Crowns and Daggers

Chapter three

Raven decided the best time to try and steal the prince's ring was in the morning, when she had often seen the prince wandering around The Castle's gardens. She slipped out of the warehouse just after dawn, pulling her jacket tighter around her to ward off the late-autumn chill, keeping to the shadows in the quiet streets.

The city began to come alive around her; shop owners flipped signs to say open, bakers opened their doors and flooded the frigid air with sweet smells, merchants set up stands filled with colorful fabrics and foreign foods.

She stepped around a corner, swallowing the last of a muffin she'd taken from where it sat, cooling, on a windowsill. Raven had a clear view of The Castle from where she was standing, and she made her way toward the tall, neatly trimmed bushes that made up the edge of the royal garden. She ducked behind a clump of foliage and settled into the yellowing grass to wait for Prince Asher—Kairo had confirmed that was his name the night before, when they were formulating plans—to emerge.

It wasn't long before a door in the white stone of The Castle swung open, and he stepped into the garden, the sunlight gleaming on his golden hair and outlining his fair skin and crystal blue eyes.

As she carefully watched the prince and the ring on his finger, there was a flapping of wings from the shadows of the doorway, and a small, acid-green dragon tumbled into Raven's view. She groaned internally and glared daggers at the little beast.

Though she hadn't had much education, she'd heard enough stories of dragons to gather that they were the best living alarm systems around. They could smell anyone trying to sneak up on their masters from yards away. She'd need to strike quickly, knock out the dragon then grab the ring and run.

Raven looked back over at the prince, who was staring at a point far in the distance, lost in thought. To make sure he didn't have his guard up, she used the powers she'd spent most of her life hiding, ones only Wilder knew about, to listen to Prince Asher's thoughts.

Ahhh...the garden is so beautiful. It's the only time I have peace and quiet these days. Walking here kind of...rejuvenates me, gets me away from...everyone, really. He sighed. It's much better than hunting, the prince added with a scowl.

Raven rolled her eyes. What could he possibly need rejuvenation from? Typical royal, thinking his problems are so much worse than they are. She shook the thought away and focused once again on her target.

Raven grabbed a small stone from the ground next to her to use to knock the dragon out, and as soon as the prince turned his back to the topiary she was hiding behind, she sprang forward, using her element of surprise to her advantage.

She swung the stone at the beast's head, but it was astonishingly quick, dodging the attack and swiping at Raven with its tail. She jumped back and reached for the prince, who was standing still in shock, trying to get the ring off his finger.

He jerked away and the dragon let out an ear-splitting screech and dove at her, knocking her to the stone pathway. She rolled to the side and staggered to her feet, out of breath from the collision, and made to run away, but a hand clamped down on her wrist, preventing her.

Raven turned around, and sure enough, the crown prince of Zimeania was standing behind her, one hand around her wrist, the other clamped around his dragon's collar, holding the monster at bay.

"What is the meaning of this?" the prince demanded as she struggled to get free. "If you try to run, I'll release Ember," he added, nodding at his dragon, but Raven could hear a slight tremor in his voice. Still, she stopped trying to unfurl his fingers from her wrist.