The king flew right at the bird men from Nightfall and I steeled myself. There were six of them, all fanned out in a V formation of varying heights. Just as I was worrying how we would survive these odds, a stream of dragon fire flew from the king’s mouth in a blaze of glory, drenching two of the men completely. The heat from the fire warmed my face but did not hurt me.
I flinched as their screams of agony caused bile to creep up my throat. The two men tumbled in the air, and started to spin in an effort to put out the flames. Within seconds they dropped like stones towards the ground, their winged contraptions no longer able to hold them.
I couldn’t dwell on the horror of it too long, because one of the flying men who’d been higher above was now dropping right over us.
I realized now that his sword was so long it would have gored me before I’d have been able to even scratch him with my small hunting blade. I was lucky the king had offered his, but I was also about to kill a man, or severely injure him. Or die myself…
He’s an animal, he’s an animal… I told myself as he inched closer.
The man wore a menacing snarl, and as he neared I noticed the Nightfall crest upon his breastplate. He was human. Someone we were taught was a poor defenseless soul when matched with a magic wielder. But he didn’t look so helpless to me now. No one from the Nightfall army was, human or not. For one thing, he was flying, and looked like he wanted to take off my head.
His wings retracted suddenly and then he dropped down like a stone.
I was used to sudden movements—the cougarins that prowled the backside of Cinder Mountain were fast—but I was faster. With a battle cry, I lunged upward to meet him, ramming the sword right into his gut as I simultaneously ducked out of the way of his sword. It cut through him like butter, but then the weight of his body knocked me back. I fell hard against the saddle and the cut on my back reminded me it was there with a fresh wave of pain. The man groaned as my blade went deeper into him, then Kendal started screaming bloody murder. She must have looked up. With a burst of adrenaline, I pushed off of the basket, ignoring the fiery pain on my back. Keeping my hands firmly on the hilt of the sword, I used the momentum to toss him over the side, clutching the sword so that I didn’t lose it.
His body slid from the blade with ease and down towards the earth. I tried to catch my breath.
‘Are you okay?’ The king’s voice came to me just as he released another stream of fire at two more advancing bird men.
‘Fine,’ I told him, looking at the blood-soaked blade and the splatters it had left on my new hunting outfit.
I killed a man. I killed a human.
My beating heart and the rushing wind were the only sounds I could sense for a few moments. I found myself offering up a prayer of forgiveness to the Maker. I didn’t think protecting my life was wrong, but at the same time I didn’t relish what I’d just done.
The prayer settled my nerves and I looked up to see that there was only one man left. A very smart man who was now retreating.
Sitting back on my butt, I let the sword rest across my lap and stared in shock at my hands.
Kendal chose this moment to lift her head. She caught an eyeful of all the blood and let loose with another blood-curdling shriek before fainting.
‘What’s wrong?’ the king demanded, his flight movements jerky as if evading attack.
‘Nothing, Kendal just saw all the blood. She’s easily frightened,’ I muttered, and his body relaxed beneath us. His flying evened out, and once again we were heading for Jade City.
I stared at the dragon king’s neck, the shiny black scales and the way they reflected the morning sun. They almost looked metallic, which had me transfixed. I reached out timidly, unsure if I was allowed to, and stroked the skin. His body shuddered beneath my touch, and I snapped my hand back, eyes wide.
Oh Maker.
Was that… was that totally inappropriate? Now I felt stupid and I prayed he’d think it was Kendal, although that was a stupid thought; she was still unconscious in a ball at my feet. An awkward silence stretched for too many minutes and I wondered if I should apologize.
I didn’t stroke the king like he was a horse! What in the Hades was I thinking?
When Jade City rose up in the distance, in my head I started gathering the words for an apology. We’d gotten here much faster than I thought we would, flying over hundreds of small stone cottages in the outer city. The solid wall of jade stone greeted us as we flew right over it.
Guards in the towers saw us approaching and blew a long deep horn, signaling our arrival.
King Valdren dipped lower, bringing the rooftops closer. I held my breath as I took in the view of this magnificent city. It was absolutely breathtaking. Children ran through the cobbled streets with flowers, pointing up at the sky. “The king! The king!”
Shopkeepers poked their heads out, and I tried to eye some of the crafts at the market, but we flew by too fast. Jade City had the most beautiful jewelry in all the realm. They were famous for their dragon-fire-glazed glass beads. Even with the early hour, the city was bustling with activity, and as much as I wanted to sightsee, there was an urgent matter at hand. I was covered in a dead man’s blood, with Kendal now cognizant and quivering at my feet.
