Phoenix Gift

Chapter Twenty-Five

Alexis woke late, and she did not want to leave her bed. Cadmus lay at her feet, dozing with one eye slightly open. He seemed asleep, until she moved. His red eyes opened wide and focused on her.

“How long have you been awake?” Alexis asked with a sigh, not that she expected an answer.

The dragon made a croaky grunting noise. His nostrils twitched and he yawned. Snapping his jaws shut, Cadmus blinked and raised his head.

“I guess that is how you say I should get out of bed.”

Cadmus purred.

“Now you’re telling me I should get dressed and show my face, not that it matters.”

Since Milagros never hosted events, any little thing was used as an excuse for a celebration. If it wasn’t her birthday, it would be someone else’s. It was all just an excuse. Perhaps they were as bored as she was.

Cadmus snorted.

Alexis could not decide what that sound meant. She pushed back the covers as someone knocked on her door. Hesitating a moment, she finally said, “Enter.”

“Your Highness,” Lady Natalia stepped inside. “Are you ready for your bath?”

“Yes,” Alexis nodded.

Natalia stepped back and a moment later, several servants entered carrying buckets of steaming water. Alexis watched as they took turns entering her bathroom, pouring water into the large basin. When she was finished, all Alexis had to do was pull the plug for it to drain thanks to a project the dwarfs underwent decades ago, but filling it wasn’t nearly so convenient.

Once the basin was filled, the servants quickly departed. Natalia bowed before backing out and letting her be. Everyone had grown accustomed to Alexis doing most things on her own. Finally, leaving bed, Alexis headed to her bath.

After pouring in a generous amount of bath oil, Alexis shed her night shift and stepped into the foaming water. Cadmus wandered into the room to sit on the edge of the bath. The dragon’s nostrils twitched at the scents in the air. He blinked several times and scratched his face. Strong scents irritated his nose and eyes, but he refused to leave her side.

“Come on, you could use a bath too.”

Cadmus snorted. He edged away from the water. She splashed water and suds toward him. Growling, he scrambled away and disappeared. It was just as well. In truth, dragons didn’t have much of a smell aside from a faintly acrid scent whenever they used their firebreath.

She lay in the bath until the water grew cool. Standing, Alexis pulled the plug from the basin and stepped out. Returning to her room, she found Natalia waiting. Alexis stepped behind the changing screen where she found a gown waiting for her. It was light blue, satin and decorated with silver threads, creating vine designs.

Stepping out from behind the screen, Natalia ushered her to her dressing table. Alexis sat on the padded seat while the older woman ran the brush through her hair with practiced ease. Alexis’s hair was very much like her mother’s, but she couldn’t help but feel there was a sense of urgency in the other woman’s movements.

“Why the hurry?” Alexis asked.

“Your Highness, surely you have not forgotten that your father is coming home today. He has never missed your birthday.”

“Of course,” Alexis felt a smile twitch the corners of her mouth. No matter how much her father traveled, he always made time for her.

“He’s expecting you to meet him on the beach when the ship arrives.”

“Will he be here soon?”

“We received a message from Aldous only moments ago. They have already crossed the barrier.”

It would still be nearly half a day before his ship reached their port. Even so, she couldn’t help feeling anxious and eager to make her way to the beach. Cadmus leapt onto the dressing table, perching on the edge. The dragon stared at her reflection and stretched his wings.

“You really shouldn’t keep Cadmus inside so much, Your Highness,” Natalia sighed. “He needs to fly and hunt.”

“He’s fine.”

“But dragons—”

“I said he is fine,” Alexis snapped a little more forcefully than she meant to.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Natalia fell silent, leaving Alexis to her thoughts. She knew the older lady was right. Cadmus did need to hunt for himself. Vaguely, she could recall several times that he would wander off while she was with her mother and return later. Since her mother’s passing, Cadmus had become her constant shadow and never left her side.

