Page 19 of Mountains of Mist and Magic (A World of Sun and Shadow #4)

“A re you sure we can't take a horse?” Esmeralda begged, looking up at Belinia. Aside from the elegant purple shade of her scales, there was nothing redeeming about her, in Esmeralda's eyes. For Belinia's part, the dragon ignored Esmeralda, and focused her eyes on her daughter, Beauty.

Phillippe chuckled, then rubbed Esmeralda's shoulders gently. “I'll be right here with you,” he reminded her, and his voice in her ear gave her reassurance that everything would be alright.

She'd often watched the seabirds from her room, high above the shoreline, and admired their freedom; her sharp eyes missing nothing as they had swooped and sailed, rose and fell. Yet she had absolutely no desire to experience what they felt, high above the ground.

But it seemed she didn't have a choice.

They would be flying to the Sun Realm.

She really should blame Renya. And she would, if she didn't have such a fondness for her friend. When Renya suggested it, the others chimed in, excited. Only Esmeralda—and perhaps Sion, she thought—seemed apprehensive about this mode of travel. But for better or worse, she would be riding on the back of a monstrous dragon. With Phillippe.

At least he would keep her safe.

Always.

“Come on Beauty,” Renya coaxed, and Esmeralda watched with envy as Renya clambered over to the dragon, not an ounce of fear in her step. Her friend stroked the dragon gently and whispered to her as Grayden climbed on the back of the beast.

Even Selenia was excited to ride a dragon; she was in the corner of the courtyard, seeming to give Sion a pep talk. Esmeralda recognized his hesitation because it was the same that she felt heavy in her belly. But whereas Sion and Selenia were riding on the smaller juvenile, Berline, it was Esmeralda who had to ride on the biggest dragon.

Although it could potentially be worse, she thought, watching Agatha struggle towards Cressida's bound dragon, with her sister in tow, manipulated by magic.

Doria and Almory had worked together for twelve hours straight to sew and create saddles for the dragons. Esmeralda made a big show of observing them, trying to delay the moment in which she'd actually have to climb up on the giant beast.

“Come on, my Sea Star,” Phillippe encouraged. “Do you want me to go first, or you?”

She gulped, eye-level with the dragon's neck. The leathery skin rippled with every giant breath Belinia took.

“You first.”

Phillippe chuckled, but then gave her a sympathetic look. He eyed the dragon, who turned her head to look at the male dragon on her left. Brutus gave a snort, and as if a discussion had taken place between the two creatures, the large dragon knelt a bit, and Phillippe climbed up, settling himself in the seat. He held his hand out, and Esmeralda hesitated, but then grasped it tightly.

“That's my good, brave girl,” he praised, and Esmeralda felt the pink in her cheeks burn. He hoisted her up, and she sat behind him, clinging on to him as if her life depended on it. Her arms were wrapped around his torso, her face pressed into his back. She turned her chin just enough to watch the rest of their party mount their own dragons. Grayden and Renya clambered on top of Beauty, and Agatha held Brutus’s reins tightly in her hands.

Esmeralda watched as Agatha magically manipulated Cressida on the back of Brutus. Cressida simpered, and Esmeralda was hoping that it was just because she was reunited with her dragon, not because she was plotting something sinister.

Once they were all mounted, Renya gave the cue, and all four dragons rose to the sky. The sound of their flapping wings was deep and booming, and for a split second, Esmeralda looked around, expecting to see lightning or thunder, but none came. She continued to hold on to Phillippe even tighter, as she felt an odd sensation in her middle as the dragons lifted above the treetops. Phillippe let out an ecstatic “whoop” of delight, and Grayden chuckled and smiled in pleasure. Even Selenia's eyes were wide as she took in the landscape, growing smaller before her eyes.

Only Sion looked apprehensive.

Esmeralda watched as the village of Wesalie grew smaller and smaller, and soon she could no longer distinguish the individual little homes. Up they flew, the air getting colder as they rose higher. Esmeralda was thankful, however, that the dragon's effect on the weather of their world had stopped the snow from falling on them.

The dragon's wings beat steadily underneath them, but she still felt dread in her stomach at each sudden jerk or movement. Every time the dragon dipped or accelerated, slowed or dove, she clung even tighter to Phillippe.

“It'll be okay, Esmeralda,” Phillippe yelled loudly, taking his one free hand and grasping her fingers, which were clenched tightly around his waist. “It's only for a few hours.”

The use of the dragons definitely saved time, partly due to their speed, and partly because they could move freely over the land with no mountains or lakes in the way. However, it was still a long journey. Even at the creatures' top speed, it would take several hours to get to the Sun Realm.

