Chapter Twenty-Two
Avari
‘How do you like being a princess, Ava?’ the youngest fire royal asked eagerly, eyes wide with curiosity as our conversation slowly turned into an interview. ‘Do you attend balls often?’
The brief encounter with the spirited girl deepened my awareness of how differently we experienced the title.
I remembered no flowing dresses or birthday parties, only the weight of expectation and lessons in restraint.
But seeing that not everyone was burdened by such things, especially this bright girl, warmed me.
Fogoya had one up on Ortensia in that regard.
I’d lost count of how many aspects my own kingdom lacked that weren’t a problem here.
Before I could answer, I caught River’s solemn stare and ignored it. Pity wasn’t something I wanted or needed.
‘Not exactly, Isla.’ She was too young to understand my situation. ‘It would tear me away from my dragon too often.’
I hoped that mentioning Anya would shift her focus, and as her eyes widened even more, I knew it had worked.
‘Can I meet your dragon?’ she pleaded. ‘Or will she eat me?’
Was that a reference to that ridiculous legend about crazed dragons?
‘I promise I won’t let her eat you, though I can’t say the same about your horses,’ I joked, though the warning wasn’t entirely false.
Laughter rippled through the group. Watching a family enjoy each other’s company hit a sore spot buried deep inside me, but I was glad for them.
‘Don’t worry, I’ve moved herds of sheep and cows by the mountain,’ River said, patting my knee before withdrawing his hand the moment Michael shot him a knowing grin. Who would have thought he could be so childish?
‘Let’s hope she doesn’t pick your horses out of spite,’ I warned, chuckling. Anya didn’t respond well to authority, and she didn’t like him.
‘She would spite you?’ Isla looked scandalised. She was just as fascinated by dragons as her uncle. Brave girl, considering she thought Anya might devour her.
Delighted by her inquisitiveness, I explained, ‘Dragons have a dark sense of humour.’
Hours passed in calm bliss until Michael announced it was time for a short boat ride before the lake was swallowed by darkness—his birthday gift to the Princess of Fire, who loved water.
The boat wasn’t large, but it fit us all. Isla sat glued to my side, bombarding me with questions about life as a princess.
Emily explained that she wasn’t royal herself, so she couldn’t answer most of them. As much as the prince and king tried, their experience was far removed from mine.
‘How big is your castle in Ortensia?’ Isla asked.
‘A little smaller than yours, though very different. It’s secluded, near a beach of crashing waves that threaten to swallow it whole, but never do.’
Her eyes widened. ‘That sounds amazing! I love beaches.’
‘So do I, but Ortensian waters can be temperamental. Not all beaches are safe for swimming.’
‘Oh. Could you swim in it?’ she asked, meaning, could I, as a water princess?
I answered honestly, ‘I don’t wield water. It wouldn’t listen to me any more than it would to you.’
Her eyes widened further. ‘But you’re the princess from Ortensia. Your land should listen to you!’
‘I share Ortensian witch abilities,’ I said, reaching for my green power. It coiled around my fingers, forming a faint ring of energy that trailed along my wrist. Emily tensed, her gaze fixed on Isla, while everyone else remained calm. ‘But my other power isn’t water, it’s fire.’
I tugged on it lightly, letting the heat chase the green around my wrist to form a bracelet of essence before releasing it. I didn’t want to stress Emily; she had been kind to me, and witchcraft clearly unsettled her.
River sat beside me, watching.
Lately, he seemed a man reborn, his perpetual scowl softened into something almost content. I still wasn’t sure I trusted it. My fire might trust him, but my instincts weren’t convinced.
‘So… which kingdom do you prefer?’ Isla’s innocent question drew a grin from River, his eyebrows rising as he waited for my answer.
‘Yeah, which one is better, Ava?’ he teased, flicking a tiny coil of flame up my sleeve. It didn’t burn; it teased my own, urging it to connect. It took all my strength not to react, and the bastard knew it.
‘Hey, that’s not what I said!’ Isla scolded her uncle.
A soft breeze sprayed droplets across River’s face, as if the Ortensian waters had travelled this far to show their disapproval.
‘There are perks to both,’ I said carefully. ‘I like your lush forests more than the endless sand dunes around my court. But sometimes I miss the sound of waves crashing against the castle walls.’
‘A beach would be fun. We only have lakes around here. My room’s being renovated soon because I’m so grown up, and I’ll have a lake painted on the wall,’ Isla announced proudly.
She reached for my hand. ‘How do you like your room? We can make it more princessy. I can help you decorate it! Is it like your old one?’
So that was what Maddie had meant earlier about me having something in common with her. The little girl had been far too passionate about princesshood for her own good.
‘They aren’t similar, but they’re both great. My Ortensian room was beige and gold, colours of the beach. But I like the darker tones and wood here in Fogoya.’
