Page 22 of Tricky Princess
“It’s been a day, Azzy; my heart hasn’t warmed to the situation yet.”
Azzy, she repeated, liking that nickname.
“Azzy?” he questioned with a raised brow.
“Azzy.” She raised her glass.
He clinked his with hers, and they began to eat the meal he’d plated for both of them.
“Why don’t you talk about Ros’ mother?”
They had finished eating and were now seated in two wingback armchairs by the warm fire. Their conversation was light besides Azzy trying to talk her into training with him after breakfast. He seemed to have some insight on her magic and wanted to see if it was as powerful and adaptable as he remembered from other witches. Or if she had more than what he remembered.
He let out a long sigh. “What is there to say?”
“Anything. Ros never spoke of her. Duhne ignored it and bit off the head of the creepy redhead we met when she brought her up.”
“Her loss is something we all still feel, even after a thousand years.”
His eyes grew distant, and she worried she’d brought up something too sad, too painful, but he continued.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed that us kings don’t have any spouses.”
Ellea nodded.
“Esmeray lasted the longest. We almost thought she wouldn’t be plagued by the curse whose darkness hangs over this castle. My wife was the mother figure for all of the heirs. And with all the love she had, none of them went without feeling important. She was also as fierce as she was caring. Before I whisked her away to this realm, she was a powerful witch in your realm, one of the very first and last chaos witches.”
Ellea’s heart felt so heavy from the love pouring into his words. He continued, telling amazing stories of how she’d fought in the earlier wars and times she’d battled for supernatural rights well before her time. With each tale, it was easy to see how magnificent and strong she’d been. No wonder he was still mourning the loss. Poor sweet and broody Ros.
“Wait.” He had finished one passionate tale, but Ellea had questions before he started another. “If everyone comes to Hel, why can’t she be back here? Why are you mourning her?”
“It doesn’t work like that. Hel has its rules, and those who come here are at peace and resting. Even I, a king, cannot disturb that.”
“That’s dumb.”
He barked a laugh. “There is a lot you need to learn, which brings me back to helping you learn more about your power.”
“Can’t this be a vacation while I wait for my knight in shining armor to save me?” She didn’t actually mean it. With the little she had already learned and read, she knew there would be no rest. She was eager for knowledge and to understand everything about Hel and the Gods. Maybe she even wanted to learn about her powers from the King of the Gods while she waited for her savior.
Azzy gave her a long look as if he could read her weighing the options in her mind. So she rolled her eyes and gave in.
“When do we start?”
9
Ellea
THIRD DAY IN HEL
This was awkward. Or that’s what she thought it should be as Azzy twirled her around his sitting room. She did her best not to trip on her feet yet again. When they had talked about training, she had expected the Rosier version with swords and daggers, forcing her to control and use her magic while exhausted and her hands were full. Her hands were full now, her right placed in Azzy’s hand and her left gripping his shoulder. He was practically holding her up.
“Focus. I can see your mind working.”
She grumbled at herself, trying to remember to slide her left foot back as he made a half turn. “Why—” Her toe caught the rug, and she let out a hiss.
“Don’t stop, keep trying.”
“What kind of sick training is this?” She winced as she stepped on his foot for the tenth time. He didn’t show a hint that it bothered him, only continued guiding her through the movements. “The King of the Gods is giving me dancing lessons? I expected magic and fighting—anything but this.”
