Map of Ember and Moonlight

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Amory watched the bright smile on Lyv's face with a smile of his own as he stood by the king on the balcony overlooking the training grounds. She was a whirlwind, taking on every guardsman that went for her. He knew what she was doing, carefully taking them down with both her magic and skills. He could almost distinguish hers as well as his own.

"I have never seen her like this," the king commented as she took down Balian for a third time. "These few weeks she's spent with you and Gideon have been good for her."

"She's learned a lot," Amory nodded. "And she's gotten significantly stronger."

Bence looked over at him with a slight smile. "Thank you. I have never said that to you. She's more herself now than I have seen her."

"I haven't really done anything."

"That's not how she sees it."

Amory looked back at the young woman who had been occupying his mind even when she wasn't with him, which seemed to happen less often than he realized. That night when they'd stayed up talking always seemed to be there in the back of his mind...including cursing himself for not going back to her and kissing her soundly...among other things. Gideon had commented on his foul mood the next morning as they were in his room packing everything to take to the king.

"Are you just grumpy because you and Lyv stayed up into the morning talking? Or is there something else?"

Amory didn't say anything, just continued scowling as he rolled up the maps to stuff into their case.

"Something happened. I know it did." Gideon sniffed at the air, no doubt smelling her scent all over him. Stronger than it was before. "I am your best friend. I know what she means and is to you, but please tell me you two didn't..."

"Nothing happened."

"No, but you wanted it to. If you want something to happen between you two, you need to tell her the truth."

"And I almost did last night. I couldn't, though."

"And why the hell not? Do you think I like not telling her the truth? Other than you, she's the only friend I've got here. And you know I'd protect her with my life, just as you would. Something's going to happen where we're going to have to tell her. You know. You know of the whispers we've been hearing throughout the city."

He was right about the whispers. Somehow, the king's plan had gotten out and rumors started to spread. They were lies of the king planning on sacrificing his land and people to Dalcaine, who had plans of doing horrible things to the humans.

Those rumors were shit, of course. And Amory had an idea of who had spread them – none other than the queen herself. Amory didn't have the heart to tell Lyv of his suspicions, but he had a feeling she would know sooner or later, whether it was him telling her or someone else getting to before him.

But for now, he just...just wanted to be with her in any way he could. The truth would come out sometime. He just had to be ready for the storm it would bring when it did.

When Lyv wasn't at the cottage, he was at the palace. Of course, they didn't train using magic if they were there, but he just liked to see how she could subtly use it in a fight, which she was continuing to do when training with the palace guard.

Watching her fight...as the weeks passed and they grew closer, Amory was finding it more and more difficult to restrain himself when he saw that she was ever in trouble. Even though he knew she was more than capable in handling the situation herself, his protective nature was fighting him, telling him to take out anyone who so much as looked at her the wrong way. But he liked watching her fight, how her body moved instinctively.