Flames of Auriel (A Caeles Adventure Book 1) (3 page)

“Well? Where is he?” His mother’s irate voice could be heard from out in the corridor.

“I’m sure he will be here any moment, your majesty.” Asher made a mental note to thank his friend for covering for him – again.

“Maybe someone should go get him?”

This came from a voice Asher did not recognize. It was definitely female and had a sort of purr to it. Did Zoe bring some one with her this year? He knew her father was not coming, so perhaps she felt the need for extra companionship. Whoever she was, Asher hoped she could help be a buffer between him and his temperamental princess.

“Ah, there he is!” Bryce announced as Asher came around the corner. “I told you he was on his way. Asher wouldn’t miss such an important event, would you Asher?”

Asher ignored the look his friend was giving him and went to greet his mother. “Good morning, mother.” He placed a kiss upon her cheek.

“Nice to see you finally joined us.” His mother crinkled her nose and hissed. “You couldn’t have bothered to bathe first? Bryce said you had overslept, but that was over an hour ago. What were you doing this whole time?”

“I was feeling a bit nervous and went to work it out. I fear I may have over done it.” The lie fell from Asher’s lips without a stutter.

“It must have been some workout to leave such bruising on your neck, Prince Asher.” This came from Zoe’s old nurse maid, Alice. The disapproving frown on her face said she did not believe his story for one minute. “You had better get that checked out at the infirmary. Wouldn’t want it to get infected.”

“Alice, so nice to see you again.” The prince leaned over the elder woman’s hand to place a kiss on the back of it.

Alice scoffed and removed her hand from his, leaving him to stare at a violet-colored skirt standing in her place. Asher’s grey eyes followed up the skirt and over subtle hips and a small-cinched waist. The arms crossed over a small but ample chest were covered by long sleeves, but still showed a hint of the toned arms beneath.

The prince swallowed hard. He feared to let his eyes trail higher to find out if that voice really belonged to someone he was not thrilled to see. His eyes follow up the slender neck to lock onto amber eyes. Those eyes held a hint of amusement, but underneath it all a burning rage.

Her lips were moving, but his eyes were too transfixed on the changes in her face to understand what they were saying. It was so familiar, but somehow different. Had her lashes always been so long?  Her skin so smooth? How had she snuck up on him like this? The red hair was the same, pinned up in a simple fashion, but when did she grow into her limbs? Certainly, not in a few short months?

“Asher.” Someone called to him. “Asher!”

“What?” It came out louder than he meant, causing him wince at the glare his mother gave him. “Sorry, mother. What did you say?”

“Your betrothed asked you a question.”

Asher turned to the woman before him again, for she was most certainly a woman and not the bratty child he had grown up with. “I apologize. Would you repeat the question?”

Zoe smirked as if she knew some kind of secret he did not. “I asked if you were looking forward to your mother’s ball.”

“Ball? I didn’t know anything about a ball?” He lifted a brow at his mother.

“Of course you did dear. I told you about it weeks ago.” His mother approached him from behind. “Our Zoe turned eighteen this last year and since Aurelius doesn’t celebrate a young woman’s coming of age we’re going to celebrate it for her. She
is
almost family.” She gave him a pointed look.

“But do we really need another ball? Can’t we just, you know, have a fancy dinner and be done with it? It’s not like she’s a proper lady.” Asher snapped his mouth close. He should not have said that. He tensed for the fist which was bound to come his way, but was kind of disappointed when it never came. The only evidence it had even affected her was the tightening of her jaw.

For some reason, the lack of response bothered him and compelled him to say what he did next, “What? No witty come back? You finally look like more of a woman than boy and now you are as docile as can be?” He leaned in close to her and whispered. “I was so hoping you’d be as fiery in our bed as you are out of it.”

“Why you–” Zoe snapped her mouth closed seeming to think better of herself. He watched as she took a deep breath and addressed his mother. “I think we will retire to our rooms now, Marie.”

“Of course, my dear. You must be tired from your journey and all that waiting my foolish son made you do.” The older woman shook her head at him. “Bryce, would you be so kind as to escort our guests to their chambers?”

“It’ll be my pleasure, Your Majesty.” Bryce bowed and led the group away, leaving Asher alone with his fuming mother.

“Asher! What were you thinking speaking to her that way? You’ll be lucky if she….”

The prince did not hear the rest of his mother’s tirade. He was too busy following Zoe’s figure as it left the room. He was still in a bit of a daze. What would this summer bring? For the first time since he met the Aurelian princess he was actually looking forward to it.

The bedroom door closed with a slam. Zoe wanted to scream. He was so frustrating. Asher had always been hard to impress. She had already known this from the one year she had studied up on the history of Aldabel in an attempt to show the status-climbing courtiers her worth.

“Did you know that Dederic of Camel, Aldabel’s southern enemy, is only in his thirties?” A fourteen-year-old Zoe questioned the gathered courtiers.

“So?” A brunette lady quirked her brow, unimpressed.

“So, that means that he was only in his twenties when he first attacked. He has to be the youngest king to ever wage war on a neighboring kingdom. We Aurelians would never let our armies be led by someone so unseasoned by war, let alone rule our kingdom.” A dark shadow covered over her as she crossed her arms over her chest a smug curl to her lips.

