of Sword and Flame

Chapter 6: New Recruit

 Ren remained in the king's study as Kyra vanished to find her bag. He turned on the king the second she shut the door like a jaguar waiting to pounce.

"So, what was that about?" He paced the floor. "You're putting yourself in danger, letting someone like that roam freely about the castle!" Ren cried. The king only stared out the window, humming.

"Does she really seem dangerous to you?" he remarked. Ren laughed, and it was an incredulous, unhinged laugh.

"What are you even thinking, your majesty!" Ren cried. The king glanced at the restraints still sitting idly against the floor.

"I think," he said, picking them off the ground and turning to a small barrel of trash, "that the stories should give her more credit for her head rather than her daggers." He turned, grabbing Ren's shoulders and staring directly into his face. There was a lively twinkle in the king's eye, one only comparable to children opening a gift they didn't know they wanted. "I'm being completely honest with you when I say she is something great. I know it."

"She's a ticking bomb, your majesty! A loose fuse! Something is bound to happen!"

"Then we'll take it step by step. Give her an easy first job. A loyalty test. Assess her skills and come back to me. Do we have a deal?"

Ren sighed, offering a relenting nod. It was evident to him that the king wouldn't back down, and Ren simply had to trust him. So, he shook off his feelings, only for the king. Everything he did was only ever for the king. "Alright. Consider it done."

"Thank you, Ren."

"I'll always be by your side, your highness."

"And I am eternally grateful." He smiled.

Kyra entered the area between the gate and the entrance, where she had previously ditched her bag. Fishing around in the bushes for a bit, she finally felt the long strap attached to the drawstring opening. She stood, hefting it from the tangled underbrush and slipping the worn black fabric over her head. She felt the few contents inside weigh on her hip in a familiar manner.

She spun on her heel, marching back through the door. Her feet carried her from place to place, through the never-ending halls, tuning out the whispers from the eyes that followed her every move. She had no desire to deal with the new rumors to be spread about her just yet.

As Kyra emerged from a short staircase, the sound of trickling water drew her to a glass door that rested slightly ajar. Kyra peered in through the diamond-shaped glass, able to make out blurs of olive and leafy green, and small specks of colors peppered among them. A vivid assemblage of colors from vermilions to peaches laid just beyond the door.

Kyra eased the door open and stepped out into the open-air garden. The sound of waves and the smell of salty waters told her it was overlooking the seaport. She crossed to the edge, gripping the white railing as a gust of wind whipped across her face.

All around her, flowers let their seeds flutter through the breeze and carry themselves up and into the world, spreading a sweet aroma along with them. She turned to face the garden once more, admiring the stone statues that sat in clusters in the center. Their feet were dipped permanently in a large fountain that sat in the center, and calm waters were continuously disturbed with large, golden-scaled fish. Their scales flashed beautifully in the afternoon sun, each body a sparkling clump calling out to the rays of Solis. It was a serene setting, peaceful enough to make Kyra remember the bag's contents at her hip. She slipped open the scrunched entrance, sliding her hand into the small space to grab a familiar book.