Ember

“That’s it!”

I woke with a start. Turning around, I saw Rosaline sitting up in bed. Her hair fell over her shoulders in a shining wave. I wanted to stroke it and play with it so badly. She was beautiful.

“What’s it?” I asked, scooting over and reaching a hand up to play with a strand of her hair.

“I finally remembered who Lord Manchester is,” she said, smiling at me.

I stiffened. “How do you know that name?”

Rosaline rolled out of the bed and went to her closet to take out a suit. “I have dreams, sometimes. I had one that told me you were coming here. I had a couple others about your past. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I didn’t think I could do anything about it until now. Lord Manchester has your sister.”

The blood was rushing to my head and my hands were shaking. “You know where my sister is? He has her?”

“Yes,” she said, coming back over to cup my face with her hands. “I’ll help you get her back. I know how much she means to you.”

I shook my head. “Why would you do that for me? You barely know me, and I barely know you.”

“You did trust me to drink from you,” she reminded me. “And I’m tired of sitting around this place doing nothing. You’re the first person in years who sees me for who I am, and I want to return the happiness you’ve given me.”

“You’ll really help me get my sister back?” I asked, staring up at her.

“I swear I will help you get your sister back,” Rosaline said, setting a hand on my shoulder.

Hesitantly, as if she was afraid I would pull away, she leaned in and kissed me. It was a short kiss, but just as sweet.

When she pulled away, she was grinning from ear to ear.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re so amazing, and lovely,” Rosaline said, and her words made my heart flutter in joy.

“Thank you,” I said, rising from the bed and giving her a kiss before she could move.

“Oh...um…” she stuttered, biting her lip. Cute.

“Can I borrow some trousers and a shirt?” I asked, smiling at her.

Rosaline shook her head, regaining her composure. “Of course. What would you like to wear?”

She gestured towards her open closet, which had several outfits, most of which were a darker shade, like black or maroon.

“Hides stains better,” she responded when I looked at her questioningly.

Nodding in understanding, I chose a shirt and trousers from her closet and quickly put them on.

“So, how are we going to get there?” I asked Rosaline, tucking the last bit of my shirt into my pants.

“Ah, yes. There’s a small wolf pack farther north that we can ride to. They own a shipping company. We’ll be able to ride on the ships,” she replied, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears.

“Couldn’t you just fly us there?” I suggested, bending over to stretch.

When I looked back up, she was shaking her head.

“I’m too easy to spot as a dragon. I have no kind of invisibility or cloaking, and if I flew high enough to where they couldn’t see us, you wouldn’t be able to breathe.”

I nodded in understanding. “Then let’s do it your way.”

* * *

Rosaline

I thought my heart was going to melt.

Ember looked good in everything, and seeing her in my clothes was like day had finally broken and the sun was shining. She was my sun, drawing me towards her.

Ember’s skill with the horse was unparalleled. She handled the equipment like she was born to ride.

Honestly, her confidence in herself was sexy as hell.

When we were about to leave, she threw on a pair of back scabbards, each containing a sword with a curved blade.

“Where did you get these?” I asked, lightly touching the strap of the scabbard.

Ember smiled at them over her shoulder. “My mother. These were hers. She was a pretty famous dueler.”

“I’ve never seen this kind of blade before. May I?” I asked, pointing at the sword.

“Of course,” Ember said, drawing the blade and handing it to me hilt first.

I took it and examined the blade.

It was clear that it had been expertly forged, with the metal being among the strongest I had ever seen. Despite its strength, the blade was also very flexible, which meant it wouldn’t be prone to breaking. The blade itself was made for slicing, not thrusting, and the curved shape would help deflect attacks with less effort from the wielder.

“Your mother must have been a true master,” I said, handing her the blade. “Do you know where she had them forged?”

Ember shook her head. “Not exactly. All she would ever tell me is that her clan was the only peoples that used these blades.”

“She didn’t tell you about your heritage?” I asked as she led Sundancer out of the stables.

Shaking her head, she swung into the saddle. “No, mom was always very secretive about her past before our father. We never knew anything.”

“What did your mother look like?” I asked, swinging up into the saddle behind her.

“Pretty similar to me, except her hair was cropped close to her head and she was a lot more muscular than I am,” Ember said, tapping her heels against Sundancer’s sides to get him moving.

I pondered what she had said as we walked out of the gate, which clanged shut behind us as Ember turned Sundancer’s head north.