Bellona (Part 1.5 of The Saskia Trilogy) by Aoife Marie Sheridan Page A

will take for the spoons to heat up. Will she drop them first from exhaustion, will she fall, or will the heat burn her, causing her to drop the eggs.  The possibilities are endless. But I can’t stay and watch. 
    “Oh Flat Nose, you look like the fool that you are.” I grin and her eyes blaze with hatred and humiliation. Turning to Ace, I smile sweetly at him.
    “I want you to stay here and watch her until I get back.” The color slowly drains from his face. “Now, Ace,” I say his name with a smile and he pales further. I want to laugh but suppress it, this is too much fun. “If she drops the eggs or falls from the bucket, she will get ten lashes.” Then I let my smile fall, to make sure he understands my next words. “If you help her, or lie to me, you will get twenty lashes. I will have someone keep an eye on both of you.” Ace nods, he looks like he might faint. I take one final look at Flat Nose, her eyes filling with tears, and I smile happily as I continue down the corridor.
    “Don’t drop the eggs, Flat Nose,” I sing back over my shoulder, as I make my way to the training ground. It is a place I am not allowed to go to, but it is a place I am happiest, because the future King of Saskia, my future husband, will be there, training very hard.
     
    I watch Nierra from the shadows. I know every inch of him off by heart. Every night since I can remember I have sat here and watched him. He is a few years older than me, and he is the most handsome man I have ever seen. Right now he is sparring with Morrick, his second in command and also his best friend. Morrick is handsome, but he is nothing like my Nierra. I always stay in the shadows, hidden from view. I only want to watch him now, and dream later about him. Nierra is so graceful in his movements and I never tire of watching him. His body is muscular yet lean, and now his top is soaked with sweat, clinging to his perfect frame. His long brown hair is tied at the nape of his neck, the same way he wears it most the time, and a few strands have broken free, but they never seem to get in his way. He is focused on Morrick, circling his opponent. His brown eyes are set in deadly concentration.  He will strike when Morrick shifts to his left leg, like he always does, giving Nierra the chance to strike at his right, where his weight is the lightest. He does just as he always does, and Morrick is on his back, with Nierra’s sword pointed at his throat. I want to clap with glee. Of course he won, he always does. My heart swells with pride, my future husband isn’t just handsome but the best warrior I have ever seen. Someone else starts clapping and a young woman smiles at Nierra. “Well done,” she says smiling. She’s beautiful in a natural way, her cheeks are flushed against her tanned skin, and her blue eyes are clear, alert and happy. I watch as she swings her curvy hips from side to side as she walks towards him, her long plated hair swinging down her back. My heart nearly stops when my Nierra smiles at her. It is one that I have dreamed of, the way I always want him to smile at me, on our first meeting. I feel my own lips rise in a smile then I stop. He wasn’t smiling at me, he was smiling at her, the whore, chasing my Nierra. They talk and she giggles.  I can’t hear what they are saying, my heart is pounding in my ears, and my stomach feels queasy. My breaths are hard to catch; I sink deeper into the shadows, trying to take large gulps of air before turning back to the castle.
    He wants her I can see it in his eyes. He wants her, not me. I’m not good enough. I want to scream, kill her, or tear myself apart. Instead I do what I do best. I place one foot in front of the other, keeping my face clear of all the emotions that rage inside me. I walk with a purpose that doesn’t exist, and move with a grace I never possessed. I am back on the corridor not even remembering my previous steps, but I am here and Flat Nose and Ace come into view. On the