The Blood's Flame (The Dragons of Flareia Book 1)

Chapter 8 - Louin

The Isle of Deus

26th Year of the Ocean

2nd Moon

Louin leant against the battlements of the Dragon's Palace on the Isle of Deus, his elbows sore from the rough stone. When he had first arrived, he had wondered why the Dragon's Palace was so different to the Pearl Palace – it had battlements for spirits' sake! – but he eventually came to realise that the Dragon's Palace was much older and also much more defensible.

It was built both to keep people out, and to keep its residents in.

It was understandable, considering that Deus's Cantiers were some of the most powerful sorceresses in Flareia, but Louin didn't appreciate feeling like he was in a prison or a dungeon. From his position in the battlements, he could just make out the palace stables on the opposite shore. He sighed, wishing he could return. But with the riots, he knew it was impossible.

It didn't help that Princess Annalissa had travelled to the Isle of Deus with him.

After Louin was ushered away from the crowds, their yells growing progressively louder, he had been almost thrown onto the next ship leaving for the Isle of Deus. He'd stumbled aboard on shaking legs, not used to being on water, and had sprawled on the deck as soon as the ship started moving. His fall had been accompanied by a few girly giggles and gasps, and he looked up to see Deus' six new Cantiers-in-training, most looking down on him in amusement.

Princess Annalissa had stared at him wide-eyed. "Y-You're that stable boy!" She had exclaimed.

Louin had dragged himself from the deck with a scoff, dusting off his clothes – such low quality compared to the Princess's that he felt almost self-conscious. "I hate to be the one to inform you, Your Highness," he had said, "but this stable boy now outranks you, as far as I'm aware."

One of the other girls had let out a loud laugh. "A stable boy? Outranking a Princess?" She laughed again, and some of the other girls had followed. "Goodness, you're quite funny, aren't you?"

Louin had just narrowed his eyes. "Yes, well, it seems Deus likes her Dragonheirs to be humorous type nowadays."

To give them credit, the girls had silenced quite quickly after that.

"You're her new Dragonheir?" Princess Annalissa had asked, her question almost lost in the wind on deck.

"Apparently being able to resist the song of an untrained Cantier means I have an unusually strong spirit." He had shrugged. "I guess that means I'll be seeing you more often, Your Highness." Despite the fact that he had just mentioned he now outranked her, he had bowed his head slightly before stomping away and escaping below deck before the girls could say another word.

He had only seen the six girls in passing in the week they had been living on the Isle. He had a feeling they were avoiding him – whether on the grounds of their rudeness or his own, he wasn't sure. He trailed his eyes over the Anemasi mainland with a sigh. Far off, he heard a sound like that of thunder, but somehow he knew it was Deus. He didn't look up as she landed on the battlements beside him.

The Dragonheir uniform suits you, Louin of the Spirit. She said in a way of welcome.

He shrugged, pulling at the pristine white jacket. It was double-breasted with pearls instead of buttons, the epaulets on his shoulders adorned in the same way. The stitching was in a strange kind of shimmery thread that shifted in colour just as pearls did. He knew it was designed to match Deus' scales, but he also knew it was made from a similar pattern to that of the General's of the Anemasi Army. As a result, he felt like a child dressing in his father's too-large clothing. Not that that was an activity he'd ever experienced, what with his father dead and gone before Louin had even been born.