The Ocean's Heart (The Dragons of Flareia Book 2)

Chapter 6 - Louin

A/N: This one's a little more substantial than Davri's mystery journal, so I'm putting this at the beginning of the chapter. In the second draft of The Blood's Flame, Louin's story has essentially been (or will be) entirely rewritten. After being chosen as Dragonheir he meets with Annalissa's three overprotective brothers who ask him to keep an eye on her in the Dragon Palace and report back to them. Her brothers are Crown Prince Darius, Prince Duncan and Prince Danill - Darius and Duncan appear in this chapter. If there's anything else you guys are confused about just let me know, I might've forgot I wrote it in >.< 

Also, I finally posted the map in the first part of the book!! It's just a quick one I did earlier as my sister is still working on the one she promised me, but hopefully it'll help you all ground yourself in Flareia as you read along! 

~ Sian x 

The Pearl Palace, Cantella, Anemasi

26th Year of the Ocean

Fifth Moon

"Spirits, Louin, sit down, would you? You're making me nervous."

Louin scoffed at the prince behind him, but didn't drag his eyes away from the window. It was a beautiful day, even by Anemasi standards. The sun was high in the sky despite the early hour, setting the city ablaze in white fire as the cream buildings reflected its light. The mother of pearl mosaics lining the pathways beyond the palace glittered, and he could imagine the stained glass of the Pearl Palace doing the same. He hated being in the Pearl Palace – though whether it was his own hate or that from Deus, he wasn't sure – but he couldn't deny that it was beautiful. A blinding kind of beautiful, but beautiful nonetheless.

"You're a prince, Duncan, and a cocky one at that. Nothing makes you nervous." Louin sighed, turning from the window – but he didn't move from his place beside the shimmering drapes. This wasn't the parlour they usually met in. No, this one was much bigger, much grander. This one had the same cream walls and gold trim, but the chandelier hanging from the ceiling was larger with more crystals; the lounges were more decorative than practical, their beechwood frames polished to perfection; five arch windows spanned the exterior wall, three of which were exquisite stained-glass artworks of Deus, her Cantiers, and the Caele family founding Anemasi from the ashes of the Old Kingdom. It was a room fit to host royalty, which was exactly what they were about to do.

"That goes to prove just how troublesome you're being." Duncan rolled his lilac eyes, lolling his head over the back of the lounge before snapping it up again to look Louin – who was surprised the gold circlet didn't fall from the prince's head – in the eye. "Can you not go a day without emanating angst as you stare out of windows?"

"There's no angst," Louin argued, "I'm just keeping an eye out for the Avalonian Crown Princess and her convoy."

"There's plenty of angst. If looks could kill, the whole Courtyard of Dreams would be a graveyard right now. What worries you? It's not as if you haven't met royalty before." The prince raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Olivier Ivenya being Crown Princess isn't what worries me. Meeting with her is a direct declaration of war against the False King in the north. As soon as she arrives, Anemasi will be at war." Louin pulled at the collar of his jacket. It had been nearly five moons, yet he still felt uncomfortable wearing it. Did Olivier Ivenya feel the same?

"Anemasi was at war from the moment Tommél Ivenya slaughtered Lady Jayne like cattle."

The boys spun, and Louin's chest tightened as his eyes fell on Annalissa in the doorway. Her eyes were fierce, her teeth clenched. She was dressed in a more respectable version of a typical Cantier's lace shift – the sleeves came to her mid forearm, a silver sash hung over her right shoulder, and the skirt still came to a stop just above her knees at the front, though the back trailed along the floor.