Flourish by Kendra Moreno & Poppy Woods

Author:Kendra Moreno & Poppy Woods [Moreno, Kendra & Woods, Poppy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

I wrapped my arms around Queen Soliana and smiled at her. “It has been a pleasure to spend time in this lovely court,” I said truthfully.

“It’s been a pleasure to have you. It’s regrettable we couldn’t show you more of Malus during your stay, but we are simply understaffed,” she sighed, shaking her head.

I stepped back and nodded. I understood that; she knew I did. Miah smiled kindly from his mother’s side and I inclined my head to him. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miah. Your family is a lesson in tolerance to us all.”

Miah grinned, throwing his arm over the Queen’s shoulders and she rolled her eyes, batting him away as if he were still a child. “Visit us again, someday, Princess. During better times.”

“I will,” I replied. And I meant it. Malus was a kind, beautiful place. It’s what Thorn is trying to make of Rosen, I thought, as I turned around and flitted toward my aguine.

Olis sat atop his beast already, avoiding my gaze. He’d barely spoken to me since the night I found out Cerulea’s secret. I supposed embarrassing him in front of the Queen didn’t help, but then again, that was our way. Or maybe, things were finally getting back to normal between us after Sollum.

There had been a cease-fire of sorts between us after the attack. He’d been kind to me, much more kind than normal. But it would seem the time for that pity had passed. That was fine with me. While I enjoyed having The Brute on my side, I didn’t want his friendship to be out of pity. I didn’t need his friendship at all, but if I had it, I wanted it to be because he valued me as the louloudi I was. Not because he felt bad some slimy Prince abused me.

Cerulea mounted her aguine at the same time as Loni and Clematis, the Vigna guards, took off into the sky on their pangolis. Several Malus stopped and looked skyward as the magnificent beasts rose into the air above us. Queenie growled at them and I chuckled as Olis led the rest of us away from the Alcazar. Behind us, the Lunari guards goaded the Proteans, my original protection detail from Orchidasi.

“A grizzen? Absolutely not,” one of them gasped.

“It was, it was massive,” someone else answered.

I shook my head as they spun their truths, making themselves sound like heroes. I hadn’t seen much of my guards while we were in Malus. There simply wasn’t a need for it. The court was too decimated by the disease to be a threat to anyone.

“Have you spoken to your mother?” Cerulea asked carefully as the aguines picked their way through the orchards. I shook my head, pulling my braid over my shoulder as I watched Queenie dart beneath Olis’ aguine. She knew he hated it, which was probably why she targeted him so much. He was always scared she’d trip the beasts and leave one lame.

“Don’t you think you should tell her? About Bellamy I me—”

“I don’t want to,” I sighed.

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