Chapter Thirty-One
The King
The journey back to my family estate in the Volcano Lands was haunted by awkward silence, judgemental glances from my grandmother, and the occasional burst of lava from the surrounding fields, as if the land itself were trying to break the tension.
Allowing myself a few glances at Ava, I found her deep in thought.
Our eyes met more than once, and each time a blush crept up her neck and across her cheeks, telling me all I needed to know.
She wanted it as much as I did. Perhaps she was embarrassed by how much, or maybe it was her innocence that made her fluster so easily.
Either way, I was determined to find out just how innocent the Princess of Ortensia really was. It would take time, but nothing precious was ever easy.
Was it just desire? No. I was lying to myself. My body longed for her as fiercely as my power did, but my mind fought against it.
Ava was mine, yet she could never be mine. The Gods loved to taunt me; they delighted in showing me fleeting glimpses of what life might look like in an ideal realm.
Me. The little witch. A simple life. It would never happen, and I knew it.
She’d teased that the King of Fogoya was supposed to be fearless, and for the most part, I was. But the vision of a future with her scared me. The thought of a life without her terrified me even more.
How could I ever function without the way she enriched my days? Without that little blush when my words scandalised her?
I couldn’t.
Princess Avari of Ortensia, an enemy witch that cared for my kind. She used her powers to heal instead of maim.
Without even trying, she wrapped me around her little finger, unaware of the chaos that would erupt if she ever chose to pull the strings.
Avari
The sudden energetic resonance left me ravenously hungry. For one, I would happily socialise and accept the pointless chatter if it meant there would be food.
‘Quite the fire you’ve had there, Ava, girly,’ his grandmother said, her assessing gaze lingering on my frame for a moment before returning to her meal of bloody steak. ‘One wouldn’t think so looking at your…stature.’
A mere glimpse at her meal made me feel nauseous, and I looked away quickly.
‘You would never think so,’ River’s grandfather corrected her with a weary air, sipping his third cup of wine.
He looked ready to bolt at any moment, clearly long past his patience with the lady of the house.
She cast him a cold glare, the viciousness in her eyes commanding him to shut his mouth, and he obeyed. She had trained him well.
‘Anyway, River baby, you never visit us any more. I’m so glad you came, and that you brought your…’ Her eyes danced between us, a mischievous glint shining in her gaze. River shifted uncomfortably. ‘Friend, was it?’
Looking a little worn, he ignored her latest quip. ‘I’m busy with the court, the war, there is so much—’
‘You need a queen then, don’t you?’ his grandmother quipped, voice dripping with amusement. ‘To share some of those duties with, of course.’
The air thickened, charged with tension, and I felt out of place, like an intruder eavesdropping on a conversation meant for only the two of them. My fork hovered uselessly halfway to my mouth.
‘That would be ideal, grandma.’ River sounded irritated. ‘I’ll keep note of your infinite wisdom.’
‘Please do. It’s no small feat to rule alone and no accomplishment when done unnecessarily.
Ava, darling, I thought perhaps I should explain my actions from earlier.
You see, my precious husband here', she gestured to River’s grandfather, ‘burned my gown for the Independence Day banquet, the very one my seamstresses had spent months crafting from the rarest diamond spider silk. One sneeze from an old man, and the work of half a dozen people goes up in flames. Just like that.’
The husband rolled his eyes, his frustration as heavy as the humid air that seeped in through the ajar window. ‘Hey River, I’ve got new fishing gear. Want to check it out? Come on.’
The idea sounded ridiculous, but I tried not to show it. ‘I didn’t even know you could fish here, with the land so full of lava.’
Seconds before vanishing, River shot me an apologetic look, as if that were compensation for leaving me alone with the madwoman.
‘Oh, he doesn’t fish here, darling. He portals halfway across the kingdom just to eyeball a trout and toss it back. You’d think he would use a bloody phone, but apparently slimy scales are part of the charm,’ the peculiar woman complained. ‘Tell me, is fishing something one often does in Ortensia?’
At first, she seemed open-minded, or at least polite enough not to show otherwise, but at the mention, I felt my blood pressure spike.
‘The fish trade is mostly in the water court. I’ve never known any Ortensians to select fishing as a hobby, though many appreciate having fish in private aquariums.’
‘Ah, yes, my granddaughter has been pestering my husband about one. Personally, I’ve never seen the appeal. Maybe you can shed some light, since you’re from a water-wielding kingdom.’
‘I’ve owned several aquariums. I enjoyed having a piece of the ocean with me at home, especially with community fish. It served as a little reminder of the peace and harmony within those vast waters.’
