. ‘That’s enough for today.’
The increasing number of smiles the king had started dishing out concerned me; wasn’t that a sign of a stroke?
‘Already? It’s only been an hour.’ I refused to remain a failure any longer.
‘I don’t want you disheartened,’ he said gently. ‘Besides, I’ve got plans.’ Looking down, he checked his watch, and a smug smile tugged at his mouth once more.
Maybe he had a date with the raven-haired woman. ‘Oh. Okay. Anything important?’
‘Care to join?’ He offered, looking increasingly curious as he noted my suspicion.
‘Depends,’ I quickly replied. ‘What am I getting into?’
‘Heaps of fun in my presence, of course,’ he said, every bit as confident and charming as he was insufferable.
This man was dangerous.
The vague instructions to “dress in layers” made it difficult to decide what to wear. I doubted I would need formal wear, so I picked black jeans, a silky burgundy top, and an emerald cardigan that brightened my eyes.
My fingers hovered over the jewellery drawers. They were full of treasures I hadn’t dared touch. It’s not like I had an occasion to wear them either.
Today felt like an exception. I chose a black onyx pendant shaped like leaves, its gold chain glinting softly as I pressed it to my neck. Perfect.
‘It suits you,’ Maddie said from the doorway, and I nearly dropped it.
‘I didn’t mean to startle you,’ she said quickly. ‘I should’ve knocked. I thought you’d already left.’
‘Did you need something?’ I asked, trying to mask my suspicion. It was in my nature to suspect the worst, even if the lady was nothing but nice to me.
‘Yes. I wanted to give you this.’ She handed me a small book. ‘It belonged to my mother. I thought you might enjoy it. I never tried any of her recipes; they are wasted on me.’
I blinked, touched. ‘Thank you. That’s very kind.’
Maddie’s sharp smile caught the light—those teeth again—and curiosity prickled down my spine.
‘Do you know where River’s taking me?’ I asked, testing her reaction.
She looked surprised. ‘To the princess’s birthday celebration, of course.’
A celebration. That could mean anything. ‘How formal is it?’
‘It changes every year. Usually, not too formal, given her age.’
‘And how old is she?’
Maddie chuckled. ‘Ask her yourself. I’m sure you two will have plenty to discuss. Fellow princesses and all.’
She turned to leave and brushed past her king in the corridor. ‘River, child, women need to know where they’re going so they can dress properly.’
He pressed a hand to his chest in mock offence. ‘She looks fine, doesn’t she?’
‘Men,’ she sighed, disappearing.
He noticed the gleaming piece of jewellery I was still holding and urged me to put it on. I refused. Our ongoing verbal battle ended only when he stepped closer and fastened the necklace around my throat himself, muttering something about saving time.
It felt surreal to let him so close to my neck, but I didn't fear him anymore.
The journey took about an hour. We parked by a lake where a picnic sprawled across vivid pink blankets. As we stepped from the trees, a girl in a puffed pink gown ran towards us and flung herself at him.
The girl’s tone was harsh as she said, ‘Finally! I had to wait for my cake because of you!’
River smirked, looking strangely at ease. ‘My sincere apologies, princess. Won’t happen again.’
The girl turned to me, eyes bright. ‘Are you Princess Avari?’
‘Yes. Ava,’ I said, curtsying to appease her.
‘No need for that! We’re both princesses.’ She giggled. ‘I’m Isla. Like the Isle of Blaze. Have you ever been?’
I shook my head. ‘No, I can’t say that I have.’
As we walked towards the picnic, she chattered on. ‘It’s lovely! That’s where my party was last year. We had fireworks and clowns, and daddy couldn’t come because he’s always busy fixing our kingdom, but it was fun anyway.’
River’s expression darkened. Daddy?
The little girl’s hair was her mother’s deep midnight, but her amber eyes… they were his.
‘Hi, I’m Ava,’ I said to the smiling woman sitting nearby. Isla danced in circles around us.
‘We’ve already met, sugar,’ Michael teased. ‘Or has he worked you so hard you’ve forgotten?’
Heat crept up my neck.
‘Oh, behave,’ the woman said, swatting him. ‘We haven’t been properly introduced.’
River shifted beside me, an unfamiliar tension settling into his posture. ‘This is Avari, Princess of Ortensia.’
That man needed to make up his damn mind about his attitude towards my title.
‘And I’m Emily,’ she said warmly. ‘That little whirlwind is my daughter.’
‘She has your beautiful hair, but the rest is all her dad,’ I said politely.
The air froze.
‘When did you meet her father?’ River demanded, his expression hardening as every trace of light-heartedness vanished.
I blinked. ‘Aren’t you her father?’
Michael's laughter shattered the silence as he threw himself backwards, his back hitting the ground with a thud. ‘Two and two don't always make four, Ava, dearest. But I can see how you reached that conclusion.’
‘What’s he talking about?’ Emily asked, looking between us in confusion.
Flustered, I said, ‘Well, he told me you were mated to his brother, so I just assumed—’
‘Ew,’ they both said.
Right.
Not his mate then.