Addison

There are many questions running loose in my mind as I watch Oliver Sage leave with King Pine. I’m not curious as to why he caught me. I’m sure it was a reflex and nothing more. I’m a woman who stumbled and he was in the right place at the right time. What I don’t know is why, when he touched my skin, did I feel like something was racing through my veins? Why did I let Wes go toe-to-toe with him? I know what Oliver is capable of. He could have Wes on the ground in a flash. While Wes is one of our strongest fighters, he’s not of Oliver’s caliber. Why wasn’t Oliver angry when Wes got in his face? He seemed indifferent to the whole thing.

I stand around for a bit, talking to whoever seeks my attention. Being an unmarried princess puts an invisible beacon on my head to every available prince in the realm. The moment I’m alone, another man appears. I have no interest in them, even if they have an interest in me. If I married a prince of another kingdom, it would unify two lands and make them stronger than if they were to stand alone. Yes, we have the peace treaty, but that doesn’t mean kings and queens don’t want to align with us more tightly. They want to be one big powerhouse. Kind of like how we are with Pine now. Two kingdoms, who battled for so long, now united.

Azure has one of the strongest armies. Pine is the only one who measures up to ours. Everyone in the realm sees us joined with Pine, and they want the same. They want to join one of their children with one of the Azures. Thankfully, my father doesn’t pressure me into a relationship I don’t want, or any of his children, for that matter. I can have one of my choosing. Some other princes and princesses aren’t so lucky.

Once the crowd starts dispersing in earnest, I silently send a message to my dragon, Emberescha, or Em for short. I want to be out of this field and away from the sheer amount of available men it holds. In the blink of an eye, I can see Em’s majestic form in the sky, flying toward me.

Wes appears at my side before she gets to me. “You don’t want to ride back with me on my horse?” he asks with a frown. I rode here with him. He insisted on us arriving together. Instead of fighting with him, I relented. Some arguments just aren’t worth the effort.

“No, I’ll take Em back. I’m feeling a little tired,” I lie. I’m not in the mood for the jostling ride of a horse when I can float on smooth air with my dragon.

Em lands with practiced grace at the edge of the field. Any closer and she might be perceived as a threat to some of our remaining guests. They don’t know she’s mine, and she’s landed without a rider. It’s no secret I can talk to animals. I don’t hide it, but at the same time I don’t willingly share that information. Who knows what kind of men I would draw if they learn I have magical abilities. This only being one of them.

Stepping away from Wes, I tell him I’ll see him later, and walk toward Em. Her fiery red scales stand out in stark contrast to the azure flowers before her and the green grass beneath her. Each red scale on her body is tipped with black. Her head has two long horns at the top and smaller, just as sharp, horns scattered over her face. Even her back is fierce with its sharp points. Luckily, the points are spaced apart to allow me to sit in between them. They aren’t tall, maybe coming to my abdomen when seated.

When I approach her side, she crouches down to allow me to use her leg as leverage to climb onto her back. I pat her neck a few times before seating myself on her. It’s not easy, given the dress I’m wearing, but I get as comfortable as I can.

I’ve had her since she was born. Our dragons are raised with us and other dragons in our clan. The bonding process between rider and dragon is imperative. They have to learn to trust us as much as we have to learn to trust them. The stronger the bond, the agiler the rider and dragon are in flight.

With a quick mental command telling Em to take us home, we are in the air in no time. I have to sit on her with my legs to one side due to the dress. The dress that Ali had designed for me. It’s much shorter than I’m used to, however it makes me feel sexy.

The ride isn’t long. I’m grateful for the distance I’m putting between myself and everyone still in the field. The walls of the Azure castle have never looked so good.

Em easily lands on the edge of the wall surrounding our castle. There is an enormous building before us which our dragons sleep in. I stay on her back until we reach the door. Behind me is the stone pathway to the edge of the wall that all the dragons take off from and land on. There’s a steep drop-off from the wall that goes straight to the water below, which surrounds the castle.

