章 3: Chapter 3
"Take Prince Bryant's dragon and get it cleaned and fedbut first show his dragon handler where she can refresh herself and get food."
"Yes, Your Highness." Tikki motioned for the girl and dragon to follow him.
Shanna smiled bitingly at Bryant. "Good day to you, Highness." She moved on to the next stall and started shoveling, leaving Bryant sputtering until he finally fled.
And so it went the whole rest of the afternoon, suitors and other guest trickling in as the hours passed, from the imperious and tiresome Prince Gorna from Ashtawho'd taken her for a servant happy to double as a prostituteall the way down to Princess Ninawho'd taken her for a servant, and therefore invisible.
So far, she was none too pleased with most of her options, to judge by the way they thought servants were to be treated. A few had been polite, though, even cordial, so she had some options, even if they were lackluster.
Tikki brought her a cup of cool water, and Shanna thanked him, smiling warmly. "How is your mother?"
"Starting to walk again, thank the Goddess. If she'd been stuck abed much longer, we'd have killed her or she'd have killed us." He grinned.
Shanna laughed. "I remember being that pleasant to deal with myself when I broke my ankle as a young girl."
Most would argue she was a young girl still, and she might agree, because twenty-three left a lot of life and learning to do. But with her mother dead from suspicious circumstances, a stepfather determined to put himself on the throne and forever keep her off it, a court and council who refused to see her as a woman grown, and still two years from being old enough to claim her throne, Shanna didn't feel young.
She felt alone, tired, and afraid. Her mother had been dead six years now, but Shanna missed her more than ever. The way they always had breakfast together, and shared a drink while talking about their days before bed as often as they were able. The way her mother had always taught her, brought her to meetings and along on trips out of the castle, seeing Shanna got as much instruction as possible, never letting anyone doubt for a moment that someday Shanna would be a good queen. They'd been mother and daughter, and friends, and queen and heir.
Since her death, Shanna mostly felt like a mouse cornered by a cat. Her only allies were her maids, her friend Penli and they weren't allies exactly, but the two men from the kingdom of Morentia who passed through frequently on their travels were friends of a sort. Gods knew she could desperately use Kallaar's strange talent for always knowing how to cheer her up.
After handing the cup to Tikki, Shanna ruffled his hair and sent him off. As much as she would love to linger, maybe spend more time with the sick red dragon, she needed to return to the keep to dress for dinner. But she couldn't resist going to see the green dragon one more time, laughing when she flicked her tongue out to taste again and caught a bit of Shanna's hair that had come loose.
She'd just managed to free it and tuck the errant strand safely away when someone said, "Pardon me."
The voice slid down her spine like good whiskey down the throat. It was familiar, sorely missed, and too good to be true. Shanna turned and drew a sharp breath through her nostrils at the handsome men standing with their horses just inside the stable. A greeting formed on Shanna's lips, but was completely forgotten as she noticed for the first time that the men, Kallaar and Ahmla, were not in their usual travel clothesrather, Kallaar was notably dressed as Morentian royalty, and Ahmla bore the marks of a servant or bodyguard of some sort. What in the world
Kallaar stood on the left, handsome and slightly bratty as ever, with that playful smile on his lips and a mischievous gleam in his eye. He was short and lean, with yellow-brown skin and thick, black hair pulled into a short braid. The stables were dark, but she still caught his familiar blue eyes and a hint of the freckles across his nose and cheeks. He barely reached her chin, but what he lacked in height he certainly made up for in presenceespecially that devastating, come get into trouble with me smile. "Aw, and here I hoped we could save our surprise for tonight. I might have known you'd be in your precious stables rather than in the castle." He winked. "Hello again, my princess."
Shanna refused to be mollified by his teasing tone or pleased by the way he always said "my princess," like she really was his and he was thrilled about it. The little flirt. "What is going on?" She planted her hands on her hips. "Did you accost Morentian royalty and are up to some mischief, Kallaar?"
Ahmla chuckled, and only laughed harder at the look Kallaar cast him. Ahmla was as tall and broad and dark as Kallaar was short and thin and light.
Kallaar pouted. "Do you really find it so hard to believe that I could be a prince?"
"We have known each other for five years." Shanna folded her arms across her chest. "I see you for a handful of days three or four times a year. You've always said you're traders. Peddlers. Now you show up a prince? What is he, then? A duke?"
Ahmla snorted. "I'm his bodyguard, for lack of a better word in your language. We are sorry for the deception."
Shanna's fingers dug into her arms, nails biting through her thin, damp shirt. "Why did you lie?" They were supposed to be her friendsinfrequently seen, perhaps, and they always maintained formality and a certain distance, but she had still considered them friends. More importantly, they were friends from a kingdom her mother had loved, had wanted to build a relationship with even as the rest of the world called her a fool for wasting time and effort on a place so self-contained and isolated most people forgot it was there at all.
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