Prince of Fire

Chapter 15

Caiden, an overbearing mother hen, walked her not only to her room, but also inside it. Of course she protested, telling him to leave nicely first, then shouting at him in a hushed tone as to not wake up the entire palace. And still, he would not leave.

"I need to make sure you make it inside," he had said.

Now they stood in the tiny room she was shoved into upon arriving at the palace. As far as the rooms for maids went, hers was of a decent quality: she could fit properly into the bed, the room fit a drawer inside it - a gift from the gods considering what the other got, the walls were cracked but at least she was yet to face a mouse problem. From outside, you would never think the rooms were so atrocious. The hallways were as immaculate as any other hallway in the palace, the doors to each room an elegant oak, decorated with golden ornaments and name plates. A beautiful facade to hide the truth: A beautiful lie.

Caiden did not seem to mind, nor did he seem surprised. Lilith supposed the guards' rooms were not much better.

"You can leave now," she said, removing her hand from around Caiden's neck. Despite the harshness of her voice, his hand remained locked around her waist. She most likely would have fallen if it had not; she felt exhausted, her muscles sore.

Caiden said nothing, his body a force of hard muscles against hers. He did not move either, not even the twitch of a finger. She looked up at him, worried, and found him staring at something, a shocked expression on his otherwise grinning face. "Caiden?"

Still he said nothing, just stared. She followed his line of vision to the dresser shoved into the corner of the room, a tight fit next to the foot of the bed.

After a long minute, it dawned on her that he was not looking at the drawer, not the pile of dirty clothes beside it, but at what lay atop the drawer: dozens of books piled on one another and a dagger.

She swore, darting across the space to snatch it from where he could see it and hide it. At least, that was the plan. Her knees gave away halfway there and if not for Caiden, she would have fallen. But he was there, strong arms around her, to prevent her fall.

The number of times he stopped her from falling this night was becoming embarrassingly high for Lilith's liking.

"I can explain-"

But he did not leave her time to explain. "I understand why you would keep a dagger, but try to hide it at least." He shrugged, coming out of his shock. "Just a suggestion."

So the annoying Caiden was back. Lilith allowed herself a sigh of relief; he was not running to report her to the King. "No. I planned to leave it in plain sight."

"I can see that," he murmured. "Can you even use it?"

"Of course I can use it," she snapped.

"Sorry Princess."

"Do not call me Princess," she warned, her eyes full of a promising threat.

He grinned, eyes sparkling. "Sorry sweetheart."

Lilith grumbled an incoherent chain of words, shoving away from that arrogant face. She tried to make her fall for the bed seem intentional, less like she needed the support. Caiden did not need to know how tired and powerless she felt. Sleep. She needed a long night's sleep, then she would be back to her normal self.

She would have done exactly that, Caiden in her room or not, but he had the audacity to walk to her dresser and pick up a book from the pile. "I didn't take you for a romantic," he said, turning the book over in his hand.

Not this, she thought. "And what did you take me for?" She looked to where he stood at the foot of the bed.

He eyed the dagger laying exposed next to the books. "A murderer maybe."