Page 6 of King of Fire and Scales

After a moment, her father made as if to move to the front door, but Thalia grabbed him firmly, but gently, by the collar of his shirt.

“No. Go sit down, Father!” she commanded in a firm voice. The expression on her face must have been fierce because he relented and hobbled over to her mother's rocking chair.

Thalia walked slowly toward the door, conscious then of how unruly her hair was, and that her clothes were quite rumpled.

There, on the other side of the door when she pulled it open, stood one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Her eyes remained firm, jaw set tightly, although her heart stumbled over itself.

The man who looked down at her from his great height was lean but muscular with short, sleek black hair. To Thalia's surprise, his eyes twinkled, although the rest of his face remained devoid of emotion.

“Hello?” Thalia found herself saying.

She was conscious then of the fragrance that floated in the air around him. She couldn't identify the scents, but she was suddenly aware of how warm her body felt from smelling him.

“Thalia Hafeld?” The man's voice was low, smooth, dark, and as commanding as the knock on the door.

She nodded dumbly, finding herself unable to speak.

He smiled then, and she swallowed compulsively.

“I am King Drake Syheath, of the Dragon Mountain Kingdom. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” His voice lowered, rumbling over the word “pleasure” and Thalia made a concerted effort not to shiver.

A snort came from behind the handsome man who had just identified himself as king of the land Thalia stood on. She peered around him to find an entire cohort of men behind him.

What in the name of the Goddess is he doing here? Have they stopped for supplies or something? Because I really doubt they're here to see me.

Though that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Thalia, again, took in the king’s form. Even without his royal accouterments and the wealth and power that came with it, he was a deeply desirable man.

Her thoughts flooded with images of bare skin and silk sheets, wondering how warm his lips might feel across her throat.

Completely unacceptable, unproductive thoughts. She quickly banished them, chiding herself for ever considering such filth with a man like King Drake.

“Are you in need of assistance with anything?” Thalia was proud of how steady her voice was even as she looked up directly at the king. She was fairly certain she wasn't showing the due deference she owed a person of royal background, but she also wasn't sure how she was supposed to act.

“If you are in need of food or shelter, I can help. We have food, but the house is a bit small for all of you.”

King Drake smiled again, and Thalia couldn't help smiling back. Her cheeks flushed, warmth spreading across her face and neck. Once more, but quite reluctantly, she banished those unruly thoughts.

But then he shook his head.

“We have no need of food or shelter, Lady Hafeld. My entourage and I have been traveling the lands for some time, looking for a special woman. And we believe we have finally found her.”

And she realized with horror that he was gesturing at her.

Thalia's body went slack, her mind going numb at the king's words.

Just then, her father's voice spoke from behind her, bright and excited. “Perhaps you'd like to come in for dinner, Your Majesty, and explain what you mean?”

For once, Thalia found herself being led by her father. She couldn't think or feel much and allowed the men to take the lead. King Drake gestured at his men to wait outside and then followed Thalia and her father into her home.

She was still absorbing his words when Evanth and King Drake sat at the kitchen table. Thalia was aware of the fire snapping and spitting and walked mechanically to the pot, opened it, and stirred the contents.

The potatoes were cooked through, and the meat was brown and fell apart at the slightest touch of the fork. The vegetables were also soft but hadn't lost their crunch, and the sauce was thick and creamy.

“You know,” King Drake spoke as Thalia turned around to face him. “That food is just too delicious to turn down. I believe I will have some if the offer is still open.”

Thalia nodded dumbly and found two wooden bowls. While she ladled the stew into the bowls, King Drake began speaking.

“At my castle, high in the mountains,” Thalia neatly placed bowls in front of her father and the king while the king spoke, “we have several oracles in residence. They have recently discovered, through their gifts which I do not pretend to understand, that we have a living Creation Sorceress in this kingdom. I never would have believed that such a thing would be true.”

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