Chapter Ten

Serafina

The open carriage ride down into the market felt like pure magic. Cherry blossoms rained down on us from either side of the dirt road, permeating the air with their sweet scent. Towards the bottom of the hill there were civilians enjoying the day with picnics under the blossoms. I found myself wishing to join them. I turned to look at my brother, whose body was still rigid beside me. When he noticed my staring his shoulders seemed to relax as he gave a lopsided smile.

“What?” His hardened voice from before had vanished.

I smiled back.

“Do you think we can do that sometime too?” I motioned to a small family unit with young children. The parents relaxing in the grass as the children munched down sandwiches on a red and white checkered blanket.

Zander followed my pointed finger and his smile grew as he turned back to me.

“How about tomorrow if the weather allows for it?”

I suppressed a squeal of delight. Sometimes he knew how to spoil me without the use of jewels and other finery.

He offered his hand to help me descend from the carriage, Jelena and Elisa joining us from a second carriage, followed by Zander’s two guards Gabe and Leon. Leena had excused herself from the day, taking Laney along with her to run some errands. In reality it was to report Laney’s progress to my father and stepmother. If her time as one of my guards has been enough to buy her freedom out of nobility.

Elisa came to loop my arm with hers. Straight white teeth glittered at me as she allowed for her excitement to shine.

“Sera, we absolutely must go to the blacksmith first.” She said, pulling towards a large sand colored stone building at the base of the hill.

Unlike other shops, this one has a designated building with its stall out front. Others mostly led their business with the use of canopied stalls of various hues and all their merchandise on display. Zander once told me the idea came from Regina’s home country. In Durant they called it a bazaar, but in Regnum it was simply known as the market. Although if it rained, he assured me, patrons could always visit the much smaller shops the same merchants ran out of their houses.

We approached the building with a large dark blue canopy out front. Barrels were neatly lined up with various arrows to meet the financial needs of most people. Simple iron tipped arrows to more deadly ash and steel tipped arrows. Racks had weapons of every nature, with the blades facing downwards. Broadswords, battle axes, one-handed long-swords, and many uniquely carved bows. Wooden display tables with blue cloth lining the insides held daggers and such niche weapons of choice such as brass knuckles and long hairpins. Other displays held silver cutlery and elegant dining ware. Handcrafted gold and silver pendants hung from small hooks on the back boards of the tables along with other jewelry.

Whomever owned the shop had a fluidity in their talents that I immediately admired. As my hand traced the hilt of a particularly well crafted long-sword I was halted by a brush of wind swiftly moving past me. Elisa rushed away from me and leapt into the broad and muscular arms of a large man with short, yellow parted hair and goatee. His eyes mirrored Elisa’s and I knew who he was, despite only meeting him a couple of times as a very small child. Corvin Carville, Elisa’s father. I smiled and went before him, curtsying when I stopped.

His eyes widened at me and he quickly bowed in return, his cheeks tinged with pink.

“Your Highness, please don’t curtsy for me. It’s not proper etiquette.” His baritone voice said, as his hands waved frantically before him, as if it were going to pull me up from my lowering faster.

I gave him a quizzical glance. Was there such a thing as being too polite? Glancing around us I was certain that he was deserving of more respect than I could ever be allotted.

“I’m sorry if I may have offended you. I just wanted to show my great respect and appreciation for your work and for allowing Elisa to be one of my companions. She speaks so highly of you and I wanted to make a good impression.” I smiled at him.

He smiled back, giving a slight to hopefully forgive my ignorance.

“Don’t let his modesty fool you, Sera. He is certainly worthy of all the praise and respect.” Zander said, coming around me to clasp hands with Corvin, who bowed before accepting the gesture.

Corvin’s cheeks appeared to deepen in color at the compliment.

“Yes, well… any talent worth being blessed is a talent that deserves mastering. I do take pride in my craft.” The blacksmith beamed as he gestured to the tables.

His gaze then fell on mine, his beaming dulling to a soft and affectionate smile.

“I have something for you, Princess Serafina.” He said, motioning for us to enter the first floor of the building.

Light played off the sand colored stones through open windows, illuminating the whole shop. I was quick to realize that the merchandise out front was for the everyday browser because inside a person would have to be in a completely different pay bracket to buy even the simplest appearing item.

