Page 64 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
He yawned, his jaw cracking as he glanced down, bored. “Thought you figured out I was from the mud district, too. I picked up my letters here and there, but I can’t string ‘em together. Not much use for it as a foot soldier.”
He pulled down the back of his tunic, exposing an old, raised brand on the back of his shoulder. F1143.
Tears gathered in my eyes as emotion rose unexpectedly in me, closing off my throat and tightening my chest.
“Of course,” I managed. I stood quickly, then regretted it as the world teetered around me and my legs shook. The fireguard steadied me, and I took a deep breath in. “Thanks. We’ve been here awhile. I need to eat.”
He picked up his helmet, settling it back over his head. “I’ll pass word to have a plate brought up. Your quarters or the prince’s?” He gathered my materials in his hands. I took a step away from the table, then on a whim grabbed the scroll I’d been trying to decipher and rolled it up tightly, deciding to take it with me. Zariah had insisted it was worthless ‘day-to-day minutiae,’ but I couldn’t help but feel as if there was more to it.
I was so fucking thankful for the lack of judgement in the fireguard’s tone. “The prince’s,” I answered, wondering who I’d find in bed tonight. Zion or Zariah?
As he led me down the dim hallways, exhaustion slowed my steps.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
The fireguard laughed, as if it were the most ridiculous question ever. “At least there are many more flower names than names for fire. In my unit I’m known as Flame Eleven Forty-Two, since I was the eleventh boy taken into the Seat in the forty-second year of the reap. The others in my unit call me Ell.”
Wow. That was way worse than my name.
He snorted. “The look on your face. It isn’t so bad. Most of us have nicknames or something else more clever or meaningful. It doesn’t matter what the kingdom calls us.”
Now that was a thought I could get behind. “Well, thank you, Ell. You were very helpful.”
We paused in front of the archway that led up to the prince’s tower. Ell looked down at me like he had something of utmost importance to say, his eyes glistening a bit underneath the shine of his helmet. Then he bowed, handed me my materials, turned on his heel, and left.
I ascended the spiral steps to the prince’s tower myself. The door easily pushed open on its own, but the room was empty. I was both relieved and put out by this, but at least I could hide my scroll now. Not that I didn’t trust the boys—Well, ok, maybe I truly didn’t yet. The queen clearly held at least Zion in her palm, and this mission felt personal, like something I had to do for myself. So, I tucked the scroll and the materials under the prince’s mattress and crawled into the large bed. A knock sounded a few minutes later, a servant bringing in a tray of porridge and some fruit. I smiled as she set the tray on the table and hurried away. Even in the palace, Ell was making sure I was getting extra food. The thought made my chest seize for some reason.
The porridge was thick with honey, and the fruit dripped down my chin. As soon as I finished eating, my eyes went heavy, and I put the tray on the floor next to the bed. I bundled the covers around me and went to sleep.
* * *
A heated pounding on the prince’s door woke me the next morning. Momentarily confused, I blearily peered around my surroundings until I remembered I had, in fact, gone to bed in the prince’s tower, and not my suite. I stumbled to the floor in yesterday’s clothes, my hair a mess and drool stuck to the side of my face. It was still dark outside. Who could it be?
“ZION! SO HELP ME—”
I unbolted the lock and opened the door.
Zariah blanched at seeing me unkempt, and with sleep still clinging to me like a blanket.
“Ah. Oh. I …”
“What?” I demanded.
Zariah put a hand behind his head, embarrassed. “Apologies. Zion was supposed to take over with the dragon bits last night. I haven’t seen him around, and then you weren’t in your rooms, so I thought—”
“What, that he’d stolen me away or something? Like you had?” I interjected, raising an eyebrow at him.
He blushed. “Like I said, I’m sorry. This … whatever this is between us makes it difficult to control what my inner dragon has been screaming at me.”
“Which is what?” I asked, curious.
He gave me a deadpan look. “To take you to the top of the tallest mountain, squirrel you away in a cave, and fuck you until you’re pregnant with my child.”
Uh. Woah.
I blinked at him. “That’s a bit … aggressive.”
He gave me a weary grin. “Like I said, instincts are being a bitch. Luckily for you, I have much more practice at controlling them than Zion. Now, where is my brother?”
