Even if Myra only stayed at the palace for a little over a week, the comfortable beds spoiled her. The bed in her family home has seen better days. With every movement, Myra was scared that one of the legs that has been chewed on will finally snap and the mattress felt like stone compared to the one she was given to in the palace. With all the exercise she had done and now this cursed bed, not even the hottest most soothing bath could help her aching body.
It did feel better than staying in the same place as the prince, with his room only two doors from hers.
Another one of his smirks or those looks he gave her, and Myra might have actually tried to find a way to kill him. Hopefully with a day away, Imran is feeling better and Myra will have a new found patience for Cairo.
At least her family where happy to see her again, or the fact they won’t have to walk all the way to the palace to deliver the basket. However, Myra couldn’t complain about having the opportunity to eat her family’s baked good. It felt like forever since she tasted bread fresh out of an oven since there is only enough for the royal family themselves in the palace.
People waved at her as she walked past, most of her old neighbours didn’t know what happened to her or why she hasn’t been home for so long, some must have felt relieved seeing her alive and walking down the familiar street.
The early morning sun kissed her skin and the wind that carried the smell of sand blew out a few strands of hair from her braid. Her previous walk was interrupted by the shadow user but for now, Myra was going to enjoy every second on her way to the palace.
There was a small hope building inside her, hoping to see Nythe again. Her dragon knew Myra was fine and alive because of the bond and Myra knew the same about her companion. Yet, every fibre in her body wanted to see Nythe herself, check her over and make sure there is not a single cut on the dragon. If there was Myra might storm out and hunt the rebel herself to punish him for what he did.
One thing Myra has never expect is to develop such deep care for the dragon. The Myra that was first jumped on and dropped all the bread might have even laughed at the idea of being so furious at someone for hurting Nythe.
Once Imran was better Myra would have to ask him for a bow. He knew where all the weapons were in the barn and if they didn’t possess one, then her friend could make one for her. According to him, his best skill is still being a blacksmith, so it would be a shame not to put his skill to some use.
While the sword was stunning and Myra hoped one day she would master it’s art, with a bow there was nothing she didn’t know about it. With a bow and arrow she could have tried to protect Nythe and herself from the rebel. With it she might have been able to stop the shadow user.
The royal guards greeted her, surprisingly enough that included Wamir. While it was not the small talks they shared in the past, it felt like a step forward and back to normality. Even if that normality was having a hopeless crush on a royal guard who did not care about her.
“Who was that?” Cairo’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Oh, that was Wamir.” Myra smiled awkwardly. “Where are you heading?”
The prince looked at her blankly as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to answer her. But if she could manage to be polite and answer his questions after the asshole he was the day before, then he can manage to answer hers.
“I was actually looking for you.” The prince scratched the back of his head. “I went to check on you this morning, but you weren’t in your chambers.”
Myra didn’t notice her mouth being open from shock until the moment she saw a small blush on Cairo’s face. It took all she had in her not to stare at him or ask if perhaps he has been to close to Imran and caught the fever.
“I… I was frustrated with you.” Myra started walking towards the palace kitchens. “So when you told me to leave, I thought it would be best if I leave to my family home for the night.”
It was Myra’s turn to look away and hide the blush from her face. First she felt silly for saying that out loud, admitting that the prince had such an affect on her she would choose not to be in the palace. Second, the prince walked so closely to her their shoulders brushed as they walked and she was not use to such close proximity with a man, especially one as attractive as Cairo.
“The reason why I told you to leave was because you were in the royal library.” He continued. “To be in there you have to have permission from the king, some texts there are sacred and you could have been in a lot of trouble if it was someone else who found you wondering around there.”
“Oh.”
It was one of the last things Myra expected the prince to say. During the night, she has thought of all possible reasons as to why Cairo told her to leave when she found books that could help them. She thought maybe he just didn’t want to see her after the insulting spar they had, or maybe it was his library and she wasn’t invited. Myra even considered how maybe he was going to meet someone in that exact book aisle, but her presence ruined the plans. But him trying to protect her, that was never a possibility.
There wasn’t enough time for them to have misunderstandings like this when another rebel could sneak into Daran at any time, and the markings could still have a meaning.
