Flames of Auriel (A Caeles Adventure Book 1) (24 page)

Rebekah, who had watched the whole interaction, cast a worried glance toward the prince. Her friend was playing with fire. She did not know why she chose to poke at the prince so. She could see the prince’s anger at all the men practically undressing his betrothed right before their eyes and pitied him. To save the prince from further humiliation she plopped herself down on the front of the cart and whined.

“Let’s go already. I’m hungry.”

Garrett glanced to the captain overseeing the search, “Is everything in order, sir?”

The captain looked to his men for confirmation and frowned. Why was it so hard for the men to concentrate on anything when a pretty face was involved? Maybe it was time for another visit to the pleasure houses before the week was done. Auriel only knows he could use a night or two in a woman’s company. He stroked a hand through his greying hair and sighed.

“Men, back to your posts!” The captain gestured to Zoe and her company, “You are cleared for entry. I suggest you move out.”

Garrett mounted his horse as the others took their position on the cart. The bodyguard smirked at the still fuming prince. He did not feel bad for Asher at all; he could do with a taste of his own medicine for once. Garret nodded his head at the blonde guard as they passed through the gate.

“Max.”

Max nodded back. “Lord Garrett.”

Asher watched their exchange, suspicious of their familiarity. He turned his eyes toward Zoe and frowned. Why did she have to make his life so difficult?

“You know him, don’t you?”

Zoe was not surprised her prince had figured out her ruse. She had not been trying to hide it too hard. At least she got a reaction out of him. She was afraid he would not care. She kept her eyes forward as her lips curved upward.

“He may have been part of our combat training.”

The horse whined when Asher lashed out with the reins. He knew it. His guards would never have been so at ease with a stranger wrapping their arms around them, hindering them from drawing their weapon. But why did she do it?

“So was that all for me or was that part of your act?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “A little bit of both.”

He ground his teeth and glared at her, “You’re going to make my life hell aren’t you?”

“Possibly.”

Zoe gazed up at the clouded overcast as they passed under the other end of the gate. She hoped she was wrong. Her gaze was pulled to her young companion when she made a noise in her throat.

“So, this is Aurelius. Kind of bleak isn’t it?”

Rebekah looked around as she took in her new surroundings. When her friend spoke of her home she had described large mountain ranges covered in glittering white snow but the sight before her was nothing like that. The air was heavy around them and the cloud cover caused a shadow to span across the wide-open road as they trudged along.

At Zoe’s silence, Asher frowned. It was not like her to leave her friend’s questions unanswered. His eyes filled with worry as he looked toward the road ahead and let out a gruff response.

“This is just the border. We still have another few hours before we reach the base of the Aurelius Mountains.” He pointed a rein toward the northwest horizon. “That is where we are headed.”

Rebekah leaned forward and strained to see behind the cloud cover. She grunted and plopped back down in her seat when her eyes started to strain. The dreary climate around them caused her excitement to diminish.

“Well it doesn’t look like much.” She glanced at her friend’s frowning face and bumped her in the shoulder. “Cheer up. You’re going home. Aren’t you happy?”

The Princess of Aurelius kept her eyes on the spot that Asher had pointed out as her eyes searched for something invisible to the others. The peak of Aurelius’ Mountain range would appear right in that area and behind that range, built right into its foundation, would be Castle Seraph.

The cold halls of her home beckoned her by name, but even as she feared going back, she yearned for it in return. Zoe shivered against the approaching cold as the mountain air wrapped itself around them. The familiar atmosphere caused her heart to tighten.

“Yes, home. I’m going home.”

Sneaking into Seraph had been a lot easier than Zoe had initially thought. The guards posted at the city gates saw Garrett and waved him in like it was nothing out of the ordinary. She was not comforted by the lax in security around her precious home. They could not just let anyone through, not with the threat of invasion from the south still at large. It added to the long list of what she would need to change when she was queen.

“Geez, Zoe, I know you said it was colder here than home but this isn’t just cold it’s freezing!”

Zoe looked at Rebekah as the young girl wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, her small frame shivered at the bite of the cold. Zoe had never noticed the temperature of her home; the frigid air had always felt like a comforting blank surrounding her. She glanced at Garrett, who still led the way, and noticed he did not show any signs of being affected by the weather either. Zoe looked toward her stoic betrothed from the corner of her eye. He had been unusually quiet since the incident at the gate.

“Are you alright?”

“Just peachy.” Asher grunted, his eyes still trained on the road before him.

She sighed. He was still mad. Zoe whistled at Garrett and gestured for him to wait a moment. She turned toward Rebekah as Garrett slowed down to pull back alongside them.

“Why don’t you ride with Garrett for a bit? He’ll help keep you warm.”

Garrett raised an eyebrow at his princess, who tossed eyes toward Asher. He scowled. So now he was a babysitter. Garrett shrugged and held a hand out to the gypsy girl.

“Come on, Becka. Sit in front of me.”

