Sabine

"I liked Prince Fadir from Carsa. He isn't the crowned prince but he was the most fun to dance with." Princess Rosalie preened her hair in the oval, full-length mirror in the corner of her bedroom.

"Didn't Telasia recently take over Carsa? Does it matter who the crowned prince is?" I asked.

The princess laughed and tossed a look over her shoulder. "When my father conquers a nation, he doesn't destroy their government. The current monarchy remains intact. It helps the citizens stay safe and comfortable with the change."

I smoothed out the wrinkles in my skirt. Sitting in a corner of Rosalie's room was a step up from standing invisibly against the wall.

"So, there is still a king and crowned prince. They are loyal to my father and they abide by Telasia's laws but they remain in control of the local government." She turned back to the mirror and fluffed her strawberry hair.

"Would you like me to braid your hair?" I rose from my seat.

"No." The princess glared at me through her reflection. "You're here as my guest. As my friend."

"That's..."

"Cole is gone again and I like talking to you. Does it have to be more complicated?" She smiled through the mirror.

"No, I guess not." I nodded.

"Good. So, tell me what you thought of Prince Fadir."

"Which one was he, again?"

Princess Rosalie giggled. "He had the silver tassels on his cuffs and he wore the most beautiful, blue jacket I've ever seen. When the light struck it, it looked just like Morganna's scales."

"So, you liked him because of what he wore?"

She laughed again and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well, that's what attracted me to him. But he was a smooth dancer, like waves moving through the ocean. Besides... he said some really sweet things." Her cheeks turned a dark shade of crimson and she stepped away from the mirror.

"Oh, and what sweet things are appropriate for a prince to say to a princess at a formal gathering?"

Her flush spread down her neck and she shook her head.

I smiled and clasped my hands in my lap. Was this what it was like to have a friend?

The slave house I'd lived in was mostly men. My former master made sure none of them ever touched me. I was too valuable to him for that.

Some women slaves came and went but none ever spoke to me. I remembered their hunched backs, gnarled fingers, and gaps in their cruel smiles. They were worked to the bone, on their feet or flat on their back.

Absently, I touched my collar. I was saved from that existence but it also left me alone. The other slaves saw me as the master's favorite and resented me for getting better treatment.

"Will you marry him?" I asked the princess.

She shrugged. "If he asks my father, I won't object. Most princes are too intimidated to approach the Dragon of the Heart."

"Even for love?"

"Yeah, even for that." The princess sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. "But that's alright. If he's too cowardly to face my father, how will he ever face Morganna? She has to approve of anyone I marry, too."

From the parlor, I heard the blue dragon rustle her scales and yawn. The princess's face flushed even more.

"Morganna says that she doesn't think Prince Fadir will have a problem facing my father, or her."

"I hope she's right."

"Enough about me and my prince. I've barely gotten to see you since... you were captured. I feel kind of responsible." Rosalie bowed her head and traced nameless shapes on her bedspread.

"You're not. They came for me because of my old slave master. Not because of you or anything else!" I covered my mouth quickly. I didn't need to yell at the princess.

"Cole told me that. Still, if I hadn't dragged you out of the palace..."

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I scoffed. "Did he tell you that they already came for me once in the palace gardens? It doesn't matter where I was, they would have found a way to me."

Rosalie's eyes shone bright as they widened. "What did they want? My brother wouldn't tell me that."

I swallowed hard and hugged myself. "I don't know. I think they had my mother confused with someone else." It was the most I could say without giving away the troubling thoughts I'd had about my mother's relationship with the Stivalia royal family.

"Why didn't they track her down?"

"They can't... she passed away when I was young."

"I'm sorry, Sabine, I didn't know that."

Tears stung my eyes. I blinked them back and forced a smile to my lips. "The frustrating part is I might never know what they wanted from her if it was really her they were after, or who my mother was to draw that kind of attention."

Rosalie slipped off the bed and put her hand on my shoulder. "I know what it's like to have questions for a mother that will never get answered."

I covered her hand with mine and nodded.

I wound my hair around my hand and pinned it at the back of my head. Spending the day with Princess Rosalie was always entertaining, and exhausting. She was so high-spirited.

Knock. Knock.

I paused, my hands grasping the bedspread. Who would come calling on a slave this late? A lump formed in my throat as I unlatched the door.

A maid entered the room, her head down. "Lady Sabine, I present his Majesty, King Talis."

"Uhh..." I squeaked and stood straight, bowing my head as the king entered my quarters.

