I am roused from my slumber by the sound of someone knocking vigorously on my door. I peel my eyes open rubbing my temples. Pulling the crisp sheets from my body I feel a rush of cool air against my heated skin. I place my feet on the ground, recoiling at the nip of the frigid floor. I stand and stumble to the door, exhaustion laying me limp as wet laundry on a cold day. As I get closer to the door, I feel like every muscle in my body is trying to give in to gravity.
When I open the door, I am greeted by a young short boy, who looks no older than sixteen. His face would have been white if not for all the freckles. There are so many that his face is brown with small pale spaces here and there, like the tips of grass trying to show through the golden-brown leaves of fall. His hair is the perfect mop of brown, it would have been almost lion-like if he was not so skinny. His eyes are green but not the kind that is easy to describe. It was almost like they arFlavius With a huff I throw the newly gathered firewood to the floor of my shop. Stretching my arms, I dip my hands into the water barrel in the corner of the room I splash the icy liquid over my arms and face. The dirt and grime of the outdoors wash away along with the water. Every day for the past few days I've been meeting with a dragon in the woods, but today she was not there. Somethin important must have come up. Sometimes I can't believe that I had the chance to meet such a creature, so beautiful and intelligent. Before I met her, I thought I’d be afraid of such a beast just as others are. Most men, whether they admit it or not are. And yet I found that I’m not afraid of her. Not at all. Instead, I find myself wanting to know more about her. Though we've spent quite some time together much to my disappointment her name is still unknown to me. That has been weighing on my mind for quite some time now. What co
Nora Reaching the outer edges of the city Flavius points to a little brown, and white cottage sitting all by its lonesome near the outskirts of the city. "That there is the commander's home,” he tells me. As we get closer the faint smell of blood fills my nose. I stop and sniff the air, taking in the scent. Panic squirms in my stomach when I confirm what I am smelling. Something is wrong! Without a moment to lose I take off sprinting to the commander's cottage. I force the door open forcefully causing it to bang against the wall. Looking in I note that the front room has been completely wrecked, there is blood splattered all over the floor and walls, and a man's severed hand is lying limp on the floor through the threshold of the cottage. I turn away from the sight, the metallic smell of blood bothering my sharp senses. I place my hand over my nose to try an
Before leaving the commander's home we take the time to clean up the house. I wrap his body in his bedsheets and place him in the front room where he can easily be found. "Daniel, when we get back to the castle, inform a trusted guard of the commander's death,” I say. "Yes, your highness," He replies quietly with a nod. Grabbing the commander's journal, we take our leave and head back into the city. We walk in silence, the knowledge of Gwen's guilt weighing heavy on my mind. I am dumbfounded; what could Gwen have against me and my horde? why is she trying to hide the past? What is she after? Her actions leave me feeling perplexed, because there are no known connections between her and my horde. I cannot stand to think of this any longer. I will stop her; I must stop her. I do not know if I can handle a repeat of the past, I refuse to lose those closest to me again. What she ha
I walk shakily down the hall my legs trembling with every step. I stop for a moment to compose myself by taking a deep breath. I feel a hand clasp my shoulder and I jump turning to face person. I turn around and I am faced with Geoffrey's bright green eyes boring into my own. He looks down at me and laughs, “What has got you so shaken? Oh, let me guess you finally punched the wrong person and now father is mad at you,” Geoffrey guesses in a teasing manor. I roll my eyes, “Did you interrupt my day simply to say that.” “No what I really wanted to ask you is where you went this morning. You were gone for so long it was quite strange,” he says. “I have already been here for days but I still had yet to visit the city. Not to mention I wanted a sword made it can be hard to fight in a confined space such as the castle and I hate being disarmed,” I tell hi
Getting out of the tub, I dress in a white drawstring shirt and brown leather pants. Tucking the papers back into my bra, I leave the room and head to Gregory's office. I walk quietly through the halls once again checking my surroundings to make sure I am not being followed. Standing at the office door, I feel a thrill of graffitied excitement as I knock on the door. "Come in." Gregory's voice calls out. Walking in I see Evalene standing in front of his desk, talking in a hushed voice. "My king please reconsider, this is our son's future,” Evalene pleads. For the first time ever, I see actual rage on Gregory's face. "EVALENE! I have had enough of this conversation! I have other business to attend to, leave now,” he says in a brassy voice, slamming his hands down on his desk. The queen jumps in fright. She bows t
Flavius For two days now Neron and I have been asking around the tavern we frequent, to see if anyone knows anything concerning the commander's death. So far, I have come up empty-handed. The city doesn’t usually start comin to life until first light. So, it could be that no one was awake during the time the commander was killed. What's Ellie going to do if we have no useful information? What if I don't see her again? Ever since I've seen her in human form, I can’t seem to get her out of my mind. Everything about her draws me in. The confident way she walks, without a care in the world, that smug smile that grazes her face, when she knows she's right. The way her eyes blaze with a burning inferno when she's excited or worked up. I can't stop thinkin about any of it. I am a man bewitched by the beauty of a woman. But not in a bad way, no; I've been willingly bewitched. She has caught every part of my bein
Nora I watch anxiously from my window as the sun blooms on the horizon, golden petals stretching ever onwards into the rich blue. It is a brilliant flower that is to warm our days, an invitation to a new start, one I worry about. For two days I have watched the sunrise and fall with no news from Flavius and Neron. I am beginning to think that maybe it was not right of me to involve outsiders in my matters. After all my request has done nothing but disrupt Flavius’s life. Would they have been better living in ignorant bliss? Maybe Daniel was right, I should not have told them, they very well could have betrayed us. At the thought of betrayal, my mood turns sour. I should not be thinking this way. But it cannot be helped, two days with no news from them is quite alarming, though it could be that they are too busy to come by. But they could have also informed Gwen of our plans by now. Maybe I should head into the city to check
I wake up early the next morning heading quickly out the castle to meet Flavius and Neron at the gates. Reaching the gates, I stand fidgeting impatiently until I finally see them, covered with the vibrant glow of the early morning sun. My eyes are immediately drawn to Flavius, today his dark curls are hanging loosely on his shoulders. He is wearing brown leather pants with a white open-collared shirt tucked into them. I cannot help but admire the way his shirt strains against his body with every step. As he gets closer, I notice a sword, wrapped in a thick brown cloth attached to his back. In a moment of excitement, I rush to meet them halfway practically skipping as I walk. I stand mere inches from Flavius, his body heat warming me to my very core. Letting out a shaky breath, I look up into his eyes. His eyes are like a maze, I cannot help but get lost in, the deep brown pulling me farther and farther away from reality.