Frost and Petals

Lost V-Card (Ch. 6)

That night, just as the sun finally started to set, we crossed into Drudour. The driver informed us that at the last stop, to refuel, he was given the address of a hotel to take us to for the night.

About twenty minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of a high-rise hotel. Marble columns support the front covered area. I've seen plenty of columns in my life, but they were different from these. They were a rose gold color, but it looked more like someone dusted them with the color. And instead of plainness or lines carved into them, they were adorned with a bunch of different flowers. For once, they were flowers that my magic wouldn't affect.

"Her Majesty, Queen Caitlin, has booked the usual family suite," the driver said as he opened the door for us this time. Since he chose my side of the car, I slid out first and accepted his outstretched hand's help.

"Thank you, Jeffery," Kari said as the driver slid back into the front seat once we were all out. He pulled the limo out of the front entrance and around the corner into the back of the parking lot.

"Jeffery and the shadow limo drivers will each have their rooms on the floor below ours," Elidi offered up to no one in particular as we entered the hotel. A line of people stood on either side of the main walkway, and they all bowed as we entered. The line led us straight to the elevator, where an attendant for the damn thing informed us someone would bring our bags up shortly.

The elevator was one of the smoothest and fastest I had ever been on. Before we stopped, it took us twenty seconds to reach the top floor, floor forty.

The ride up there might not have made me dizzy, but the view from the balcony did. I was not necessarily afraid of heights, but even in a castle, I had never been this high up.

The clouds looked close enough that I could touch them, but I knew they were not.

The elevator took us into the living room, which was covered in big fluffy furniture, all in the scarlet and sand colors of Drudour.

Elidi had bowed to us both and disappeared behind a door to what I assumed was her room. Kari was still showing me around, but I remained absorbed with the view of the immaculate windows.

When I finally turned around, Kari was watching me with a soft smile on his face. He led me to a door on the opposite side of the room to the one Elidi had gone behind. The door opened into a giant primary suite and a bathroom off to one side.

I wanted to see the bathroom more than anything and found my feet heading that way before I could stop myself. There were giant saloon-style doors made of scarlet wood in the entryway to the bathroom. The symbol of Drudour was an eagle carrying an ornate telescope and it was carved seamlessly into the doors.

The bathroom was so gorgeous that I almost didn't register that the bathtub took up half the room and was sunken into the floor. It was big enough for ten people.

"That's officially the biggest bathtub I've seen in my life. And this is your family's suite here?" The astonishment in my voice had Kari hiding a laugh with a none-too-convincing cough.

"Yes, My Radiant Star," he said with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"You're really sticking to that nickname, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He cocked his head to the side with an ever-growing smirk plastered on his mouth.

"Fine, I'll let you have it," I conceded. Kari closed the gap between us and captured my hips in his hands.

"Good because I wasn't going to give it up no matter how much you protested. It's accurate, and I love it," Kari whispered as he pressed his nose against mine.