Page 5 of A Storm of Fire and Ash
Oh, fuck.
He was undoubtedly looking right at me.
I offered a slight wave, instantly regretting the clumsy gesture, and smiled at him.
Divine, why was I so awkward!?
To my surprise, he smiled back. His teeth were a perfect white as if crafted by the gods themselves, but it was those adorable dimples that pulled me in, causing my heart to flutter like a trapped bird. I could easily lose myself in hisbeauty for days—no, for eternity. I felt my body buzz with electricity again, a sensation I had never felt before.
He turned to his two guards, murmuring something inaudible, then gracefully dismounted from his white horse. One of the guards, a man who appeared only a few years older than me, leaned casually against his horse, a bemused look on his face as the prince strode toward me.
I couldn’t help but notice the guard’s striking white hair cascading down to his shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. His eyes, a vivid shade of green, were captivating—absolutely breathtaking.
Sheesh, were all the men in this kingdom this stunning?
I needed to regain my composure before I completely embarrassed myself.
Holy divine, he was walking toward me.
I took a few steps back until my back hit a tree. Some people stared at me with disgust, while others continued to work at the market.
“Hi,” the prince said in a low voice. “I’m Fintan. Fintan Silverthorn,” he added as if that name was something to be proud of.
He extended his hand, and I reached out to shake it, but he instead brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. His warm lips sent a jolt tingling through my body, and I gasped, quickly pulling my hand back.
“I apologize, my lady. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said, his brows scrunching in confusion.
I was sure this was the first time a woman had ever reacted like this to him.
“I’m well aware of who you are, Your Highness,” I said confidently. My eyes shifted behind the prince, and the guard with the white hair smirked, laughing through his nose. He jumped back on his horse and rode away.
“Don’t… don’t do that. Please,” the prince said with a questioning gaze. “Don’t call me ‘Your Highness’. I’m not within the castle walls, and I just wish to escape all of…” He gestured behind him with disgust, “that.”
“What? Was it getting too stuffy in your palace, Golden Boy?” I knew better than to be speaking to a Prince this way, but I couldn’t help it.
We took a few small steps and started walking.
He chuckled. “Yeah… something like that. Want to show me around? I never ventured out of the walls, but today is a special day.”
Did he know it was my birthday or something?I laughed to myself.Get a grip, girl.
“And what is so special about today, Golden Boy?” I asked, knowing I was getting under his skin. The look on his face pleased me greatly.
“Well, today is my 30th birthday,” I quickly cut him off with excitement, “It’s my birthday too! But I’m 27.”
He smiled at me. “Look at us, birthday twins. I was told that this market had the best hand-pies in the world. I wanted to try them for myself. Care to join me?”
He held out his arm for me to take, and though I wasn’t sure why, I felt compelled to hook my arm through his.
“Tell me, my twin flame, what is your name?” he asked as we slowly walked through the market.
“Elara,” I hesitated for a moment, but shared my full name with him. “Elara Valdusian.”
“Hmm,” he made a noise as if he was pondering something. “That name sounds familiar.”
I didn’t know what possessed me to say the following words, but I did it anyway. “As it should. Your father took my father against his will and is working him to death in your castle. He’s a prisoner.”
He stopped walking and turned to face me. His eyes looked apologetic. “I am so sorry, Elara. I—I did not know who your father was.”
