The Last
Denial

The pair spent the rest of the day wandering around the castle, Caldwin introduced her to everyone they came across and by the end of the day, the Princess was entirely overwhelmed and had forgotten precisely everything she had learned.

Cal only had two rules when it came to her whereabouts outside of their room. The first and most important, don’t go anywhere without Rollo or his guards, and the second being not to leave the palace grounds. Amira had agreed to his rules easily, simply happy that she could get out and about more during the days while he was away, and he was away a lot.

The following day’s Amira hardly saw Caldwin. Occasionally they would cross paths in a hallway and he would pause to say hello for only a few moments before being pulled away by some advisor or other. He still slept in a separate room as the Princess was still uncomfortable with the idea of spending the night with him. While she was having fun exploring, as the days wore on into weeks she was becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of time she was able to spend with her mate. Finally, as he had slipped into her room now, late one night she sat up from where she was laying in bed, causing the Prince to jump, as he thought she’d be asleep by now.

“You know I am a Princess too,” she stated baldly, shifting slightly to look at him in the dark. A soft sigh left his lips and the Prince hung his head as Amira pressed on, “I get this is your kingdom, but you could include me.” She added frustration starting to leak into her tone at being treated like a child when she was every bit the royal he was.

“I know,” he said, moving once more, crossing the room to his dresser to pick out various clothes. With his back turned to her he spoke again. “It’s just… difficult right now there’s a lot going on and you-” he stopped himself deciding to rephrase what he was about to say, “-they don’t trust you, and it’s shaken their trust in me.”

“So then let me prove myself,” she said standing and crossing the room to him crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly staring down his still turned back. “There’s a ball-”

“No. Absolutely not.” Cal cut her off before she could even finish her phase causing the Princess to hiss with displeasure.

“Fine.” she snapped at him. “Keep me hidden up here like your personal trophy.” She added, the malice in her words not truly directed at him, but more at the frustration of being penned up with nothing to do. Cal rolled his eyes and sighed annoyance digging at him as well as he turned to face her.

“It’s for your own safety,” he argued.

“I am perfectly capable of defending myself,”

“I said no.” Fire leapt into the room and this time it did not come from Amira. Caldwin’s eyes flared crimson as his flames danced around his feet, his temper finally getting the better of him. The exhaustion that dragged on him making his fuse shorter than usual.

“You think you can scare me into listening to you?” Amira demanded her own anger-rising temper wicked enough to match his. Her flames wrapped around her arms illuminating her furious face. “I am not some delicate creature that needs protecting,” she hissed. “You forget I survived a long time outside of this place before I met you.”

“Yes and when I met you you were walking straight into your own execution!” His voice rose with every word, his flames rising higher to match.

“Why can’t I go?” She pressed him, taking a step forward, the heat of the two of them causing the temperature in the room to rise several degrees and a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead, but her gaze was unfaltering as she pinned the Prince to his place.

“Because. I said. No.” his anger was boiling to a near-breaking point.

“That’s not a fucking reason,” Amira snapped, “you’re just being a coward,” she snarked. A bad choice, a very bad choice in wording. Clearly, that struck a deep chord as the Prince’s gaze glazed over and Amira wasn’t exactly sure if it was her mate looking back at her or the alpha.

“Get. away,” his voice was tense, strained as if he was restraining himself. “Get away from me right now.” Amira did the exact opposite. She took a step forwards into his flames, shielding herself with her own, and reached forwards to place a hand on his cheek. Her eyes flared violet as she allowed herself to look into his crimson ones and not shy away from him.

“No,” she growled stubbornly, “you don’t scare me.” The fight that had been within him sputtered out. His flames died down and vanished. Cal seemed to deflate as he reeled that raw consuming power back within himself. He swallowed dryly and looked away from Amira, gaze dropping to the floor. He took a step past her, and then another, walking away towards the door without another word. He paused right before he left however and without turning back he said softly, “You’re right.” Amira took a step after him, going to call him back, but he was already gone.

~

The next day came and went without any surprises. The following day did as well. She hadn’t seen or heard from Caldwin since their argument. The ball was coming up soon, Rue would come by and tell her all about it, well mostly he would complain, but Amira was happy to talk to him, she missed her friend. He’d been away on classified business, but had brought back a small gift for the Princess in the form of a pastry from a distant land which she greatly enjoyed.

She and Rollo were back to normal as if nothing had happened between them. She brought Josie around with her everywhere she went naming the girl her honorary lady in waiting which the girl protested too greatly, but Amira would have none of it. The trio became quite a close-knit group. They explored together, played games, attempted to make food, among other things. She never saw the Princess or the eldest Prince. She didn’t know how she missed them. Now that she had freedom of the whole castle she was frequently out and about, but somehow she hadn’t come across them.

