Ember's jaw tensed at that, and he gripped the arm of his chair so tightly that his knuckles began to ache.
"I merely wish for some polite conversation during lunch to get to know you better," he pointed out. He couldn't see where the nonsense was in that.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I do not wish to waste my time," Iris shook her head so softly that Ember almost missed it. She poked at the food on her plate with a fork, as though she needed something, anything, to stop herself from looking at him again.
Waste your time? Ember was about to snap the words at her when she added, "You will only just get to know me and then you will grow bored with me and pass me on to the next nobleman who comes along."
Anger and frustration overwhelmed him then and he could no longer keep his fist still. He slammed it down on the arm of his chair so hard that he had to bite the inside of his lip to stop himself from yelling in pain.
"Damn you! If you are so unhappy here, perhaps I should save us both the trouble and send you on your way now!" he yelled so loudly that everyone began to turn and look at them both again. This time he didn't care who heard him. What he did care about was the fact that this woman, this beautifully radiant woman, was disrespecting him in front of almost his entire court.
Several murmurs could be heard across the room, but Ember's attention was entirely on Iris and the way she shrank away from him. She had turned back to look at him and the terror in her doe-like wide eyes made him feel instantly guilty for reacting violently in front of her. He had never felt that way before.
A huge part of him wanted to apologize, something else he was not used to. After all, he was a king and that meant he was almost never wrong.
A good king admits when he is wrong, the words of his elder brother shortly after marrying his fated mate rung in Ember's ears before he added to himself, then perhaps I am not a good king.
Seeing that she was still uncomfortable, and growing more and more frustrated with her, Ember waved Filton forward, "Have lunch taken directly to Lady Iris's room. She shall be finishing her meal there."
Iris looked startled by this, but she made no attempt to protest. Perhaps if she had, it might have helped to ease Ember's frustration. Instead, all he could do was watch her leave with her guards and servants following closely behind.
She was halfway down the aisle when Ember said just loudly enough for her to hear, "Filton, see what can be done to release us from this predicament."
Did he see her tense at his words, or was that simply wishful thinking?
Chapter 5 - Iris
Confusing emotions and thoughts haunted Iris all the way back to her chambers. She hadn't expected to feel the way she did at the thought of being traded again. The first time, when her father had traded her to Perivale, she had been terrified of what lay ahead. The second time, she had been scared simply because she had been rudely dragged from her bed during the night and thrown into a windowless carriage.
Both times had come as a shock. One minute she had been going about her business and the next she was being thrown into an entirely new world. Yet this time was entirely different. She actually felt fearful that she might be leaving something valuable behind.
She glanced around the room at all the finery that had been bestowed upon her, from the four-poster bed to the marble vanity table. Then she thought of her master. His handsome face swam into her mind, and she knew that he was definitely far from the worst master she could have had. Could she really risk losing all of that?
He wouldn't really trade me, would he? she asked herself when she reached her rooms. She stood in front of the floor to ceiling looking glass, admiring all the hard work the maids had gone to.
I let them down, she sighed. They had gone to such an effort only for her to be dismissed from the king's side. Guilt embedded in her stomach.
As if she could sense Iris’s turmoil, the eldest of the maids who had been assigned to care for her suggested, "You should be careful not to anger the king."
Iris cringed. The maid had been there, along with everyone else, to see what a fool she had made of herself. And the king.
She gulped past the lump in her throat, wondering how she could possibly have been stupid enough to disrespect a king in front of his entire court.
"He is the most powerful person in the kingdom, some even say all the Isles," When Iris remained silent, the maid continued, "After all, he does handle a lot of his parents’ financial affairs now that they are getting older."
One of the other maids, who had been busying herself with cleaning, paused to nod, "They say it's their finances he was attempting to protect when he entered into that game of dice with Lord Perivale."
"Shh!" the oldest maid hissed at her younger counterpart, and both began to blush. Iris was only mildly curious about their comments. After all, what did they matter now? The king's motives for gambling were of little consequence to her now, especially if he did decide to pass her on to the next nobleman who paid the right price.
Suddenly the dress she was wearing seemed far less beautiful. It was made of the finest spider silk and bejeweled in a way that was only fit for a queen, and yet it made Iris feel cheap and nasty, as though she were a shiny thing to be admired and traded at her master's pleasure.
"Will one of you please help me out of this?" She begged, trying to keep her tone level.
The quietest of the maids quickly hurried forward and began to undo the fastenings at the back of the dress. Iris held her breath until the fastenings were finally released and she could expand her ribcage properly.
"Are you sure you wish to remove it properly?" the eldest maid asked, "What if the king summons you again?"
I doubt he'll ever want to see my face again after how I disrespected him, Iris thought grimly. She then shook her head and added aloud, "If the king wishes to see me again, he can come to me."