Royalty Fantasy Boxset: Ember Dragon Daughter & Hasley Fateless (Fated Tales Series 1 & 1.5) (The Fated Tales Series: YA Royalty Fantasy)

by Rebecca K. Sampson

  Before her stood the blonde woman from last night and Amir, the man Jedoriah claimed was her new captain of the guard. Her body felt like a creaking mess, stiff and tight. It had been a fitful night, bombarded by loud thoughts and dreams of fire and storms.

  “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to wake you.” The blonde, Cindrea, said.

  “It’s okay,” Ember replied. Though in truth, there was a lot that wasn’t okay right now. Cindrea had not left her alone last night, sleeping on a cot beside her bed. She wasn’t the only one. Ember also had guards stationed at her window and outside her door all night. She wasn’t left alone for a single moment.

  “Good morning,” Amir Captain said, though he didn’t look like he had slept at all. He had seemed nice, much more so than Zhieve, Jedoriah’s captain. The jacket Amir had given her still lay in a heap on the bathroom floor from the night before. He seemed to have found a replacement. However, before he’d had the silver dragon pin—two wings joined together to make a circlet. Now, his pin was gold with a shield hanging from the bottom. Ember wondered how he felt about his new purpose name. Did he want this responsibility?

  “Dragonia, how about I help you get ready? We have to leave shortly,” Cindrea said. Ember winced at the nickname.

  “But it already happened. What does it matter now?” Five-year-old Ember whined.

  “Dragonia, we must not repeat those same mistakes,” she would explain patiently, despite having this conversation with Ember weekly. Echoris was always more level-headed with Ember, while Julimore took everything with a dire seriousness.

  “Okay,” Ember replied, feeling awkward in the large t-shirt she had been given to sleep in. She would wear anything, as long as it were longer. She pulled the comforters closer around her, a useless barrier between her and the people that were keeping her from fleeing the room.

  Now that Ember could see her in brighter lighting, the morning peeking in from the balcony window, Cindrea’s age was more apparent. By firelight, she had seemed only a few years older than Ember. But in the daylight, she could see that Cindrea was at least ten years older. Possibly more. Her nose was small and pointed with a small hump to it, and her skin was smooth and a little shiny. Her age shown in her eyes with subtle wrinkles Ember interpreted as wisdom. She wasn’t sure how or why, but it seemed to her like Cindrea had been through trials.

  But Ember herself had also been through trials, and it didn’t look like this period of challenges was going to stop anytime soon. Overwhelm was quickly filling her body, shaking her core. This was real. They were taking her away from her home. Her gut twisted into knots.

  “I’ll be right outside if you need me,” Amir called, stepping into the hall. The door was left ajar and Ember could hear him whispering something to the other guard on duty.

  “How about a bath?” Cindrea asked Ember, walking to the connected bathroom. Ember stared back at her from the bed.

  “I’d rather not. Just give me some clothes, please,” she replied, immediately bringing her hand up to her covered chest. Cindrea’s eyes followed the movement.

  “We are going to be spending a lot of time together. You might as well get used to it now,” she said.

  “Why is that?” Ember asked. She curled her toes under the covers, rooting herself and pretending she had more choices than she did.

  Seeming to consider the situation again, Cindrea nodded before saying, “Let’s start fresh. Everything was a little hectic last night.”

  Cindrea dropped into a curtsy, and as she came up, she said, “I am now your lady in waiting, Cindrea Waiting. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess.” She must have received a purpose change too.

  “I’m Ember,” Ember replied in a soft voice. “I don’t think I need a lady in waiting.”

  “You are the Dragon Daughter. Trust me when I say you’ll want someone by your side daily. I’ll be your confidant,” Cindrea replied, taking Ember’s hands into her own. Her hands felt soft, as warm as the blanket, but Ember reflexively flinched at the touch. Cindrea noticed, observations being one of her prized skills.

  “How is everyone so sure that I’m the Dragon Daughter?” Ember asked, pulling away her hands and folding them into the covers. More and more of her was curling back into the bed, feeling the quivering fear of the unknown.

