Beauty In Darkness

26

She quickly turned toward me, startled. “Do you think so?”

I nodded as I moved toward her. “No wonder you had such trouble with frost.”

She let out a surprised laugh as she pushed back her long, dark hair. “One would think frost was in my blood and not fire, after growing up in the frozen north.”

“Rose, no one would ever mistake you for anything but fiery.”

A small smile touched her lips, before she wiped at her brow. “Perhaps, although in that case I should be able to handle this weather better. It rarely gets this warm in Talador, especially in the fall. I’m not used to it at all.”

“Make sure you drink plenty of water and you’ll be fine.” I gestured toward the space where she’d been practicing. “Show me what you’ve been doing.”

With a wry smile she turned and began casting her runes, her movements quicker and more confident than they’d been before, which in turn made her spells more powerful. In the three days since we’d cast snowflakes in my workshop, she must have worked hard at this. She was a much stronger wizard than I’d imagined, and as I watched her bend and twist the flames to her will, something like pride filled my chest.

“Yes, definitely a fire affinity,” I said, with a quick nod.

“What is your affinity?” she asked, as she took a break to drink some water.

Sweat gleamed on her chest above her low neckline in a most distracting way. I forced myself not to stare, even if the sight of her full breasts rising and falling with each breath was hard not to admire. “I have two. Lightning and shadow.”

“Two?” Her eyebrows darted up. “I didn’t realize that was possible.”

“It’s rare. I’ve only heard of a few others with two affinities.”

“Including the Archwizard?”

“Indeed. Her affinities are wind and stone. A powerful combination.”

“It must be wonderful to have two,” she said, as she easily conjured a ball of fire and made it jump from one hand to the other.

“It is, but with more power comes a heavier burden.” If not for my affinities, the Shadow Lord might not have targeted my kingdom at all. I’d gladly give them up to protect my people, without question.

“Oh Raith, always so solemn.” She lightly brushed her fingers against my jaw, igniting a flame inside me. “At least admit you enjoy the power a little.”

I nearly leaned into her touch, so desperate for more of it after being starved of any intimate contact for years. Instead, I summoned my willpower and stepped back. “Magic is a responsibility, not something to be enjoyed. Continue practicing. We have the royal procession tomorrow, but the next morning I want to see what you’ve learned.”

She gave me an overly dramatic curtsey, giving me another glimpse of her ample cleavage. “Yes, master,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Is there anything else you require?”

“No. That will be all.”

I turned to leave, but spotted a bead of sweat dripping down her neck, and cast a quick spell. Clouds gathered in the sky above us, blocking out the sun and instantly cooling the air by a few degrees. If she was going to practice fire, at least she wouldn’t overheat or become dehydrated at the same time.

Dammit, maybe I cared about her a little too much.

Sixteen

Rose

I

adjusted the heavy crown on my head, which kept slipping to the side, while the open carriage rumbled through the cobblestone streets. My gown was even heavier than the crown, with a tight bodice that flared into many layers of skirts the color of red wine, adorned with black embroidered roses with vines and tiny thorns. I loved how it combined the style that was popular in Ilidan at the moment with a touch of me as well. For the first time, I truly felt like a queen.

As for Raith, he looked stunning in black and white beside me, his head held high. His crown was a larger version of mine: shining silver with large red rubies. Every inch of him radiated power, confidence, and elegance. It was hard to take my eyes off him, and I only hoped I looked half as regal as he did.

I managed to tear my eyes from Raith as the procession moved forward. The crowd surged on either side of the road, and I gazed across more faces than I had ever seen in one place before. It seemed the entire population of Archdale, the capital of Ilidan, had turned out for the royal celebration today.

“What do you think of the city?” Raith asked.

“It’s lovely.” And it was. Even with the crowd flooding the streets, I could tell the city was clean and well-maintained, despite being one of the oldest ones in Ilidan. It was obviously prosperous as well, likely bolstered by the trade brought in from the river, which wound its way throughout the capital like a snake.

I studied the stone buildings around us, each one with a torch or brazier in front of it waiting to be lit after the sun went down. Trees covered in red and brown leaves lined the streets, with silver garland strung between them in honor of the celebration today. The cheering crowd threw red rose petals and star-shaped confetti at us, and I waved and smiled, while Raith sat stoically beside me. This was my first visit to Archdale, and while I would have preferred doing it with a lot less fanfare, I wanted to soak in as much of it as I could. The procession stretched both ahead of our carriage and behind us, down the twisting roads of the city. Dozens of dancers, musicians, and other entertainers celebrated the end of the war and the announcement of our marriage with song and flashes of bright color. Guards were stationed everywhere, moving along with the carriage on foot and on horseback, but Raith didn’t seem overly concerned. I supposed when you were a powerful wizard king you had little to fear.