Rebekah looked up at the offered hand shyly and then placed her small one in his to be pulled up onto his horse. She could not remove the huge grin that had formed on her face as she settled in front of the man her heart was set on. Her heartbeat raced at the feel of his arms around her as she leaned back into Garrett’s embrace.

The former bodyguard placed a hand on the small girl’s waist to keep her secure on the horse. He frowned at the shiver that ran down the girl’s spine and gripped her tighter against him. Garrett gestured toward a tall house that loomed ahead outside the castle gates.

“Won’t be too long. We’re meeting the rest of your supporters at Sir Walter’s.”

The princess’s eyes widened at the sound of her old teacher’s name. “I thought my uncle would have killed him as soon as he took the throne.”

Garrett smirked at her surprise, “Well, the old man still has some tricks up his sleeves. After all, he survived you didn’t he?”

Zoe scowled at the wink her friend sent her way and watched as he and Rebekah headed toward the meeting place. An amused smile filled her face at the gypsy girl’s reaction to riding with her childhood friend. Though Zoe was not completely sure it was a good idea to let them get too close, she needed to straighten things out with Asher before they reached the meeting point in the city.

She turned to the prince, who sat silent as he waited for her command. “Are you going to be mad at me forever?”

Asher grunted once more. Zoe sighed. He was not going to make this easy for her.

“Come on, it’s not like you haven’t done worse.”

Asher finally settled a glare on her, “That was different. I had a purpose for doing what I did. Neither of us would have made the first move otherwise.”

She scoffed, crossed her arms and glowered at the horse’s backside. “And that was what? You making the first move? I have had better declarations of love from the kitchen boys!”

The prince tightened his grip on the reins. “Is that what this is about? That I haven’t wooed you enough before bedding you?” Asher growled when Zoe remained silent. “I would have thought eleven years of foreplay would have been enough for you.”

“Foreplay?” Zoe threw her hands up in the air. “You called tormenting each other for a quarter of every year foreplay?”

“Dark One’s breath, Zoe. What do you think it was? I might not have known my feelings toward you until recently but that didn’t mean I wasn’t interested in you.”

Zoe felt a pout form on her lips, “Well you had a funny way of showing it.”

Asher chuckled, “Why do you think I teased you so? You wouldn’t give me the time of day unless you were yelling at me.”

“Me? I wasn’t the one trying to ditch the ‘annoying brat’ every chance he got. You and Bryce never wanted me around.”

The prince shrugged, “I’m a male and it’s generally looked down upon for us to admit we like someone.”

He sighed when he saw this had not pacified his princess. Asher switched both reins into one hand and wrapped the other around her waist. Zoe always seemed more agreeable when he was touching her.

“What would make you happy?”

Pressed against his side, Zoe tried not to let their close proximity affect her. Why does he make her breath catch at only a small touch? She would have thought she was used to his touch by now.

Eyes turned down to hide the desire now in her eyes as she grumbled. “I shouldn’t have to tell you.”

Her response only frustrated the prince more. He tossed his gaze to the heavens in a silent plea before he pulled the cart to the side of the road. The sudden change in his course caused several pedestrians to curse at him. He waved them off as he set the reins down and grabbed one of Zoe’s hands in his. Asher slid two knuckles under her chin to tilt her face to look up at him.

“Zoella Aine Seraph, I love you. I have never wanted someone so frustrating, so murder inducing, as much as I want you.”

Asher smiled when she snorted at him and rolled her eyes.

“I will always want only you. I can’t imagine anyone else I would want to fight with for the rest of my life. Would you do the honor of being my wife?”

Zoe laughed and pushed him away, her face almost as red as her hair. “Of course I will you daft man.”

The prince laughed and pulled her back to him for a proper kiss. Lost in their own little world, the pair did not hear the hoof beats approach them until a throat cleared next to the cart. Zoe and Asher’s faces filled with heat at the chastising looks the villagers were giving them but grinned at Garrett and Rebekah who had come to see what the holdup was.

Rebekah, still overjoyed by Garrett’s closeness, could not help but tease them. “Get a room!”

“Yes, please do.” Garrett pinched out through gritted teeth.

The bodyguard wound a hand around Rebekah’s waist to keep her wiggling form from falling. His eyes out for any incoming guards, he shifted in his seat at the spectacle they were making in the middle of the town. His heart ached at the happiness that shown so brightly from his princess’s face. Would it always hurt so much to see them together? Not wanting to watch them any longer, he led his horse back toward the castle.

The royals, oblivious to the bodyguard’s discomfort, turned their gazes toward the castle not too far from them. They shared similar looks of delight and smiled. Zoe grabbed the reins in her hands and snapped them to move them back on to the road. When she almost ran Garrett’s horse over, she smirked at his scowling face and laughed.

“We intend to.”

***

Sir Walter Voltrout’s home was sparsely furnished and was in a desperate need of a woman’s touch. His wife had died many years before the Celestial War, and since he never had any children, Zoe always thought he would eventually choose to live with the soldiers. The large house was simply too big for just one man.

