Princess of Flames

Birthday Gifts

Rowan, Breanna, Soaren, and the idiot she loved for reasons she couldn't recall at the moment got back the next day. She went up to them and gave Breanna, Soaren, and Rowan a big hug. Then she went to hug Brydan but balled her fist and punched him in the gut. He doubled over. She had hit him where it knocks the breath from them. "Taylor, you better have a good reason for doing that," Rowan warned, looking for all the world like he didn't even care. "I did," she said glaring at him. As he stood up, gasping for breath, he said, "She did." Before she turned with Liara now there, she gave him a vulgar gesture. She caught Soaren and Breanna gaping. "Mom does it all the time." She turned, and she heard Rowan say to them, "She does do it a lot, but that doesn't mean a eighteen-year-old is allowed to." "Take it up with mom, see what she says. I bet that she will say I made the right call. And she would have remembered that my birthday is tomorrow, so I'm practically nineteen." She strode through the doors.

She walked with Liara back to their room. Once she got inside she plopped down on the bed. "I didn't expect you to do all that," Liara said. "Well to be fair, I didn't either," she said, laying back. "But what he said to you was crossing the line for forgiveness," she added. "You should probably talk to him today," Liara suggested. "How can you just forgive him for all of that?" she said throwing her arms up in exaggeration. "He was angry and hurt, I know the feeling, as should you. You are the most dramatic person when it comes to those things I have ever seen," she said. She shrugged. "I am dramatic like my mother," she said with a dramatic flair. Liara gave her a pointed look. "Fine. I'll talk to him," she grumbled.

She didn't need to find him, he was always around. So she walked towards the kitchen planning on grabbing a snack if he didn't appear. He did. As she reached a corner, he was walking next to her. "Miss me?" he said. She thought about punching him again, but she opted not to because of what Liara had said. "Why else would I have punched you?" she asked sweetly. "I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming. I figured you would just yell at me or throw another knife at my head," he said. "I came to apologize you idiot, and you're making it hard to do that," she said tightly. "So, I'm sorry that I punched you. But you hurt my best friend. And I get angry when that happens. You can probably tell though." she said quickly. "You don't need to be sorry. I overreacted and blamed it on her. That punch was what I deserved." he said. "I agree, you did deserve it," she said with a smile. "Now get out of my way. I'm hungry," she said pushing past him.

They all sat around at dinner, glad to all be there again. There was again laughing, talking, and eating.

"Happy Birthday!" everyone yelled. "What the-" she said before she hit the floor. She opened her eyes to see everyone rushing over to her. "Are you okay?" Liara said between laughs. She had fallen off the bed again. "I just fell off the bed again, so no Liara, I am not okay," she said grumpily. Brydan helped steady her as she stood up. She looked around to see Liara hand her a box of chocolates. "At least you guys know how to make up for waking me up." "Well, we have another surprise. We're going to Doranelle today." Liara said excitedly, but nervously. "Of course we are," she grumbled.

They packed up that morning and saddled up their horses. Liara said she wanted to come with them. And she had asked if she could come back to Terrasen with them for a while. There was no question about it. So now Liara was going back home with them. She was so excited now that she wanted to hurry and be in Doranelle already, then go home to see her mother, Asterin, her siblings, and their court.

They rode for days. Through the forests leading to Doranelle, they camped each night, still not risking fires until they were in a safe range of the city of rivers. They broke through the trees one morning to see the expanse of the city before them. She looked to Breanna and Liara next to her. They were gaping at the beautiful city below. "It's beautiful," Liara whispered awe in every word, when Taylor looked to her she was smiling.