Maybe it was selfish, but Alexis didn’t want him to leave, even briefly. He was her confidant and companion. Without him, she would truly be alone. Natalia finished brushing through Alexis’s hair and braided it. Then she fetched a coronet and placed it on the princess’s head.

“Would you like something quick to eat before we go to meet your father?”

“No, let’s go. We can eat together afterward,” Alexis stood as Natalia fetched the dark green cloak.

Natalia opened the doors and followed Alexis out. Cadmus scampered beside his mistress, leaving Natalia to wonder at the dragon’s exuberance. When the Queen was alive, the castle was filled with contentment, but now it was sullen, like the Princess. Only Cadmus seemed unaffected. For some reason, the dragon’s loyalty to Alexis never faltered.

She wondered, What does the dragon know that the rest of us do not?

Alexis continued her silent march, ignoring the capering dragon. Others joined the impromptu procession, but most had already gone to meet the ship or were otherwise occupied with chores. Alexis ignored them as she crossed the courtyard and meadow to the glade, then made her way to the beach.

She finally came to a halt on the dock, staring across the water. Dimly, she remembered sailing with her father and seeing mermaids. But that was the past and mermaids were things of legends. Cadmus sat next to her. Nothing seemed to escape his notice.

A lone ship appeared on the horizon. Anxiously, everyone waited as it approached. As it entered the protected bay, the ship seemed to gain a mind of its own and glided to its place in the harbor. The sailors threw down ropes for others to secure the ship to the dock. Alexis wondered if the ropes were necessary, but lost interest as they lowered the gangplank and the King marched down. His gaze passed over the crowd, resting on her. Immediately smiling, he hurried to her side.

“There’s my little princess,” he hugged her and kissed her temple. “Happy Birthday, sweet one.”

“Hello, father.”

“Father? What happened to abu?” he smiled, his gaze betraying a flicker of concern. “I have a special surprise for you.”

“I look forward to it.” Alexis forced a smile. She sensed her father’s excitement and was sure he had brought something special with him from Nuwa. Perhaps, next time, he would finally take her with him.

“Have you eaten yet?” he asked as he escorted her to the beach. When she shook her head, he added, “then let’s break fast together. I’ve been looking forward to a meal with my daughter for days.”

As they left the docks, M’zuzi’s recount of their visit drew his attention away from her. The wizard spoke of heightened hostility toward craft members, crop failure and the emergence of more diseases. Her father listened with a solemn expression, but Alexis quickly lost interest.

It was hard to imagine such difficulties when life on Milagros was so serene and untroubled. Surely, it couldn’t be as bad as they claimed. Cadmus capered around her, lightening her mood.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

The voice caught Alexis’s attention. She turned as Dale hurried to her. Park and Natalia’s son was now twenty-five summers old. Sailor life made him strong. Several of her peers fancied him. They talked about him often as they practiced embroidery or concerned themselves with chores.

Usually, they stifled their gossip when they saw her listening. Alexis barely acknowledged it. She had no use for their kitchen talk. A princess should be above such things, and she certainly didn’t care who they talked about.

“Greeting Dale, I trust your voyage was fair,” Alexis greeted him. Cadmus softly growled, circling her feet.

“There is nothing like the sea. Someday I’ll show you what it is really like.”

“Maybe, if my father ever lets me off this island,” Alexis turned.

“I found this on the beach for you while your father was meeting with the other royals,” Dale held out a conk shell. “If you hold it against your ear, you can hear mermaids singing.”

“Thank you,” Alexis accepted the weather-worn shell, not quite able to manage a smile. This wasn’t the first trinket Dale had brought back to her. She had a small collection now.

“Dale! We need you at stern!”

He hesitated.

“You better go,” Alexis prompted.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Dale bowed, then hurried back to the ship.

Alexis watched him leave, wondering why he always brought back these little things to her. She wasn’t a child anymore on her first voyage. What would it take for people to start seeing her as an adult and stop treating her like a child?