Fire in the Heart : The Princess and the Bandit (9781629020112) by Slaughterbown Page B
Authors: Slaughterbown
Ads: Link
up and out into the darkness and think again about that fleeing shadow.
Chapter 6
T he streaming rays of yellows and golds lit up the dark corners of the streets from the night before. Sparkling beams bounced from roof to roof as the palace domes basked in the sun’s glory. Each towering figure served as a beacon of hope in a desperate city filled with open mouths and outstretched hands. Growling bellies and whining souls occupied nearly every street corner. But Elijah’s eyes and ears were closed to that as he sat high atop the city. He could only think of one thing, one person, Natalia, and how his friends had embraced her beauty and kindness. The building excitement far below did little to distract his thoughts and desires as the love of his life dug deeper and deeper into his dreams.
Graceful images of her blowing hair and sweet smells quickly vaporized. Isabelle bumped into a chair and knocked it against the table. An empty wine bottle dropped to the floor and shattered. Her feet shuffled as she kept the chair’s teetering form from falling. But it was too late. Elijah’s frown silently captured her disquieting display of morning awkwardness. Her hands smacked together a couple of times just before she wiped them against her robe. He had already turned back to face the wide-open sky and ever-changing morning hues.
“How was your walk with the princess?” Isabella said. Elijah thought she sounded rather tense for so early in the morning, something he did not want to deal with. So he shrugged his shoulders and remained fixed on the movements in the streets below.
She took a step closer as her breathing turned more rapid. “Are you going to ignore me now?”
She continued, jaws tightened. “You can’t have her, you know.”
Her pointed finger was aimed at his way. When he whipped himself about, her expressionless face came into view. “Who are you to tell me who I can and can’t have?” He drew in a deep breath and stopped.
“It’s just common sense, Elijah,” as she shook her head. “She’s a princess, and you’re a bandit. It could never be.” Both of her hands quickly settled on her hips.
He laughed, “Don’t worry about me, Isabelle. How about you just worry about your life, and I will worry about mine,” and then turned away.
Isabelle glared and walked away.
Elijah thought about how difficult his friend had become over the last several days, but knew he couldn’t do anything about it now. He shook his slightly lowered head and then fixed his eyes again toward the palace. “It’s going to be a good day.” He didn’t glance back when he bounded across the short distance to the neighboring roof and then quickly down the white walls to the street below. Some passing women, draped in scarves of blues and golds, had just passed as a couple of neighborhood children scurried between them. They suddenly turned sideways, but their unexpected laughter told Elijah all was well. The children kept running and were soon out of sight.
Through the crowd came a stiff voice, louder and harsher than any of the others. “Get out of here!” Elijah turned. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he wasn’t sure who it was. He was greeted by an enormous turban atop a stately looking man. Garment of white, red, and flowing brown silks bespoke of his staggering wealth as did the two soldiers by his sides. Elijah had arrived just in time to observe the impact of the man’s foot against a beggar’s rib cage.
The afflicted man yelled out as he rolled onto the dirty, stone street. “I’m sorry…I just…”
Quickly, one of the soldiers stepped over the cowering man. The wide eyes of a growing crowd gazed on in silence with the exception of a covered whisper from some just out of sight. With his hand on his oversized turban, he shouted, “Silence! You little pest! I told you to quit begging in front of my house!”
His eyes did not lift to the dark scowl above him as his shaking voice replied, “But, this
Chapter 6
T he streaming rays of yellows and golds lit up the dark corners of the streets from the night before. Sparkling beams bounced from roof to roof as the palace domes basked in the sun’s glory. Each towering figure served as a beacon of hope in a desperate city filled with open mouths and outstretched hands. Growling bellies and whining souls occupied nearly every street corner. But Elijah’s eyes and ears were closed to that as he sat high atop the city. He could only think of one thing, one person, Natalia, and how his friends had embraced her beauty and kindness. The building excitement far below did little to distract his thoughts and desires as the love of his life dug deeper and deeper into his dreams.
Graceful images of her blowing hair and sweet smells quickly vaporized. Isabelle bumped into a chair and knocked it against the table. An empty wine bottle dropped to the floor and shattered. Her feet shuffled as she kept the chair’s teetering form from falling. But it was too late. Elijah’s frown silently captured her disquieting display of morning awkwardness. Her hands smacked together a couple of times just before she wiped them against her robe. He had already turned back to face the wide-open sky and ever-changing morning hues.
“How was your walk with the princess?” Isabella said. Elijah thought she sounded rather tense for so early in the morning, something he did not want to deal with. So he shrugged his shoulders and remained fixed on the movements in the streets below.
She took a step closer as her breathing turned more rapid. “Are you going to ignore me now?”
She continued, jaws tightened. “You can’t have her, you know.”
Her pointed finger was aimed at his way. When he whipped himself about, her expressionless face came into view. “Who are you to tell me who I can and can’t have?” He drew in a deep breath and stopped.
“It’s just common sense, Elijah,” as she shook her head. “She’s a princess, and you’re a bandit. It could never be.” Both of her hands quickly settled on her hips.
He laughed, “Don’t worry about me, Isabelle. How about you just worry about your life, and I will worry about mine,” and then turned away.
Isabelle glared and walked away.
Elijah thought about how difficult his friend had become over the last several days, but knew he couldn’t do anything about it now. He shook his slightly lowered head and then fixed his eyes again toward the palace. “It’s going to be a good day.” He didn’t glance back when he bounded across the short distance to the neighboring roof and then quickly down the white walls to the street below. Some passing women, draped in scarves of blues and golds, had just passed as a couple of neighborhood children scurried between them. They suddenly turned sideways, but their unexpected laughter told Elijah all was well. The children kept running and were soon out of sight.
Through the crowd came a stiff voice, louder and harsher than any of the others. “Get out of here!” Elijah turned. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he wasn’t sure who it was. He was greeted by an enormous turban atop a stately looking man. Garment of white, red, and flowing brown silks bespoke of his staggering wealth as did the two soldiers by his sides. Elijah had arrived just in time to observe the impact of the man’s foot against a beggar’s rib cage.
The afflicted man yelled out as he rolled onto the dirty, stone street. “I’m sorry…I just…”
Quickly, one of the soldiers stepped over the cowering man. The wide eyes of a growing crowd gazed on in silence with the exception of a covered whisper from some just out of sight. With his hand on his oversized turban, he shouted, “Silence! You little pest! I told you to quit begging in front of my house!”
His eyes did not lift to the dark scowl above him as his shaking voice replied, “But, this
Similar Books
