Page 2 of Deadwood
He nodded, bringing the goblet to his lips and taking a pull. His neck moved with his swallow, and I forced my eyes away. I’d just poached his beverage, and now I was ogling over him. But the fact that he’d drunk the wine after I already had… I pressed my lips together as he lowered the cup.
His tongue darted out over his lower lip, savoring the last drops, all while he eyed me.
My cheeks heated, which wasn’t ideal, because if I was caught standing here flushed in front of a man, nothing good would come of it. I needed to shut this down. Fast. “If you’re expecting me to apologize, you’re going to be disappointed.”
“No apology necessary,” he replied, tilting the cup to look inside. “I would only advise that you be careful of who you steal from next.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but suddenly, a hand was on my arm, pulling my focus from him before I could speak.
“There you are!” Taylin exclaimed, turning me to face her. My best, and only, friend was wearing a garnet dress much like mine, but less flamboyant. Her blonde hair was draped over her shoulder in a braid, small red and white flowers tucked into the strands. Those, and the blush painted high along her cheekbones, accentuated her natural splattering of freckles along the bridge of her sun-kissed nose. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. This guy?—”
I glanced back to excuse myself from the man, but paused when I realized he was already gone. At least I no longer had to get out of my conversation with him. I turned back to Taylin as she continued.
“—he didn’t tell me where he’s from or anything, but he’s almost too nice. I don’t really believe all the things he’s been going on about, but he’s cute.”
I couldn’t help my laugh. “Are you saying you’re pushing past his stories just because he’s cute?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say they’re juststories. He’s claiming he sees all kinds of things outside the chasm, but I don’t know. People make shit up, you know?”
I eyed another lone goblet sitting on a table not far from us, the wine teasing me. “Now that’s something I could drink to.” My father made things up all the time. From his own rules to more tasks for me to fulfill for him, but never anything that included the duties of a princess. Being the king’s daughter didn’t mean I was prophesied to be a queen one day—I wasn’t technically even considered a princess. My only title was being his offspring, and that’s where the royalty in me ended. Every other kingdom passed the monarchy down to their firstborn child, but not King Tenere. I wasn’t sure what his plan was for who would lead Amosite after he died, though I assumed it would be someone he thought more worthy of the title than myself. Growing up, he’d always told me it was simply because I wasn’t fit to rule. I was only to do my duty, obey, and expect nothing more.
“Who was that man you were talking to?” Taylin asked, dark blue eyes searching the room for him from behind her mask.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted.
She hummed before turning her focus back to me. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
I tried to crack a smile. “Should I be?”
She let out a small sigh, knowing exactly why I’d be skeptical. My father was a calculated man, and tonight was likely no different. I wouldn’t let myself think otherwise. “Your father had quite the turnout,” she noted, her skepticism matching mine as her brows raised slightly at the crowd around us.
“I’m only glad he allowed you to be here tonight. Everyone else, I truly couldn’t care less about.” Taylin and I were only allowed to see each other for a short period of time on select days, and when my father had notified me of the ball three days ago, he’d told me she was only allowed to come if I was on my best behavior. It’d been like this since we were young, shortly after my mother passed away. Taylin’s mother was one of the best bakers in the city, Silicate, and my mother had her hand deliver her pastries to the castle twice a week. Then, when she passed, my father cut ties, but I’d grown a friendship with Taylin over the years, so naturally, he used that against me.
Do your tasks and behave or you lose your privilege of seeing her, is what he’d said the first day I told him I was too tired to continue my list. Duplicating magic, of any variety, from one vial to another was draining, but he never showed an ounce of mercy. Considering I was the only human with this ability, he put a lot of pressure on my shoulders to produce more and work harder.
Taylin was my only reprieve from this castle and the things that went on inside of it—the only person who made this life worth living—so I listened. But if I ever stepped out of line, I got my next visit with her taken away.
“Aren’t you curious as to why?” she asked, adjusting her grip on something. My gaze landed on the glass in her hand, not gold like the one on the table, but it held the same colored wine through the clear crystal. I’d been too distracted to even realize she held it. I shouldn’t have let that man speak—or flirt—with me, regardless of how entertaining he was for the short period. I was a fool to think I wasn’t being watched, and I could only imagine speaking to him would be added to tomorrow’s list of consequences.
With a deep breath, I said, “If I spent my entire life wondering why my father did the things he does, I’d never have a moment to think of anything else.” I gave her a side glance. “And that’s coming from a girl who never leaves the castle.”
She reached up to itch her cheek under the edge of her mask. “As if you have much else to do while being forced to waste your life away in this dreary castle?”
My eyelids fluttered as I forced a swallow. Taylin didn’t know I spent every waking day in the cellar filling vials. The castle had a cellar on the lowest level, one of each kind of magic lining the cluttered walls. The room was a small storage area crammed full of the things I needed to work.
I’d drain myself under my father’s instruction to fill those vials so he could provide and put on a show as the richest king in all of Serpentine. To impress kings and queens from other kingdoms, as if his mines were producing at a faster rate than the rest of them. But he’d never let on that it was me creating all of it.
On the bright side, my magic ensured the mines were shut down and miners no longer had to suffer underground, digging up magic to provide for the kingdom. I could do all of it in their place, and knowing those people could be home with their families instead of wasting away surrounded by endless miles of rock helped spur me on on the days I felt like giving up. I’d never seen the mines, but I’d heard stories of the beauty of the different colors of glowing magic running through the rock like veins. Though beautiful, they were equally as dangerous, between the poor air quality and risk of collapsing.
I shoved the thoughts of my father and his expectations away. To hell with being modest tonight; I already went against his rule of no alcohol. What was the harm in more? I stepped around Taylin and crossed to the table along the wall, plucking the goblet up. I turned to find she’d followed, already holding her glass in the air. I mimicked her stance. “Let’s have one good moment where it’s not dictated by my father, shall we?”
Her eyes softened. The thing about Taylin was that, while she hated my father for the way he kept me locked up, she understood there was little to be done about it. Rather than fighting it, she adjusted.
Our cups clinked together before we both downed the sweet wine. While she finished hers, I noticed the glance of a blonde man from a few groups over. He must’ve been the one she’d abandoned to find me, if his longing stare was anything to guess, and I instantly felt bad. Taylin lived in Silicate, so events like this weren’t an everyday occurrence for her. I wanted her to enjoy herself, and that included flirting with strangers.
“Go have fun, Tay. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, holding the now-empty cup in front of my stomach.
She followed where my eyes had been before turning back to me, something like guilt shining in her gaze. “Are you sure?”
