Of Blood and Fire

Chapter 16 - Henri

Dinner was...talkative.

His parents managed to maintain polite smiles and occasionally contributed to the conversation, but it mostly fell on Henri to chat with the eight ladies. Or, seven, now that Amina Nix had been eliminated. Henri wasn't completely sure why it had been her. He didn't have much opinion when it came to the first five, and Ryan and Regina had been very secretive lately. Not hostile, but wary of him, and when they talked they talked in whispers, sending furtive glances at him.

He knew by now that Pandora was their favorite. Why else would they have kept her, after her atrocious manners to Sora during tea? Henri himself wasn't all that fond of Pandora. She looked clever, and while brains would be good for ruling the kingdom, she also looked as if she didn't have a problem manipulating people to bend to her will.

Perhaps she's done something with Mom and Dad, Henri thought for a second, then blinked as Margareta asked him a question in her soft tones.

"Prince Henri," she said, "I feel we don't know much about you. So..." she stopped, blushing red underneath a smooth layer of makeup. "So, could you maybe tell us your favorite color?"

Two others had perked up and were gazing expectantly at him – Emmalee and Lamia. He could barely keep all of them straight. How did Grandfather manage before the districts joined together? Imagine welcoming twenty-three ladies here! Lamia gave him a little smile and a nod of encouragement, looking genuinely interested to hear about his favorite color, sweet to him but not to the others, as he had observed that first chilly dinner. Emmalee cocked an eyebrow at him as if to say, Well? Get on with it.

He had to admit, he liked her spirit.

"Probably blue," he told them, cutting into the tender cheese-stuffed chicken that the chefs had prepared. "Not too light but not too dark either. Darker than the sky, though."

Sora had swallowed her asparagus and was stifling a giggle. "So...royal blue?"

Henri nearly choked on his own asparagus and the entire table – except his parents – erupted into uproarious laughter. Sora's instincts hadn't been the only thing honed on the streets. Such rapier wit! He allowed himself a tiny moment of seeing himself and Sora in a future together. What is it like to laugh so carelessly every day? "You could say that," he said, hoping that there weren't any specks of green on his teeth. "What about you, Lady Margareta?"

"I like gold," she replied promptly. She batted her eyelashes and tossed a ringlet of blonde hair over her shoulder. "I was born for the sun."

"And the sun shines out of you as well," the king rumbled unexpectedly. Margareta beamed and Henri started in surprise. I thought Pandora was their favorite! Obviously, he needed more reliable information than the scattered guesses he was making.

"Maybe you were born in the wrong kingdom," Emmalee joked. Lamia allowed herself a small smile and Margareta nodded.

"I wish I was Risese. It's so pretty there, from what I've heard. Hibiscus bushes growing all year round...warm waters and long sunsets on the beach..." Margareta blinked dreamily.

King Ryan had gone rigid. "But, of course, Arehlia is the best of the kingdoms to be born of," he said through gritted teeth. "No other kingdom has such refinement nor such sophistication as the Arehlians."

"I don't know." Margareta shrugged and Henri caught his parents share a disappointed glance. They're frustrated. They're trying to glean even a bit of kingdom loyalty from her and she just doesn't get it.

So much for their favorite.

All of a sudden, Henri was horribly aware of who the next elimination would take.

Perhaps the eliminations would take all of the girls he could tolerate. What if the right one was too outspoken to be proper? What if she was too reserved? He wasn't permitted to talk much to the ladies yet. His parents wanted as little heartbreak as possible when they inevitably, invariably were sent home.

I guess I could live with Pandora, he thought. She's vicious but she's smart. The kingdom wouldn't like her much, I think. Feminine but too masculine at the same time. He chuckled to himself. We could send that woman to war and she'd defeat an army with a single glare.

Emmalee...she's nice, I guess. Doesn't have much of a personality that I've seen yet, but she's one of the quieter ones. Probably doesn't want to reveal herself to me before she knows she has a chance for queenship. But I don't think she knows that'll hurt her chances. Mom and Dad are looking for someone who opens up and trusts easily. Someone pliable. They're always going to be operating behind the scenes, pulling strings and manipulating my rule of Arehlia. They aren't sure if she'll resist or not.

His gaze settled on Sora and his heart did a little leap. She was animated, chattering with Jemma about the scrumptious green-apple turnovers. In a flash, Henri recalled Sora speaking so highly of her baking friend, Khani, the same girl who'd broken down in tears in his room. He wondered if maybe he should have a small party, invite some of the ladies' friends for the festivities. The Feast isn't so far away. Then he froze. But the Feast is my coronation night...and my wedding with the winner of the competition.

It was a scary thought. In less than a month, he'd be a married man and the king of Arehlia.

A birthday might work. He'd have to ask a servant to document all of them.

"Lady Sora," he called. She turned, wide-eyed, and chewed quickly.

"Yes?" she asked once she'd swallowed.

A grin tugged at Henri's face. "How is the food?"

She deflated and turned a bright shade of magenta. "It's wonderful, Your Highness. Everyone here is so talented."

They are, Henri agreed. "Please, ladies, call me Henri. As one of you will be my queen, I think it's appropriate to forgo the demands of protocol."

Instantly he wished he could take the words back. I sound so stuck-up! Why couldn't I have said something more informally? They'll think I'm shallow!

Then he saw Sora choke on a laugh and his embarrassment dissipated. Maybe she's alright. Maybe she's not the awful trashy city rat my parents told me she'd be.

I think I'll keep my eye on her.

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WE HIT 76 PAGES! This is so awesome! We're three-quarters of the way to 100 and I haven't really even gotten going with the major plotline yet!

Well, technically I have. But. But. Nothing incredibly IMPORTANT or ESSENTIAL to it has happened yet save for Sora's part in the competition. 

76 pages! I can't even get over this!

This is a thing. This is 100% a thing. It's at least 70 pages longer than anything that I've started recently and that means that HELLO, I'M GOING TO WRITE THIS BOOK UNTIL THE COLD HARD END BECAUSE DETERMINATION.

And yes, it will be a cold hard end. 

Because [FORESHADOWING] there will be a cold hard body.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!

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