Heart of Fire

Chapter Twenty Two

"Rise and shine!" Amelia bursts into my room.

I groan, burying myself deeper into my blankets as she jumps on my bed. "I forgot how grumpy you get in the mornings. It's our girls day! Show some excitement, would you?"

"Yay." I groan, still not bothering to get up.

Amelia shrugs, "We'll get there eventually."

She walks over to my wardrobe, scanning over the clothing. Pulling out a few articles of clothing, she chucks them over at me. They land on me, heightening my annoyance. I sit up, throwing the clothing off of me.

"What does this girls day entail anyway? If you plan to take me shopping for useless items I don't need, the answer is no." I say, pulling off my pajamas to put on the clothes Amelia picked out.

"No, we aren't shopping, though that is a good idea for next time." She laughs, sitting down at my vanity to fix her hair. "I thought we could steal some pastries and tea from the kitchen and go to the gardens."

I nod, liking that idea much more than shopping. Looking at myself in the mirror, I notice now how revealing this outfit is. Tight leather pants that cling to my legs and a tank top that barely reaches the middle of my torso.

I turn to Amelia, cocking my head. "Don't you think this is a little too revealing for sitting in the gardens?"

"Maybe," She shrugs, "but you have an amazing body. You might as well show it off every once in a while." I laugh at her reasoning, deciding to keep the outfit on.

After I'm done getting ready, Amelia and I walk down to the kitchen, politely begging for an absurd amount of tea and pastries. It didn't take as much bribery as I thought it would, I guess I've gotten on the kitchen staff's good side.

Amelia carries a basket full of baked goods while I carry two kettles of tea, along with cups for drinking. We laugh like little girls walking down the hallways of the castle, joking and gossiping about nonsense. Our laughter stops, however, when we spot Kenton and King Bastian walking towards us from around the corner. They don't seem to see us quite yet, it looks as though they are having a serious conversation. If I had to guess, they are probably talking about the battle.

Our luck is short lived when Bastian spots us, stopping us from moving any further. Kenton eyes the items in our hands but he doesn't say anything on the matter. He looks stressed, even more so than when we first heard the news on the battle. His hair is disheveled, like he's been running his hands through it and dark circles surround his eyes, telling me he most likely didn't sleep through the night.

"Miss Farrington, I would like a quick word with you." Bastian says to me.

I look at Amelia, who to my disadvantage nods, walking away saying she'll meet me in the gardens. So much for getting out of this one.

"Alone." He speaks again, this time looking at Kenton.

Kenton gives him a curt nod, but when his eyes land on me again, he hesitates to leave. I quirk an eyebrow at him, wondering why he's acting so strange. He steps forward, grabbing the tea kettle and cups from my hands.

"I'll take these to the garden for you." He says quietly before walking away after Amelia.

I smile softly as I watch him grow smaller from the distance, appreciating the small gesture. It is times like this that it is so hard for me to remember who Kenton truly is. Lately, these things happen too often, throwing off the way my mind has perceived him all my life. But I suppose this could be his way of showing me he cares, especially after our conversation the other night.