Esmeralda wished she could talk to Phillippe, but instead she was left with her own thoughts. The rushing wind over the dragon's body was too loud as they reached a higher altitude, and even when they yelled, their voices were drowned out by the thunderous flapping.

So, Esmeralda closed her eyes, and waited for it to be over.

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt Phillippe grasp her fingers, trying to get her attention. She opened her eyes and followed his outstretched hand, watching as the golden desert grew larger and larger, stretching on for miles. She smiled, the clenching in her heart slowly releasing as she realized they were almost there.

The temperature gradually got warmer, but Esmeralda was too fearful to remove so much as a glove, since she was feeling so unsteady on the back of the giant beast. But she could feel the perspiration at her forehead; feel the trickle of sweat along her chest. She welcomed it gladly, knowing it meant they were almost there.

The flight of dragons circled the walled city, familiar with it, no doubt, due to their participation in the battle that had raged there. However, they hovered above the golden buildings, unable to penetrate the magic over the city. It appeared that Cyrus had cloaked his city with the same magic that protected the lodge. But unlike the protection over the lodge, the dragons weren’t able to break through, no doubt due to Cyrus’s close proximity.

Phillippe whistled at Grayden, who nodded. They began urging the dragons lower, away from the inner city and towards the gates.

As the group lost altitude, Esmeralda fixed her eyes on the glimmering city, entranced by its beauty. She understood why Renya wanted to come back to her homeland. The sun was high above them, but it bathed the land in such warmth that it felt almost like the embrace of a lover. Esmeralda could see that the palace had been mostly repaired, and the city looked much improved since the last time she was here. The rebuilding efforts from the fallouts of the war had been brutal, but Esmeralda hoped that would be the last battle her world saw for many, many years.

The dragons finally touched down upon the ground, and with a slight shake, Belinia's talons slid into the sand.

“You're okay, my love,” Phillippe cooed, helping to release her fingers from his. He slid down the dragon's body easily, not even waiting for the beast to kneel. He just let himself fall the last several feet, still managing to land upright gracefully.

Esmeralda giggled in spite of herself, partly from her relief for being done with the dragon ride, and partly from watching how quick Phillippe was on his feet. For someone so large, he was still graceful. Phillippe was one of the biggest men she'd ever seen, even larger than Grayden, and much taller than her brother. Plus, he was wider than any man in her acquaintance, larger in the chest and shoulders. Phillippe made her feel small, yet protected in his embrace. In his arms, she felt there was absolutely nothing in this world that could harm her.

Phillippe held his arms out. “Jump, Sea Star,” he said. When a trace of unease rippled through her face, he chuckled. “I will always catch you,” he promised.

Esmeralda closed her eyes and slid off the large dragon, landing securely in Phillippe's arms. She opened her eyes, and his dark eyes met hers, the corner of his mouth ticked up slightly, as if he was amused. But instead of laughing, he bent his neck and then brought her up easily and kissed her on the mouth.

She was surprised because he rarely showed any sort of intimacy in front of his family and friends, preferring to save that type of behavior for behind closed doors or hidden in the garden. But she welcomed the exchange, bringing up her gloved hand to his cheek and stroking it lightly. She wasn't sure if it was left over from the stinging cold of the wind, or the heat of the desert, but she detected a bit of red in his cheeks.

Phillippe set her upright suddenly, as if he remembered they weren't alone, and then pulled off his cloak and gloves. “This desert is so blasted hot. Renya, are you sure you want to live here?”

“If it gets me away from you, I do,” she teased, sliding easily off of Beauty's back before Grayden could try to help her down. She petted the dragon with a soft fondness, just as Brutus and Berline landed on the other side.

Selenia's cheeks were pink and she was yammering on excitedly, but Sion looked like he might be sick. Esmeralda felt a great rush of sympathy towards him, knowing that she felt the same way.

As usual, Renya's Aunt Agatha had a stern look on her face, and it seemed as if Cressida had been gagged at some point along the journey. Her mouth was pressed shut, and her body was obviously shackled by magical bondage.

“What happened?” Renya inquired, a slight tone of exasperation in her voice.

“Nothing really. She just annoyed me.”

Cressida appeared to be struggling against her entanglement, but no one moved to free her.

“I have half a mind to leave her on that dragon,” Agatha said roughly.

Before anyone could agree, the gates to the city swung open, and several soldiers with golden breast plates and shiny helmets marched out. In the middle, with his arms outstretched, was King Cyrus.

