Part 25 (1/2)

That day I came to realize.

Love wasn't the strongest magic in the world. It was the oldest.

Pa.s.sion was what could really topple or shatter anything. Pa.s.sion changed people, made them do the most impossible things, things love couldn't even touch.

I'd always loved Ashe and she knew it, and I knew she felt the same way. But it wasn't love that broke our barrier; it was a single act of impromptu pa.s.sion.

An act I'd cherish no matter what happened next.

Twenty-Six.

The Guffawing Gnomes ”Haven't we had enough of water?” I complained while s.n.a.t.c.hing my hand into the stream with immense frustration rather than deft skill. It had been at least an hour of daylight spent trying to snag a fish from a river like a bear, with no luck.

”You slay dragons and got the girl with your amazing axe skills and you can't manage to catch a single fish?” Goldie mocked as she shot a hand in the stream and yanked out a flopping scaly lunch, for the sixth time already.

”I'll show you my *amazing axe skills'...” I growled while flailing at the river and kicking some water. I glared back at her as she laughed and added, ”Besides the last thing I'm doing is any dragon slaying. And I had magic too.”

She shook her head before looking across to me and wiping some droplets from her face. ”You rely on magic too much. How did you even manage all that time without it?”

”I honestly have no idea. Luck? I wasn't constantly dealing with faeries, that's probably why.” I shrugged and sat down on a rock near the stream.

My eyes fell to Ashe just through the point of two trees. Her hair was flas.h.i.+ng across her sweat dripping face as she sliced into a tree with the axe I gave her, and then repeated the process from different angles. She looked so focused and intent; the exact opposite of me.

”Well you better hope that luck comes back or you aren't eating.” Goldie grunted before tossing another fish to the side.

”Uh-huh...” I sighed. All my attention became focused on Ashe training. Why was I bothering with fish when I could have been helping her learn? That was more important than failing at catching something I should have been able to do in my sleep.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, Hue stood up from the stump he sat at and walked over to Ashe, stopping her mid-swing. He said something I couldn't hear that made my... roommate's face light up with such life.

Before long he was adjusting her body as she swung, and showing her follow-through moves with an axe of his.

He even sparred with her while I just sat there swiping half-heartedly at the water. I never wanted to punch Hue so much as I did right then. What was he even doing here, anyway? I had expected him to come, but I didn't expect him to help us when he showed up.

I watched them mock fight a little longer while I mostly ignored Goldie yelling at me to catch some d.a.m.n fish. Finally I just stood up from my rock when Hue pulled her into a head lock right against his body with an axe inches from her neck. It was his reverse guillotine technique.

I couldn't take it anymore and stormed through the river, splas.h.i.+ng everywhere as I stomped over to them. That blue jerk did this to me every time when we were growing up, as soon as I had even looked at someone with a certain glance he'd steal them right away from me. I swear he solely used his otherworldly charisma to steal women from me.

I hadn't even noticed my fingers were pulled in to fists and my jaw was set hard until Ashe broke from Hue and ran to hug me. She leaned down and kissed my cheek too, even though it made her blush.

”Prince Hue was showing me such wonderful tricks and telling me about what you were like as a kid. Why didn't you ever tell me the two of you used to train together when you were younger?” Ashe asked excitedly.

”Because he usually never mentions his past let alone the fact that I was in it and I respect his privacy.” I explained with my teeth gritted and glaring to Hue.

He just smiled at me.

I grinned wickedly right back at him. ”Did he also tell you about the time he blew up an entire storage of gunpowder while I was still inside? Or how he made me deaf for a week from blowing a magically enhanced horn in my ear? Or my absolute favorite was the incident he blames me for and even got the faeries to place a magical binding on me since they would do anything just to ruin my day.”

My eyes finally fell back to Ashe as she frowned, ”Um... no.” Then she glanced to Hue briefly before asking, ”What incident?”

”Care to explain, Hue, since you seem to be so talkative today?” I continued with my vindictive a.s.sault. He said nothing and shook his head like he was disappointed in me.

That only grated my nerves more. ”Hue used to have a wife before he was adopted into the princely throne. He was unaware for the longest time that this wife was playing games with people that often resulted in their deaths. She must have killed twenty people before Hue even discovered it. And when he did, he just helped cover it up.”

Hue stepped away from us, pulling his hat from his head and lowering his face as he sat on the stump again. Ashe had a hand on my arm and a deep frown set against her dimples. I continued anyway, since she seemed to be focused on it.

”Eventually, as I followed the bodies I discovered Hue first before his wife, suspecting he had been the one to cause the damage. Because he refused to give away his wife he had been locked away for her crimes. Until more bodies turned up in the style I always follow, beheaded victims.” I stopped when Ashe gasped noticeably.

”Yeah, Hue's wife was Gabbi. Hue was let go, while I tracked down Gabbi. But of course she wouldn't give up without a fight. Hue showed up just in time to see me magically redirect Gabbi's own claws into her body and straight through the backside. She died before he could even reach her. But as she did she said one thing to me.”

Hue jumped up, his blue eyes burning with tears. ”You never told me that!” He accused with a finger that he quickly retracted.

”She said, *You're next, Gnidori'. So I didn't think it mattered to you.” I growled. He turned around and started pacing.

”But Gabbi isn't dead. How is she alive if she died?” Ashe asked after she managed to get her eyes to a normal size.

”I have no idea. But there's always a way to bring someone back from the dead. It's just a matter of picking the way you need most.”

”That thing is not her!” The blue prince exclaimed turning back to me.

”What?” I laughed. ”Of course it was. I could smell her, down to the gentle taste of my magic that let you have her as a wife in the first place!”

”The Gabbi I knew is dead. That was the wolf, just the wolf.” Hue continued, shaking his head and sitting back down as he wiped the tears.

”They were always the same person, Hue.”

He looked up at me, with his eyes still watery, ”Just like you and Red are the same?” He scoffed.

”What are you talking about?!” I finally just yelled at him. Ashe shrunk away from me.

He shook his head and laughed harshly, ”You never understood the price of being a legendary, Gnidori.”

He just kept shaking his head continually. I wanted to lay him out right there.

”What price?!” Ashe squeaked up for me.

”Why do you think you can still enter my Kingdom without your cloak? I barred Red, not you. The price is who you are, Gnidori. You had to become someone else, just like every other legendary.”

That had to be the most I'd ever heard Hue talk to me. I couldn't believe it.

”Including you?” I asked.

”Yes.”

”And Ashe?”

”Isn't that obvious?”