After an eventful morning attempting to assist with the laundry, the trio made their way laughing and joking back to Amira’s room as they now all referred to it. She had been hit with a wave of exhaustion, or at least that’s what she had told her friends. In all honesty, she simply had caught sight of a young boy running to his mother in the laundry room and had immediately felt ill. Making her excuses she slipped into her bedroom and closed the door.

She felt like a zombie. She moved slowly as she made her way to the bed, no longer having to pretend for the sake of her friends, and collapsed onto the mattress. She curled up in a tight ball and closed her eyes against the pain that lanced through her heart. The guilt and sadness ate her alive until she was panting softly silently crying into the sheets. She silently called out for her own mother the emptiness within her rising up and threatening to consume her. It took a long time, but finally, the emotions drained away her energy, and the Princess accidentally fell asleep.

~

The sound came, a low rumbling boom before the doors were blown open by an explosion of fire, the glass leading to the balcony shattered completely as fire surged out of the small space of the bedroom. Rollo was moving before conscious thoughts had even formed in his head. He ran to the doorway, but quickly slid to a stop throwing his arm up to shield his face as the heat from the flame was singing the hair’s on his arms just by getting close.

He peered into the flame as he noticed it wasn’t expanding, and it wasn’t truly burning. It fully encompassed the space, yet nothing within the room had been damaged and there was no smoke to be seen. In the epicenter of the flame, the Princess laid on the bed, asleep. Her face twisted now and then in unpleasant expressions, but other than that she seemed relatively calm.

“What are you waiting for boy?” An old commander questioned as he limped up to his side, the man had come to visit the Princess. Another Druhan Rider who’d lived far longer than any other had after their dragon had fallen. He was supposed to be a surprise for the Princess and now he was barking orders at him?

“The fire,” he pointed out blandly gesturing to the raging inferno separating them.

“Won’t hurt you,” the old man tsked, “have you truly been living with these shadow folk long enough that you’ve forgotten your own kind?” Rollo blinked in surprise but did as he was told and moved forwards. He winced slightly in anticipation of the pain that never came. He slowly opened his eyes and he was surrounded by her flame, but it peeled away from him as if she didn’t want to hurt him. It was hot, deathly so, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He moved forwards quickly not wanting to waste his time in case this was a fluke.

“Princess, Princess wake up,” he said urgently from beside her. She did not stir. A soft moan of despair left her lips as Rollo tried again. “Amira! Wake up!” he demanded, still, no reaction, finally he set his hands on both her shoulders and shook her. “Wake up!” he urged her, and wake up she did.

Eyes snapping open pure violet and slit like a reptile Amira snapped up the flames winking out of existence as quickly as they came. She threw Rollo off of her by slamming a palm into his chest sending him flying back across the room into the opposing wall. He scrambled to his feet in time to see the Princess sit up more fully. Her wings tore through the fabric of her shirt jumping into existence, scales formed along her skin rapidly, and her talons punched out of her hands sharp and dangerous. Had the enchanted cuff not been on her wrist there was a very real chance she could’ve completely shifted and hurt herself tremendously.

Rollo approached the end of the bed and Amira lunged at him, lips pulled back and fangs exposed. She snapped at the air in front of him before drawing back slightly up to her full height, a warning. Rollo knew this beast in front of him was no longer his friend. She snaked slightly flaring out her wings and posturing as she weaved back and forth preparing to strike at him again and drive him away, but before she did Rollo began to speak.

A soft and steady chant that grew more powerful as he went on the words coming to him from a time in which he trained in the mountains, but also from someplace within him as if his very soul knew how to communicate with the beast in front of him. His words were of no known language to this world, having long been forgotten at the extinction of the Druheran race. Amira hissed flashing her teeth at him, but she didn’t lunge, instead, the beast seemed intrigued, inquisitive now as it listened to his offer its praises and calming words in their lilting hissing mangled tongue.

His words picked up tempo and intensity and Amira sank back into the bed sitting heavily eyelids drooping slightly her head bobbed as she fought the sleep that rose up to claim her as Rollo continued his chant he moved forwards pressuring the Princess to lean back further to sink into the pillows, not stopping in his speech for a moment.

There was a brief moment where her violet eyes met his gaze and something deep within him just clicked. He only stopped speaking after her eyes had drifted shut, her wings and scales had vanished and her breathing returned to normal.

His own breathing was ragged and sweat dripped off his body from every pore, the effort that had taken was immense. He only looked up from the Princess at the slow clapping that came from the doorway.

“Well done boy,” the old man said with a faint smile on his lips.

“How-how did I?” Rollo stuttered panting and out of breath.

“How do you think?” He raised an eyebrow.

“What did I do?” Rollo asked, realizing he needed more specific answers from half-crazed the male.

