The Crimson King

Chapter 14 | Disquiet

Hello lovely people,

Here is Chapter 14~
I hope you enjoy it <3

For APK lovers, I have the second part of the Highschool AU I'll be uploading in a second!

Love Daisy x

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Chapter 14 | Disquiet

*

"With you,
i n t i m a c y
colours my voice.
Even 'hello' sounds like
'come here.'"

- Warsan Shire

*

"Iris, come and try this!"

Iris turned towards the sound of Arlo's voice as it rose above the crowd, lifting a hand to shield her eyes against the bright afternoon sun.

She found Arlo's golden curls easily, he was waving at her from the opposite side of the street, the smile on his face easy and carefree. Noticing that he had caught her attention, he beckoned more enthusiastically, and she approached him with a smile of her own, looking down at what he held clasped in his hand.

"Do you like it?"

Iris reached out to touch the circular jade pendant gently, taking it from Arlo's hand. Her fingers smoothed over the slightly curved surface, noticing that the underside was flatter.

"It's beautiful," she agreed, "white jade is less common than green, is that right?"

"Jade as pale as this is," Arlo agreed, before turning back to the stall holder. "How much?"

Iris handed the small jade pendant back to Arlo, who took it, while continuing to haggle with the stall holder over the price. Scanning the bustling street, she searched for Gabriel – who had disappeared some time ago to find something to eat.

This was the first time she had been allowed down to the market since arriving in Aether. She wore a non-descript velvet green cloak, that had been sprayed with a masking perfume – to hide her scent Arlo had told her, as he had pressed the small bottle into her hands.

"Wear it whenever you leave the palace. Find Balthazar or myself for more, should you run out."

Arlo was too well-known in Aether to bother with such things, but he had told Iris that, as long as she dressed casually and stayed beside Gabriel or himself, others would merely think her to be one of the Kings Guards.

Ever since she had received Mizuki's acknowledgement, as he had promised, the King had allowed Iris to train with the guard. And while she was pleased that she had finally achieved her goal, her studies with Balthazar had not lessened in the least – which meant that Iris was now busier than ever.

And she would be lying if she said that she was finding it easy. While Mizuki hammered her body, Balthazar battered her brain until both were numb. After watching her suffer for two weeks, Arlo had stepped in, demanding that she train and study on alternating days, with Sundays off. Iris would never admit it, but she was grateful for his intervention.

The only thing that bothered her – still bothered her in fact – was that she had not seen the King since she had won the challenge. After the cheering crowd had parted and Arlo had set her down from the hug he had gathered her into, she had looked up to the balcony again, only to find it empty.

And the next morning, the one who had arrived to acknowledge her victory and lead her back down to the training grounds, was none other than Gabriel. If it weren't for the small slip of parchment that Iris kept safely tucked under her pillow, and the small 'D' signed at the bottom, Iris may have been inclined to think she had dreamed the entire thing.