Touch of Flame

Ravian was back on the balcony. The soup was still there and it had gotten cold. She took the tray back to the kitchen since she wasn't sure what exactly that dragon king wanted.

A sound coming from the hall caught her attention and she went to see if it was him. It was Aaron.

"Ravina." He stepped into the hall.

She stood at the kitchen door. "What are you doing here? Your brother is already upset."

"Did he do something to you?" He asked with a frown.

"No."

He sighed.

"I am fine, but we should probably not upset him anymore." She said. Not that she was worried for herself but she didn't want Aaron to get into trouble. She didn't know how it worked between the dragon brothers.

"Ravina," he stepped closer still frowning. He took a moment to look around before looking at her. "Do you want to become queen?" He asked with a low voice.

She was taken aback by the question. "Why are you asking?"

"Everyone is saying something as to why you are here. I want to hear from you. Why are you here?"

She nodded. "Shall we eat and talk?"

Ravina warmed the soup while Aaron went to sit at the kitchen table. "Is he making you cook now?" He asked.

"He has a certain way to vent," Ravina said pouring the warm soup into the bowls and going with them to the table. "It might taste awful."  She warned as she sat down.

Aaron took a sip without hesitance. He took a moment to taste it. "It is good." He nodded.

Couldn't be. She took her spoon to have a taste and was surprised. It had a decent taste. "It is fine."

"No. It is good for a new cook." He said. "Must be your experimental skills coming in hand."

She shook her head. "Perhaps my observation skills but experimenting is nothing like cooking."

"It is not?"

"Not the kind that I do.  Starting fire, keeping it alive, standing in the heat, peeling, and chopping. I think the only thing similar might be measuring and knowing in what order to mix things. Everything else is just..." she shook her head thinking of every person who worked in the kitchen every day. She had a new respect for them.

He nodded.

"About your question..." she began and he looked at her. "The first and foremost reason to freeing your brother before I could even think of a good plan or know that it would be safe was to find my sister." She looked down at her bowl. "For a long time, I had been working on my inventions to kill all of your people. The ones I was used to seeing.

She pressed her lips into a thin line. "I don't know why I didn't think that there are more of you or perhaps I just didn't want to because then I would have no purpose to live."

She lifted her gaze and he watched her carefully. "Coming here, I had to face what I was denying. I could not kill you all even if I had the resources to do so.  But what was the reason I wanted that to begin with? It is to protect my people and that remains. My anger and frustration remain."

He nodded.

"I told myself I won't let your brother hurt my people anymore. None of your brothers," she said. "But I don't know if I can do that."

He frowned. "I think you can."

She shook her head. "I might look strong, but I am not." She was breaking and perishing slowly.

"I know it will be hard to believe now but Malachi is not all bad. I am not protecting him just because he is my brother. There is no excuse for the things he has done. For the things, we have done. But I know deep down he wants to do what is right. He has always been that kind of person."

Ravina nodded. It was hard to believe, but she would consider what he said.

"What I am going to say next will probably discredit what I have just told you but Malachi is going to meet the princess of the Rex clan of red dragons tomorrow. She will visit us here."

Ravina already understood where this was going. "They are going to discuss uniting."

He nodded.

"Not surprising," she said, eating her soup.

It was politics and after the messengers, he was trying to calm things down by assuring people that he was looking for a queen amongst them.

"But why are you telling me this?"

He shrugged. "Just wanted to prepare you and hope that you will stop it."

"Why?"

"Because I care about my brother, although I want to punch him right now."

She could understand that he was looking out for his brother but would Malachi really be better off with her? She didn't know exactly how this bond worked but would he truly be happy with a woman who had no feelings for him? Maybe this was the optimal way for him. Have a queen who showed love and care and make her his mistress.

She chuckled. Aaron thought she laughed at his statement.

"Alright. I should go now. Thank you for the food." He said standing up.

"Thank you for the company." She said and followed him to the door.

Once he left, she went to clean up. Then she took a tour around the house, learning every corner and where to find things next time he asked her to do something. Now she knew everything about his home.

She thought that his home's theme suited him perfectly. Rich browns, earthly greens, and golden. The house was located up on a hill, where the river flowed below. It was a beautiful place to live in.

Ravina spent the rest of the afternoon struggling to just be at home and do nothing. She tried to find things to occupy herself with but she could find none. She contemplated going to the temple but didn't want to deal with more anger.

When the evening came she suddenly heard the front door open and close and then someone climbing the stairs. She hurried and got into bed, folding her legs up against her chest and wrapping her arms around them, making herself look vulnerable, or maybe she just wanted to stop herself from yelling at him. She was so triggered by having to stay here and do nothing that her hands itched to strangle him.

Malachi stepped into the room, the candlelight making his burnished skin glow softly. His dark eyes fell on her where she sat in his bed. He walked over casually and began to take off his vest without a word all while keeping his eyes on her.

What... was he doing?

Her hands fell, preparing herself to run if needed, but he gave her a nod to move aside and without waiting he allowed himself to fall in bed just in time when she moved away.

She looked at him surprised as he grabbed the pillow and adjusted it right under his head before closing his eyes.

"Would you not like to eat anything?" She asked.

"No." He replied without opening his eyes. In the dim light, his dark lashes cast shadows on his cheeks.

"Alright." She said and decided to leave him when he grasped her wrist. Her heart skipped.

"Stay here for a while." He murmured. "Until I fall asleep."

It wasn't an order like before. It sounded almost like a plea.

Ravina turned to him, his eyes were still shut and a few dark strands of his hair fell over his face. His hold around her wrist loosened and she pulled back her hand, but she remained in bed seated beside where he lay.

And now she would wait for him to sleep?

"I thought I would be your maid. Is this part of the job? Do your maids do this?"

"They do what I tell them to do."

"And how much is my salary?"

He chuckled, his voice sounding deeper and darker in the dim light. He then peeked at her, gazing into her eyes for a moment before going back to closing his eyes. "I can't sleep if you keep talking or do you want to stay here with me all night?"