Swords and other weapons with intricate embellishments and jewelry embedded with sapphires, rubies, and diamonds sat in long glass cases. Being able to just see and admire the craftsmanship was an experience in itself. Shields lined the walls, some with varying family crests to display the ways one may customize a shield ordered from the shop. Then, in glass cabinets lining the walls, were crystal and glass dining ware and display pieces. The items outside paled by comparison. Inside is where Corvin’s true talents shone.

I watched as he walked behind a counter, a large brass cash register sitting atop it. He bent under the long tables to rise with a sheathed one-handed gladius and lay it gently on the glass tabletop.

It was magnificent, and I was only peering at the pummel and sheath. The dark leather that held the sword was etched in what seemed like emerald dusting to make the shape of an embroidered Cato. Then silver etchings weaved through the material as if they were small currents under the sea.

Corvin then gently pulled the blade out completely and set it in front of the sheath. My breath hitched as I moved closer to inspect it.

The steel blade glistened in the sun’s rays, the silver hilt shimmered with an emerald embedded at the top and two more on either end of the neck. Facing us, at the base, was the inscription alis volat propriis. She flies with her own wings. He then turned the blade over to show another inscription; eius iustitia. Her Justice. It was a true work of art.

“If you don’t like the motto or the name I can put in others.” Corvin said and I just blinked.

“Huh?” I blinked again as he motioned towards the blade.

He gave a small smile.

“If you would prefer to call it something else I would be more than happy to replace the words.”

My lower lips fell away from my upper as my eyes widened.

“This is for me?” I didn’t care about etiquette at the moment as my eyes began to sting.

This is too grand of a gift. But Corvin just continued to smile as he slid the short-sword back into the sheath and picked it up to hand it to me. Hesitantly, I reached out and allowed for the smooth leather to graze up to my palms before I closed my fingers around it.

“Thank you so much! I will treasure it for the rest of my life!” I cried through the wet tears.

I reached up to wipe my eyes with the back of my hand, a small sniffle ascending from my nose.

“Would it be inappropriate to give you a hug, Mr. Carville?”

When I lifted my gaze towards him my heart sang. His arms were held out, as they were moments before with Elisa. I rushed into them, holding the sword in one hand as I embraced him tightly. From the corner of my vision I saw Elisa brimming with delight, fingertips pressing against one another before her lips. Zander seemed nearly as pleased as his grin spread up his cheeks and towards his eyes.

“Elisa said you had some talent with a blade. I wanted you to have one suited to your height and build. I think you will find it lightweight and easily handled.” Corvin said as he patted my back softly before pulling back.

I hadn’t even noticed until he said it. With the sheath it was probably close to two pounds, meaning the blade itself was closer to a pound. It would compliment my shorter frame and would be easy to handle when I need to be quicker than an opponent.

When we left the shop, Leon made a grab for my gift. I swiftly stepped away from him.

“I’m just going to put it in the carriage, Your Highness.” He said, keeping a hand out for it.

I didn’t want to let it go.

“I can carry it. See, it has a strap.” I pointed towards the leather strands braided into an adjustable carrying device, either on my hip or on my back.

Rather than fight me on it himself, Leon peered over at my brother who was saying a final farewell to Corvin. When he approached he seemed to understand quickly and cast me a soft, yet stern, gaze.

“Sera, you cannot carry a sword around the city. It’ll make people feel uneasy. Give it to Leon and it will be waiting for you in the carriage later. The more you drag your feet about it the less we’ll get to today.” He said, pointing his head towards the colorful stalls that lined the street.

Sighing, I reluctantly handed my new prized possession over to the young guard and accepted Zander’s arm as we made our way to the other merchants.

There were too many things to see in any given direction. Some of the merchants waved politely towards me, recognizing me from the meetings they had with Regina to discuss materials for the ball. Others just stared, as if they were unsure of how to react to me. Then there were the glares. Even out in the open I was never immune from those types of glances. If Zander noticed he didn’t let on about it, focusing on educating me about each stall and short background information on the owners.

An aroma wafted through the breeze that caught my attention halfway through the stalls. Something marinated and fried. Under a dark green canopy sat an elderly man in a folding cloth chair and a young boy, perhaps around nine, behind a line of display tables that held small plates of food. Sitting between them and the tables was a large griddle, heat radiating off it. On the plates sat glistening salmon, fried shrimp, and octopus tentacles fried and drizzled with some sort of sauce. It all smelled divine as I came before them.

