COF 3: The Fallen Dynasty

4 | Abshire (III)

"Try again, darling," the woman threw her arms around her child and kissed her cheek. Reeca's gut swirled. She wasn't sure if from envy or from the tenderness of the scene.

"Oooh, look at that," Nyxis's voice rang in her ear. "Someone was going soft."

Reeca clicked her tongue and slapped his face away from her shoulders. She was not going soft. Her hand flew to her face to smooth her cheeks free of any remnant of that smile. Let him have his fun while he still could.

Reeca turned back to the desk to find Elred arguing with the pink-haired woman behind the counter. "What do you mean I'm not entitled?" Elred growled before jabbing a finger against the countertop. "As the Crown Princess, I have the rightful claim."

The woman shook her head. Her finger was stuck between the pages of a tome, marking her progress on her reading. Reeca leaned over the counter and spied the title. For the Love of Witches, it read. She wrinkled her nose at the woman's genre preferences. That tome was the worst of all romance fiction.

The woman, however, craned her neck to frown at Elred. "The Queen explicitly ordered us to not provide you access to the vault."

Elred tousled her hair. "This is ridiculous," she started pacing in front of the counter.

"Elred, darling!" someone called from Reeca's left. She turned and came face-to-face with the unknown young man on the painting behind her. Up close, especially when dressed in a simple gray tunic and trousers, he didn't look like the fairy plastered into the wall. Average fairy build, average face, even average blond hair. His green eyes were as gentle as a flower-child's, though. He breezed past Reeca and Nyxis like they weren't there and took Elred by the shoulder, leading her away from the desk.

"Look at you," he waved a hand over Elred. Instantly, her hair was combed and neat. "What would the Queen say to you? Reza will get upset seeing you tired. He's on his way as we speak."

Elred slapped the man's arm away from her shoulders. "I'm fairly certain I didn't gain a third parent overnight," she looked him up and down before softening her tone with a sigh. "How are you holding up?"

The man massaged his nape as he stretched it. "It's bearable," he flicked his gaze at one of the dim corridors leading elsewhere. "The King has been running rounds over me about the Codex of Labors."

As if it's a bad thing and she can relate, Elred winced. "That can't be easy," she crossed her arms and jerked her chin at the man. "Reza's fine with you spending most of the day in the office?"

The man shrugged. "He hates his helper and would only ask for you or me."

Elred smoothed her dress. A frown was plastered in her smooth face. She moved to where Reeca and Nyxis stood. "These are my friends," Elred turned to the man. "Lord Roma and Lady Briane Almara of Lanteglos. They came here on my invitation. We had some things to catch up on."

The man extended his hand, a diplomatic smile stapled into his face. "Savel Valkalin, Heir Apparent to the Helinfirth Crown."

Reeca shook his hand to find out it's actually rough and calloused. She raised her eyebrows for a quick second. As Nyxis was shaking Savel's hand, a thought occurred to her. Heir Apparent? That meant that he was not of royal blood. If he was from another family, why did he say "Valkalin" for a family name? Unless...

"You're bonded?" Reeca whirled to Elred.

Savel raised his eyebrows and leaned over to peer at Reeca and Nyxis. "You haven't told your friends about that?"

Elred's glare could have stabbed Reeca's lungs. "Some of the things we should be catching up on," she rasped. Her tone was flat but carefully modulated to not show distress or annoyance. Reeca swallowed and pursed her lips.