I walk with Em back to her stall. Each dragon has their own area. It’s not one that contains them should they need to leave, but one that gives them their space. We do have some dragons that choose to sleep together in a stall. Not all do, however. Once she’s inside, I close the large, deep blue gate, which has her name painted on the outside in white.

Leaving the building the dragons are in, two guards outside the doors bow to me. The dragons are always protected. True they can easily take care of themselves, however, we don’t need someone entering the building when they aren’t supposed to. The dragons may bond with us, but they don’t all take kindly to strangers. I nod to the guards and walk the short distance to my home. My shoes make little tapping noises as I walk on the smooth, grey and white stone.

Lucas’ home isn’t far from mine. Neither is Elliott’s. Ry is closer to the main building where Mom and Dad live. He observes a lot of what goes on daily within our kingdom, so he’s prepared to one day take over the throne.

He’s the only one of the four of us who truly wants to be king one day. My other brothers are content to fight for us and our land. While I like to stay apprised of what happens here, I’m much happier doing whatever I want. A free spirit my mother calls me.

Inside, I shut the door behind me and lock it. My home is similar to Lucas’, except mine is more lavish. The kitchen and dining table are off to my left. Each chair at the table is adorned with red velvet cushioning on the seat and chair back. The kitchen is basic and meets my needs. I’m not much of a cook, though. I love eating dinner in the main building with my family.

Off to my right is my living area. My couch is a deep purple that feels as supple as it looks. Every time I sit on it, my body sinks into its plush cushions. Upstairs is the bedroom and bathroom. I kick off my shoes and walk up the flight of stairs to find something to change into. While I do love the dress Ali designed and had made for me, it’s not very comfortable. I’m more at home in pants and a cotton shirt.

Many of the men in our kingdom don’t want anything to do with me because I dress like one of them. Out of the ones remaining, only a handful appreciate my independence and the fact I don’t have a need to be protected. I want a man who sees me as an equal. I’m able to handle myself fine on my own. What I don’t want is a man in my life who will either only want to be with me because of what it will do for his status, or a man who will try and control my every move. Neither will do. Neither will ever be considered to be in my life, let alone my bed.

I strip off my dress and toss it onto my large, dark wooden bed. Two nightstands and two armoires finish out the space. Once I’m fully dressed, I walk over to my bedroom window and push the pane open wide. I leave it open most nights to allow the moonlight and a warm breeze to come through. It doesn’t offer much of a view, since my home is only two stories high, but if I stretch on my tiptoes, I can make out the tops of the tall pine trees in the distance.

The Pine Kingdom is our closest neighbor. I used to look at those trees with malice. Everything Pine equaled pure hatred to me. Since the treaty was signed and Rafe Pine, also known as Alison and Reid’s father, ceased to exist, I’m able to appreciate the trees a little more. They feel magical to me. Maybe they are, I’m not really sure, but I feel as if they call to me.

One of the stipulations of the treaty was to enter into the bartering system we have with the other kingdoms. We supply goods in exchange for other goods. For instance, Azure provides various types of fruits to other kingdoms, and in turn, we receive meats, cheeses, and other things. I know that Pine supplies trees for keeping our outlying homes warm during cold snaps and building new structures. I’m sure they trade their trees with the other kingdoms as well, so they may receive goods.

The forest appears to be only pine trees, but we’ve received other types of trees from them. What baffles me is where do all these trees come from, pine and otherwise? I know their land isn’t infinite. How are they supplying the quantity they are, without depleting their forest? My best guess is magic, but I don’t know for sure. What I wouldn’t give to step into the forest and see what’s really going on in there.

There’s a loud knock at my door, breaking me from my hypnotic gaze. I quickly descend the stairs to find out who’s there. I hope it’s not Wes. While I enjoy his company, I’m not in the mood for him at the moment. I’ve had enough men around me today.