The young boy glanced up at me, a green bandana tied to his head to hold back his hair. Under the canopy his hair seemed black but when the rays of the sun came over him, there were tints of green, like seaweed from the deepest parts of the ocean. His eyes were so dark that I couldn’t tell if they were naturally black or if his pupils were unnaturally dilated. Even his dark skin seemed to have a greenish hue to it. On closer inspection, I saw that the elderly man had similar features. His seaweed like tresses fell into his eyes like a wet mop. I hoped they weren’t ill.

“We trapped you, didn’t we?” The young boy said, a grin from ear to ear.

“Did you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

The boy came around the stall to greet me. That was when I noticed he was wearing khaki shorts with a sleeveless dark blue tunic. On his bare legs were light tracks of deep green scales and delicate matching membranous fins on the back of his calves. He wasn’t sick. He came from the sea. Small scratches near his jaw line on his neck confirmed that they were closed gills. He continued to grin widely up at me, all of his teeth visible.

“Yeah! Pop’s food can ensnare anyone!”

“Good day Mr. Fisk. And to you Bay. I see that you trapped my sister.” Zander said, coming up to us.

Bay’s eyes grew wide in delight as he looked from Zander to me.

“You finally kept your promise!” He then came closer to me.

“I’ve been waiting for two years to meet you! Zander says your favorite food is scallops so I always make sure to pick out the best ones when we send our catch up to the castle. I hope you like them!”

He was so excited and I found it contagious as I felt my lips spread upwards.

“Of course. Thank you for considering me when making your selections.”

He then reached towards my hand, clasping it with both of his. Soft and short webs were between his fingers.

“Someone who appreciates a sailor’s labors is certainly worthy enough to become my bride.” His smile widened to the point that his eyes became thin crescents.

I looked at Zander, then to Bay, and then back to Zander, who was hardly containing himself as a hand gripped tightly across his mouth to hide his snickering. His shoulders shuddering gave him away though. It was clear that I was going to receive no help from him as I rejected my first confession of love, and from a child no less.

Mustering up a kind smile, I lowered my hands from his.

“I am very delighted and flattered that you think so highly of me, even though we only just met today. But I’m afraid you will have to grow up some before I could marry you and by then you will only think of me as an old hag.”

“Nah, someone with your looks will look young forever. I can wait. It’ll be worth it.” Bay continued to beam at me, while Zander had to then turn around and face anywhere but me. He was so useless!

Just when I thought I would have to be the villain in this poor boy’s quest for love, long smooth fingers came to rest on Bay’s shoulder. The elderly man stood behind him, a knobby wooden cane in hand.

“Please forgive my grandson, Your Highness. He is a romantic at heart.” His crows feet creased further as he smiled down at me.

I returned the smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with wearing an honest heart on your sleeve.” I said, and then bent forward to look Bay in the eye.

“Someone such as you deserves to have someone who will adore you just as much as you will adore them. I’m afraid I just wouldn’t have the patience to wait for you.”

Bay’s face fell for a moment and then he turned towards Zander, who had finally composed himself enough to at least turn around. Although he still couldn’t seem to keep a straight face, with cheeks spontaneously inflating with laughter to be squashed down by his weak resolve. Bay moved closer to my brother, ushering him down to his height.

“She’s as impatient as you said. After all, I only have about nine more years until I’m an adult. I hope whoever marries her is patient.”

Zander’s face was light as he looked at the boy.

“I don’t think such a person exists.”

“Really?” I said, my hands finding my hips.

My brother feigned an innocent expression towards me and then back towards Bay.

“It’s tragic really. She’ll most likely be living with me for the rest of her life because no one would have the patience to deal with her. She can be quite mean at times.”

I was going to tell him where I was going to shove my new gladius when a seared scalloped filled plate interrupted my sight. Jelena speared one with a toothpick and plopped it in her mouth, then tried to feed me like a child.

“Try it. They’re amazing!” She said through chewing.

Taking the toothpick from her, I put the whole round, plump, disk into my mouth. As my top teeth met my bottom the disk burst with moistened flavors of butter and garlic. Jelena was right, they were amazing. I turned my attention to Mr. Fisk.

“They’re delicious.” I complimented, reaching for another before Jelena had the chance to hoard them all.

The man bowed his head.

“I’m delighted that they please you. Please stop by whenever you like. You’ll always be welcomed.”

