The Last

Amira woke with the midday sun streaming through the glass doors of Caldwin’s room. For a brief moment, she was comfortable. Wrapped up in his sheets breathing softly enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face, before everything that happened over the past week came crashing back into the forefront of her mind. She sat up quickly throwing the sheets off of herself. Her leathers had been removed, along with her clothes, instead, she wore a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants and a grey t-shirt.

Her hands had been freed, only to be replaced with one chain around her ankle attached to the metal bed frame. Amira huffed in annoyance and pulled up her shirt and ripped the bandage off her chest. The first wound had healed completely, she ripped the clean wrappings off her arm and hands as well those wounds have closed as well. Curse her rapid healing, she thought frustrated, there was no chance for an infection.

At least she was alone. She looked to the empty bed beside her, the covers on the other half untouched. She drummed her fingers on the bed for a moment as she tried to put her thoughts together when she noticed the note sitting on top of the dresser. She tossed her chain over the end of the bed and got up following it. She crossed the room barefooted and snatched up the piece of folded paper.

I’m in a meeting, should you need anything there is a woman just outside the door to see to anything you desire. The guards are at the top of the stairs, should anything happen, shout for them.

Caldwin

Bastard, Amira thought and threw the note in the trash. She had noticed that the glass had been cleaned up, and the door to the bathroom had not been replaced. She angled her head slightly to look into the space and it appeared as though everything that could be used as a weapon had been removed. Idiots, she had her own weapons right here, she thought as she allowed her hands to shift talons shooting out of her knuckles smoothly. She observed them for a few minutes before letting her hands melt back into their human form. She didn’t truly want to die, she realized. She simply had been in a bad place after three very long days and did not think she could endure any more suffering.

She ran a hand over her face and wished she hadn’t broken the mirror. At least then she could see how horrible she certainly looked. She walked over to the door and opened it. Immediately a short and thin woman with long braided brunette hair shot to her feet from where she had been sitting.

“Princess,” she greeted her with a deep curtsy, something Amira hadn’t experienced in such a long time, the formalities felt foreign to her.

“Please love, my name is Amira,” the Princess said exhaustion weighing heavy on her shoulders, she hadn’t had anything substantial to eat in days and her body was finally beginning to show the telltale signs. “You are?”

“J-Josie your highness,” the woman seemed startled that she had been asked her name. “What can I get for you?”

Amira sighed heavily. The girl couldn’t be more than 16 years old barely having come into womanhood, she wondered why Caldwin chose this particular child to serve her. “Just food darling please, I’m famished,” Josie offered an eager nod and quickly hurried off down the hall after a short quip of ‘right away Highness’ and disappeared down the stairwell. Just as the note promised, at the top of the stairs a group of soldiers lounged, none looking too concerned.

“Hey,” Amira called to them, jerking her chin to get their attention. Immediately the group perked up and faced her at attention, “whoever is in charge come here,” she directed simply before disappearing back into the room. These people answered to Caldwin, and if the girl’s reaction was any sign of how these males would behave, she likely guessed they answered to her now too. Her assumption was proven true as a male form filled the doorway, yet did not step inside. Amira turned back to face him and narrowed her eyes slightly in confusion. The male cleared his throat and answered her silent question,

“We are not to step foot inside unless absolutely necessary your Highness,” he spoke calmly, but if it was not for his distinctive features, his accent certainly gave him away. This male hailed from Druha, the shock and realization flashed across her face and again he supplied an answer without a question, “We were given a choice long ago Highness,” he explained rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “commit to a life of servitude or perish,” Amira thought she might puke.

She sat down heavily on the side of the bed, her eyes drifting to the ground. All this time she’d thought they’d all been slaughtered, the human faction of her realm she thought wouldn’t stand a chance against the hellhounds. She had no idea they’d been forced into this twisted form of slavery. “Due to my skill set, I was promoted,” the male went on, “When Cal asked me and my men to defend you, know there was no hesitation from us Princess. We chose wrong once before, and refuse to do it again no matter the cost.”

Silence fell for a long and heavy moment before Amira looked up to the man standing just outside of the door. “You called him Cal,” she said softly the confusion clear in her expression. Something about meeting one of her true subjects shook her to the core. He was one of the people she failed, and yet here he was ready to give up his life once more to defend her.

“We’re good friends,” The guard explained with a soft smile, “You know he’s really not all that bad once you get past the hard exterior,” he tried to lighten the mood with a slight joke that failed miserably.

“What’s your name?” Amira asked.

“Rollo,” a simple answer.

“Were you a rider?”

“Training to be one yes, and the reason why I got such a cushy job here at the palace. My particular skill set was needed.”

“So you hadn’t bonded,” Amira stated, not a question. If he had, he likely would not be standing here before her today.