“That’s because Aurelians don’t know how to do anything fun. Am I right ladies?” Asher wrapped an arm around the waist of the brunette, laughing.

Zoe does not even try to influence her betrothed’s opinion of her anymore. He was going to think what he wanted regardless of her efforts. His reaction to her this year only solidified her decision to do what she wanted rather than what she thought he wanted, though his face had been funny.

“Dear angel, did you see his face, Alice?” Zoe clutched her sides unable to control her laughter. “I thought his jaw was going to fall off!” She grabbed her skirts twirling herself around her room. “If I had known wearing this kind of dress would have that effect on him, I would have worn one sooner!”

“Yes. You did cause quite a spectacle, but you weren’t the only one who has changed. Your prince has become a fine young man.” Alice chuckled.

The princess hummed and ignored her nurse’s attempt to change the subject. She was well aware of the prince’s transformation from boy to man, but unlike him she was better at hiding her shock.

When she saw him she had cursed to herself when she realized he still had a full head of height on her, though she praised Auriel for at least sticking her with someone with good genes. His once stick-thin limbs had developed into well-defined muscles that pulled his breeches and tunic taunt across them. She had to admit the dark hair that brushed the collar of his neck was a wonderful change from his usually short-cropped hair. The only thing that had not changed was his iridescent grey eyes that never failed to sear into her.

Zoe glanced up from where she had landed herself down on the floor, when her nurse began to pull dresses out of her trunks. “Now, we need to find you something equally as ‘jaw dropping’ for the queen’s ball.”

Zoe groaned at the thought. She had gotten great pleasure out of rendering her smug betrothal speechless, but she could not be less thrilled at the prospects of having to attend another one of Marie’s spectacular atrocities.

Zoe went to one of her trunks, pulled out her cloak and threw it over her shoulders. “I’ll let you decide on what I should wear for that.” She threw a repulsed look at Alice before she headed for the door. “I’m headed to the training fields.” As she set out down the hall, she heard her nurse call out after her.

“Zoella Aine, don’t you dare ruin that dress!”

The princess smirked at her nurse’s obvious distress, her head set on drowning it in sweat and grime.

***

Asher glowered into his cup of mead a frown marring his face. He had made a quick escape to the smaller dining room off the training ground barracks and had hoped to drown his humiliation in drink. Who knew that twiggy little thing could have gained so many curves? Anyone would have been just as surprised as he was.

Her amber eyes still held a strong determination and stood out brightly in contrast to her ivory skin, it made it hard for him to tear his own eyes away. He had always admired the tumbling waves of fire she called hair, but seeing it pinned up and adorned just added to the colossal query thrust on to him that day.

“Don’t brood, Ash. No one saw it coming.”

He peered up at his friend Bryce, who patted him on the back and chuckled, “Though after seeing her now, if she wasn’t already promised to you, I’d definitely have a crack at her.” Bryce dodged his prince’s swing of outrage and chuckled even more.

Asher dropped back down into his seat and drained his cup in one gulp. “Don’t even talk like that Bryce. She’s a pain in the ass.”

Bryce took a seat beside him. “Yes, but an attractive pain in the ass.” He grabbed the cup set before him. “You have to admit, she got you good this time. But unfortunately for all of us, we now have to attend another one of your mother’s balls.” Bryce and Asher shuddered together at the thought.

“Either way, there are plenty of attractive women around. There’s no reason I should be affected by her.” Asher caught the eye of the blonde maid from that morning. He smirked when his smile caused her to blush. He got up from the table and gestured for her to come with him.

He clamped Bryce on the shoulder, “Like you said no reason for me to brood when there are so many more pleasurable activities I could be doing.”

The sudden shouts coming from the training grounds caused the prince to pause. His brow furrowed at his friend. Bryce only shrugged and headed toward the noise behind his prince.

They pushed their way through the growing crowd of onlookers, the group of men and some women yelling out encouragement to the dueling pair inside the fenced-off area. When the prince found himself finally at the front of the crowd he was once again rendered speechless. If Asher thought this morning’s altercation was bad, it was nothing compared to the astonishment he felt at the new sight before him.

The once pristine gown that had initially drawn him to her was now covered in dirt and grime. The ends of her flowing skirts whipped around her as she clashed her sword with Derek’s, a castle guard who had won many tournaments and was no doubt one of the best in the kingdom. He felt something in his heart give a strange clench at the sight of her once neatly pinned hair flowing freely around her shoulders, hair pins lost long ago. Her fierce eyes and clenching teeth gave her the air of an avenging angel determined to defeat her foe.

Her sudden outcry jerked him out of his hazy vision and forced him to focus back on the fight at hand. Zoe’s shout had been from Derek slicing her arm, which ripped the already ruined dress more. Asher watched as she wiped the blood from the cut away and came at Derek in a renewed force. Unable to stand the thought of her beating one of his own unbeaten opponents, the prince threw himself between the pair.

“Enough!” He grabbed Zoe by the arm and pulled her from the training grounds. “I will not have my future queen make a mockery of me. What were you thinking?”