  “Jedoriah Knight felt it,” Cindrea said matter-of-factly.

  “What? Felt it how?” Ember asked, confused by what that would mean.

  “You were snatched from the Queen before you could meet your father, so he never experienced the blessing bond. He had that feeling last night,” Cindrea told her with an unblinking expression before she turned away and walked into the bathroom. Cindrea poured water into the tub. When did they bring that into her room?

  “What’s a blessing bond?” She called.

  Cindrea’s head popped out of the room again.

  “When you meet your child for the first time, Mutrien shares with you the bonding feeling. It’s similar to the fating, so you know your child’s true heart.”

  “I didn’t feel anything,” Ember responded, hoping that meant something.

  “I don’t know if children feel it too…” Cindrea pondered. “Most of the time children aren’t separated from their family, so parents typically feel the bond on the day a child is born. Babies don’t remember birth, so I don’t know if that’s a mutual feeling. Anyway, some of the guards asked Jedoriah last night how he knew for sure, and he explained how he felt.”

  She fiddled with her hair as the sentence drifted off before grabbing the robe from beside Ember’s bed and going back into the bathroom. Pouring water was heard again, and Ember looked down at the hands that twisted and pulled the bedding fabric. All she had felt was fear when she laid eyes on Jedoriah Knight.

  Her moms wouldn’t have done this to her. They were kind-hearted people who wanted to protect her. She loved them, and she knew that love was real.

  But Ember hesitated as she finally stood up from the bed, following Cindrea into the bathroom. She knew her family. She knew who she was. It didn’t matter what the Knight of the realm said, right?

  Cindrea threw in oils and different bubbling agents. The water began to fizzle and turn cloudy before bubbles filled the surface. Her muscles began to relax as she looked at the bath, but she didn't make a move.

  At Ember’s nervous look, Cindrea sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned around to give Ember privacy.

  “So you think it’s true, that I’m the Dragon Daughter?” Ember asked Cindrea as the water splashed around her. The bath was just as wonderful as she imagined. Ember knew that Cindrea already believed she was, so she wasn’t sure why she bothered asking her outright. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the tub and realized why she asked. She hoped for a different answer. Ember wanted that validation from someone living.

  The water held Ember loosely, the darkness behind her lids a comfort. Ember submerged her own head beneath the water of the tub, wetting her hair. She heard the response from above it, her ears clogging as she became enveloped. The response jarred her, despite the hollowing sound that came from hearing it below water.

  “Without a doubt.”

  “Traveling to the castle will take a day and a half if we leave now,” Cindrea provided as she handed a toweled Ember a pile of clothes to wear. Ember clutched the clothing to her chest as the towel did not reach high enough. They were items from Cindrea’s own closet, thankfully high collared. She didn’t think she could handle anyone else staring at her chest.

  When she put the clothes on, Ember was happily surprised to find she actually liked the outfit. It featured long black suede boots over grey trousers and a high collar beige blouse. She felt comfortable, and the clothes were finer than she was used to. Her dress from the day before was not worth saving.

  Ember wondered what Amlin thought when she didn’t come back. More so, what Hasley thought. She’d have to send them a note at her next stop.

  “Can I send a letter to
someone, so they know I’m leaving?” She didn’t want Hasley to worry, especially when she was leaving with no warning. Julimore and Echoris could have been wrong. Having scales wouldn't be a problem to the royal family, Ember hoped, and she could lead a normal life. She'd move to another province, and maybe Hasley would come with her. Ember would pretend this was a dream, her scales representing nothing but a deformity. No beastly gift. No curse. No scales. A dream life by comparison.

  Ember didn’t know how to feel about the blessing bond Jedoriah had felt, but it must have been a mistake. Once she got to the castle, the Queen would sort things out. While they hadn’t known each other personally, Julimore and Echoris had worked close to the palace tutoring children of the royal guard. The queen could remember them and want to help her.

