You’d be pretty if…your nose was smaller.
You’d be pretty if…you didn’t have dark circles under your eyes all the time.
But never simply…pretty. I smile at her.
“Hello…” My voice trails off because I don’t know her name.
“Ishla.” She dips her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Serafina. Hungry?” She raises a brow right as my stomach growls, and she laughs. It’s a nice sound.
“Extremely,” I tell her, eyeing the platter in her hands. It’s covered by something shiny so I can’t see what it is, but it smells delicious.
She takes a few steps into the room and sets the platter on the desk.
“Then, dig in.” She grins, lifting the lid. I don’t hesitate to rush to the table, picking up a chicken wing and biting into it.
“This is so good,” I groan, unable to stop myself.
She laughs again before heading back into the hall. She reenters with a large bag in her hands.
“I also brought some clothes.” Her gaze falls to the blue tunic I’m wearing. “These might fit you a bit better.” She puts the bag on the floor.
“Thank you,” I tell her between bites. “Thank you so much.”
She places her hand on her hip. “Don’t thank me, thank—”
“I will not be thanking him,” I say aggressively. “He locked me in here! With no explanation, basically shoved me in and turned the key.” Okay, so he didn’t exactly shove me, but he might as well have.
She chuckles. “Give him a chance. Ryjax means well, but his people skills need some work.”
I freeze at her words, and the bone I’m holding falls from my hand. “What did you just say?”
“I said, his people skills need some work. Believe it or not, he doesn’t get out much.” She grabs the quilt from the bed, replacing it with a different one that I didn’t even realize she was holding.
“No, the name,” I say. “What did you call him?”
Now it’s her turn to freeze. She closes her eyes and mouths a curse. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.” She breathes out slowly. “You know what? I’m glad I told you. He can be so secretive sometimes. It isn’t healthy for him. So what if you know who he is? It’s better this way.”
I shake my head.
How could I be so stupid?
I knew the prince of Velegoria’s name was Ryjax. Ryjax Bray. AndJaxis just a shortened version of that. But I had no idea the prince was an Essentari, ashadow wielderno less.
Is that common knowledge?
If so, how did I miss it?
The history books make it no secret that Ryjax’s great-, great-, great-, great-grandfather had been an Essentari. One of the most revered of all time. He could wield fire, same as me, and he was beloved by his people.
At least, that’s how the stories are written. I, for one, can’t stomach the idea of celebrating the man responsible for the creation of the trials. They began with him—the Pyro King—and now, over one hundred years later, they continue.
As far as I know, the royal family hasn’t had an Essentari since, but I suppose that’s not true anymore.
“Why didn’t he tell me he was the prince?” I ask, and she makes a clicking noise with her mouth.
“Don’t know. You’d have to ask him.”
I pull at my hair. I may despise the Elites. But I’ve always,alwayshated the royal family.
