MATURE FANTASY** He is a predator who thought he captured an ordinary girl... but her mind is sharper than any of his claws.
Ariana lives in the shadow of her monstrous father in a world barely held together by a treaty. Until her lands are invad...
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As soon as Edda closed the door, she began asking a series of questions.
"What were the two of you laughing about when you walked in?" Her eyes narrowed as if accusing me of something. Instantly I felt a coldness coming from her, which had never been present before, at least never directed at me.
"I was trying to convince Erik to try my favorite Bavadrin dish," I informed her, confused as to why she carried such negative air around her.
"Try it? You mean you plan on cooking for him, like a servant?" Her words nipped at me.
I straightened, startled by her demeanor. "No. It is more a show of good faith and friendship."
"You think that Lysian King is your friend?" She asked smugly, folding her hands over her chest.
I expected Bavadrins to be weary of Lysians and to distrust them. Especially after what happened in our city and to Fraser. I knew it would be a challenge to move past everything. But Edda was partially the reason I now found myself in this position. Though she wanted me to play nice with the Lysians, Edda was bound to question them and their intentions. However, I never expected to feel as though she questioned me.
The room we stood in felt as though it was charged with an air of anger and distaste, all of it stemming from Edda. None of it made much sense.
I looked at the open balcony door, thankful for the warm breeze wafting in. However, it did little to warm Edda's icy demeanor.
"I think he would prefer us to be friends rather than enemies. I don't think they wish me or the Bavarians harm." I said, finding myself truly feeling that way. Erik was many things. Sometimes he clearly tried to make me uncomfortable, which was infuriating, but there was also a kindness to him. Were the circumstances different, then I truly believed that we could have been friends. The more time I spent with him, the more I found the raw power oozing from him less threatening.
"Don't be stupid," she spat angrily. "They are using you. Any ounce of friendship you see in them is a false picture they paint to control you better so that they get what they want in the end. They care nothing for you." There was no changing her mind on the topic.
The way she spoke, her eyes rimmed with judgment, wounded me.
Why? Why are you saying this?
I was not someone easily hurt by words. My upbringing made certain of that. But Edda was my weakness. She was never anything other than a pillar of strength for me to draw upon, until that moment. The pillar cracked, crumbling, and the weight that I was left supporting was crushing. Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet trembled, and my knees threatened to buckle.
"I do not need you lecturing me on any of this." My voice began to grow callous. "You were the one who told me to come here, to not fight. Promising that Lysians would not harm me nor those I care for. And now you dare to speak as though you judge me. After all that I have been through."
