Page 15 of The Promise Born
“Yes.” He nodded. “Their boats touched ground last night. The scouts reported it not too long ago.”
“I’ll be right there.” Asante stared at Domin until he left the room and then turned to me. “So we have a deal. We’ll talk about this more when I return. Stay here until someone comes to let you know it's safe.”
“What’s going on with the trolls?” I had heard nothing about trolls visiting Saldann. If they were showing up unannounced, it wasn’t a good thing.
“It’s nothing, just political nonsense. Don’t worry about it.” He closed his shirt and adjusted his collar. “Stay here, please.”
Each minute after he left stretched into an eternity. I kept waiting to hear a voice assuring me of safety, but none came. Finally, I looked out my window and saw the prince, his shoulders slumped in solitude on the training grounds. The late afternoon sun painted the scene in hues of orange and gold. Maybe he had forgotten about me. But it certainly didn’t look like there was trouble approaching.
Bored with my room, I decided this was the best opportunity to show him I could keep up appearances. If this was going to work, I would have to be seen with him. It had to look as if I cared. A sullen prince needed to be comforted. Who better to do that than his pretend love interest?
I left my room, dressed in a flowery gown that told a story of budding love with each step I took. With some effort, and directions from a passing woman carrying armfuls of silk, I found my way to the grounds where he stood sword in hand and pained expression on his face.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I approached. “You’ve been out here by yourself for quite some time now.”
“Working through my thoughts.” He looked up at me and, for a moment, smiled. “Domin was right, one of our men was hurt. He fell off a cliff and broke his arm and leg. He won’t be able to fight or shift for a long while.”
“I hope he heals quickly. Are you able to replace him?”
“No, not really. We just have to hope the healers can fix this. I’m not confident it will be in time for the tournament.”
“Do you plan to stay here until they do?” I pointed at the empty grounds around us. “Will you sit here in protest?”
“No.” He chuckled. “But I’m not sure what else to do with myself now.”
“Well, I’m supposed to be your love interest here.” I tapped my chin with my finger. “I guess I should come up with something to take your mind off things, right?”
“Really leaning into the role, huh?”
“I do nothing half-assed.” I lifted my chin. “A loving woman is supposed to care for her man. That’s what I’m here to do.”
“What do you have in mind?” He straightened then spoke with a teasing tone. “Oh loving woman of mine.”
“Nature.” I didn’t let his dropped smile deter my enthusiasm. “We need to get to nature. It is healing and provides clarity. Can we do that?”
“Nature?” He looked around at the grass. “This isn’t enough?”
“No, I meanreal nature. With animals, trees, bugs, and dirt. All of it, not this carefully manicured lawn.” I corrected his thinking. “Extra points if there is a waterfall nearby. It's how I center myself.”
“Alright, we can do that.” He grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”
Asante led me to the stables where the serabringers were. These creatures were the product of the stagnant dragons that had interbred with an equine species that once lived on our island. Serabringers combined reptilian scales, powerful equine legs, and a long, serpentine neck. The quadrupedal creatures possessed medium-sized wings, which aided their running speed, though they were far too small for flight. The beating of their wings made a whirring sound as they ran.
Their creation was one of those things shifter dragons didn’t talk about much. While Serabringers were a part of our bloodline, we chose to ignore the actions that led to their existence.
I loved Serabringers and missed the ones we had in Frostspire. The only difference was the color of their hair. In Frostspire, they had a blend of white and brown hair, which often grew longer to brush against the ground as they walked. But here in Starwell, serabringers had bright red hair and strong features.
“They’re all so beautiful.” I smiled as he pulled two of the creatures from their stalls.
“I used to love hanging out in here with them. Until I grew too old for such games.”
“You’re never too old.” I took the reins of the smaller one, who nuzzled my jaw with her nose.
“Tell that to my mother.” Asante smirked and helped me onto her back.
“What’s her name?” I patted the enormous head in front of me.
“This is Synth,” he told me before also introducing his. “And this is Kune. Kune was my brother’s.”
