Taylor and I walked down the hall. Neither of us knew where the dinner was supposed to be held, and since I refused to bother the king, we were looking for a guard to point us in the right direction.
"This place was crawling with guards last time I was here. Where are they now that we need them? Like what is it? Their night off! I don't want to be walking all night. I'm actually wearing high heels and they hurt. Plus this dress is really heavy and I don't want to get all sweaty and gross," Taylor complained.
I just smiled at her, enjoying the minuscule thinking. She smiled back, her blush-colored lips stretching upwards for the first time in about thirty minutes. Her short blonde hair was curled and laid against the bottom of her chin. Her grayish-green eyes looked fierce with her gold smokey eye and heavy eyeliner, which was identical to my own eye makeup. Her dark green dress hung off her shoulders and cascaded to the floor. A slit was at her left leg, and through it, you could see the golden glint of braided leather that crisscrossed her ankles and connected to a high heel under her sole. Overall she looked dazzling.
"You play that off like it's funny but it's not! I worked really hard to look this good! I want someone other than you to see it too. Not that there's anything wrong with you. You're a queen for heaven's sake. If anything I'd usually be trying to show just you..."
"Taylor," I cut her off, "I understand. You don't need to justify yourself to me."
"Thanks," she sighed out in relief, "I hope I'm not this awkward at dinner. When we saw the king I made myself just not speak so I wouldn't embarrass myself. Can you do the talking? What am I talking about? You do the talking. That's crazy!"
"Let's not take that too far," I warned her with a glare as I cut off her rambling once again. She gulped and nodded in agreement.
We continued walking in silence for about twenty seconds then Taylor complained, "My feet really hurt. How are you so good with heels?"
I was a model in one of my past dimensions. I had to walk for hours on end in heels while getting gawked at. So they're pretty standard to me now. "Practice," I told her with a dismissive shrug.
"I don't get it. You don't even need high heels! You're tall! You don't need the extra height like I do. Wait... I smell food!" She exclaimed. Taylor smiled widely and grabbed my hand. She went as fast as she could in her high heels and pulled me towards the smell of food. I was able to walk normally and easily could've stopped her, but I had no idea where to go, and apparently, she does. We made a couple of turns and walked through long corridors until we saw a bunch of guards all outside a set of grand doors.
Taylor dropped my hand as she went to my side and whispered, "So do we just go in... or do they have to do some kind of entrance thing?"
"I don't know," I told her with a shrug, "I say we just go for it and go in."
She nodded and stood up straight. I waited until she looked ready then I strode forward. My long tan legs could be seen through the slits in my plum dress as I made my way towards the door. Upon seeing me the guards opened the doors and not so subtlety stared at me. Ignoring all of their attention, I went into the dining room. I could hear Taylor's footsteps behind me but I didn't stop or look to make sure she was there.
The west wall of the dining room was made up entirely of windows that showed the flower garden outside. The rest of the walls were stone and had the occasional red banner hung up. The dinner table was large and could easily sit thirty men. The seats next to the dark wooden table were typical and had red velvet cushions. Expensive lit candles and red and white roses decorated the center of the table.
"Kyna, I was beginning to fear that you wouldn't find it," the king greeted me from somewhere. I looked away from the decorations and found the king sitting at the head of the table, deeply engrossed in paperwork. He wore a black suit that fit him perfectly and he paired the suit with a red tie. His blonde hair was combed to perfection, and a gold and ruby-encrusted crown sat upon his head.
"Scared that I wouldn't come?" I teased in an overly breathy voice. I then watched with amusement as my innuendo processed in his mind.
His amber eyes bulged for a second and he began to cough. He looked up from the papers he had been reading as he coughed into his fist. His eyes landed on me and all his coughing ceased. He just froze.
His amber irises then went up and down my body. They took in my feet that had silver straps from the heel to just above my ankle. Then they went to my legs that were visible through the slits in the flowy purple tulle. His eyes went to my waist that had jewels embedded in fashionable bunches. His gaze then went to my chest which had the illusion neckline with the jewels but he quickly glanced up to my face. "Wow... You look... Wow," he uttered in amazement.
"Stop drooling brother," Cato told my husband with a chuckle. The king glared at his brother and the prince simply grinned in response. "You do look hot though," Cato complimented me.
I rolled my jade eyes and went to the king's side. I put my hand on the back of his chair and watched with smugness as I saw him force himself back to his papers, but he was obviously struggling to not look at me. "Where should Taylor and I sit?" I asked him.
The king glanced up from his work to Taylor, who was by the door, and said to me, "Wherever you wish my love."
I nodded and went to Taylor who hadn't moved past the doorway. I put her arm through mine and led her to the opposite side of the table... as far from the king as I could get her. I sat at the end and Taylor sat to my right. Cato was two seats away from the king on his right side and the king sat at the other end of the table.
