Roseblood

?One?

"Pele Puer of Hortus, where have you been?"

Uh-oh. I slowly turn around and try to avoid the angry—no, outraged—tomato red face with foamy saliva gathering in the corners of the lips. Wow, even his eyes look red.

"Good morning, Dad."

"Drop it." He reaches out and snatches my wrist, squeezing it tight until it feels like he's cutting off my circulation. "You know you are not supposed to leave without permission from me or without your guards. You know that, Pele. You know the rules, and here you go breaking them."

"Dad," I whisper, wriggling my arm. "You're really squeezing me."

With an loaded sigh of anger and some other parental emotion, he tosses my hand back at me. The spot he was squeezing is red and hurts, with finger marks where his hand was. I rub it as my father continues to give me a tongue lashing.

"Things aren't always what they seem, Pele," he rants. "Sanguis is getting dangerous, especially with those Airbloods getting bolder. There have been three sightings of those windbags crossing our border. Three! And we all know what they want is—"

"—Chaos," we finish together. Then he goes off again, but I don't pay too much attention. Instead I gaze around the hall of the southeast wing, at the familiar plum colored walls surround us and the gold-plated floor below our feet. Scattered down the hallway are cushioned chairs, candelabras, vases of flowers, and at the end is a fork. The one to the left goes to my room, the Ruler's Gallery, and the library. To the right is the throne room and one of the many paths to the ever paranoid King Groland and Queen Ralia's bedroom.

Dad shoves my shoulder. "Listen to me. Are you listening, Pele?"

I nod even though we both—along with the poor courtiers and maids in passing—all know that I wasn't. But the lectures are always the same. "Yes, sir," I say.

"Good." He claps my shoulder and pulls me into his massive chest for a huge hug. "However, I've noticed that your bird is missing."

The fact hasn't escaped me. "I know where he is," I lie. "And I've noticed that your cat is gone too."

"Macula?" Dad lets out his heavy, heartily laugh. "She's taking a walk out back."

"With Clavo?" While the king's Vinculum is a sleek and sly cheetah, my mother's is a large tiger called Clavo. Both have rather... intimate emotions towards each other, and even though Vinculum don't usually mate, the two are never too far away from each other. My parents are always trying to drop one joke or another about having cheetah-tiger cubs.

"Macula does whatever she wants, when she wants," Dad says. "But that still doesn't let you off the hook. Stay in your room for the rest of the day, and don't leave your wing until I say so."

He's actually letting me off easy, no dirty chores or anything. At least I'll find something to do. "Sure."

I can feel his eyes on my back as I walk away. I wonder where Mom is.

Need foodss.

I forgot all about Sey! "Mother Earth, I'm so sorry." I pick him up and start cooing him, glad that my dad didn't notice him. "You're such a patient little reptile. I'm going to get Elang to hunt down some mice when he comes back. You should like mice, yes?" If Elang does ever come back.

I is ssleepy inssstead.

What? "You literally just said you were hungry," I say. This snake better make up his mind by the time we get to my quarters or else I'll feed him grass.