  “Of course, once we get to the palace. Right now it’s a little too chaotic to send mail. We don’t want it tampered with,” Cindrea responded. Cindrea tugged out more stubborn knots from Ember’s hair. When she braided it back into a face-framing style, Ember almost smiled into the mirror. She never imagined her hair could look so pretty. She immediately turned red. She had never paid attention to her looks before. It felt uncomfortable, almost shameful, to care about it now.

  “Why chaotic?” Ember asked, circling her thoughts back to the statement.

  “Everyone knows we’ve found you. The streets have been celebrating,” Cindrea said.

  Ember’s body froze. If the people believed she was the Dragon Daughter already, how would that affect the Queen's opinion? Would they find out she wasn't the Princess and then kill her for not being the answer to their prayers?

  “How?” she whispered, looking at Cindrea from the mirror.

  “The innkeeper knew, so her pair must know. The staff also saw you, so their pairs would know, their children as well. These things spread,” Cindrea replied with a nonchalant shrug, used to the way that news travels with the royal family.

  “Alright, let’s go.” Cindrea gestured to the guards.

  The five guards positioned around her room grabbed the bags Cindrea had prepared for Ember. They held a mismatch of other people’s clothing and items, a temporary solution to clothing while they traveled. The guards corralled Ember into the middle of their group and she noticed Amir drop her satchel in with the other bags. She hadn't noticed him pick it up when she ran from them yesterday. Ember’s steps stalled. Her movements were clunky as the implications laid in on her.

  The queen wouldn’t want to let the people down, but she would hopefully want to find out the truth about her daughter more than that. That is, assuming she didn’t already know what happened to her daughter. For all Ember knew, the truth was too horrible to share.

  Filing outside the inn, Ember watched as Jedoriah bid farewell to the innkeeper from the substitute rooms they used, as well as saying goodbye to the one whose inn now had a few char marks. Ember didn’t meet either pair of eyes, feeling guilty about the fire. People were lined up at the ends of the row of inns, trying to come closer. Occupants even peeked from the other inn windows. The number of royal guards seemed to grow overnight. They blanketed the street, keeping citizens clear.

  Cindrea pulled her away from her observations. “Our carriage, Dragonia.”

  "Ember," she corrected with a snap. She did not welcome this familiarity. As nice as she was this morning, Cindrea was still a stranger.

  Drawing their rather large carriage was a bull-like beast with stunted wings and a rough hide as tough as armor. Ember paused in front of the creature, reaching her arm hesitantly toward it.

  “Be cautious,” Amir called as he drew up their rear. The warm honey eyes of the creature seem to beckon to her. Ember slowly pet the creature behind the ears, guiding her hand lower to stroke over the wings. She could tell from the way they clamped that they could not open. An animal with the instinct to fly that could not.

  “Embrence, in the carriage,” Jedoriah commanded as he passed. He climbed into his own carriage ahead of theirs. The anchoris flanking that carriage seemed to look at her, observing her petting his brother.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Ember whispered to the anchoris, running her hand behind his ears. Its eye twinkled at her, and he made a squeaking happy sound, tilting his head to move into the scratching. His happiness shattered a chamber in Ember’s chest. It didn't seem like he got that attention often.

  Ember sat down in the carriage and turned away from the window to address Cindrea. They were the only two on the red cushioned seats.

  “Jedoriah Knight seems...” She was unsure what word to use. Cindrea caught her meaning quickly.

  “Intimidating, impatient, a little cruel?”

  “Yes,” Ember said.

  Cindrea smiled, pushing a strand of platinum hair behind her ear and adjusting her grey dress. Purple thread accented her curves with each nip and tuck of the fabric. It looked expensive.

  “He is all those things, but he is also a proud man. He wants what’s best, and he mostly knows what’s best,” Cindrea said.

  “Mostly?” Ember questioned, her right eyebrow quirking as the carriage began to rumble forward.

  “No one is infallible. Least of all Jedoriah Knight.” She rolled her eyes and Ember wanted to laugh. Could she say that about her monarch? Cindrea seemed oddly comfortable with challenging him.

