Page 3 of A Storm of Fire and Ash

To my surprise, he smiled back. His teeth were a perfect white as if crafted by the gods themselves, but it was those adorable dimples that pulled me in, causing my heart to flutter like a trapped bird.

I could easily lose myself in his beauty for days—no, for eternity.

I felt my body buzz with electricity again, a sensation I had never felt before.

He turned to his two guards, murmuring something inaudible, then gracefully dismounted from his white horse. One of the guards, a man who appeared only a few years older than me, leaned casually against his horse, a bemused look on his face as the prince strode toward me.

I couldn’t help but notice the guard’s striking white hair cascading down to his shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. His eyes, a vivid shade of green, were captivating—absolutely breathtaking.

Sheesh, were all the men in this kingdom this stunning?

I needed to regain my composure before I completely embarrassed myself.

Holy divine, he was walking toward me.

I took a few steps back until my back hit a tree. Some people stared at me with disgust, while others continued to work at the market.

“Hi,” the prince said in a low voice. “I’m Fintan. Fintan Silverthorn,” he added as if that name was something to be proud of.

He extended his hand, and I reached out to shake it, but he instead brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. His warm lips sent a jolt tingling through my body, and I gasped, quickly pulling my hand back.

“I apologize, my lady. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said, his brows scrunching in confusion.

I was sure this was the first time a woman had ever reacted like this to him.

“I’m well aware of who you are, Your Highness,” I said confidently. My eyes shifted behind the prince, and the guard with the white hair smirked, laughing through his nose. He jumped back on his horse and rode away.

“Don’t… don’t do that. Please,” the prince said with a questioning gaze. “Don’t call me ‘Your Highness’. I’m not within the castle walls, and I just wish to escape all of…” He gestured behind him with disgust, “that.”

“What? Was it getting too stuffy in your palace, Golden Boy?” I knew better than to be speaking to a Prince this way, but I couldn’t help it.

We took a few small steps and started walking.

He chuckled. “Yeah… something like that. Want to show me around? I never ventured out of the walls, but today is a special day.”

Did he know it was my birthday or something? I laughed to myself. Get a grip, girl.

“And what is so special about today, Golden Boy?” I asked, knowing I was getting under his skin. The look on his face pleased me greatly.

“Well, today is my 30th birthday,” I quickly cut him off with excitement, “It’s my birthday too! But I’m 27.”

He smiled at me. “Look at us, birthday twins. I was told that this market had the best hand-pies in the world. I wanted to try them for myself. Care to join me?”

He held out his arm for me to take, and though I wasn’t sure why, I felt compelled to hook my arm through his.

“Tell me, my twin flame, what is your name?” he asked as we slowly walked through the market.

“Elara,” I hesitated for a moment, but shared my full name with him. “Elara Valdusian.”

“Hmm,” he made a noise as if he was pondering something. “That name sounds familiar.”

I didn’t know what possessed me to say the following words, but I did it anyway. “As it should. Your father took my father against his will and is working him to death in your castle. He’s a prisoner.”

He stopped walking and turned to face me. His eyes looked apologetic. “I am so sorry, Elara. I—I did not know who your father was.”

“Of course you didn’t. Why would you? I’m just a peasant outside of your kingdom and nothing more,” I snapped at him.

I continued to walk, and he followed.

“I did not mean to offend you.” He was at my side again, but I didn’t look at him. “I am not my father.”

I turned to look at him, and he gave me a lazy grin and flashed those dimples at me.

Gods, why did he have to be so attractive?

“I can see that,” I said honestly to him. “Here,” I said, stopping us in front of Pollie’s tent. The prince tilted his head in curiosity. “These are the best hand pies in town. You can choose between sweet and savory.”

“Which did you prefer?” he asked me with a warm smile.

“Sweet. Though I rarely have the coin to purchase them, so I have never tried the savory,” I replied.

The prince turned his gaze to Pollie, a warm smile lighting up his face.

“We’ll take two sweets and two savories, please,” he said, his voice carrying a musical lilt.

He reached into his coin pouch, the soft jingle of metal echoing around us, and retrieved five gleaming gold coins, which he handed over with grace.

“Your Highness, that is so very generous of you!” Pollie exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with delight, though a charming gap where a front tooth should be added a whimsical touch to his beaming smile.

