Page 39 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

Ash cleared his throat, murmuring a brief apology before casting Alina a mischievous glance. She arched a brow, but before she could scold him, the doors swung open once more. Straightening instinctively, Alina felt something light land on her hand. Without drawing attention to herself, she discreetly wiped it against the fabric of her dress. Then, lifting her gaze, she caught sight of a crumb at the corner of Ash’s mouth.

‘Ash,’ she whispered, trying to keep her lips sealed. ‘Wipe your mouth.’

He did as he was told, trying to make the gesture as unnoticeable as possible. The queen’s eyes sharpened, but she was quickly distracted by the appearanceof the wyverians. The court gasped at the sight of them.

Alina’s breath caught.

The wyverians were creatures of the night—living nightmares, sculpted from shadow and blue fire, moving with a predatory grace that commanded silence. There was something almost playful in the way they carried themselves, as if fully aware of the effect their sinewy forms and effortless confidence had on the room.

The first to emerge was the future queen. Her long, elegant body was wrapped in a gown that clung like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. Alina felt warmth creep up her neck at the sight.

Drakonians had always upheld modesty in their dress, ensuring that their bodies were well-covered. The wyverians, it seemed, followed no such rule.

Then came the secondborn, the one called Kai, his sharp features adorned with a wicked smile. He moved like liquid sin, winking at the ladies, tossing casual waves to those nearest, reveling in the reaction he provoked. His dark armour gleamed like embers pulled from the deepest pits of the earth, making his pale skin seem even more ghostly in contrast.

Then, his gaze found hers.

There was fire in those onyx eyes, a slow-burning intensity that sent a shiver through her. Alina turned away, unable to meet it any longer. It felt as though he were stripping her bare with nothing but his stare.

The third moved differently—rigid, emotionless, as if carved from ice. He was as striking as the others, but his beauty was cold, detached, eerily lifeless. If perfection in posture were a prize to be won, it would belong to him. This could only be Kage, the thirdborn of the wyverian royals.

A sudden blur of movement caught Alina’s eye. A crowswept into the hall, its wings silent as death as it descended to perch upon Kage’s right shoulder. Something about it was… wrong. The creature did not seem entirely solid, its form shifting at the edges, more ghost than bird.

And then the princess arrived.

A collective gasp rippled through the room, echoing off the marble walls, a sharp inhale of breath that sent a shiver through Alina’s spine. Even she could not stop her eyes from widening.

The princess’s dress could hardly be called such a thing. It barely covered her at all. Her exposed skin was the palest Alina had ever seen—so white it looked almost translucent, like untouched snow beneath a winter storm. But it was the black veins beneath her skin that unsettled her most.Wyverians bleed black instead of red,the stories had said. Alina twitched at the thought.

The gown was a shade of darkness so deep it seemed to swallow the light. Its fabric clung to her body, molding to every curve, the front scandalously short—barely reaching her knees.Madness!Alina thought, aghast. A princess had no place exposing her legs for the world to see. Yet it was the back of the dress that was most unusual. It spilt behind her in a trailing cascade, delicate as spider silk, forcing those near to step aside lest they risk treading upon it.

‘She’s too tall,’ Alina muttered and folded her arms, glaring at the wyverian princess as though she could shrink her with sheer willpower alone. Receiving no reply, she turned towards her brother, expecting him to at least acknowledge her grievances. But when her gaze landed on Ash, her breath caught. His golden eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, were fixed upon the princess—entranced, as if the very air between them had shifted, bending to her presence.

Alina’s irritation flared. ‘She’s practically walkingbarefoot,’ she added through gritted teeth, hoping the absurdity of the statement would snap him from his daze.

Still, no response.

Then, without a word, Ash stepped forward.

Down the dais.

Away from her.

And straight towards the wyverian princess.

…

Ash still wasn’t entirely sure what had compelled him to move. His legs carried him forward as if drawn by some unseen force, his focus narrowing on the girl before him. The court fell into hushed silence at his sudden movement, but Ash paid them no mind. His attention was fixed solely on the wyverian princess.

She had noticed his approach. He could see the subtle shift in her stance, the way her fingers twitched towards the hidden blade beneath her gown. She wasn’t entirely sure of his intentions.

Ash grinned.

He stopped inches from her and extended his hand.

Those purple eyes drifted downward, wary and calculating as they lingered on his open palm.

‘You’re meant to take it.’ His voice was somehow steady, though his pulse had quickened.

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