Page 67 of Winter Gods & Serpents

What offended this one?

Caiden chuckled from the other side of the corridor. “Survive a second week, soldier.”

She glanced out of the window at the meek daylight. “It’s daytime.”

I rose a brow. “Astute observation.”

She blinked annoyed. “Why am I seeing your face now too? Where is Mal?”

Mal? Why was she calling my brother Mal? “He has travelled this morning back to Adriata, his mother has fallen ill, he will return soon.” Driada had collapsed, again. These past months her illness had overtaken her more than you could count. Mal never knew when it would be the last time, so he always stood beside her each and every instance.

“Aren’t you brothers?”

“Half,” I revealed, taking another step back from her. My eyes travelled down her attire; she was in the navy uniform. “Are we heading somewhere?”

“Yes,” she said, tapping the golden circlets over her chest pocket. “I am captain, remember?”

Despite almost drawing blood out of my tongue, the tight words escaped me. “I am inclined to ask why? Is it necessary for you to be doing that? Isn’t Isjord the kingdom with the greatest number of soldiers in the whole of Dardanes? Would you be so desperately needed around danger?”

She rolled her eyes and strutted down the corridor. “Must we converse?”

I followed rapidly behind. “Must you not answer my questions?”

She brough a hand out and counted, “I want to, no it is not necessary and astute observation, Adriatian, Isjord indeed has the most soldiers. You want a good boy rub or a treat?”

She was impossible. Sarcasm was her breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not that she ate much of anything else. Perhaps it was more than enough that she didn’t need food.

All at ready her squadron rested ready by the agitated stables circling wildly in numbers of soldiers, ready for patrol. Her morph croaked from the sky batting her ever black wings down to land, dust of snow flying in the air as she descended shifting to a mare.

“Snowlin, sister,” a male voice called, coming from the distance.

The princess’s features leathered down to a murderous ire with a flare of annoyance. “Reuben, half breed,” she greeted back distastefully, sharpening a feigned grin.

She spoke to her sibling this sort? I rubbed my eyes, she spoke to everyone like that.

“Delightful as always,” he remarked unimpressed.

“And annoyance still your best personality trait.”

He sneered and glared but she was unhurt. “Off to set father off again?” he asked, flicking some invisible dust from his oddly decorated navy uniform. Ruffles of a white shirt peaked from the collar and the sleeves, threaded gold vine embroidery ran down his sleeves and trousers. He had no gold circlets to state his position but instead a golden arrow broach. They looked nothing alike. She was flamboyant in a way, but she never had to dress herself in decorates and power to know she had it; she carried it in her stance alone.

“Off to have your balls tickled by a lord, doesn’t your mother do that? You poor little precious thing, has mommy dearest been neglecting you?” she said, approaching to straighten his lace collar and he almost flinched away. She held him tight, a red flush spread over his pale face and down his neck.

I grimaced at the image she put in my head whilst her friend shook in a silent laughter at my side.

He cleared his throat, orange shadows of embarrassment setting his head almost aflame like his face. “I am traveling down to Arynth, father has asked of me to discuss the new deal with—”

“There.” She rose a palm to interrupt him. “That’s where you lose me.”

“Jealous,” he bit back. “I, heir of Isjord is doing the important work.”

Was she not the heir? Silas intended to put an unblessed on the throne? Silas planning on retiring that soon from his crown, didn’t humans have seventy years of living at best?

She waited a moment and then blasted in a howling laughter, crouching her stomach till tears of amusement leaked from the corners of her eyes. “That would be my entertainment for weeks.”

“But you are,” he insisted, baring his teeth in a snarl.

“If it helps you sleep at night, half breed, I’ll even play dead for you. Do you not understand that you will wither away with your pathetic mortal life while my father will live to honour that blood crown for perhaps eternity?”