Page 105 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

There was no lock. No chains. No bolts.

Just a door; as if she were a treasured daughter rather than a prisoner. But it was still a cage, holding a princess captive like a colourful bird clipped of its wings.

Rain inhaled deeply, letting his energy brush against hers. She felt nervous, hopeful, desperate… and radiating love so intensely it nearly smothered him. Her power was everywhere — a warm, intoxicating haze that clung to the air like perfume.

He raised his shields.

Her influence felt too potent for an empath to walk into unguarded.

Slowly, he turned the knob and eased the door open.

The chamber beyond was an enchantment.

Soft rugs layered the floor. Shelves overflowed with books, crafts, and trinkets. Potted plants thrived in every corner. A four-poster bed draped in pink gauze sat piled with cushions and stuffed toys. Dresses in every shade of red and pink spilled from an open wardrobe.

This princess had not been starved or scorched or isolated in a barren furnace.

She had been… kept.

Comforted.

Spoiled.

But still, contained.

She stood by the window, posture delicate, hands clasped at her waist. Her bodice was soft pink with red piping, her skirt flowing like petals. Red silk slippers adorned her feet. Her hair; a cascade of tight strawberry-blonde ringlets, framed a cherubic face glowing with a warm chocolate complexion.

Entirely different from Scarlet.

Except for the amber eyes; Drazier’s unmistakable mark.

“Hi,” she purred, fluttering her lashes. Her fingers twisted together; the only sign of nerves. Her power filled the room like a warm tide, brushing against Rain’s mind coaxing, softening, inviting.

“Hello, Rose,” Rain replied, clearing his throat when his voice came out too soft, too warm. “Can you please lessen your power? So, I can talk without… distraction.”

Her eyes widened, confusion adorably scrunching her features.

“If we could lessen our powers, do you think we’d be locked away in towers like fairytale princesses?” she giggled. “If you could lessen yours, surely you wouldn’t have killed so many of my people, Blue Prince.”

She recognised him; probably from her books.

Then she froze.

Fear flickered in her amber eyes.

“Have you come to kill us?”

Rain couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. Her power washed over him, dissolving any irritation the accusation might have caused.

“I could never hurt you,” he said and winced internally at how much like a caress the words sounded.

He shook his head sharply, lowering his shields. He needed clarity, not enchantment. With his guard down, her influence became easier to read; like a melody he could separate from his own emotions.

He regained control.

“Rose,” he said gently, “it’s a long story, but I was sent to rescue your sister. I didn’t know who I was rescuing. None of us knew. Everyone believed the Red Princesses were hidden in the palace, not locked away in towers in the middle of nowhere. I’m not here to hurt anyone. I’m here to rescue you.”

She studied him, head tilted.