Once the last stall was visited, belonging to an old botanist woman, Zander started to maneuver us through the streets of downtown to more spaced out areas for residents.

I looked up towards the sun to estimate that it was most likely drawing closer to two o’clock, and I was already exhausted. Not that I was going to tell Zander that. I didn’t care if I had to crawl to our next destination if it meant keeping out of the castle for a bit longer.

He stopped us in front of a large, three-leveled, sand colored building. An iron rod fence enclosed the front yard, which was full of lush green grass and various perennials lining the outer walls of the house.

Pulling me towards the door, Zander tugged on a long rope that cascaded from the overhang. A high-pitched ringing came from multiple areas from within. I looked over to see a brass plaque on the wall. Nautica Orphanage.

My heart tightened as the realization hit me that this may not have been a happy place, but I had no time to dwell on the thought when the wooden door burst open and a stout middle-aged woman answered the door.

Her brown graying hair sat on the top of her head in a loose bun that trailed strands down the sides of her round face. She straightened a pair of spectacles before her brown eyes, taking in our appearance. Then her eyes crinkled as a smile formed on her lips and she curtsied.

“Your Highnesses! I was hoping you would have enough time to stop by. Please come in.” Her voice was sweet and soothing. A wonderful trait for a mother of orphans, I thought as we moved past her and into the foyer.

A staircase faced us on the right, winding all the way up to the top floor. The entrance room bottle necked with the staircase towards the back of the house, where I could make out a glass door revealing a playground behind the house. There was an open doorway before the staircase that led to a room with two long wooden tables. On the left wall were another two doors. One had a small sign hanging above it saying Restroom, while the other appeared to be a large sitting area with many built-in bookshelves, a large fireplace, and many toys littering the floor and cozy looking furniture.

It wasn’t how I imagined an orphanage to appear. The house felt as though it had arms that would hug you and calm you. Or perhaps that was just because it was the aura that the matron before us was exuding.

“Thank you for having us, Henrietta.” Zander said as he pecked the older woman on the cheek, as if they were kin.

“Of course! Your visits are always a treat for the children.” Henrietta chimed, her soft eyes shining with genuine happiness.

She then turned towards me, inching closer as her smile turned soft.

“You look so much like Diana. I’m so grateful that we finally have the chance to meet.”

I was taken aback. People never commented on my mother in such a way, let alone where anyone would hear them.

“Oh, did you know her well?” I asked, hoping that my faltering wasn’t too noticeable.

“She was a dear friend of mine and worked alongside me here when we were first becoming adults. Diana always had such a magical touch with the children. With her, despite their numbers at times, all of them felt seen.” Her gaze and voice seemed to trail off at the end, most likely due to the nostalgia, but then she gave a small shake of her head.

“Don’t mind me,” she added, “sometimes I just like living in the past. But anyways, let me call in the children.”

Despite her stout stature, Henrietta moved nimbly towards the back door, pulling down another rope that hung beside it. A deeper sounding bell vibrated through the house and echoed outside. Then came the quickening of small feet racing in through the door. There must have been close to twenty children that lined themselves against the wall of the staircase, seemingly from oldest to youngest.

When some of them caught a glimpse of Zander they began fidgeting with excitement, while others peeked at me with curiosity.

Henrietta returned from the door to stand before them.

“Children, Prince Zander has brought a guest with him today. Please be kind and use your manners when addressing Princess Serafina.” She announced.

One little boy, appearing to be around seven, kept swiveling his head between my brother and myself.

“Are you marrying her, Zander?” The young boy asked and it took every fiber of my bearing to not burst into a fit of laughter, although I did catch Elisa and Jelena hiding their mouths behind their hands.

“No, Dante. She’s actually my little sister.” Zander replied, not seeming affected by the boy’s assumption.

Dante’s face faltered slightly for a moment and then turned mischievous as he began to smirk and place a hand on his hip.

“That makes way more sense. You’d make a terrible husband.”

From the mouths of babes. I couldn’t resist it any longer and broke down into a howl of a laugh, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. Zander scrunched up his nose at my behavior, even though all four guards behind us were just barely keeping it together themselves.

“And why do you say that?” Zander asked, tone offended but eyes playful.

“Because who would want to marry a guy whose only friends are little children?”

Wow, this kid is on a roll! I was tempted to adopt him right then and there just so I could have him follow Zander around the castle randomly throwing insults at him.