  “It’s great to get to know you, Embrence Dragon Daughter,” Cindrea said with a smile.

  “My name is Ember,” she replied again. She did not like having to repeat herself on something as important as her name.

  “How do you know?” Cindrea patiently asked.

  “It is the name I have always had.” Ember didn’t understand the question.

  “Have there been people in your life other than your mothers that were there? People that saw your blessed mom pregnant? Do they have any other family?” Cindrea gestured around them as if the empty jostling carriage were proof that there was no one else involved in Ember’s life.

  “My moms were orphans,” Ember replied, offended by Cindrea’s judgment of her family.

  “Convenient,” Cindrea pronounced slowly.

  That word again. Ember wanted to slap her. Ember didn’t see how her not having an extended family proved she was a missing Princess. Her mothers had no family, that was that. She ignored the woman and turned to the warmth of the window, laying her head down.

  The carriage stopped, and Ember jolted forward. How long had it been?

  “Why’d we stop?” Ember asked as she stretched her legs out in front her, pushing out kinks in her neck and back with a little twist. She felt grateful her scales were covered, as it would have been hard to sleep so soundly otherwise.

  “It’s dinnertime, Dragon Daughter,” Cindrea said, standing up in the tall carriage.

  “Already?” Ember rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Outside her window was a still forest.

  “Yes, you seemed to need more rest, so we didn't disturb you for lunch.” She picked up something from a basket on the floor.

  “Here.” She handed Ember a thermos. “Have some hot chocolate, the night is growing colder.”

  Ember accepted the thermos and took a sip. The heat from the treat warmed her hands. Thoughts nudged her. Acceptance that it wasn’t at all what she had been lead to believe crept into her subconscious. It was as if her sleep betrayed her, putting clues together. Ember pledged then and there that no matter what happened and what she uncovered on this crazy journey, that she would still think of the happy moments with her moms.

  “Dragon Daughter.”

  She turned, finding Amir waiting at the opening of the carriage.

  “Captain,” she replied back, not moving from her seat.

  Amir gestured for her to join them outside of the cabin. She picked up the velvet cloak and joined them under the night sky. A happy sigh escaped Ember’s lips as she took in the darkness and the shadowed trees surrounding their camp. The twilight of stars was her favorite thing about their world, with the exception of
the ocean she and many others had not touched.

  “Are we stopping for the night?” Ember asked as she followed Amir to the fire pit.

  “Yes, we passed the local inns in this province so we could gain more time. If we camp here, we’ll be at the palace by mid-morning.”

  Reaching the fire, she stopped to find only two free spots available, both in close proximity to the Knight. Ember was beginning to dislike Jedoriah more than she did before she knew him. As the right hand and fated pair the Dragon Queen, he helped influence everything that happened in this city.

  So much had gone against her and the citizens of Ashkadance, that many were feeling the sting of resentment. Each year, the people grew poorer, the Fateless grew in number, and the rebels became more of a threat. It didn’t help that most of the mistreatment of the Fateless came from royal decree.

  “Hello, my Embrence.” He turned his brown eyes to her, ashen blue hair twinkling in the amber glow. Ember did not like his use of the term my.

  “Please call me Ember.” Ember did her best attempt at civility, even though she’d rather crawl away from the slither of his voice.

  “Of course. My apologies.” He nodded, not taking his eyes away from hers. “Sit. Please.” He gestured towards the seat beside him, scooting farther down the log.

  Ember obliged him, wrapping herself in the warmth of the flame and attempting to ignore the stares from the men around her. It was a losing effort.

  “Every night, my men and I tell a story around the fire. Tonight it’s my turn, so I thought I’d share the story of the Dragon King in celebration of finding you.”

  Ember gritted her teeth but did not reply. It’s an overplayed story, one every child hears from the moment they are born to the night they fall into the endless slumber. To some, it’s a favorite. To Ember, the child of two teachers that frequently visited the priestesses, it was shared too often for her to feel its intended impact. But maybe, she reasoned, there would be more detail if it came from the royal family.