We neared the giant Jade Castle, appearing to glow a mint green from the sun’s rays. It was truly a sight to behold. Solid jade, five stories high, and wider than nearly all of Cinder Village. It was fireproof, arrow-proof, and just about everything else—the safest place in the kingdom. The king flew around the castle and to the back, near what appeared to be a training ground. There were stables and wide-open fields, and men running around putting on armor and swords. The call from the gate must have been a war call. Or maybe the king mentally called them. I did not know the range of his abilities.
He lowered us onto the grass, landing softly. A guard rushed forward, eyes wide as he took in my appearance. I was still clutching the king’s sword with white knuckles and was covered in dry, sticky blood.
“My lady! Are you hurt?”
I shook my head. “Help her first.” I pointed to Kendal, who popped her head up and looked around the courtyard at the men preparing for war. Her eyes grew larger than a barn owl’s, and her bottom lip shook.
“Let me help you down, miss.” The guard reached for her and she accepted his outstretched hand.
As he was helping her down, a short, sturdy woman with a sharp chin and brown hair that was pulled into a tight bun rushed forward. “Oh, my dear!” she cooed over Kendal.
I leapt out of the saddle like I was jumping off of a tall rock and stood before the king. He immediately started his transition back to human. His men took the saddle off of him and I gave him my back, unsure I could withstand seeing him fully naked from the front. I might faint like Kendal if that were the case. He stepped out from behind me wearing nothing but a baggy pair of trousers and looked down on me with an unreadable expression.
“Are you okay?” His question was full of compassion and concern, and I wasn’t prepared for it. I also wasn’t prepared to see the definition in his abs up close.
My heart hammered against my chest as I remembered sticking the human Nightfall warrior in the gut. I nodded, and then reached down into the grass, wiping his blade clean.
“Thanks for letting me borrow that,” I told him, deciding that an apology for stroking his skin now would be way too weird. Best we both forget it happened.
He cocked his head to the side, his green eyes flashing yellow as he appraised me. His gaze roamed over my leather hunting suit and the blood that covered it. “If I don’t make you my wife, I might have to put you in my army.” His tone was joking, but I couldn’t help the lopsided grin that graced my face.
Could I join the Royal Army? Become a Drayken? The thought opened up something inside of me that I never had before.
A dream. A possibility. A future with importance.
Before I could respond, the woman with the tight bun pulled gently on my arm.
“Come on, dears. The battlefield is no place for a lady.” The stout woman shooed me forward and I reluctantly followed after her, unable to get the king’s words out of my mind.
Was he serious about me joining his army? Because I would be so down for that.
“I’m Annabeth, the head housemaid here at Jade Castle. You must be the prospective wives from Cinder Village?” she asked Kendal and I as we walked away from the men running around with weapons and mounting horses. I wanted to turn back, to go out into battle with them at Gypsy Rock, but I knew it wouldn’t be allowed.
I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to the term “prospective wife.”
“I’m Kendal.”
“I’m Arwen,” I said as Annabeth opened a door that led us into an extravagant hallway. The walls, the floors, all of it was solid jade. I’d never seen this much wealth in my entire life and it took me back a bit. So much so that I hadn’t realized I’d stopped walking.
“You get used to it, dear. The lavatories are solid gold too,” Annabeth commented.
I laughed. She was funny.
She gave me a serious look. “I’m not kidding.”
Oh. I shifted uncomfortably and her eyes roamed over me closely for the first time. “You need a bath before you meet the others.”
“The others?”
She nodded. “The other prospective wives.”
Oh, how many were there? The Grim Hollow girl and probably one or two from right here in Jade City… were there more from the villages near the Great River?
“A bath would be lovely,” I murmured, and she motioned that we follow her down another hallway. I was already lost. When we turned down yet another corridor I saw that there were over a dozen doors, each one with a maid standing in front of it.
Holy Hades.
They had maids just waiting for their guests? He must entertain a lot.
Annabeth walked me right up to the last door and smiled at a young girl with black curly hair who tried and failed not to look shocked at my bloody appearance. She seemed a few winters older than me, maybe twenty winters old.
“There was a mishap, and Arwen will need a bath before lunch,” Annabeth advised her.
The young curly-haired girl cleared her throat and curtsied. “Yes, ma’am.”
She opened the door and I stepped inside as Annabeth walked Kendal to the room next door, introducing her to her maid.
