Page 39 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

Esmeralda giggled in spite of herself, partly from her relief for being done with the dragon ride, and partly from watching how quick Phillippe was on his feet. For someone so large, he was still graceful. Phillippe was one of the biggest men she'd ever seen, even larger than Grayden, and much taller than her brother. Plus, he was wider than any man in her acquaintance, larger in the chest and shoulders. Phillippe made her feel small, yet protected in his embrace. In his arms, she felt there was absolutely nothing in this world that could harm her.

Phillippe held his arms out. “Jump, Sea Star,” he said. When a trace of unease rippled through her face, he chuckled. “I will always catch you,” he promised.

Esmeralda closed her eyes and slid off the large dragon, landing securely in Phillippe's arms. She opened her eyes, and his dark eyes met hers, the corner of his mouth ticked up slightly, as if he was amused. But instead of laughing, he bent his neck and then brought her up easily and kissed her on the mouth.

She was surprised because he rarely showed any sort of intimacy in front of his family and friends, preferring to save that type of behavior for behind closed doors or hidden in the garden. But she welcomed the exchange, bringing up her gloved hand to his cheek and stroking it lightly. She wasn't sure if it was left over from the stinging cold of the wind, or the heat of the desert, but she detected a bit of red in his cheeks.

Phillippe set her upright suddenly, as if he remembered they weren't alone, and then pulled off his cloak and gloves. “This desert is so blasted hot. Renya, are you sure you want to live here?”

“If it gets me away from you, I do,” she teased, sliding easily off of Beauty's back before Grayden could try to help her down. She petted the dragon with a soft fondness, just as Brutus and Berline landed on the other side.

Selenia's cheeks were pink and she was yammering on excitedly, but Sion looked like he might be sick. Esmeralda felt a great rush of sympathy towards him, knowing that she felt the same way.

As usual, Renya's Aunt Agatha had a stern look on her face, and it seemed as if Cressida had been gagged at some point along the journey. Her mouth was pressed shut, and her body was obviously shackled by magical bondage.

“What happened?” Renya inquired, a slight tone of exasperation in her voice.

“Nothing really. She just annoyed me.”

Cressida appeared to be struggling against her entanglement, but no one moved to free her.

“I have half a mind to leave her on that dragon,” Agatha said roughly.

Before anyone could agree, the gates to the city swung open, and several soldiers with golden breast plates and shiny helmets marched out. In the middle, with his arms outstretched, was King Cyrus.

“Renya,” he bellowed excitedly, looking for his daughter. She went to him quickly, and before she could say anything, he pulled her into a giant hug.

Esmeralda watched Renya’s expression, and she knew from the fake annoyance her friend showed, she was secretly pleased to have such a doting father. Esmeralda was happy for Renya, even though it pained her a bit to see such a happy pairing.

It made her miss her own parents so much more. Sometimes at night she woke up, with the sensation of water surrounding her, almost as if she was drowning. The dreams plagued her, and she attributed it to her fear of her parent's deaths. Triston didn't talk about it much, but she knew that they had both drowned. She was young, but still carried memories of both her parents. Her father was strict, but fair. Her mother was the light of their kingdom, planning balls and seeing to their citizens. She was much beloved, and Esmeralda had tried hard to fill her shoes. But she was shy, and there hadn't been much room for joy in their kingdom after her parents' deaths.

Once Cyrus had hugged Renya, he welcomed them all into his city. He patted Grayden on the back heartily, and they exchanged something in hushed whispers that Esmeralda couldn't quite make out. Grayden put his arm around Renya, and they walked past the gates of the city. Cyrus approached Agatha and they shook hands, then they both turned towards Cressida, exchanging quick words.

“Come on, Esmeralda,” Phillippe said, grabbing her hand. “Let them figure out what to do with that witch. I want to change. I'm sweating to death.” He pulled off his shirt, and Esmeralda stared. His chest shimmered with sweat, the large scar on his side only enhanced the sight before her.

Perhaps they should go for a swim, too, she thought.

Esmeralda mindlessly unpacked the small bag she had brought with her. There wasn't much she had wanted to take with her, and she knew that she wouldn't need much in the way of warm clothing, which made packing light even easier. She pulled out a few dresses and hung them in her closet, glad to get some use out of her Tidal Kingdom wardrobe. She looked out the window of the castle, and watched as a group of men rehung a large steel door. It made her wonder how her brother was getting along at the Twilight Kingdom. Since the Tidal Kingdom was unscathed, she was glad that they could spare their men and resources to help with their kingdom. She hadn't heard from Triston, which wasn't that unusual, but he did keep her apprised of anything to do with their kingdom, so she was surprised she hadn't had any correspondence.

She finished unpacking her rather meager bag, and then opened the door to her guest room and peered out into the hall. There was no one around, so she decided to make her way downstairs for dinner by herself. King Cyrus had planned a banquet in honor of his returning daughter, and Esmeralda didn't want to take a chance at being late.

She passed the burgundy and gold tapestries on the walls, thinking how different all the kingdoms were, each with their own unique personalities. After a few more steps, the sound of Phillippe's voice caught her attention from down the hall. She hurried towards the door, eager to see if he wanted to go explore the city with her tomorrow.

“She's not like the other women I've been with...”

Phillippe's words stopped her steps and she immediately slunk into the shadows, just a few steps away from the open door.

“Isn't that a good thing?” It was Sion. And they appeared to be having a conversation... about her. Esmeralda knew she shouldn't spy, but her feet seemed as if they were cemented to the ground. Here was her chance to see what Phillippe felt for her.

“Yes and no.”

His words felt like a punch in the gut. All the blood drained from her face, and she tried to drown out his words. It must be a misunderstanding.

“How so?” Sion's question reverberated in her head as she waited for Phillippe's response.

“I just—I hate feeling this way. Especially about her.”

Tears sprung from her eyes, but she forced herself to stay still, to hear more.

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