I looked to Henrietta to see what she made of the exchange. She was merely shaking her head in what seemed like feigned disappointment in their behavior, even though she was also snickering. With a deep breath she straightened her posture and looked from us to the children.

“How about you children return to your play outside and I’ll send our guests out to you soon?” She said with a gentle smile.

With some groaning, probably more so from having just come in and being rushed out so abruptly, the children single filed back out the glass door and soon boisterous laughter echoed just beyond it. Henrietta looked at Zander.

“If you want to join them you can, Zander. I would like to give Serafina a tour if that’s alright.”

My brother looked down at me, his eyes asking what I wanted to do. I gave a small nod.

“I’m sure she will love a tour, Henrietta.”

He turned to the others behind us.

“You guys can come with me. The house may appear big but there are many narrow sections that are hard to accommodate multiple grown bodies, but it is secure here.”

Jelena took in the surroundings, as if searching for any breach in security, then she turned to Elisa who seemed to be reading her mind as they nodded towards one another.

“Elisa and I will remain right here in the foyer, if that’s okay. At least until Sera is ready to head outside.” Jelena announced.

Henrietta shrugged her shoulders in indifference.

“If that is what you would prefer. We do have some sweets in the sitting room if you decide to indulge yourselves.”

My companions gave their thanks before Henrietta reached for my hand.

“We’ll start from the top and work our way down.”

On the top landing a long tan rug ran along the center of the wooden floor. Lines of doors led down both ends of the building.

“These are the sleeping quarters for the children, as well as our den mother, Miss Alma. You’ll meet her outside. On the right side is the girl’s dorm and the left is for the boys. We do try to keep the age groups separated.” She moved to open a door on the right side.

The room was neat and tidy. Four beds, two on each wall facing one another, lay made and unique with different quilts and duvets. At the end of each bed lay a wooden trunk, markings on them with the girl’s name and carving embellishments of different designs. Some had vining flowers and others child-like cartoons.

There were two identical styled rooms beside the first, and a door that remained closed to respect the privacy of the den mother. Four beds in each with personalized touches in the smallest of places. Across from the girls’ rooms was a large bathroom with four stalls and four tubs for bathing.

On the other side of the hall were the boys’ rooms and bathroom. The layouts were all the same as the girls, though I did notice that in some of the boys’ rooms clothes haphazardly quilted the floor.

“We can accommodate up to twenty-four children comfortably, although we keep spare cots in the basement in case we gain unexpected additions. We also keep collapsible cribs down there for when the children are still younger than four.” Henrietta explained as we made our way to the stairs.

“Does that happen often? Gaining additions, I mean.” I didn’t think before asking, and a part of me worried about the answer.

“Around here in Nautica it doesn’t happen very often. Sometimes we may have to relocate the child to one of our sister care homes up north. We do our best to search for living relatives and there are many who are adopted, but there are some who remain here until adulthood.” Her face became pensive as she descended.

“Care home?” I thought out loud to see Henrietta nod back.

“It sounds more pleasing than saying the name on the plaque outside. Whether people want to acknowledge it varies from person to person, but there has always been a stigma of being an orphan.” Her face dropped further before casting me a solemn glance.

“Every child in the world just wants to be loved and to be cared for. We do the best we can here to educate and prepare them for what lies outside these walls, but there are many people who view our children with contempt. As if because they lost their families they are now a burden to society.”

That feeling was all too familiar to me. We passed by a window overlooking the playground behind the house on the platform going towards the second floor. My lips spread upwards at the sight below as Zander lay sprawled out on his stomach with six young children creating a human tower on top of him. His muffled cries for help from the others, including a young brunette woman, went ignored as the children ushered for more to join them. Henrietta smiled softly beside me.

“Obviously it was just over twenty-five years ago, but when Diana was the den mother here there was never a child who felt unloved. She had such a way about her that kept them at ease, even when we were out in public with them for some much needed time away from the house and people would glare at them, she always kept them from seeing any of it.”

“She sounds lovely.” I said softly, trying to not envy those who received the maternal love from her that was stolen from me.

A hand brushed my hair behind my ear. Henrietta’s eyes twinkled.

“She truly was, and you remind me so much of her. Of course I have only ever heard stories from Zander, but as soon as I saw you I knew you were hers. Your faces are so similar. Absolutely beautiful, inside and out.”