Once I was settled into my seat I felt a wave of confidence. I was able to break through the king's persona. His emotionless mask didn't hold up well against the sight of me all dressed up.
"Where is this Jonas that I have heard so much about?" I asked the men.
Cato forced a grin and said, "Well it's Jonah, and he's on his way. I'm sure his parents were excited to see their only son after a year of his absence."
"Excited or not, it is rude to be late to a dinner with the king and queen," Taylor told Cato with fierce eyes. I gave her an impressed smile and she grinned back.
"Jonah is a good man. This dinner is to thank him for his service and acknowledge the good he has done. Don't make this a petty attack on him," Cato replied with a glare.
"Watch your tone, Cato. That's my wife and her friend you're speaking to," the king warned. The room went silent and I had an odd feeling that Cato didn't like me that much.
Taylor shifted with uneasiness at the tense atmosphere so I exclaimed, "Great! Now that that's settled. Who do I have to kill to get a drink around here?"
The king's mask was back on but I could tell he found my outburst amusing. His brother smiled and Taylor relaxed. Someone from the staff came up next to me and held up several different drinking options of wine. I asked if they had anything stronger and someone else poured a brown liquid into my golden cup.
Cato and Taylor then exchanged apologies over the earlier argument and they started to chat. The king and I stayed silent and simply listened to their boring conversation. Well... I'm assuming he did. I honestly didn't pay any attention. Instead, I began taking small sips of my drink.
The staff filled my cup up twice as I waited for the dinner to be served. Which won't happen until this Jonah guy gets here. Which seems to be taking a long time to happen.
Taylor and Cato kept talking, and I kept drinking. I'm lucky that my parents gave me such a high alcohol tolerance, or I'd be hammered by now.
The wait went on even longer and I could tell that even Cato was starting to get restless. Just as I was about to say we call it and just eat, the doors opened. I heard his voice before I saw his face, "I'm so sorry my king! My dragon has been acting up something awful since I got here, and I haven't wanted to set your table on fire."
He then stumbled into the room and Taylor stood up. Her eyes were a vivid and blank red as she took him in. He turned around and his eyes went red at once. They looked at each other and seemed to be frozen.
"Huh... Well, will you look at that? Taylor and Jonah are beloveds," Cato grumbled as he leaned back in his seat.
The two didn't make any movements, so I took another swing of my drink and stood up. I turned to the staff and said, "Have dinners sent to our separate quarters. The new-found couple will be the only ones dining in here tonight. Please take good care of them."
They all nodded their heads and got to work. The prince immediately stood up and left the room. I picked up my glass and finished it off before setting the glass down on the table and exiting the room.
My footsteps could be heard down the hall as I left, but they weren't the only set. A large warm hand placed itself on the small of my back and the king quickly fell into place by my side. "You good to walk?" He inquired, "You just drank half a bottle of scotch."
"I'm fine," I answered.
"Does your kind have a high alcohol tolerance?" He questioned.
"No," I replied.
"Then you're not fine," he retorted.
I rolled my eyes and said, "Please, I probably have a higher tolerance level than you."
"I'm a dragon. I can't get drunk from regular alcohol," he informed me.
"What's the point in having it then?" I asked.
He shrugged and replied, "Tradition."
"What can make you dragons drunk then?" I inquired.
His eyebrow raised and he responded, "Why do you want to know? Are you planning on taking advantage of me?"
I rolled my eyes and scoffed, "You wish."
"Maybe a little bit," he agreed with a nod.
"Exactly. So how do dragons get drunk?" I asked.
We came to a stop and I realized we were in front of my door. He opened my door and I walked into my room. As I turned on the lights he finally replied, "It has to be laced with iron."
"Iron?" I questioned as he closed the door behind us.
He tugged on his red tie and nodded. "Iron is our weakness. It burns us and messes with our immune system," he informed me.
"So you're not getting drunk. You're getting poisoned," I mumbled as I went to my vanity. I sat down and started to take my shoes off.
The king watched me as I set the shoes on the floor against the wall. I went through the drawers of my vanity as he replied, "In a way. We put enough in it to where we can get drunk but not so much that our insides turn into acid."
I grabbed makeup wipes and started to take off my makeup. As I erased the makeup on my face I could see the king right behind me in the reflection of the mirror. I cleared off the black spots from the mascara then threw the dirty wipe into the small trash can next to the vanity. I stared at him through the mirror, and I don't know if it was the small buzz or what, but I felt warm and fuzzy at his revelation.
"Why'd you tell me that?" I asked with scrunched-up eyebrows.
His eyebrow raised and he questioned, "What do you mean?"
I stood up from the vanity chair and faced him. I looked into his amber eyes and said, "You just told me your only weakness... How to kill you. Why would you do that?"
"You're my beloved... why wouldn't I tell you?" He responded.
"You barely know me," I reminded him.
"Does that matter?" He asked closing the distance between us.
