The Crimson King

Chapter 40 | The Third Test

Hey team!

Wow can you believe we are at Chapter 40 already? It's crazy when I think that I had started writing CK around this time last year (2021). Things are going to get quite intense from this point forwards so I might end up putting a few warnings at the beginnings of the chapters too :) 

Hope you enjoy it,
Love Daisy x 

__________________________

Chapter 40 | The Third Test

*

"I am going to talk
and you are going to listen.
And once I have finished speaking,
you will have your turn."

- Circe Fallon (APK: Dragon's Heart)

*

IRIS

"You are slipping, Princess."

Iris glared up at the sky before Mizuki appeared above her. The General extended a hand, which Iris accepted, allowing the other woman to pull her to standing.

"I know," Iris grumbled. "I can't concentrate today."

Mizuki's dark eyes were scarily perceptive. "You do not need to concern yourself with things that are out of your control."

"If only it were that easy," Iris muttered, shuffling back into fighting stance.

Mizuki mirrored her, and this time it was Iris who initiated the attack, but the fight did not last long before Iris found herself bested once more. She gazed up at the sky in bemusement, the feeling was nostalgic of her early training days.

"Your improvement has been great, Princess," Mizuki said, helping Iris up once more, "but not so great that you can afford to be distracted while fighting me."

"What does this mean for us?" Iris asked suddenly, unable to hold her thoughts back any longer. "Now that the shifters are on the move?"

She had found out this morning- after waking and vaguely recalling Arlo had come to say goodbye before leaving again. Putting the two and two together, Iris had gone hunting for information. The palace was still busy- as it had been in the lead up to the ball- and while Iris had initially attributed the extra bustle to clean up efforts after the festivities, something hadn't seemed quite right.

Part of the rush had indeed been clean up, but there were too many soldiers striding through the halls, and while Iris had been expected to be summoned at any moment to be held accountable for her actions from the ball, it seemed almost as though her presence had been forgotten- not that she was complaining.

When she had sought out answers from Gabriel, she had found her guard curiously vacant. Eventually she had hunted down Balthazar, who had been hurrying to a meeting, but even her tutor had been oddly blunt with her- informing her curtly that the 'shifters were on the move' and instructing her to find some useful employment on the training grounds for the day.

So now Iris was asking Mizuki, and she could tell by the surprise in the General's dark eyes, that the other woman had not expected her to be informed.

Mizuki did not attempt to avoid the question, her reply slow and serious. "What it means for you, Princess, is that you continue your training, while the rest of us prepare for war."