Having someone outside my immediate family say such things about her caused something to stir from within me. Most in the castle, if they even dared to gossip about her, would slander her name and call her a homewrecker and a whore. Even Leena had once made the mistake of slipping how she was disappointed about my mother being the other woman in a marriage. What should I say to someone who actually gave Diana praise?

“Thank you for that.” I managed to whisper, knowing that she may not have understood the magnitude of my gratitude for reminding me that my mother was more than how others saw her.

Henrietta gave a quiet sniffle, but I didn’t look up in case she would have preferred me not seeing the tears she may have shed for my mother. But then she quickly perked up and continued on with the tour.

The second floor was used for lessons, with classrooms and a fair sized library. Many different forms of art lined the walls of the classrooms from finger paints to profiles of strangers, possibly the families of the children.

We met up with Jelena and Elisa on the ground floor. They were caught walking out of the sitting room with a small handful each of oatmeal cookies.

“I’ll show you to the back now. I’m sure your brother could use a break.” Henrietta ushered, her eyes dancing with humor that I was certain mirrored my own as I thought of the human pile we had seen.

The backyard was spacious enough to accommodate all of the growing children. The fence that greeted us at the front wrapped all the away behind the house, providing at least an acre of space to play in.

Legs flew up high in the air from the swings, small arms stretched to their breaking points moving from one high bar to another, and little rumps were sure to be burning as they cascaded down a metal slide. The children were positively feral as they ran, played, and screamed. And I found myself oddly calm by the atmosphere that now surrounded me. I had no experience with children, and hardly any for being one myself, but watching the joy and freedom shine through their tiny bodies caused my heart to become light. Maybe I could help in some way.

Zander had been in the same place as he was from when I was at the window; under at least ten children. He peered up at me, steel eyes pleading for a reprieve. Fingers reached up to ask me for help but then were abruptly sat on by a young girl.

“The prisoner is trying to escape! Keep him pinned!” One shouted as he stood for a moment to then plop down with all his weight into Zander’s lower back.

Zander let out a labored huffing sound as others did the same. Leon and Gabe sat against the building, engaged in their own conversation and choosing to be oblivious to their charge’s plight. Jelena and Elisa stood just behind me, hiding their faces as they shuddered with laughter. I walked over to crouch down over my older brother, a smile on my lips.

“Did you break the law? Or are you being held captive?” I asked him.

His lips formed a lopsided smile that turned into a wince when a rump on his back knocked the breath from his lungs.

“I’m being detained without cause.” He managed to grumble out.

I made eye contact with Dante as he sat on Zander’s shoulders, a leg on either side of Zander’s head. A cheeky smile played at his lips and it was clear that he was the mastermind behind whatever false charges befell this poor prince underneath them.

“He’s charged with the unforgivable crime of wanting to marry a princess instead of Miss Alma. The punishment is to be crushed without parole.” Dante said with pride.

I peered over at Henrietta who stood beside the brunette woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She was very pretty with her light hazel eyes and symmetrical features. A devilish aura came upon me. Call it karma for his earlier abandonment of me when Bay was asking for my hand. I turned back to Dante.

“That is a treasonous offense, but I think your sentencing is too light. I think we should tie his hands up to the jungle gym and tickle him until he repents for his crimes.”

I glanced down quickly to see as Zander looked at me in horror, but Dante instantly jumped off his shoulders and began shouting out orders for rope and to make sure their captive was held onto tightly until he got to the jungle gym. I smirked and then walked over towards Henrietta and Miss Alma so as to not get caught up in the chaos that was about to begin. The chaos that I may have stirred the pot a little bit of.

“You know,” Alma began as I approached, “I keep telling them that I am marrying a knight but they never believe me.”

Shrugging my shoulders I looked behind us to see that Zander had managed a daring escape and was now being hunted down violently by children throwing themselves at him. One even managed to lock on to a leg.

“It’s payback for ignoring me when a nine year old asked to marry me earlier.”

As I sat on my bed later in the evening, reading up on my lore; or was it now considered family history, when Leena came up to inquire about my day. The others had gone down to the kitchens to sneak snacks back to the room. When I came to the part of meeting all of the children and my conversation with Henrietta I gave a long pause.

“They resonate with you because, even though you are far from an orphan, you know what it is like to be seen as a burden or even as less than a person.” She replied when I told her of the stigmatization that the children face.