Zoe jerked her arm out of his grasp still out of breath from the exertion, “What was I thinking? I was thinking that I was stuck in a place I do not want be with company that does not want me here. Auriel forbid, I have a little fun!”

Bryce ran to catch up with them not wanting to miss what was to be the showdown of the century. Asher tossed him the sword he had taken from Zoe’s hand, which he passed off to another soldier. He followed his prince as he ushered the princess into the palace corridor trying to get her out of the public eye.

“You’re here to spend time with me, your betrothed, not prance around a like a little harlot in front of my guards. Or have you forgotten?” He grabbed her hand in a renewed vigor and led her toward her rooms. He scrunched his nose at her sullied appearance, “I should have known the dress was just a farce to hide your unfitting behavior.”

Zoe smirked, “I fooled you well enough.”

Arriving at her rooms, he gestured to her ruined gown, “You spent no time destroying that image either. Clean yourself up. Bryce will escort you to the drawing room when you are done.” He looked to his friend in approval, when he nodded he bounded back the way he came, unable to extract her fierce image from his mind.

Zoe glared at Asher’s retreating form. She contemplated whether she should lock herself in her room to spite him. She glanced over at her escort in what she hoped made her seem innocent.

Bryce could literally see the wheels turning in the princess’s eyes. He sighed. He was getting tired of having to be the mediator.

“Don’t even think about it. I believe you’ve already tortured him enough for today. You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t go to your father about this.”

Zoe huffed in defeat, “Very well.” She looked down at her ripped gown and groaned, “Alice is going to kill me.”

Bryce chuckled, leaning against the corridor wall to wait.

A few minutes passed and a sudden shout caused Bryce to wince at the sound of what he could only suspect to be the princess’s nursemaid yelling at what a disgrace it was that she could not be lady like for one day. Bryce chuckled to himself again, his prince had himself a handful with this princess, but he honestly could not see his friend being happy with any of the dull courtiers their age. His friend needed adventure and a challenge, someone to keep him on his toes. Dark One save them, but that was exactly what Asher was getting.

Bryce stood up straight at the sound of the door opening. Zoe rushed out of the room hollering behind her, “I will!” She turned to him in exasperation. “Hurry, before she summons Auriel himself to lecture me on decorum.”

Yes, this girl was exactly what his prince needed. He held his arm out to her, “Shall we?” She looped her arm through his heading toward the drawing room.

***

Zoe paced back and forth across the drawing room floor; it had been half an hour since they had arrived and Asher was still not there to join them. Bryce tried to pull her into a game of cards, but she shrugged the prince’s chubby friend off preferring to envision the ways she was going to disassemble the prince’s body for making her wait.

Finally, tired waiting she headed toward the door. Bryce stood up to block her path. “Where are you going? Asher said to wait here for him.”

“That was almost an hour ago, Bryce. I am fed up with waiting. I need to do something.” She sighed at his suspicious gaze, “I promise I’m just going to walk around the halls, I won’t do anything else that is not lady like today.”

Bryce stepped out of her path, “Ten minutes or I’m coming after you.”

She gave a mock bow, “Oh course, Lord Bryce. We wouldn’t want that now would we?”

He snorted and turned back toward the ongoing chess game he had with the prince and plotted his next move.

Zoe gave a sigh of relief when she was out in the hallway. Ten minutes was all she needed to find and drag her inconsiderate prince back to her new jail cell.

As she wandered the corridors, she drew her hand across the many tapestries that adorned the walls, and she admired the feel of them against her fingertips. She had always loved this part about coming to the palace. She loved her home, but the harsh cold of the Aurelius Mountains were nothing compared to the calming warmth of the halls of Aldabel.

Her hand led her down a corridor toward the servants’ wings as she let herself forget her original plan of search and capture. Zoe simply enjoyed her stroll around the palace, but was startled by the sudden groan coming from a door a few feet away.

Creeping up to the edge of the doorway, she peeked through the crack that had been carelessly left open. Her face filled with heat as she pulled back from the room’s inhabitants, whom were locked in a passionate embrace. She glanced back into the room, her curiosity kept her from turning back the way she came and giving the couple their privacy.

A dark-haired lad held his partner against the wall of the bedroom, one of her legs thrown up over his hips. Zoe was mesmerized by the sweat that slid down his tanned muscular back. She followed its path as it slid down into the breeches barely held up on his hips as he thrust up into lover. Each movement caused his lover to cry out, but after a few minutes he let out a groan and stiffened, before he pulled away from his partner.

She watched intrigued as he righted his clothing, his back still to the door and discovered that the pretty blonde chambermaid was the owner of the room. Her initial curiosity quickly morphed into horror when she heard the young maid whisper a distinct ‘your highness.’ Zoe felt her eyes bleed red when he responded by giving her a peck on the lips before he grabbed his shirt from the floor, and headed for the door.

Zoe jolted back from the door and hurried down the hallway back toward the drawing room. She passed Bryce as she sped into the room, she called to him, “Are you coming?”

Bryce followed her into the room, growing wary at the sight of Zoe shuffling the cards. He might have run the other way if he knew the princess was a burning inferno waiting to explode.