Broken But Unburnt

Chapter 21 - Gisella

Chapter 21: Gisella

Palace of the Centauri Throne: Kingdom of Karil

Sarah was waiting for Gisella to return from town in the foyer of the palace, practically bouncing on her toes, brimming with excitement for the new outfits Gisella had chosen. So when Gisella handed off a couple of tattered street rats as well, Sarah was entirely caught off guard.

"Find them rooms. See that they're cared for," Gisella ordered before turning to the nearest soldier. "Where's your master?"

The soldier stared at her blankly.

"Ronin," she snapped with a sigh of irritation. Sarah hurried off with the siblings, steering them away from an enraged Gisella. She knew better than to question her when she was in a terrible mood. "The Captain. Where is he?"

"Er, I don't—" the soldier started but she was already storming away from him.

"Useless," she muttered.

The soles of her boots slapped loudly against the cold stone as she barreled down the hall, furious. Her anger grew with every passing window and doorway through which she did not find the captain of the guards. Wasting her time. She would add that to her growing list of grievances against him.

"Hann, why is your son such a gaping asshole?" Gisella muttered to herself through gritted teeth just as she rounded a corner and saw him.

He stood in a dimly lit alcove, just outside of the dining hall and off in a corner. He was with three other men, all of them in the icy blue Karilish uniform. She stormed up to them and spoke the moment Ronin's eyes met hers.

"Coronation?" She spat. Ronin locked his lips and lowered his ale. "We were together all morning and you said nothing of a coronation."

Two of the soldiers snorted into their mugs. That was when Gisella realized what had been implied by her confession of having spent all morning with the Captain. She turned her withering glare onto them and they cleared their throats, averting their gaze.

"Men," Ronin grunted, dismissively.

The soldiers stood straight and saluted their captain in perfect synchrony before turning sharply on their heels and marching away.

"What we discussed was more pressing," Ronin told her then, shrugging his shoulders and taking another pull of ale from his mug.

"It isn't for you to decide where my attentions should lie," Gisella snapped.

"Suit yourself," he replied and began to saunter off. She hastened to follow after him as he began to rattle off the details of the coronation which he and the prince had apparently managed to plan in just a matter of days. "It's tomorrow night. Most of the nobility have been arriving all day. There is a feast tonight to welcome them. As a member of the council, you're expected to attend. I told Sarah to have a dress ready for you by—"

"I don't wear dresses," she interrupted him, storming past and whirling around so that she stood directly in front of him. She pressed one hand firmly against his hard chest and leaned in so that her face was inches from his. "No more leaving out crucial information. No more ordering me about like some common soldier. And absolutely no more attempting to dress me up or parade me about. I'm not here as a subject of your power. I'm here because you need mine. We are co-council members. You will treat me as an equal or you will not treat with me at all."

He watched her for a moment when she had finished, his gaze narrowing and intensifying as he stared back into her eyes. But she held her ground and did not budge. Then he raised a brow and glanced down at her hand still on his chest. As his lips spread into a smirk, she rolled her eyes and whirled away, leaving him standing alone in the hall as she headed back to her rooms.