My shoulders lowered as I exhaled slowly.

“I think I would like to do something to…”

No, not think. I started again.

“I’m going to do something, I don’t know what yet but I’ll figure it out, to be of use to children that need loving homes and guardians. Those children today were so happy within the care home. But when they leave the safety of the walls they face harsh criticism from the public, and I’m sure that there are other orphans in other places that have similar problems. I want to help them.”

Leena gave me a double blink, her face expressionless.

“What do you mean by other places?”

“Leena, I have already come to terms that I’m not going to grow old here. I have someone I need to find, and after that, I need to find a new goal. But wherever I may go, I will make it a point in my life to help children that need it, especially ones who have lost everything.”

“How do you know that this supposed black dragon is going to allow you to have aspirations? You know nothing about them other than what they look like. You don’t even know their name. I think you should come off this idea of believing you will find something worth knowing if you meet.” Her voice became tense and frustrated. But why?

My eyebrows closed in on each other. She had been the one to give me the resources I needed to understand myself and my dreams. And now, when I was so close to learning who I am and having a desire to use myself as a benefit to others, she shuts me down.

“Leena, I have a destiny. You said so yourself, as well as Cato. I’m not going to just stop it from unraveling just because you tell me to wait. There is no waiting when Time doesn’t pause for anyone.”

My aunt’s face remained unfazed as a hand reached into her pocket to reveal a folded up piece of paper. When she opened it up, she turned it towards me and my breath hitched.

“Is this your black dragon?” She asked, tone so cold.

I would have flinched at it if it wasn’t for the image before me. A detailed charcoal sketch of the man from the mirror, staring back at me with those eyes. It didn’t need to be in color for those violet and golden crown eyes to flash through my mind as the chain clanked hard. I gave a slight nod. How did she know?

Leena folded the piece of paper back up and placed it on my nightstand.

“He is Crown Prince Elek Drakonis of Demarcus. Many call him the Dragon Prince. He is one of the three marriage proposals currently sitting on your father’s desk.” She stated, eyes hard.

“How did you find that out?” I asked, pulling the paper off the table, but leaving it folded.

“I had a meeting with Jovan today to discuss Laney’s future when I saw the documents on the desk, each with a sketch of the suitor. I remember how you described him, so I sent Laney away and asked Jovan for his information.”

There was no way she asked I thought, knowing she most likely snatched it up before my father could protest. But I let her continue without interruption.

“You’re not going to Demarcus.” She commanded, hands at her sides with her fingers tightly balled up.

“I will if that’s where he is.”

“You will be nothing more than someone’s wife. They won’t care, or grant you permission to pursue your passions. Women aren’t given a true purpose there other than to supply the military with sons.”

I waved a hand dismissively.

“Those are nothing but rumors. But even if they were true, that doesn’t give you the right to tell me that I cannot go. You, Father, and Zander are always, always, making all of the decisions for me. Where I’m allowed to go, who I’m allowed to see, everything right down to even denying me my own destiny. I’m putting my foot down on this one thing and if the prince of Demarcus does turn out to be the black dragon then I will advocate for myself and accept the proposal.”

“It’s always been for your safety, Serafina! And you know that! And you’re not getting married! Quit acting like a child having a tantrum!” Leena burst out, eyes and nostrils flaring in frustration.

I didn’t care anymore. She had no right to be angry at me when I had always played the role of a submissive and obedient child. When I allowed her and Father to shut me away.

“Damn it all Leena! I don’t give a flying dragon’s ass about my safety. I want to experience life. You say I’m acting like a child but I’ve never truly been one. I am done with being hidden away and I’m not being held back any longer.” I then rose to my feet, adrenaline setting my muscles aflame.

“If I go to Demarcus and find it as you say then that’s my own consequences to bear. But at least then I’ll know what some part of the world is truly like rather than only reading about it in books or facing the cruelty of others as I walk through the corridors just to go to breakfast. At least I could live without the constant fear of not knowing if the next guard that I see in this castle will be the death of me. This is my decision to make, and you will have to come to terms with it.”

I didn’t allow her to respond as I retreated quickly to my washroom, turning the hot tap as far as it could go before drowning my thoughts in the water.

When I emerged, pruny and as red as a lobster, I noticed a distinct lack of Leena to be seen and my other companions gorging themselves on small cakes they managed to knick from their travels. Elisa offered me one but I refused and declared I was going to bed.