Immortal's Petal

Chapter Seventeen

The following month passed too quickly. Wren learned how to write and read basic words and was able to send a letter to King Leon and Prince Caspian. She did not tell King Leon about the fire, but she did tell Prince Caspian how much she adored the dresses he sent her. She was looking forward to being able to write longer, more complex sentences and to read poetic manuscripts without having to pause at a foreign word. Her goal kept her motivated, even in the tedious hours of the day and night without Kazimir's company. He was ignoring her. He no longer dined with her or had long conversations at the stables or in the gardens. He kept himself locked in his study or chambers, refusing her pleas for conversation or company.

Wren contemplated all the things she could have done to offend the Duke while watering the garden. She had filled the area with different plants and catered to them daily, blowing past the lonely hours. Hex nipped at some of the budding leaves of a vine wrapping around the fountain. When birds began to bathe in it, he tried taking a few swipes before Wren wrapped him and fell into the grass, holding him against her chest.

"I am all alone," she said, running her fingers over the scars on her arm from the vampire servant. "You are the only friend I have left."

"What a cruel thing to say!"

Wren sat up and looked behind her at her two favorite women - lady Carmine and lady Lynda.

Wren chuckled and stood to her feet, cradling Hex in her arms like a baby. "I was not expecting a visit from you both. What a pleasant surprise!"

Carmine gave her a tight hug before the two ladies linked their arms with hers, Hex jumping to the floor, and took a stroll through Wren's accomplished garden. When they came to the gazebo, servants placed three chairs around the table along with tea and treats. They all took seats and began gossiping about anything and everything.

Carmine held her belly after laughing so hard. "Haha, that was quite the story, Lynda." She wiped away a tear before looking over to Wren. "Well, princess, how has life with the Duke been? We haven't seen the two of you together for quite some time."

Wren's smile faded as she stared into her tea cup. Both her hands held onto the glass tightly as she watched the soft foamy bubbles spin around. "The Duke and I are simply preoccupied with separate obligations."

"Yes, but is that all, Daphne?" Carmine asked.

Lynda reached across the table and took Wren's hands. "My love and I shared some difficulties during our courtship. However, I took control of the situation. I sat him down and we had a meaningful conversation where I learned about his fears of what would come between us if we were to wed. A conversation helped us until we felt our relationship was strong enough for marriage laws. I am sure that if you sat the Duke down, the same would come of your relation-"

"There is no relationship between the Duke and I." Wren pulled her hands away quickly and sat them on her lap. "We merely reside together during the duration of my visit."

Lynda and Carmine looked at each other but said no more. The rest of their visit was strained, for Wren did not feel well enough to give them her full attention. She was lost in the contemplations of what went wrong between her and Kazimir, and before she knew it, the ladies left and she was alone again.

The twilight air had a slight chill, but Wren did not mind. She stayed sitting on a chair she had Harper put outside. Wren wrapped herself around a shawl with Hex snuggled on her lap and her head leaning backward, facing the stars. They were meant to comfort her with their infinity of warm light, but it only made her feel more alone and insignificant.

The oak doors opened to the back patio, and Kazimir walked out without even noticing Wren. He walked to the railing beside the staircase and sighed heavily, hanging his head. Wren watched as he ran his fingers through his hair before turning around. He meant to lean against the railing, but once he saw Wren, he stood up and began to walk back toward the doors.

"My apologies for interrupting your night," he said quickly and coldly, his words putting an ice wall between them.

Wren stood up, and her fiery voice melted the wall away. "You are nothing but a gigantic, arrogant, confusing BUTTHEAD! And if you continue to ignore me another night, I shall pull out my hair and go insane! I shall return to the Kingdom of Adam and have King Leon hang me because I'd rather die than go on without your touch or conversation." Kazimir's eyes widened, but Wren was not done. She stood up, Hex walking away with a grumble, and paced around while flinging her arms in the air. "I have done nothing but become a proper princess for WHAT?! For you to ignore me, spend your stupid, immortal energy on purposefully avoiding me any chance you get?"

Kazimir let out a low growl as he stalked towards her, his movements slow but calculated. "You are treading on fragile ice, princess, so if I were you, I'd sit back down and go back to whatever you were doing that didn't involve yelling at me."

"Fine. I won't yell." Instead, she pushed his chest. He didn't even budge, so she did it again, and again, and again. "Dammit! Damn you!"

"Wren, stop-"

"Damn you!" She pushed him again, and he grabbed her right hand. "Damn you for making me like this. For making me care." She pushed him with her left hand and he grabbed that too. "I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"I want to. I want to hate you. I want nothing more than to hate you!" Wren kicked out her legs.

Kazimir tried backing up to avoid her feet but didn't release his grip on her hands. "Wren, stop this-"

"Why?" Wren's face crumbled as she tried twisting her hands from his clutch but kept kicking him. "I have done everything asked of me. I am becoming a princess worthy enough to marry the prince-"

"And that is supposed to please me?!" Wren froze. She had never heard Kazimir's voice so loud before. "Are you so dense not to realize that I do not want you to marry Prince Caspian?"

Wren scoffed and rolled her eyes, looking away from him. "Then what do you want, Kazimir?"

He grabbed her throat softly, pulling her towards him and kissing her deeply. "You," he breathed against her lips, kissing her again and again, trailing kisses from her chin to her neck. "I want you, Wren."