Page 9 of A Kingdom of Sand and Ice (Kingdom of Gods #2)
It took them less time than expected to reach the city of Kairus, one of the largest within the Kingdom of Light.
The Palace of Kairus was but one of many royal residences, scattered across the land like jewels in a crown.
Alina had heard tales, whispers really, that each major city boasted a palace, some grand enough to rival entire drakonian towns.
It had always seemed impossible. But as the city rose on the horizon, vast and sun-drenched, Alina began to understand.
Two towering columns marked the city’s entrance, sculpted from white stone laced with desert sand.
They rose so high into the sky that even the mighty serpent beneath her appeared small under their imposing height.
Carvings coiled around each pillar, depicting city life and its fantastical beasts.
At their summit, the snarling head of a serpopard bared its stone fangs, as though to warn any with ill intent who dared cross into Kairus.
Alina turned her attention ahead, marvelling at the road teeming with phoenixians.
The surrounding buildings were geometric monoliths, square-shaped, with no apparent doors or windows, only carved-out gaps that served both functions.
Each was bathed in a pale, sun-warmed orange, echoing the vast desert that cradled the city.
Yet what caught her breath were the statues; towering beasts that stood taller than any rooftop, carved with stern expressions as if judging the mortals who passed beneath their watchful gaze.
The Phanax dismounted without hesitation, swiftly gesturing for their guests to do the same.
The wide streets welcomed even the great desert serpents with ease, though the appearance of phoenixian handlers sparked a grumble from Hessa.
Still, the Phanax would not permit the beasts to roam unsupervised, and with visible reluctance, Hessa gave her people a silent nod of approval.
Once the matter of their mounts was settled, the Phanax resumed their march towards the palace at the far end of the city. Though Alina’s limbs ached from travel, her curiosity triumphed over fatigue. This was a world she had never seen and was determined to absorb every detail.
The streets bustled with life. Citizens darted through the market stalls, prayed outside compact sun temples, or bartered for strange wares in loud, melodic voices.
Some of the food stalls sold delicacies so foreign Alina struggled not to recoil at the giant roasted insects served on long wooden sticks, glistening under the morning sun.
‘I’ve never seen anything quite like this,’ Alina said, wide-eyed.
Hessa chuckled. ‘That’s because, amira, you’ve never seen anything at all. We spent our lives walled into our kingdoms, fed stories like crumbs. But the world… the world is vast.’
They stopped at the sound of young girls giggling, dashing down a narrow alley. Curious, Alina and Hessa followed until they stumbled into a hidden courtyard where warm waterfalls spilt into a sunlit pool. Naked figures leapt into the water, shrieking in delight.
Alina blushed furiously and turned to leave, only for Hessa to tug her back.
‘We should go,’ Alina hissed, flustered.
‘Why?’
‘They’re… naked!’
‘So?’ Hessa rolled her eyes. ‘Are all drakonians this prudish?’
‘Yes.’
Alina turned again, straight into a figure, stumbling back in surprise. It was the phoenixian woman, standing silent and unreadable. The girl’s red eyes flicked briefly towards Alina before shifting to the pool and the bathing girls, her gaze lingering with quiet contemplation.
‘We were only observing,’ Alina explained, brushing off her trousers. ‘I’d never seen a pool like this before.’
‘A pool?’ the phoenixian echoed, brow raised. ‘Do you not bathe in the Kingdom of Fire?’
Alina’s mouth dropped open at the audacity of the remark, but before she could reply, the girl was already striding away.
‘Could we not stop and wash?’ Hessa asked quickly, attempting diplomacy. ‘We’ve been travelling for days.’
The warrior looked over her shoulder, expression unreadable. Her common tongue was flawless, much to Alina’s relief. ‘Znu,’ the girl said. ‘Hat zjenskia zoorx xei jarxu.’ No. We have pools at the palace.
Alina huffed and stepped forward. ‘I don’t think you realise who we are. This is Princess Hessa Waadi Al-Dunasi and I am—’
The girl raised a hand to cut her off.
‘We know who you are, Alina Acheron,’ she replied with a smirk. ‘Why you’re here, though… that remains a mystery.’
‘If we could speak with the king—’
‘The king and queen are away, visiting another city.’
Alina blinked. That possibility had not occurred to her. How could she deliver news of Zahian’s death without his parents present?
‘When will they return?’
The young woman raised an eyebrow, already growing bored. ‘It will take time. ’
‘But—’
Hessa’s hand brushed Alina’s arm in silent warning.
‘Then we must speak with Princess Mareena Noor,’ Alina said, steadying her voice.
The phoenixian girl snorted again, an infuriatingly frequent sound.
‘Very well, Princess Alina Acheron,’ she said. ‘Let’s go meet Mareena Noor.’