He was like a giant, tall, imposing, casting a shadow over everything. His presence took over my space entirely.

"You're Highness." I bowed at the waist. My robe hung loosely about my body and I quickly tightened the sash and tucked the edges closer to my body.

"Please, rise. I want to look at you."

I clenched and unclenched my hands at my sides. What would the king want from me this late at night?

He motioned to the maid and she bowed before backing out of the room. The door latch thundered through my quarters. I held my breath.

"What is it that my son has you do for him?"

"I..." my throat clenched. I swallowed. "I tend to his daily needs and keep his quarters clean, Sire."

The king frowned. "He treats you like a common servant. But you have so much more talent than that."

I nodded. "Prince Cole informed me upon arrival that that palace is full of accomplished mages and he would not need my magic, Your Majesty." I bowed slightly.

The king hummed and took a turn around the room. His eyes lingered on my bookshelf. "I shouldn't be surprised that he's squandered a gift such as yours." He sighed and shook his head.

I bit the inside of my cheek and kept my head down. There were so many reasons this visit from the king was inappropriate. At the Solstice dance, he wanted information about his son. Was he going to ask me to spy for him?

Was I in a position to refuse?

"Speaking of your abilities, what kinds of magic did your former master train you in?"

My heart hammered steadily against my chest. "I practiced many forms of magic for him, Majesty. He allowed me to study anything he thought was useful."

I didn't know what Prince Cole had told the king about my history and I wasn't about to give anything away that I wasn't sure the king already knew.

"I doubt a common thug like him would ever see your potential, either." The king took another turn about the room. "I take it you were raised in some hovel of a slave house and that the life you have now is a luxury you never imagined."

"That is true, Highness."

"And yet, my son keeps you here in this paltry dwelling. If you had something more useful to offer, magically speaking, I could see about upgrading your living conditions."

My hands trembled and I rubbed them against my thighs. My palms were cold and clammy. "My former master got rid of me because of a spell that went wrong. There isn't anything special about me, my king."

"You said that before. Are you trying to deceive me?" The king's voice hardened.

I glanced up and saw the hardened lines of his face. His hand inches from the sword that hung at his side.

I shook my head. "No, Sire. The royal mages are far more accomplished than I could hope to be."

"How can you know that when you've been shackled your whole life?" He grabbed my collar and lifted it, forcing me to tip my head back.

"I've never had formal training. What I do know, I taught myself, Your Majesty."

"Hmph." He released the collar and turned his back to me.

I let out a slow breath. I could understand if he wanted me to report back to him on Prince Cole. The two didn't have a great relationship. Why was the king so interested in me and my magic?

"I'd like to see what you're capable of." He snapped his fingers at me.

"My apologies, Sire, but the collar prevents me..."

"Right, right." He flicked his wrist at me. "I suppose my son is the only one who knows that release word?"

"Yes, Highness, as far as I know."

"He does like his secrets." The king's words were partially muffled as he stroked his beard. I didn't think he was talking to me. "Come here." He waved me over.

I clasped my hands behind my back and approached the king. He took my collar again and leaned in, inspecting it with twinkling eyes. He hummed from time to time and cleared his throat once.

"Well, it looks like the standard mage slave collar. Your former master didn't have it spelled or tweaked, did he?"

"I do not know, Your Highness."

"How could you be expected to?" He sighed heavily and turned away from me again. The king mumbled under his breath and shook his head. "You see the situation my son put you in. The only way for you to show me what you're capable of is for him to give you permission."

"Prince Cole is my master, Your Majesty."

"Ha! He wants to stifle your talents. Keep you from reaching your potential. No matter..." he mumbled something else under his breath.

I stared at the back of the king's head. A small bald spot gleamed in the low lighting just beneath his crown.

"We'll have to do this another way..." He turned to me, a big smile on his lips. "You know, I could help you with your problem." He pointed at my collar.

"Sire..." I gasped and clutched my neck.

"You don't know how valuable mages are to the palace." He grinned and winked at me.

My stomach clenched and I took a half-step back. A king had no reason to offer a slave anything, let alone freedom.

"Now, be a dear and when my son returns, don't mention this little chat with him. Is that clear?"

I chewed my lower lip and shifted my weight from foot to foot. Why would he want to keep that a secret? It made me feel even worse about what the king was offering.

Still, he was the king! "Of course, Your Majesty." I bowed at the waist as the king left me in my quarters.