Kendal gave me a small wave, letting me know she was okay, and I closed the door to my new room and spun around.
“Holy Hades fire,” I gasped, and my new maid stiffened. “Oh, that wasn’t very ladylike, huh? I need to work on that stuff I guess,” I told her. Unless I was going to join the king’s army. In that case, I could curse all I wanted.
She bowed deeply to me. “I’m Narine. I am here to help you in any way possible.”
I gave her a nervous wave. “I’m Arwen.” I bowed back and she went rigid, eyes wide. I winced. “I’m not supposed to bow to you, am I?”
Her façade dropped and she burst into laughter, which I appreciated. I couldn’t live with an emotionally dead person hanging around all the time.
“No,” she said, and then cut off her laughter quickly. “I’m sorry for laughing, my lady, I—”
“Oh, please be normal with me, at ease or whatever. I’m not a lady, I’m a hunter from Cinder Village.” I showed her my blood and dirt crusted nails and she winced.
“A hunter? Let’s get you cleaned up. You’ll have to become a lady if you want to marry the king.”
I shrugged. “What if I don’t want to marry the king?”
Her eyebrow raised but she said nothing, slipping out of the room, giving me time to fully take in the luxurious space.
The carpet was a plush high pile in a deep purple. The couch was a shiny golden fabric that probably had actual gold in it, and the little kitchen area was so clean I was afraid to cook anything in it. There was a sitting room, a bedroom, a guestroom, and two washrooms!
It was official. These living quarters were bigger than my hut back at Cinder Village, and much nicer too.
“Lady Arwen, your bath is ready.” Narine’s voice spooked me as I was staring out the window at the lush green rolling hills, where the army was currently drawing together on horseback. There were hundreds of them.
“I wonder if we will go to war with Nightfall now,” I mused aloud.
Narine clicked her tongue. “That’s for the men to figure out. You need to wash and focus on the competition.”
I snorted. “Competition? Is that what they are calling this? Half a dozen women competing for the king’s hand in marriage when all he really wants is our magical womb?”
She looked stricken and I instantly felt bad for speaking so brashly. She clearly wasn’t used to it.
“I’m sorry. I like to speak my mind,” I admitted.
She glared at me and I was a little taken aback by the anger on her face. Without another word, she turned on her heel and I followed her down the hall and into the washroom.
Okay, speak less and stop pissing off the maid, I told myself. I talked a lot when I got nervous. It was a bad trait.
“Oh my Maker!” I squealed when we stepped into the large space. Floor-to-ceiling white jade stone encompassed the room, with a giant copper soaker tub in the middle. Hot curls of steam rose to the ceiling, and a lemon-fresh scent reached my nose. The wallpaper was a gold and purple floral pattern with jade stone border. It was the most beautiful bathhouse I’d ever seen.
“I could get used to this,” I told Narine, and started to undress.
“Well, don’t, if you don’t take this competition seriously,” she snapped under her breath.
I’d clearly upset her with my harsh words before. I tried to patch up what damage I’d already done. “The king is a fine man that most women would be blessed to marry.”
Again that glare, one that made me no longer want her in my presence. This was not going well. “I can bathe alone,” I murmured, and with a curt nod she left the room, shutting the door a little more forcefully than was appropriate.
Holy Hades, this woman was a nightmare! Would it be mean of me to request a new maid from Annabeth? I should be lucky they’d given me a maid at all, but who wanted to be around someone who glared and slammed doors all day? I mean, I had said that I didn’t want to marry the king, but was that so bad? Would she marry him if he ripped her from her village and threw her with a bunch of other women in a competition? It was barbaric and wrong. I would marry for love. End of story.
After stripping naked, I dunked into the bath, letting a sigh escape me at the comfort of the warm clean water. I was still angry at Narine, but I wasn’t going to let it ruin the bath. That was three hot baths in a row. I should probably ask for a warm bucket of water next time so I didn’t get used to such luxuries.
I scrubbed quickly, making sure to get the healing wound at my back, which I could now barely feel. I wanted to hurry, not wanting to soak in the man’s blood that I’d killed. When I was finished, I got out and donned the clean blue cotton dress that was folded on the chair and the golden tinted leather sandals that were a half size too big. I looked like I was going for a stroll in a garden. How a proper lady should dress, I supposed.
