How can someone command so much attention without making a noise? It shocked all when the mute faenix leaped forward to physically put herself between the King and the Prince, who had accepted imminent defeat. Ele knew the severity of her actions when she saw no one more shocked than the King himself.
The pulsing veins darkened from ashy black to a rich obsidian and thundered beneath his skin. Rage caused his nostrils to flare, disbelief made his eye twitch.
He didn't bother asking her what provoked this suicidal behavior because he knew no answer could come from her lips. That and her eyes betrayed the fact that she hadn't thought before acting. A typical female occurrence.
When he pried his gaze from her pleading eyes, he saw only Charles and his wife, ushering out the last of the witnesses.
"It's disloyalty-" Wlyda argued something with Charles, thinking themselves quiet.
"No, she simply doesn't understand our customs-"
Wlyda scoffed, "Did she see me running to intervene? Or you, for that matter? It's basic-"
"Don't question it. The second he thinks you're on board with a trial, he'll cut her down."
Jyosith tightened his stare on the bickering pair and cleared his throat for attention. "You think me that cruel, Charles? I see her actions as nothing more than a meddling child. I wouldn't kill a child, now would I?"
Charles didn't retort; he knew better.
The King's wife, on the other hand, was not afraid to speak her mind. The moment her lips parted and her eyes lit up, he could guess the insidious plan she'd spew.
"The girl is a burden," She started with a pointed look at the girl in question. "If she is to stay at the request of our son, she'll need to be taught a lesson. No one would teach her better than our King. Punishment doesn't have to come in the form of torture or isolation... You're more dignified than that. Together we can think of a suitable retribution for her."
Ele's chest heaved and her eyes widened. Punishment? For what, she saved- Oh no. At last, her actions dawned on her. How did she get from where she stood beside Roman, to the middle of the arena? She didn't remember moving at all.
She spun to have Kaanan translate her sorries, only to find him leaning against the back wall with Doctor Edinson kneeling beside him. The sight of his wound made her woozy, and she had to outstretch an arm to steady herself.
"Perhaps you have a point, my love. For now, please get her from my sight. Our sabotaged duel will need to be rescheduled once he heals." The King could not bring himself to look in the direction where his son was being tended to. "I need to meet with the general tonight..."
The voice of the King faded as one of the Queen's handmaidens came into the courtyard on cue to usher Eledorah out of view.
Once back inside the confines of her room, she could only ponder what the Prince was thinking. Would he be angry with her at intervening and saving him? There was no way of knowing if the King would truly have killed his own son... Those determined eyes told a different story for a split second.
Ele began to remember what she felt in that moment. Fear. Desperation. An eagerness to save a life. More than that; a life she cared for. The night she saved his siblings from the satyroids, she acted out of pure goodness to save a life. Now, emotions were involved and caused her to be reckless.
Unable to lie down or even sit still, she paced. She grew familiar with how many steps separated her door and the opposing wall. Back and forth aimlessly, searching for answers to questions she didn't even know. Asking herself questions with no explainable answer.
She thought all the way back to when her father soared the skies with bright, pure red wings. A prideful faenix with everything a man could want. A beautiful family, a maintained home, and moreover a position on the council of faenix. His lineage granted him that place and ranked him above others in town.
Sol Pago lost their greatest treasure the day he died.
Murdered.
Ele had to shake away the memories and start over. The pacing grew more fervent, and she tripped over air a handful of times. Her lithe legs began failing at their most basic task- Keeping her upright.
Water. She needed water and to escape this room. Perhaps some food to accompany her growling stomach. Before the duel, she gathered all the necessities to make herself breakfast and then put them all away to join the crowd.
Now the promise of food and water, the bare fundamentals of keeping oneself alive, carried her aching feet out of her room and down the hallway she'd grown accustomed to. The path to the dining hall was one she could do blind-folded now.
The poignant aroma of red onions, cilantro, and sizzling beef filled the air in the hallway just outside the side entrance of the kitchen. Ele picked up on the way the staff entered as not to disturb any royals convening in the dining hall.
"You can come in but don't bother me to cook something for you again!" A voice boomed as Ele nudged the door open, only to hesitate when the scary woman on the other side turned around with a knife pointed her way. "Oh! I thought you were the general's boy visiting! He's only been here a day and yet he's bothered me four times to make him sandwiches! When you came in, all quiet like and light on your feet, I thought you were him. My apologies, dear. Although... You're likely the same weight as him and he's merely eight! Get in here. Now."
Doing what was commanded without a second thought, Ele walked to the very spot the older woman pointed at. From there, she was circled with a scrutinizing gaze which received a whispered 'tsk tsk'.
"A girl your age should be preparing to find a mate. Not looking like a starved tomboy. Do you eat? What did you eat last?"
All Ele had to do was point to her throat and shake her head for the woman to understand her problem.
"Ah, well I'll assume you hardly do and that this will be your first meal of the day... And it's past noon! Get... Sit down. Since I don't know your name, I'll call you tomboy until the day you get some meat on those hips." When Ele sat on a nearby stool pulled up to the counter, the older woman smiled and went back to whatever she had been cooking.
"It won't offend me if you don't like what I put in front of you, but you will take a few bites before declining, understand?" She needn't look over her shoulder to know the girl nodded.