“You don’t have to buy me anything… I’m not even hungry,” I protested, but my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl, suggesting otherwise.

The prince let out a hearty laugh, his warm chuckle echoing in the air as he accepted the neatly wrapped hand pies from Pollie.

“Your stomach tells me a different story. Plus, it’s your birthday, so happy birthday.

” He gave me a cheeky smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Now, where should we indulge in these treats? I’d prefer a spot without an audience,” he replied, handing me one of each of the hand pies. I thanked him.

My eyes quickly roamed the busy market around us, noting how the eyes of the outer class were fixed on us, a mix of curiosity and envy.

“Er, uhm…” I bit my lower lip anxiously, looking up at him. I didn’t realize how tall he was.

Standing at least six feet tall, the top of my head barely met his chin. He towered over me with an enigmatic charm that was hard to resist. His gaze briefly wandered down to my lips, making my cheeks flare with warmth.

“This way. We can go to the cliffside. No one ever goes there but me. I’m not even sure others know it exists.”

“You aren’t trying to kill me or anything, are you, Elara?” he joked, his teasing tone sending a flutter through my chest.

The way my name rolled off his tongue felt like a spell, enchanting and disarming all at once.

“I wouldn’t dare, Prince,” I replied, concealing a smile as I led him beyond the market and through a small forest of towering trees, their leaves whispering secrets overhead.

The prince gave me a questioning look, his brow furrowed in curiosity, but I simply rolled my eyes and reassured him, “It’s just through here.”

With that, I pulled back the thick, lush bushes, their leaves glistening with morning dew, and ducked beneath their jagged branches. He followed closely, his footsteps tentative on the uneven terrain.

As we stepped into the clearing, his gaze widened in sheer wonder. Before us unfolded a breathtaking panorama: an open field bursting with vibrant wildflowers leading up to the rugged edge of a majestic cliff.

“Wow... this is… this is beautiful!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with awe.

Above us, birds glided gracefully down the cliffside, their wings catching the sunlight as they dove into the frigid waters below, hunting for fish.

A brisk wind swept through, tugging at my hair and loosening it from my braid.

I smiled watching the prince’s face light up with delight at the hidden treasure of nature he had never known existed, which was crazy given you could see the whole castle from here.

I found a comfortable spot near the precipice, taking care to maintain a safe distance from the edge, where the rocky drop met the rolling waves.

I patted the ground beside me, inviting the prince to join, and he hesitantly took a seat.

I could feel his eyes on me, brimming with curiosity, but I avoided looking his way.

Instead, I unwrapped my hand pie, the warm aroma wafting up to greet me.

Taking a hearty bite, I couldn’t contain my delight; my eyes rolled back in bliss, and an audible moan escaped my lips.

“Oh my gods, this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth,” I moaned, only to realize a moment too late that my choice of words may have sounded inappropriate. My cheeks flushed a deep crimson as I turned to meet the prince’s gaze, both embarrassed and amused.

His gaze was nothing but sexy.

He took a hearty bite of his hand-pie, savoring the flaky crust. A deep, contented groan escaped his lips. “Holy Divine, you’re right. This is heavenly!” He quickly devoured his pastry in two more bites, his enthusiasm turning the pastry into little more than an afterthought as he finished it off.

I chuckled, “You barbarian! You didn’t even take a moment to truly enjoy it.” With a teasing smile, I took another bite of my own, the savory filling bursting with flavor.

“How did you even find this hidden gem?” he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

I paused, swallowing my bite as the memories flooded back.

“Well… I just sort of stumbled upon it,” I replied, my gaze drifting off into the distance.

I closed my eyes, letting the cool breeze dance across my skin like a gentle whisper of nature.

“I came running into the woods, crying, and then, I just found it,” I shrugged my shoulders and continued.

“The water below was so serene, shimmering under the sunlight, and the birds glided gracefully through the open sky.” I opened my eyes, my thoughts retreating to that fragile moment.

“I stood at the edge, considering the plunge into the depths below. I returned day after day, grappling with the struggle of wanting to be free, imagining what it would feel like to finally let go—to not feel any more pain. To finally fly. I don’t know why, but the urge to fly was strong.

As if I was meant to have wings… to be a bird or something. ”

“Or a dragon,” he said.