Marius
I was due to leave soon. My need to go back to the island, continue my work taking hold of me finally. Unlike the other times during the last two months, I stayed longer, more because Zyandra had yet to return and Zavian was pushing himself to a point where I was sure he wasn't relaxing without me.
The orphanage I'd brought Zavian to was flooded with workers brought with me by Zavian's command. The kids were fascinated by them, the tools they had and the prospects of what it would be likstille after it was done.
Ellyn slid beside me as the kids played outside and the workers worked.
"How long do you think this will take," she frowned towards the building.
"The contractor promised a few days."
"And where will the children go in the mean time?" She looked around them with worry.
"The closest orphanage was asked a favour of."
"That's uncomfortable." I gave her a pointed look and smiled.
"Are you thinking of taking them to your home?" She folded her arms over her chest with a pout.
"They'll like it there, we have space."
"Oh, dear child." I chuckled. "Your bleeding heart puts me to shame."
"I have to worry, they won't be treated fairly there." She looked up at me and I sighed.
"If you feel you can...then by all means, I won't stop you." She grinned at me. "But don't tell me your father had words after."
She stuck her tongue out. "I'll drop the Prince's name and he'll get over it." She giggled before running off to join the children.
After ensuring the children safe onto the carriages which arrived to take them to Ellyn's home, along with their baggage I bid them farewell.
Arriving back at the palace Zavian emerged surrounded by his lord. I caught their concerns for having women on the board, none or which a daughter of one of the lords. Steward watched with a scowl before running off to his carriage, Linnet beside Romola at the top of the stairwell. The two woman had only been on board for three days and the lords still couldn't get used to it.
I enjoyed the sight of the two strong woman, subtly glaring at the men as they spoke among themselves, while they didn't get along most times according to Zavian, when dealing with the lords the ladies were unified in the scariest way. The image alone had me wanting to laugh and knowing it would make Zyandra very happy to hear about.
I waited outside as they all filed out to leave, I bowed in respect and was ignored, not feeling hurt by it eventually Zavian took a deep breath standing beside me.
"Well, it seems the lords are more bothered by women having a say now than the impending war with mage." He smiled so easy, the excitement sparking in his eyes I felt my chest grow heavy at the mention of the war yet to come.
"Their sexist upbringing makes them hard to bend." He shrugged.
"They have no other choice but to comply." He flashed his teeth for me, beaming up at me to a point where I felt as though time stopped.
I've looked upon Zavian many times to be struck so hard in that moment by his bright smile, the locking of our eyes made it so that my body felt frozen and my chest swelled with love, so much so that I purred unconsciously. I reached out, my finger lightly trailing over his jaw and my heart felt like exploding.
What was this? His skin seemed to glow in my eyes, he let out a short breathy laugh which felt like music, my back stiffened at the tingle my nerves received and my finger, where it touched him seemed to spark, like light igniting and I was held captive.
Within the back or my mind the purr of my instincts soothed me wonder, doused my rising flicker of a flame withing me as Zavian's scent became more potent, stronger and holding me fast.
Mine. My instincts whispered into my bones and muscles and nerves, my entire system then seemed to sing, and the one lyric was Zavian. Mate.
"I think I'll need to find more people to replace those sexist pigs." I blinked out of my stupor and my heart pattered faster against my chest as I stared at Zavian who looked towards Linnet and Romola bidding their goodbye.
"That's not a half bad idea." Romola snorted and I kept my gaze on Zavian.
The women left. "Is that...Zyandra's carriage?" Zavian's head tilted and I did not move, my realisation struck me to the core, so much so that my own joy and reason for existing standing before me was enough not to care about the surroundings. I blinked and cleared my throat, I felt hot. Extremely.
"Oh." I shifted my gaze then and the carriage came to a halt. A stranger emerged and I watched Zavian frown.
It happened slowly for me. The man approached and Zavian's scent began to change. Coated with calm joy a flicker of dread entered it's midst causing me to frown and step closer to him.
The stranger bowed and he spoke like an echo. "Your highness, I give you my deepest condolences." He held out a single piece of fabric, a kind of belt in blue and I reached for Zavian. His body weakened and the fear and grief took hold of his scent as it held onto his soul.
It happened so fast, the stranger had disclosed. They had not chance. On their way back home, an riot broke out,and the carriage crashed. Zyandra was gone, her body burned by the rioter's they ran into.
He slept, sweating and panting, he was pale in his slumber and I whimpered, rubbing my cheek against his as I straddled his legs and I refused to leave his side.
Nobody was allowed to touch him, nobody allowed in his room, not the handmaiden not the Queen even the physician would have to fight me to do anything.
I felt his pain more intensely in my position, watching him fight through his terrors of the sleep which held him from the shock of the news, I cried for him then, for the broken heart of a brother who loved his sister dearly and I cried for her life, lost unfairly too early.
Zyandra laughed joyfully, her eyes closed as she swirled around with her bar mates. I watched her with Zavian beside me.
"Is that even safe? What if she falls? The girl is too much, I swear-" he stood and I grabbed his arm shaking my hand.
"Let her play, this is one of the only times she gets to be free, let her forget she's a princess, yes?" He pursed his lips.
"If they drop her I'm not talking to you." I chuckled.
"If they drop her, I'm going to kill them" we smirked at one another and drank from our cups with the sound of Zyandra's joy in the background to keep us sane and feeling happy just knowing she was having a good time.
I sniffed and held onto Zavian, thinking about Zyandra and hoping she indeed got to have a bit of an exciting adventure before her time was cut short.
A/N
Written: 16 June 2020.
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The Dragon and His Prince{ManxMan}
General Fiction{BOOK 1^^} Being a future king was hard. One had to set an example, be the man they wanted to see in every one of their subjects. Zavian didn't know how hard that would be, living up to his own image of what a good ruler was and he hadn't expected h...