“No, your Highness,” Rollo answered, recognizing her silence had shifted and sadness was not the only emotion that filled the room. Amira chewed on the side of her cheek and nodded slightly in acceptance of his answer. Riders were one of the highest regarded humans in her kingdom. They trained relentlessly for years for the possibility to be bonded with a Druherean. Once they gained the long lives of their counterparts along with enhanced speed and strength the two souls would become one and the same, a rider and their dragon were nearly always inseparable. If one died, the other was typically not long to follow, or they would fall into madness, one or the other. Amira had never bonded either and the emptiness that filled her soul haunted her, she wondered if it affected him similarly.

“Very well, continue with your job,” she said simply as Josie’s small frame appeared behind the towering Druhan male, “We will talk more later,” She added pointedly as he bowed and took a step back before walking off back towards his companions. Josie hovered by the door holding a platter covered with an assortment of foods waiting to be invited inside,

“Please child, enter,” Amira waved her hand at the girl. Stomach growling at the smell that wafted into the space. Josie hurried in and set the platter on the dresser and curtsied once more before backing away waiting a respectful distance away. Amira stood and approached the food picking various pieces of foods she didn’t recognize and tasting them one by one.

“I-I didn’t know what you liked your highness so I got some of everything.”

“It’s perfect Josie thank you,” Amira said picking up the whole platter and setting it down on the foot of the bed sitting down in front of it folding a leg underneath her while letting the one with the chain hang off the edge of the bed. “You may go now darling that will be all for now,” she instructed. The girl curtsied again and disappeared out the door closing it behind her.

Once the latch clicked Amira dropped all pretenses and dug into the large piece of meat, hardly tasting it as she shoveled food into her mouth. She’d been starving and this had been exactly what she needed. Josie was even smart enough to include a goblet of wine, clever girl. After taking her time to finish the rest of the platter Amira picked up the glass of wine and walked over to the glass doors and slid them open walking out onto the balcony where she looked over the garden with a soft sigh slowly sipping at the red liquid that filled her cup. The sun was setting already, she heard the door handle turn and someone entered the room, their steps light and cautious.

“Princess?” Amira knew that voice and sighed heavily,

“Yes Rue?” She replied, not turning around to see the boy likely nervous that she was going to rip his head off.

“I just wanted to apologize again… I hope you aren’t mad at me I have to-”

“Do as you’re told?” Amira finished the sentence for him. “Yes I understand,” she said shaking her head slightly and raising the cup to her lips once more.

“I can’t stay long…” Rue said and Amira looked over her shoulder to the boy who was shifting slightly in his place, eyes darting around as if he were looking for something. The Princess wondered what rules he was breaking to currently be in the room with her, “I just had to apologize.″ He said with a small smile, “Feel free to rip into Cal as much as you want,” he added that smile turning a bit more devious. “Asshole deserves it, he’s been a right prick all day today, just please,” his voice dropped to a serious note, “don’t hurt yourself. You’re like, the first person I like around this place,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. Amira rolled her eyes and at last caved to the one person she’d carefully begun to regard as a friend around here.

“Fine,” she agreed, “now get out of here before you get in trouble.” She said waving him off towards the door.

“Yes, your Highness,” Rue said snapping to attention and offering her a mocking bow. Before he turned and quickly hurried out of the room door gliding shut behind him. The Princess chuckled, shaking her head slightly. The youngest Prince truly was something. Her gaze returned to the fading sunset and she set down her empty glass on the railing beside her.

She expected Caldwin to return at some point, yet he did not. Once the moon had risen high in the sky Amira gave up on waiting up for him and crawled back into bed after giving Josie her empty platter and glass thanking the girl once more and bidding her goodnight.

The night progressed and Amira didn’t sleep. She didn’t need to, and quite honestly hated to. The nightmares that plagued her often came when she was stressed and the situation she was in was damn near the definition of stress. She must have drifted off late in the night however and thankfully slept a deep and dreamless sleep.

The next day came and went uneventfully, Josie brought her her meals, she spoke with Rollo briefly and for the rest of the day, she was left to her own devices. She was starting to become bored, but she didn’t risk disturbing anything in the room. Instead, she spent the hours on the balcony in the gentle breeze bathing in the sun while it lasted. Night arrived once more and again Amira was left on her own.

“Quite some meeting” Amira huffed to herself as she pulled the covers up over her shoulders and fell asleep swiftly. She awoke to an empty room yet again the following day and so the pattern continued. She would wake, eat, chat with Rollo and Josie sitting in the doorway, as far as the chain would reach to pass the time throughout the days that passed. They told her many stories, tales of their lives and how they came to be where they were. The common theme of Caldwin was ever present in saving them from some mistake or other. Ever so slowly she had begun to come around to the idea that perhaps he wasn't so bad as he seemed. Maybe, as Rollo claimed, there was a half decent person within him underneath everything. Although she doubted it.

Eventually, she’d explored every inch of that room, giving up on any idea of privacy as she rooted through the drawers and cabinets yet there was nothing to find besides clothes and very few personal items. So much for him being an actual person, if his room told her anything it was that he was more of a robot than anything else.