Swirling the last of her wine, her eyes grew distant. ‘When you put it like that, I’m closer to understanding. Do you miss home?’
‘I miss the sea,’ I said truthfully. Going into specifics wasn’t something I considered with somebody I had just met.
The inquisitive woman pressed, ‘And your family?’
Such intrusiveness flustered me, and I started to wonder whether River’s grandmother had put me in an awkward position intentionally.
With an audible sigh, I explained, ‘We have a complicated relationship.’
‘And how does that make you feel?’
‘A lot of angst mostly.’ The origins of River’s tendencies to psychoanalyse others became obvious, though his meddlesome streak wasn’t quite as deep.
‘Interesting.’ His grandmother poured more wine. ‘Will you go back?’
Growing more agitated, I wasn’t sure how to answer. ‘I’m not sure that I can.’
‘But would you want to?’ she insisted.
The tirade of questions was starting to make me feel sick and worn out, especially since so many revolved around the stranger sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.
Of course, thoughts about my homeland plagued my mind. Mentioning my family felt humiliating; I was aware of their wrongdoings, but at the end of the day, they were still my family.
‘I don’t know,’ I murmured after a long pause.
The woman seemed to get lost in thought, and as her eyes softened, she continued, ‘You make my River happy. He all but gave up on conjuring a dragon some time ago.’
That surprised me; he seemed set on it. Determination had shone in his eyes the very day we met. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t know if he will ever let you go back,’ she said calmly.
I didn’t mind her honesty. ‘He thinks he can keep me safe from my mother, but—’
‘And he will,’ his grandma interrupted. ‘That boy will sooner burn this witch’s whole kingdom to the ground before she takes anything else from him.’
The words made me hyperventilate. My mother’s cruelty echoed in them, and I hated how easily fire could mirror ice.
As time trickled by and negative thoughts clouded my better judgement, I didn’t realise when I had got drunk enough to be carried to bed.
Arm flapping around, I relaxed at the familiar softness of my cushions. They carried a fresh scent of cherry blossoms and coconut, though a faint trace of oak moss and citrus lingered in my room. It was the focus of my dreams that night, as it kept invading my senses.
Hard knocks echoed through my room as I forced one eye open to track the source of the disturbance. Not finding anything improper, I closed it, only for the banging to resound once more.
‘Ough,’ I sighed as I noticed the sound was coming from the door.
Was the world spinning? No, it was the fae wine River’s grandmother had fed me. How did people drink this stuff recreationally?
‘Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.’ The dragon’s smug snort echoed in my ears as I cringed.
‘Ava!’ Emily’s shout rang out, fists pounding against the wood. The door rattled, the vibrations making me even more nauseous.
‘Just come in!’ Not daring to stand, I barked, annoyed at her persistence.
Emily barged in without a moment’s hesitation, the definition of a woman on a mission.
‘Oh my God…’ Her nostrils flared as she regarded my form in the dishevelled bed. ‘Time to spray the room—and yourself, Ava.’
I didn’t know what she meant and didn’t care. The room smelled fine. And I hadn’t showered last night, but one night wasn’t enough to make me stink. Besides, I could still bask in the cherry and citrusy aromas, eyes fluttering closed as reality drifted away, one snore at a time.
‘Wake up!’ The raven-haired woman, whom I’d started to regard as a friend, proved a traitor, ripping the quilt off me and shattering the serene moment in the realm of contentment.
‘It’s noon already. We left breakfast for you in the dining room. Eat it and get yourself in shape for the banquet this evening.’
Oh no. ‘It’s today?’ I whined, unprepared for that level of social interaction even on my best days. And today was far from one.
Emily ignored me, setting a big cardboard box on the other side of my vehement bed.
‘Here’s your dress, altered and ready. I’ve stocked your wardrobe with enough shoes that you don’t need to wo—’ she hissed, slapping her hand on the box to make noise.
‘Ava! Are you listening? God, how much did you drink?’
‘I don’t even know…’ I murmured, covering my eyes and thoroughly disliking the state I was in. I would never drink again.
‘Yeah, yeah. Just be ready by six, and one of the drivers will take you there. Don’t be late.’ Emily shot me a stern look. I suspected she often used it on her little princess.
‘Am I going on my own?’ That was new. Was it my newfound power that granted me such privileges?
‘I need to be there earlier; it’s business for me. River too, obviously. And Michael oversees security. So, unless you want to leave now and help with last-minute preparations, just be ready at six.’
The door closed before I could answer. It was noon, which gave me a few more hours of much-needed rest before the inevitable socialising spree, one I wasn’t sure I would ever feel ready for.