“You have a dragon’s tongue boy, a wonderful gift.” The man said stepping into the room and approaching the sleeping Princess, but still staying far enough back as he noticed Rollo tense. “You charmed her, effectively won over the beast, and convinced it that the Princess was safe, you were quite clever actually, playing to its pride,” the man chuckled seeming more coherent than he ever had with Rollo in the past, “I haven’t seen that it well over 40 years, amazing. The two of you will make a formidable bonded pair.”

“What did you just say?” Rollo said head snapping up quickly from where he had been looking at the ground attempting to catch his breath,

“Ah you hadn’t noticed,” he said nodding walking back towards the door, “it makes sense, your instincts are so deeply buried.” he narrowed his eyes as he looked back to Rollo who had straightened up to face the man. “Well what I said was the two of you will make a formidable bonded pair,” he repeated himself simply smiling softly as he looked to the Princess one last time. “When she wakes, she likely won’t remember any of this, I suppose you can do with your new information what you please,” he mused, “however with the Crown Prince for a mate” he whistled lowly, “I would advise you tell her as soon as possible.” He tipped his hat to him, “good luck kid,” he said before leaving limping his way down the hall.

Rollo had half a mind to go after him, to demand more answers, but Amira began to stir slowly mumbling softly and stretching. Yawning she blinked open her golden eyes, surprised to see Rollo hovering nearby looking as though he’d seen a ghost.

“Hey,” she said with a gentle smile, eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion, “what are you doing here?” She asked, shifting to sit up feeling strangely sore.

“You had a nightmare Princess,” Rollo said finally snapping out of it moving over to come sit next to her on the side of the bed. Amira’s eyes quickly flicked around the room assessing for damage, but the only thing that had been harmed were the glass doors. “It’s alright,” he reassured her, seeming to have read her thoughts. “No one was hurt.”

A sigh of relief passed through her lips and she leaned forwards to press her forehead into his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she apologized quietly. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Rollo responded just as softly shifting to wrap his arm around her shoulders in a reassuring hug. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

“Not really,” Amira said with a tired huff sitting up straight once more sliding out of his grip just in time for Caldwin to come sweeping into the room. His features were twisted in a complex mix between anger and worry. He immediately moved towards Amira and Rollo stood about to move away to give them space but the Princess’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist holding him close. The Prince faltered in his step confused by this action and stopped short of approaching her.

“What happened?” Caldwin asked, looking at his Princess quickly scanning for signs of injury.

“Just a bad dream,” she said, an icy calm having spread over her features. “You can go back to whatever has been keeping your attention this past week.” Her voice held no emotion, her eyes were dead, lips set in a thin line.

“Don’t be like that,” Cal said in an exasperated tone, “you know I have things to attend to.”

“Yeah I know,” Amira rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, “And clearly they’re more pressing and important than me. So go attend to them,” she snapped a bit of her temper beginning to crawl into her voice.

“You’re being insufferable,” he said, throwing his hands into the air and walking away towards the door before turning back sharply and walking towards her again. “You know what?” He demanded his anger rising, “you do not get to treat me like this,” he snarled as he approached, “I’ve saved your life more times than you know and have fought tooth and nail for you since the day that I met you and this is the thanks I get?!” His eyes bled red and he was only a few steps away from the Princess when Rollo stepped directly in the line of his sight, placing himself between the Princess and the Prince.

“Get out.” His voice was tense and low, ice blue eyes filled with a quiet rage. The Princess, stunned, sat quietly on the bed as the two males squared up against each other. Typically Rollo would stand no chance against the Prince, but Amira had noticed something different in him since she woke up and the air around him seemed charged.

The Prince sensed it too. He stopped, staring down at his best friend, gazes locked in a silent battle of wills.

“She owes you nothing,” Rollo’s deep voice commanded the silent space.

“You’re really going to stand against me?” The Prince demanded ignoring his initial statement.

“For my Princess? Yes.” The silence that followed that statement was painful. Caldwin had always known of Rollo’s true heritage, but over the long years they had grown up together he had thought he’d earned the male’s complete trust, but this? He had never thought it would come to this. Watching the Crown Prince’s expression change from rage to sadness and rage again, Rollo explained himself, “you’re looking at this wrong Cal, we’re on the same side here.” He took a deep breath to steady his own racing heart. “You need to go cool down.”

“You don’t command me,” he snarled softly, but the fight had mostly left him, arguing only on principle alone.

“No. But I do,” Amira spoke up from her place seated on the edge of the bed. “And I agree. Don’t come back until you’ve dealt with whatever this is,” she said waving a hand in his general direction. She stood up and turned her back to him, crossing the room towards the broken glass of the balcony. When she looked back over her shoulder, the Prince was gone.

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