“Renya,” he bellowed excitedly, looking for his daughter. She went to him quickly, and before she could say anything, he pulled her into a giant hug.

Esmeralda watched Renya’s expression, and she knew from the fake annoyance her friend showed, she was secretly pleased to have such a doting father. Esmeralda was happy for Renya, even though it pained her a bit to see such a happy pairing.

It made her miss her own parents so much more. Sometimes at night she woke up, with the sensation of water surrounding her, almost as if she was drowning. The dreams plagued her, and she attributed it to her fear of her parent's deaths. Triston didn't talk about it much, but she knew that they had both drowned. She was young, but still carried memories of both her parents. Her father was strict, but fair. Her mother was the light of their kingdom, planning balls and seeing to their citizens. She was much beloved, and Esmeralda had tried hard to fill her shoes. But she was shy, and there hadn't been much room for joy in their kingdom after her parents' deaths.

Once Cyrus had hugged Renya, he welcomed them all into his city. He patted Grayden on the back heartily, and they exchanged something in hushed whispers that Esmeralda couldn't quite make out. Grayden put his arm around Renya, and they walked past the gates of the city. Cyrus approached Agatha and they shook hands, then they both turned towards Cressida, exchanging quick words.

“Come on, Esmeralda,” Phillippe said, grabbing her hand. “Let them figure out what to do with that witch. I want to change. I'm sweating to death.” He pulled off his shirt, and Esmeralda stared. His chest shimmered with sweat, the large scar on his side only enhanced the sight before her.

Perhaps they should go for a swim, too, she thought.

Esmeralda mindlessly unpacked the small bag she had brought with her. There wasn't much she had wanted to take with her, and she knew that she wouldn't need much in the way of warm clothing, which made packing light even easier. She pulled out a few dresses and hung them in her closet, glad to get some use out of her Tidal Kingdom wardrobe. She looked out the window of the castle, and watched as a group of men rehung a large steel door. It made her wonder how her brother was getting along at the Twilight Kingdom. Since the Tidal Kingdom was unscathed, she was glad that they could spare their men and resources to help with their kingdom. She hadn't heard from Triston, which wasn't that unusual, but he did keep her apprised of anything to do with their kingdom, so she was surprised she hadn't had any correspondence.

She finished unpacking her rather meager bag, and then opened the door to her guest room and peered out into the hall. There was no one around, so she decided to make her way downstairs for dinner by herself. King Cyrus had planned a banquet in honor of his returning daughter, and Esmeralda didn't want to take a chance at being late.

She passed the burgundy and gold tapestries on the walls, thinking how different all the kingdoms were, each with their own unique personalities. After a few more steps, the sound of Phillippe's voice caught her attention from down the hall. She hurried towards the door, eager to see if he wanted to go explore the city with her tomorrow.

“She's not like the other women I've been with...”

Phillippe's words stopped her steps and she immediately slunk into the shadows, just a few steps away from the open door.

“Isn't that a good thing?” It was Sion. And they appeared to be having a conversation... about her. Esmeralda knew she shouldn't spy, but her feet seemed as if they were cemented to the ground. Here was her chance to see what Phillippe felt for her.

“Yes and no.”

His words felt like a punch in the gut. All the blood drained from her face, and she tried to drown out his words. It must be a misunderstanding.

“How so?” Sion's question reverberated in her head as she waited for Phillippe's response.

“I just—I hate feeling this way. Especially about her.”

Tears sprung from her eyes, but she forced herself to stay still, to hear more.

“Phillippe, you're not making any sense,” Sion said, his voice tinged with frustration. “If you care for Esmeralda, why is that a problem?”

There was a long pause, and Esmeralda held her breath, straining to hear.

“Because I've never felt this way before,” Phillippe finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “It terrifies me. And I'm...well, you know my history with women.”

“That's in the past,” Sion countered. “Esmeralda knows who you are now.”

“Does she?” Phillippe's voice was heavy with doubt. “I feel like I'm deceiving her somehow. She deserves someone better, someone who hasn't...been with half the women in the kingdom.”

Esmeralda's heart raced. She knew of Phillippe's reputation but hearing him speak of it so plainly made her stomach churn.

“You're being too hard on yourself,” Sion said. “Esmeralda cares for you, that much is obvious. And you clearly care for her.”

“That's the problem,” Phillippe groaned. “I can't give her what she wants. I'm not the man she thinks I am. I don't think I can ever be that man.”

Tears sprung from her eyes as she ran towards her room, seeking refuge in her borrowed chamber. Phillippe's words echoed in her mind: “I can't give her what she wants.”