The Phoenix King #1 Bed of Ashes

Chapter 9: Starlit Dreams and Silent Whispers

  When dawn broke, a rooster called out loudly from the rooftops, its crowing echoed through the small room. Unin almost fell from his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat up. Vaelon woke swiftly as if to defend against an attack, his hand instinctively reaching for a sword at his side. Rhea, on the other hand, was already awake and dressed in a new gown of soft, pale blue silk. The fabric shimmered in the morning light filtering in through the window, accentuating her delicate features. She had a small book open on her lap and was engrossed in its contents, her eyes scanning the pages as she flipped through them.

"Good morning, brother, Vaelon," she said nodding to both of them, her eyes not leaving the pages. "I suppose it's already time to go." She then hopped out of bed and threw her dainty pack onto her back. "Best not be late."

Unin looked around and found that his sister had laid out clothes for them both on each of their beds. The outfits were finely tailored and made of the finest materials. Unin's was a deep forest green tunic, made of lightweight cotton, with gold embroidery around the collar and cuffs. The pants were a matching green, made of a thicker, more durable material. Vaelon's outfit was a simple, but elegant, ensemble of a white linen shirt and black trousers. Both outfits were completed with a pair of polished leather boots.

"Thanks, sis," Unin called to her as he began to dress. "We'll be there soon." And she just waves back as the door closes behind her.

As the two boys dressed, Unin's thoughts wandered. Soon he would have a pet phoenix, a mystical beast to ride around on and show the people of Joithelm his power. But he couldn't help but wonder if there were certain things he couldn't do with a phoenix. Maybe he would be forced to go into hiding, adventuring until his dying day. He knew the legends of Sir Taren Vastel and Thorven the mighty Thunderbird, everyone had, but he had never heard how they came to be legends.

Vaelon, noticing Unin's lost expression, spoke up. "Are you okay, my prince?"

Unin shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about the future."

Vaelon nodded, understanding. "We should be careful who we tell our true identities to."

Unin thought for a moment, maybe Vaelon was right, until his phoenix hatched, someone could easily take the egg from him, just as his mother did. "Alright," He agreed, "I won't tell anyone else."

Vaelon looked shocked, not only did Unin look serious for once, but he was actually taking his advice for once, "Now I know something's wrong, you agreed with me."

"Oh, haha, soak it up, it's not going to happen too often," Unin said with an air of sarcasm.

With that, the two finished dressing and left the small room to meet Rom and her father, the millers, who were waiting out front with a small, horse-drawn cart. Rhea and Rom already sat comfortably in the back. The sun was just beginning to rise as they stepped out into the cool morning air, the sky painted in a beautiful array of oranges and pinks.

The miller greeted them with a warm smile and gestured for them to join the ladies in the back of the cart. "Good morning, my lords, and an extra special good morning to you, Prince Unin." The man bending at the waist and flourishing his arms out and under himself, 'Are we ready for our journey to Dragon's Peak?" Robert said in a tone of sarcasm, chuckling softly to himself.

"Dad it's not funny! I'm serious, he's a prince!" Rom asserted to her father, "Tell him Unin, "Unin looked at Vaelon for direction, Vaelon shook his head slightly. With a sigh, Unin spoke, "Heh, yep you got me, I'm not a prince."

Rom gave him a saddened look. "It's alright son, no harm in a small joke," Robert said still chuckling to himself.

Unin nodded, taking a seat next to Rom. He leaned in a whispered into her ear, "Vaelon says I shouldn't tell anyone else who we are," Rom's mood shifted, her face changing from sad to a child-like seriousness, and she gave him a firm nod.