Opening the door, I find Ali on the other side. Her hair is mussed and her cheeks are flushed. No longer wearing her wedding dress, she’s dressed like me in black pants and a navy, long-sleeved shirt.

She smiles warmly. “Oh good, you’re home.”

“I just got here a little bit ago. I thought you and Luke would be on your way to the Fuchsia Lakes by now.” They decided to go to the beautiful region since Ali has only seen parts of our realm. She’s very curious about the other areas.

“We are, but I wanted to talk to you quick.”

I step back from the door to allow her inside, and I shut it behind her. “Should I be worried?”

“No.” She smiles.

“Where Luke is concerned, I don’t like to rule anything out.”

Laughing, she says, “True.”

There was a time when I hated Ali. Her relationship to the Pines alone was enough for me to feel that way. When Luke brought her to our castle, and I found out who she was, it took everything in me not to remove her from our land. Although, I wouldn’t get far. Luke staked his claim over her from the start. He saw something special in her before the rest of us did. I knew if I went up against Ali, I went up against him, and my brother isn’t one to be messed with.

Over time, Ali grew on me and we became friends. Having another woman in the family, besides my mom, has been wonderful. I have someone to talk to about girl stuff. Okay, so I’m not very girly, but Ali brings out this other side of me I didn’t know existed. The side that appreciates being feminine sometimes. Maybe only a small amount of the time, but it’s there. I might dress like one of the guys, however, underneath I’m all woman: strong, fierce, and sexy. Ali showed me the bras and underwear she had custom made and I did the same. They are gorgeous.

“So,” she says, as a deep shade of pink creeps up her neck into her cheeks. “Do you have any of that tea?”

“Tea? I have all kinds of tea. Is Luke out?”

“No, not regular tea.” Her face is now a bright shade of red. “The tea that keeps women from getting pregnant.”

“Oh, that tea. Yes, I have some.” I stand and walk the short distance to the kitchen. “Why didn’t you just ask Stephanie for some?”

“I don’t know if she’s around, plus your home is closer. Luke is rushing me to leave and I’m trying to save time by coming here.”

I reach into the upper cabinet to the left of the sink and think to myself, I’m surprised Luke isn’t trying to knock her up yet.

Ali chuckles. “He is, believe me. I’m the one who keeps saying now isn’t the right time.”

Shit. I didn’t mean to send that message to her. Quickly, I grab a small tin of tea and return to the living area. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”

She waves her hand at me dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. At least you didn’t scare the hell out of me like the last few times.”

Dropping to the couch beside her, I put my head in my hands. I’m always mortified when a thought slips through. It’s one thing to speak to the animals, but speaking to people–my mind to theirs–is much trickier to control. I’ve tried for years and have mastered the art of sending a message to someone intentionally, it’s the accidental ones which throw me.

“The more comfortable I become around you, the easier it is for me to forget to guard my thoughts, especially when it’s only the two of us here.” When I’m in a crowded room, it’s easier for me think, without having to worry about who will get a wayward thought of mine. The noise and number of people make it difficult to concentrate on sending to one person. At least I haven’t gotten to the point where I can hear everyone else’s thoughts. I think that would make me crazy.

“Addi, it’s fine. Honest.” I nod and hand her the tin. She opens the silver top then flips it closed again. “This is more than enough. Are you sure you won’t need it?”

I smile. “I have plenty in there. I always keep extra in case I’m running low and can’t find Stephanie. A woman can never be too prepared.”

“I’m so not ready to be a mom yet.”

We talk for a few more moments before I walk her to the door and wish her well on her travels with my brother. The realm can be harsh at times, but I have no doubt Luke will protect her with his life.

Once she leaves, I collapse onto the couch and remind myself how I need to keep my thoughts shielded. The last thing I want is for people to find out about the other ability I have. No one knows, except my mother, and I’d like to keep it that way.