A Thing of Beauty

Chapter 4

Dropping her backpack on the bed, Besha almost ran to the bathroom. It wasn't decked out in marble and gold, but it was functional. She opened the tap. Hot water. She started to shriek, but slapped a hand over her mouth before it really got out.

Then she ripped her clothes off and jumped into the shower.

"Shit," she muttered, "forgot the soap."

A bar of soap appeared in her hand. She dropped it. Backing up, she stared at the pale green thing on the floor. It laid there, slowly melting in the water spray.

She bent over and touched it. Felt like soap. She sniffed. Smelled of ferns and freshly cut grass. She rubbed her fingers together and a small foam grew around the tips.

Feeling like an idiot she picked it up and rubbed it between her hands. Soap, definitely.

"Alright," she muttered, applying the foam to her face and neck, "it is a simple thing. There is probably some magic spell or something that is activated by the right words. Like saying uh...washcloth?" she ended with her eyebrows arched.

A white square of fabric draped itself over the soap she had in her hand.

"Cool."

She finished washing, also asking for shampoo. The word conditioner didn't cause a reaction. She rolled her eyes. Male magic, definitely.

Once she had dried off and dressed in her clean clothes, she dug out a brush. Her fingers brushed over the scissors. There hadn't been an opportunity to cut the long tresses, but now she was reluctant to do so.

Besha knew she was no beauty. For that her blue eyes were too ordinary, her mouth was too wide, and her cheekbones too prominent. Her hair had always been her one source of feminine pride. Long, thick and wavy. Highlights from the hours working in the vegetable garden had lent some colour to the brown tint of her blond hair.

Sighing she dropped the scissors and braided the strands once more. Maybe next time.

A knock made her turnaround.

"Ha, you clean up nicely."

Tempted to stick out her tongue, Besha simply pushed past Oric and into the corridor leading back to the throne room.

"Turn right at the next intersection. He is outside."

Without a word, she turned and opened the door at the end of the long corridor. It was a garden alright. It didn't look like the same one they entered the castle grounds with earlier.

Zander was standing at the edge of the garden and they made their way over to him.

Gasping, Besha caught herself in time.

He was standing on a cliff. Hundreds of meters high. Carefully stepping closer, she leaned over and stepped back again, holding her stomach, swallowing at the nausea.

Her cheeks heated again when her stomach rumbled.

Zander turned his head. "When was the last time you ate?"

Surprised at the caring tone, Besha took a moment to remember. "Yesterday, I think."

The dragon nodded to someone on the other side, who left them with a nod.

"What is your name?"

"Bethesda Havern. Besha."

"What do you think of my forest, Besha?"

"It's beautiful with all the trees and ferns. I loved all the flowers that I had seen so far." She stopped and bit her lip. She wasn't going to carry on like before.

"But?"

She blinked. "But what?"

Zander sighed and turned away from the edge. "You wanted to say something more. Just say it."

Besha watched him slowly walk over to a table where he sat and waved her closer.

She followed and sat. A servant poured tea for her.

"Why is the forest so quiet?" she eventually asked, slowly pouring sweetness into the black tea. The fragrance reminded her of her empty stomach, but she ignored it.

Zander turned his head away.

Oric also sat after the servant put plates of food on the table. He nodded to her to help herself.

"Zander forbids any females in the forest. Eventually all the animals and birds died out," he replied. She arched an eyebrow at his bitter tone.

"Why?" she asked. The moment the word popped out she knew it had been the wrong thing to ask. Zander's whole body grew tense and Oric pressed his lips together as if he was forcing himself not to answer.

Perhaps he was if his earlier reaction was anything to go by. She looked from the one to the other. "That bad, huh?"

It only made them both more resolute not to say anything.

Eventually she put the cup down, making it clatter in the saucer. "For goodness sake, just tell me!"

Neither spoke.

"Fine," she said. "Be like that. If you want to eat me, so be it, but I am leaving."

She got up.

"I don't eat people."

"Dragons don't eat people," Oric echoed.

That was a relief. She remained standing. "And?"

Zander pinned those blue eyes on her. "I was betrayed by a woman," he gritted out.

Besha couldn't believe her ears. "Really? And how is that my fault?"

"I didn't say..."

"No," she brutally interrupted him, "you just assumed that every single female is like the one who didn't appreciate your beautiful forest and high handed sense of humour."

Neither male smiled at her lame sarcastic remark.

She lifted a hand when he wanted to speak again.

"You probably think that all males are perfect and all females evil incarnate. Well, I have got news for you, your majesty, get over it. You are going to be here a very long, and a very lonely time."

She grabbed an apple from the table. "Now, how do I get out of this forest? I have a promise to keep and a brother to find."

She didn't miss the look the two males shared, but she wasn't going to hang around and be the'bad guy'.

"I like her," Oric said in response.

Zander smiled. "Me too, amazingly enough."

Besha blinked and froze with the apple halfway to her mouth. Feeling stupid she dropped her hand and looked from the one to the other with narrowed eyes.

Oric sighed. "Besha, sit down. Please."

Zander agreed.

She sat, ready to jump up.

"Relax," the dragon growled.

"Are you always this cheerful?"

He growled again, but Oric burst out laughing. After a few moments, Zander smiled. He was such a handsome dragon, Besha decided once more. Especially when he wasn't growling at her. Dragons wielded powerful magic, and she wondered what he looked like in his human form.

The heated look she got told her that he knew what she was thinking.

She lifted her chin. "Now what?"

Zander pointed to the food. "You eat, and then I will take you to the edge of the forest from where you can leave it to find your brother."

She felt her heart jump. "Will it take us long to get there?"

Both males shook their heads. For some reason that information was not making her happy.

"Zander can have you there in mere seconds," Oric replied.