I stepped away from him and mumbled a yes. I turned around and went to my shoes that were on the floor. I picked up the shoes and called out, "You should go change. Eat dinner in comfort for once in your life."
I heard him go into his own so I went and put the shoes back where they belonged in the closet. I walked back to my vanity and sat down. I took out all the bobby pins that had held up my half-braided crown. I laid the metal objects in a drawer and untangled my red hair. My hair was now in its normal loose curls and my face was bare. I stood up from the chair and reached behind me to unzip my dress. However, the zipper was right out of my reach. Unable to unzip my dress, I huffed in frustration and flung my arms down.
Just as I was about to yell from anger, a knock sounded on my door. I went and opened the door to the large hallway. The girl who usually brought me food, Callie, curtsied and handed me a golden tray. She then turned around and left without a word. I sighed and closed the door while balancing the tray in my arms.
I went back to the vanity and ate my food... still wearing my gown. I ate quickly since I was becoming colder the longer the sun was down. Once I was finished I stood up and looked in the mirror to try and devise a way to get the dress off.
"Need some help?" The king asked. I jumped at his sudden presence and felt my cheeks turn red. I turned around and saw him leaning against the doorframe that separated our rooms. He wore red plaid pajama pants and a black tee-shirt. His hair was tousled and his feet were bare.
I hugged myself and asked, "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to tell that you can't reach the zipper," he replied.
I sighed at his words but turned around anyway. I gathered all my hair to the right side of my face so it wouldn't cover the zipper. His footfalls seemed to boom through the room as he made his way to me. His body radiated heat and I didn't feel so cold with him so close. His warm hands fiddled with the zipper at my mid-back and they would occasionally graze my skin. He slowly dragged the zipper down and I knew that he was doing it so slowly on purpose. Finally, the zipper was all the way down at my hips and the dress was falling off my shoulders, ready to be taken off. I moved to go forward but his arm wrapped around my stomach and held me in place. I sharply sucked in a breath of air at the unfamiliar intimacy. His free hand traced the bottom of my naked right shoulder blade with his thumb. He moved his thumb in circles and inquired, "What's this from?"
"What do you mean?" I replied. My brain tried to think of what he could mean but it wouldn't work as well as it usually does. My usually sharp and focused mind was foggy and dense from my focus on this personal contact. I haven't been held in so long.
"It's a scar. It looks like a brand," he told me as his thumb continued to trace it.
My mind reeled as I realized what he was talking about. The brand I was given in one of my past realities. They were convinced I was a witch because of my red hair. They tried to burn me at the stake too, but I jumped before that could happen. The brand was only so people could tell what my crime was... that I was a practitioner of witchcraft. "It is a brand," I admitted to him.
He turned me around in his arms and I had to hold my dress up with my hands so I would remain modest. His amber scent wafted around me and coaxed me into a delightful state of relaxation. His eyes tore into mine and he asked, "Why do you have a brand?"
I looked down at the marble floor as my past haunted me. How can I explain it? How can I make him understand the situation around it? "Let's just say that my red hair doesn't always bring positive attention," I whispered to him.
I could feel his eyes on me but I wouldn't look up. He wanted me to say more... explain more. I couldn't do that without explaining what an Amari actually is though, and I didn't know if it was safe to do that. So instead of confessing everything and becoming closer to him, I pushed myself out of his arms... and away from the human contact that I coveted so badly. I went into my closet and changed into a set of silk pajamas. The entire time I could feel his eyes on me. When I was done I walked out and went past him.
He scoffed and I finally raised my gaze. His face was emotionless but his eyes were sad. "Why won't you tell me about yourself?" He asked me.
"Cause I don't know if I can trust you," I replied.
"Well, how can I show that you can trust me?" He asked me with a volume that was louder than normal speaking but not quite a yell.
"I don't know!" I yelled feeling slightly overwhelmed.
The look in his eyes turned into hurt and he said, "Well maybe you should change that. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I want you to trust me and I want to trust you. I already do trust you! I'd take your word over my own brother's already. Yet you won't even tell me what an Amari, which you are, is! You've shared the fact that they're travelers, have soulmates, and don't have high alcohol tolerance and that's it. Everything about you is confusing! You're as beautiful as the sunrise yet you can fight better than some of my men! You were brought here as a possible sex trafficking victim but you had no problem pulling a knife out on me... me! It makes no sense for me to trust you! But I do. So tell me... how can I show you that you can trust me? That I care about you. That I'll always protect you."
"I haven't allowed myself to feel in years. How am I supposed to be with my soulmate if I'm just... Hollow?" I had questioned Cara.
"You're not hollow. You just haven't found him yet," Cara declared.
I was stunned. How could I answer? I knew going into this that I had problems. Those problems aren't gone now because this man, this king, made me a queen. I'm still an Amari. I'm still scared that I'll jump into a new dimension the second I let him in. I'm still... hollow. "I...I... I don't know," I answered.