The Red Heart (The Krystal Knights 1)

Chapter Fourteen

Kali

"So, we have about a week of travel ahead of us before we get to the palace and hopefully we will arrive with about three days to spare before the competition. My family will greet you, and Prince Kade and whoever Xelya sends as their representative, if everything goes according to plan will arrive shortly after us."

Princess Kaimana nods, "Right, okay. Thank you Killian. But I just have a quick question, how long will the competition last? A few hours? A day? A week? We haven't been told all that much about it besides the history."

Nailah answers her, "It should only be a day long for the competition itself and then festivities that night and through the next day. So, you'll probably be there for just under a week and then a week's journey back here again."

"Yes, that's good, thank you." The princess exclaims, "Oh, Nailah, it's so good to see you again though. I cannot believe how long it's been. Come over here with me, we need to properly catch up."

They both walk over to the opposite corner of the room and laugh at something one of them says.

I can't help but stare at the princess, she looks so regal and mature now, but you can still see the child and urge to explore and be free to just have no responsibilities to her.

Aaliyah flops down on the maroon chaise lounge chair beside me. "That was so weird."

I look over at her, "What was?"

"Princess Kaimana, earlier today. She was looking at you like she was a ghost."

"I don't know, Lia. I might just look like someone she knows, I just have one of those faces."

She shrugs, "Yeah, probably. I just find it funny."

"Anyways, what was with you and your flirty eyes with Princess Kaimana's guard earlier, huh?" I wiggle my eyebrows and smile at her.

She rolls her eyes, "Oh shut up, Kali. Harvey is just a friendly dude. And besides, I like someone else."

I pretend to be shocked, "What? Really? I did not know that. Who is it?"

"Don't act like you haven't already figured it out, K. Stupidity doesn't suit you. Besides, Al thinks of me as a sister so it's pointless to even try anything with him."

"Oh, Lia. I don't want to put my money where my mouth is, but I bet you anything that Alistar definitely does not think of you as a sister."

She scoffs, "Yeah right. You would bet that pretty little ring that you refuse to take off on that statement?"

I look down at the bronze dragon shaped ring on my finger and smile, "Yes, Aaliyah, I would bet my mother's ring on it."

"That was your mother's?"

"Well, she had it made for me when I was young. She called me her little dragon."

"Why a dragon?" She chuckles.

"My temper, probably."

She smiles and laughs just as Killian, Phoenix and Alistar walk over to us from across the room where they were all standing at the table with the alcohol on it.

Lia looks at Al for a second too long for her to even try to deny her feelings.

I turn to Phoenix, "Please, tell me you got me a drink?"

He holds up a glass of champagne with a grin and I smile at him, "Oh, Nix, you just get me."

He winks, "You know it, sis. Besides, we all need an immense amount of liquor to help us get through the next few days and weeks even."

Killian holds up his glass, "Cheers to that."

"Cheers!" We all chorus.

Mr Self-Righteous looks over at his sister and Princess Kaimana, Al notices the looks and asks, "What is it?"

Killian looks back startled, "What? Oh, nothing. I'm just happy to see her happy, Kaimana always makes her smile."

"Well, you know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

I look over at them and mumble, "Yeah, it does."