She fell silent for a moment, then asked, ‘Will you stay with us or go back to your court?’
‘Hey, Isla, look at the fish, this one’s as pink as your dress!’ Michael shouted from the other end of the boat. She didn’t take the bait.
‘Princesses marry to move, don't they? You could marry one of my uncles,’ she offered brightly.
Michael laughed, blowing me a kiss.
‘I can sacrifice myself for you, sugar,’ he said with a wink.
River shifted beside me.
I smiled at Isla’s logic. ‘They do sometimes. But don’t fae marry their mates?’
‘Oh yes, you’re right. Maybe Maddie can help you find yours in Fogoya, she always helps me find things.’
By the time we returned, night had fallen, though I felt refreshed instead of tired. The day’s peacefulness had soothed me more than I’d realised I needed.
Inviting my dragon to join me in the courtyard, we basked together in the moonlight, simply enjoying the quiet and the clear sky, its countless stars scattered like unruly fireflies.
I'd always loved gazing at the stars. I admired their quiet resilience, how they continued to shine despite the endless darkness around them.
‘You seem stronger,’ Anya observed with a snort.
‘My body’s finally healing. My mother’s curse… I’ve never heard of anything like it. It’s a miracle I survived.’
‘It was pure death.’
I hesitated. ‘I never asked what it was like for you when I…’
‘When you died?’ Anya groaned in my mind. ‘It felt like something pulled out each of my fangs, then hacked off my wings. Like you took them with you.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘You can be sorry for shutting me out, and I’ll scorch you myself if you ever do it again, but not for that. That wasn’t your fault… It was hers.’
Anya suddenly stilled, ears twitching. Her attention snapped to the treeline, where a flaming figure stepped out from the shadows.
‘Who are you?’ I called, ready to run, even though I knew I didn't have to. I might not have been able to fight him, but my dragon wouldn’t hesitate to.
The closer he came, the more disturbing his appearance became. He was missing several fingers, and a deep gash marred his face.
‘Fucking witches!’ he roared, conjuring swords of fire. Anya’s answering bellow shook the ground, and she sent a warning plume of flame his way. He jumped back, eyes wide, though vengeance still burned in them.
‘I’m going to gut you like your kind do mine!’ he shouted, charging and retreating between her strikes. She was trying to deter him, not kill him, but even her patience began to fray.
‘Adrian, stand down!’ River’s voice cut through the chaos as he ran in, his power extinguishing the man’s flames instantly. The man struggled against his grip, trying to break free, but River held firm.
‘Calm down,’ he ordered again.
‘She’s a witch! I’ll slaughter all of them—they deserve to die!’ Adrian’s voice cracked, thick with hatred. My heart sank.
What had my people done to him?
River’s reply was low but sharp as a blade. ‘Not her.’
He dragged him away into the night.
The King
Dragging him up to my office was a chore. He thrashed enough to make it difficult even for me, but I wouldn’t let him come near Ava.
I wasn’t particularly worried about her safety currently, considering her dragon looked ready to pounce, but it would have ended tragically if she were alone.
Anger rose in me, my fire coiling, poised to smite him. He had tried to touch what didn’t belong to him, and a part of me I was even afraid of wanted his blood. The logical side, the king, forced me to think beyond the moment.
Adrian was a good man. A soldier. He loved this kingdom above all else. In Ava all he had seen was a witch. That had been my view once as well. Could I really blame him? My fire did.
These internal battles wore me down.
How the fuck did he escape the compound? As far as I knew, nobody’d reported any issues. My fire wrapped around him and restrained him to a chair.
Pulling out my phone, I quickly checked for any messages. Nothing.
A few short rings after, the secretary answered my call. ‘What’s the situation down there?’
She gasped. ‘We were just about to call you, Your Majesty. One of our newest participants had been unaccounted for during the evening briefing.’
‘It would appear so, since he is currently seething at me,’ I barked, annoyed with their tardiness. They knew the drill. If anything like this happened, they needed to inform me.
Silence stretched on the other side of the call.
Doing my best to sound calm, in attempt not to freak her out even more, I asked, ‘How did he escape?’
‘We don’t know that yet. It’s being investigated.’ The woman’s voice broke, and I felt like shit. It wasn’t her fault. She had nothing to do with his escape and the fact that her leader didn’t let me know.
‘Have Max ring me in the morning; I want a report on what happened first thing.’
‘Of course, I will let him know.’
Pocketing the device, I focused on the situation at hand. We were never friends, but he used to belong to a battalion that often fought alongside mine. Now a wreck of the man I knew sat before me.
‘I know I need to go back. I just wanted to see them before I lost it.’
I didn’t have it in me to scold him. I probably would have done the same. ‘Why are you so beaten up?’
Tears spilled from his eyes. ‘I’m too far gone.’