There was a hairbrush, scented perfume, and makeup on the counter that I wanted nothing to do with. I wouldn’t know how to put on makeup. My mother never bought it or wore it, but I did brush my long hair; otherwise it would knot up. I’d had a moment to think now about how ungrateful I must have seemed to Narine about not wanting to marry the king. In her mind, even being considered would be a great honor, and I needed to be more grateful. He was in fact paying five hundred jade coins just to have me here for a moon’s time. I decided to go in search of Narine to apologize and possibly explain my side of things.
It was not easy to be ripped from your home into a new land with an expectation that you might marry a stranger and carry his children—even if that stranger was your king. Not to mention that my mother had warned me he might kill me if he detected my magic which had yet to present itself. I had good reason for saying what I said, but she didn’t know that.
I stepped out of the washroom and through a hallway before I came out into the living room. I was about to open my mouth and call out Narine’s name when I heard her voice coming from the front entryway.
“My girl won’t stop crying, I don’t know what to do,” an unfamiliar voice said.
“My girl doesn’t even want to be here or get married. So I can kiss my prize money goodbye,” Narine called back to her.
Prize money?
“Oh, Narine, I’m so sorry. I know how much you needed that money to pay for your little sister’s wedding.”
Narine growled, “Doesn’t matter anyway. No matter how well we do their hair and makeup, and teach them to be proper, the king will pick the most powerful one anyway.”
“Annabeth gave us both Cinder girls. She must hate us.”
Narine snickered. I’d heard enough.
I cleared my throat loudly and Narine jumped three feet into the air, slamming the front door shut and facing me with her head hung low in shame.
“My lady! There’s no excuse for what you heard. I’m so sorry and—”
I waved her off. “What prize money? Is that why you were so upset with me? You get some prize money if the king picks me?”
She swallowed hard, her brown eyes meeting mine, and nodded. “As an encouragement for the maids to do our best in preparing you to meet the king and get through the competition, Annabeth has promised the winning maid one hundred jade coins prize money.”
I nodded. That made sense why she’d suddenly gotten so pissy when I’d said I didn’t even want to get married.
“And you need the money to marry off your sister?” I asked.
I knew weddings were different here in Jade City. A much bigger, more elaborate affair.
She nodded, chewing her lip. “My mom passed in childbirth. Dad died two winters back serving in the king’s army. I raise my sister alone, so it falls to me to pay for her wedding.”
Well, Hades, if that wasn’t going to make me feel bad, nothing would. I could relate. I took care of my family too. My mom’s payments as a midwife were sporadic. There just weren’t babies’ born routinely enough in Cinder Village.
I frowned. “I’m sorry. I can see now how it would have upset you to meet me, and the first thing out of my mouth is that I hope I do not win the king’s heart.”
She shook her head. “Still, there is no excuse for what you overheard me say. If Annabeth knew—”
I scoffed. “I’m no snitch! Your secret is safe with me. We all need to vent to someone. I’m glad you have a friend.”
Her head snapped up as shock ran across her features. “You’re not mad? You won’t tell?”
I shrugged. “I mean, I don’t love that you made girls from Cinder sound like bottom feeders, but nah, I’m not mad.” I collapsed onto the couch and kicked my feet up onto the little table in front of it.
She sighed in relief. “Thank you, my lady. I’ll be more respectful from now on, I promise. And nothing against Cinder Village. I just assumed they wouldn’t have the most magically powerful women there since it’s mostly full of humans and half-breeds.”
Cinder was known for that, so I couldn’t be mad at that assumption.
I rubbed my chin. “I’m assuming there will be fancy balls and dinners I’ll go to?”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, yes, miss. Annabeth has coordinated multiple events to help the king get to know all of the ladies present.”
“And I assume I will be given a fancy dress for such occasions?” I motioned to the day dress I wore now. Even though it was only cotton, it was dyed an expensive shade of blue; ruffles at the neckline and hem were fancy detailing we didn’t do in everyday dresses in Cinder Village.
She bobbed her head eagerly. “Oh yes, I’m supposed to take you to the dressmaker now so that she can get your measurements.”
I grinned and stood. “Then I’ll tell you what. Each and every dress I get or any other gift, I will wear once and then give to you so that you can sell it to help pay for your sister’s wedding.”
Her mouth popped open and then shut and then opened again. “That’s surely not allowed.”
“Why not? Are they not gifts to me to do as I please?” I asked.
Excitement lit up her eyes. “You would do that? After what I said about you?”
“I would. Because I too have a little sister, and I know what it’s like to want things I can’t afford,” I told her.
A lopsided grin graced her mouth. “I guess I’m lucky I got a Cinder girl, then.”
“I guess you are.” I chuckled.