The meat simmered only a little longer and, when the woman was satisfied with all the ingredients in front of her, she began assembly. "These are delicious. No doubt you'll love them as I did. I traveled the world, you know? That's why the Queen hired me as head chef. This is a traditional dish in my culture-"
As the head chef went on, Ele couldn't help but slouch in her seat and dwell on her fate. This woman could talk her ears off for hours and on a more enjoyable day, she could be the best listener in all the lands.
This... Clearly not being of those days.
The woman could sense her disinterest and spun around to catch the girl moping. Even though Ele feigned a smile, nothing got past this aged woman's eyes. The woman smacked her lips and pointed a wooden spatula at her, a motherly threat about to slide off her tongue.
"You will eat. You will smile after. And then, after I'm done cleaning, we're going for a walk."
Once more, Ele nodded and it pleased the woman. "Very good, you're an easy one. Nothing like these royal children who mouth off to any servant. The name's Armida, and you can trust me to make you a meal anytime."
Now the smile on Ele's face felt genuine. Just as the plate overflowing with food was set down in front of her, so much that some crumbles of rice fell off the sides, someone barged in with an air of authority. Demanding the attention of the room was none other than the Queen. Armida curtsied, then wiped her hands clean on a hanging towel, intent on looking presentable in front of the woman who keeps her afloat.
"Your majesty, come to discuss the menu for the banquet tomorrow evening?" On cue, Armida pulled a scroll from the drawer beside her and handed it over to the Queen.
Wylda couldn't pry her eyes from the girl who enraged her like no other. She had to push out a reply just to seem sane. "Yes. Come with me, I can't do it in the presence of those not welcome to attend."
Always direct, the words didn't phase neither Ele nor Armida.
Armida untied her apron and half-smiled at the girl who froze when the Queen entered the kitchen. "Could you do me a favor and clean up some after you eat? I want you to finish your plate though."
"Let's go." The Queen beckoned her to wrap up this kindness to such an undeserving peasant. "I haven't all day."
"Coming, your majesty." Armida hung up her apron and mouthed her thanks to Ele, who attempted a smile in return but could hardly manage under the heavy gaze of the Queen.
Once alone, she could be herself at last. Eating while each bite was being tracked from plate to mouth... Not ideal. Even without the added pressure of the chef in front of her, she scarfed down the entire meal and relished the flavors on her palate. This combination of spices was not one Ele had tasted before, but now she would make it a point to learn how to create this perfect concoction of spicy and sweet.
"The sun looked beautiful on your skin this morning. You kept distracting me."
The abrupt confession startled her from the stool and she jumped to her feet. There stood the Prince, all smug that he entered the kitchen without her noticing.
"Was the food that good that it took your sense of hearing?"
Ele blushed when he just laughed at her naivety.
He took a walk around the massive kitchen island and stood across her, sensing her unease around him. "I meant it, you distracted me. So much so that my demon wouldn't emerge. If you were not in harm's way... It's not needed. I desired to beat him on my own, without all that power coursing through me. Who knows how things would have unfolded if I had unleashed it."
When she kept her hands tucked at her side, he wanted to pry them up and demand she speak.
Instead, he felt it necessary to inform her of the punishment his father and mother crafted. Just after the duel, when his uncle bandaged his already healing shoulder, they confronted him with their plan.
Nonchalantly, to get a reaction, he unfolded their devious scheme. "So, apparently my mother will soon come to ask you what type of mate you prefer. She sent me ahead of her to get you thinking on it."
Ah. A struck nerve. 'You can't be serious.'
"Mm," He hummed, visibly agitated. "I wish I wasn't. So what is it, huh? Some form of shapeshifter? Brutish wolves or creepy serpents? Perhaps another faenix, even two? I'm sure she could arrange that given our status across the Kingdoms."
'Stop it.' He blatantly ignored her hand gestures.
"Or maybe some lucky dhampir will claim you? You'd love them since you all worship the earth gods so highly. You can bask in the sun with him, them, all day!"
'What makes you think I'd want multiple mates?' She looked repulsed at the mere concept of multiple partners to please her.
That he saw and it made his eye twitch. "Because you deserve it! You have so much love to give I'd imagine you could handle three mates!"
The subtle roar in his tone made her believe this pent up rage had been building for quite some time. Yet he had to remain composed, so he didn't alert the entire castle of their little clash.
'Stop! You said if I ever wanted you to stop something, you'd do so. So stop!'
"Maybe I don't want to stop! Maybe I want," He paraded his way around the counter and over to her, blocking her every escape until he had her cornered. "For you to tell me exactly who you want. Then I'll go find them for you, drag them back here, and end their pathetic lives. I could do that, you know? So tell me who you'll be sacrificing to the gods today."
'You!'
Lips crashed down on hers. Fervent and dictating her every thought. Her core stirred for him, relinquished all control over to his whims. She lived solely for this kiss. And this moment... This moment of being overpowered. Kaanan reminded her of how low on the totem pole she fell and she didn't care.
She once thought herself a prideful being with lustrous red wings carrying her above all other life. To her gods, she had been perfection if not for her disability. Now if they gazed down from their perched position in the clouds above the clouds, they would look down in disappointment.
If she had her wings, they'd be cut off for looking at a vampire longingly. Here she stood, kissing one with a passion unknown to her wildest dreams.
.
.
.
"Are you sure of what you claim?" When the shaking girl nodded, Wylda wanted to cry in frustration. Everything she does for her children! Everything she's sacrificed! All for what? The cogs turned in her head faster, cranking out a new proposal for the King. "I need you to keep this between us, dear. I will clear things up with the Prince and ensure you are married."