Phoenix Destiny

Thirteen

Alexis sighed as she tended to one of Rhi’ana’s herb beds. For the past year, the witch instructed her in ways of cultivating and maintaining a garden, how to identify and gather wild herbs and, only recently, their uses and how to prepare medicines.

Cadmus perched on the low stone wall separating Rhi’ana’s home from the rest of the south garden. Alexis wore her gypsy garb. Her clothing was dirty and stained from the difficult work. Her face was hot and flushed. Her hands were callused from labor and there always seemed to be dirt caked under her nails. Despite her aches, the smell of earth and herbs brought her peace and contentment.

Choosing to apprentice with the witch was the right decision. In the gardens she didn’t feel the constant pressure of her station and working with plants was calming. Alexis not only felt happier, but freer.

Though she struggled to ignore the castle looming behind her, she knew eventually she would have to return to it and her duties as princess. There was no running away from her responsibilities. In fact, this peaceful interim was probably almost at its end.

She was rather surprised her father hadn’t dragged her back already. He hadn’t spoken to her in over a year, but she often felt his gaze on her. Within the castle walls there was no escaping his watchful eye, but he didn’t approach. Alexis was beginning to wonder if they would ever have the close relationship they used to enjoy when she was younger.

“Your Highness!”

Alexis looked up to see Dale. She blinked as the spell of the morning shattered around her. Standing, she turned to leave. The last person she wanted to see was the sailor. Not only were his unwanted attentions distracting, but he was also a reminder of why she chose this internship with the witch.

She had secluded herself in the gardens to allow herself to grow without the constraints of her royal heritage. Alexis had discovered a core part of herself that she didn’t want to lose. Reconciling it with her royal duties was something she was still trying to figure out. She didn’t need anyone to muddy the water.

“Please, I must speak with you,” Dale desperately pleaded.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“What must I do to prove myself?”

“You have nothing to prove,” Alexis sighed, finally turning back to him. How could she make him understand?

“I don’t know what happened for your father to exile you in this manner, but I will do whatever it takes to get you pardoned and returned to the castle where you belong.”

“You don’t understand at all,” Alexis shook her head. “This is not exile. This is my choice.”

“You can’t stop being a princess. It is who you are.”

“It is not!” Alexis snapped. “It is what I am. It is not who I am. And the whole point of being here is to figure out how to be who I am and what I am at the same time.”

Dale blinked. It was clear her reply took him by surprise, and he didn’t really understand. She wasn’t even sure it would do her any good explaining it to him. In fact, she didn’t think she could explain it better.

Struggling to understand what she was trying to say, Dale’s gaze finally landed on Cadmus lounging on the short wall. The dragon stared at him with glistening ruby eyes. Dale didn’t understand why Alexis was attached to it, but if he could show her that he liked the dragon too, perhaps she would finally accept him. Hesitantly, he raised his hand and reached to pet the reptilian.

Cadmus hissed, curling back his lips like a dog to display his needle-like teeth. Dale drew back, then reached out again when the dragon calmed down. When Cadmus didn’t react, he continued reaching for it with trembling fingers. The dragon’s nostrils twitched, then it struck, sinking three teeth into the sailor’s finger. Dale screamed as the dragon released him.

Alexis stepped forward. She picked a couple of leaves from a bush and ripped away the cuff of her sleeve to treat and bind his wound the way Rhi’ana showed her.

“He bit me!” Dale exclaimed.

“Of course he did. You got too close. What did you think was going to happen?” Alexis answered, breaking the leaves and squeezing the sap into his wounds.

“But he gave me no warning.”

“Dragons give only one warning. If you don’t heed it, you have only yourself to blame.”

Alexis wrapped the finger and looked at him. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed her. She stepped back then struck him across the face with a slap that left her hand stinging. Dale blinked in surprise.

“Never without my permission,” Alexis said before she whirled around and retreated.

Cadmus stood, arching his back and spreading his wings in a threat display. The dragon snarled and spit at the young sailor when he tried to follow. Smoke trailed from its nostrils in a clear warning that it would use its fire-breath next if he didn’t heed its warning. Dale slowly backed away, returning to the castle.

With a huff, Cadmus went looking for his mistress. He found Alexis on Rhi’ana’s porch, surrounded by the witch’s cats. Purring sympathy, the dragon approached, rubbing its head against her. Alexis looked at the serpentine beast and managed a small smile.

She leaned forward and pulled the reptilian into her lap. Part of her was sorry she had reacted so violently to such a small insult, but she didn’t see any other way to deter him from further advancements. The sailor was right about one thing. She was a princess. Eventually, she would have to return to her duties.

“What am I to do?” Alexis asked as she stroked the dragon’s long back. It was difficult to focus when so many thoughts raced through her mind. She didn’t know if she should be sad or angry.

“That, Your Highness, is a very good question,” an aged and kind voice said.

Alexis didn’t turn around as she answered, “Greetings, Rhi’ana.”

“Good day to you, Your Highness,” the wrinkled woman nodded. “You seem to be unsettled, if I may be so bold to point out.”

“I am confused.”

Unlike the other members of the Council, Rhi’ana’s attire was neither colorful nor made of fine cloth. The witch dressed much like a gypsy, with leggings to protect her aged legs under a simple skirt and loose-fitting shirt under a more fitted bodice. She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat to shield her wrinkled face.

“Is that so? Can I help?” the old woman asked.

“I do not think so.”

“Very well. I will tend to my gardens,” the witch stepped off the porch, offering one final piece of advice. “What kind of princess you will be depends on who you choose to be.”

A smile teased Alexis’s lips as she watched the witch walk away. She supposed it was just that easy as far as the witch was concerned, but nothing was ever that simple. A lot of people had expectations for her and not just there on Milagros. The entire world was waiting for her.

“Alexis?” Nikiti asked as she sat down beside her. “You know, Rhi’ana makes a fair point. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know and that’s the problem. I know what is expected of me, what everyone wants me to do. But I don’t want to just be a princess that does what everyone says: dress like this, stand here. I don’t want to be a prop in the room. But the things I want to do, what I enjoy, aren’t things princesses are supposed to do: dig in the dirt, race across the land on horseback…”

“Have adventures?” Nikiti added.

“Yeah,” Alexis sighed, letting her mind return to the disaster of her last adventure. It had certainly proved to be a learning experience. “And now Dale is making it even more difficult with his infatuation with me. I don’t even know how that started. I’ve never given him any particular attention.”

“Perhaps Dale would leave you alone if he paid more attention to Chelsea.”

“Who?”

“Sir Evan’s and Lady Whitney’s daughter. I heard the others talking. She likes him.”

“Really?” Alexis frowned. It seemed like an odd pairing, but maybe it was exactly what both needed if Dale would only open his eyes.

Suddenly, Cadmus chirped and leapt off her lap. The dragon scampered across the garden and leapt onto the stone wall. They watched him as he tilted his head to one side, as if listening to a distant sound. Chirping again, the dragon leapt off the wall and out of sight.

The cousins hesitated before they stood and followed the dragon. When they reached the wall, they saw Cadmus staring off into the distance. He turned to look back at them with glistening eyes, before chirping again and scampering away.

“Cadmus,” Alexis called as she and Nikiti climbed over the wall to follow.

The dragon led them out of the gardens and back to the castle. They followed him out through the kitchens. Alexis ignored the surprised cooks, eager to find out where the dragon was going. Her hair prickled at the familiarity of the journey, as if she had walked it before. The feeling grew even more intense as the dragon bypassed the gypsy band and headed for the forest.

Just where was he leading her?