“Are you just going to stand there or come in?”

Zoe’s eyes jerked to Sir Walter’s gruff demand. She entered the home and took a seat on one of the two chairs available at his small table. Her heart filled with despair at seeing her old teacher and how her nursemaid, Alice, was no longer there. He and Alice had always been adamant in their denial but Zoe knew that they were very fond of one another. It only served in making their reunion bittersweet when she had to be the bearer of bad news.

“Sir, I...I don’t know how to tell you this, but Alice…” Zoe struggled to get out the words as she fought back her own tears.

Sir Walter held a hand up to stop her, “I know, your highness.” He gestured toward Garrett who was leaned up against one of the walls in the large kitchen.

“Your boy here already briefed me on the happenings in Aldabel.” The old man patted her clenched fist. “She was a great woman, that Alice. She passed exactly the way she should have, by your side.”

Zoe let her body relax at his words. She was relieved to know that he did not blame her for Alice’s death. She glanced up at Sir Walter as he walked over to where Garrett was to stand before Asher. Instead of the customary bow toward visiting royalty, he and Asher clasped forearms like old friends.

“Your highness, I wish it was under better circumstances but it is great to see you.” Sir Walter took in the prince’s attire and could not help but let his amusement show. “Interesting choice of clothing.”

Much to Zoe’s amusement, Asher’s face filled with heat. He glared at Zoe when she was unable to hold back a small laugh. He looked back to the older man and scratched that back of his head, not sure what to say.

“Well, we do what we have to.”

Sir Walter motioned toward the other side of the spacious kitchen. “There’s extra clothing in that chest there by the stove. Never know when one of my men will pop in unannounced, stinking to high heavens.”

The group tensed, weapons already in hand at the sound of pounding on the back door. Sir Walter kept a hand on his own weapon and waved them back to their seats. He hollered over his shoulder as he headed toward the sound.

“Show him where to change, would you Garrett?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Garrett straightened his position in respect. His eyes stayed focused on the exit the knight had left through as he gestured for the prince to follow him. His eyes scanned the room before him and filled with worry when they landed on young Rebekah’s curious form. Garrett shook his head, that girl was going to be trouble.

Rebekah, who had been hiding herself in a corner, had taken in the reunion with mild curiosity but wariness began to fill her as a swarm of soldiers started to pour in through the backdoor. The young girl had seen many soldiers in her short life but this was something entirely different. Not only were there heavily armed men but there were women there as well, and they were even more vicious looking than their male counterparts.

“Different from home, yes?”

Startled, Rebekah looked up to her friend, a guarded smile on her face and whispered. “I knew that women fought here as well but I never thought there would be so many.”

She slowly started to get over her initial fear of the group and noticed each soldier individually. Almost each and every one of them were absolutely stunning. She would think that any woman who wanted to be a soldier would be very masculine but the muscle on these women only added to their attractiveness.

“Do you have to pass a beauty test to get into your army or what?”

Zoe laughed, “No, but it does help. Attractive women make better spies. They can easily slip in as a concubine or mistress.” She gestured toward a few busty women. “No man is going to be thinking of spies when approached by one of them, which makes them perfect for information gathering and assassinations.”

Rebekah shuddered at the thought, “Not sure I’d want to touch some greasy old man to get information, no matter how much it pays.”

The older girl ruffled Rebekah’s hair, “Yes, well you wouldn’t get in anyway.”

She swatted Zoe’s hand away and growled, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Zoe pointed toward Rebekah’s small chest. “You’re not qualified.”

When Asher and Garrett reappeared in the doorway, Zoe pulled her attention away from the scowling girl. She watched as Asher scanned the crowd of soldiers and hoped he was looking for her. Zoe was about to start heading his way when Rebekah caught her arm.

“You don’t think Garrett only likes those kind of women do you?” Rebekah frowned as her arms crossed over her small breasts.

Zoe sighed when she lost sight of Asher in the growing crowd. She was never going to find him at this rate. She looked down at her distraught friend.

“I’m sure he thinks more about what is on the inside. He liked me didn’t he?”

Zoe gestured toward her own average chest. The brightening of Rebekah’s eyes gave Zoe the permission she needed to hunt down her betrothed. She pulled her arm away from Rebekah and headed into the crowd.

She found it increasingly difficult to maneuver through the growing crowd of soldiers as many of them knew her personally and wanted to speak to her. She smiled and shook hands with them, all the while looking for her elusive prince. When she finally caught sight of him she waved a hand in his direction.

“Asher! Over here!”

As he approached her, her eyes greedily took in his new attire. The brown breeches and cloth tunic covered in leather armor suited his build far more than the gypsy outfit ever would. By the time he stood before her, her eyes burned with built-up desire.

Asher wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her to his side. His mouth brushed the shell of her ear as he whispered, “Stop looking at me like that or we are going to miss out on more than the battle plan.”