“Did you have a chance to look at those books yesterday?”
“I spoke with Imran afterwards, then had a meeting with the king.” Cairo said. “I will look at them tonight.”
Royal cooks panicked when they witnessed the prince walk through the door with Myra by his side. They all immediately started rushing and preparing meals, some didn’t know what to say, so instead they kept smiling at Cairo and staring at him from shock. Even Madri looked surprised as she collected the basket from Myra. Questions boiled in her friends eyes.
Before going to the barracks, they stopped by to see Imran. His fever has eased and the medic said he will be as good as new by tomorrow, but another day of rest was advised. Imran seemed unsettled by being locked up in his room for a day more than Myra was after five. Her friend couldn’t stop asking questions what they did in practice or if anything happened around the palace.
It wouldn't be surprising if Imran was going out of his mind, he didn't have a brother or a sister nearby to keep him company like Ayra did, and Myra would be going out of her mind if she was stuck alone the whole day.
The training was a lot more peaceful as well. The air didn't linger with awkwardness between Cairo and Myra. Instead it was easy. The small break might have been a blessing in disguise. The occasional glances from the day before did not stop and most of the day was still spent in silence, and when it was time they both practiced together. Cairo was much more understanding, he took time explaining any techniques Myra didn't understand, which shamefully was most of them since the prince was more advanced than Imran. They took their time with each spar and Myra felt like she was making progress.
Now she just needed to continue her bow practice so her aim wouldn't get worse. Not that she still told anyone about the skill that was drilled into her for years.
They only stopped when she felt her body could no longer handle another swing or step forwards, when even Cairo had sweat dripping from his brow and looked ready to end the day.
The prince smiled. “Well, isn't it easier to follow my lead?”
“Perhaps if you didn't show me all these new manoeuvres today, I would have laughed at you. But yes, thank you Cairo.”
It felt hard to admit they shared a nice day. Maybe Myra was adapting to this new lifestyle, even if every bone in her body wanted to deny it. The dusty, damaged barn no longer looked as dreadful, the combat wasn't a mystery and the dragons no longer seemed like some strange creatures made of magic but instead were companions. It might not be the worst living at the palace moving away from family, settling into a life of her own.
Before her thoughts could take her further, something pounced on her side, knocking her to the ground. Soft white scales moved against her skin and a wet tongue met her cheeks. Myra would have been a lot more excited about being reunited with Nythe, if only the dragon wasn't crushing the air out of her lungs. The dragon growth was still shocking, but even more so how much weight it added to them. No wonder they didn't allow Nythe into the palace, the dragon was now a bit taller than her.
Myra pulled herself out from under Nythe, while petting the top of her head. It eased her heart seeing the dragon again and even if they couldn't exchange words to catch up on all they have missed, Myra wished to talk about all she has heard and seen while sick.
For a moment Myra has forgotten only moments ago she stood next to the prince, but his soft chuckles as he looked down on them reminded her so.
“You should laugh more, prince.” Myra smiled up at him.
And maybe when Nythe tackled her, Myra banged her head again, but it was hard to miss the small blush on Cairo’s face.
“Then you should give me more reasons to do so.”

It didn't take long for Cairo to find some sort of excuse to leave the barn and get away from Myra. Technically speaking, the tasks from his father were stacking up and he could use a whole day to complete the paperwork on the desk, or meet the new recruits for the warriors and see their progress.
Yet, the girl has been haunting his mind more than usual.
He first noticed her when they were children, carrying that basket and gaping at the palace, as if it was the best thing she had ever seen instead of the glorified cage he viewed it as. The girl spoke to everyone and smiled the whole time, it must have been exhausting to be so happy. It frustrated the young prince beyond words. Cairo continued to watch her from afar, it was a break for him in his daily training and duties. A moment to breathe fresh air on the balcony as he pondered why that girl was so happy about everything. And maybe the prince at first was jealous, as to why the simple girl seemed so much happier than him, when he was the prince and she was just a commoner. But, it didn’t take long to figure it out. The girl didn’t deal with always being told her efforts weren't enough or that if she doesn't achieve something millions would die all because of her. That girl didn't have worries chasing after her every move or lurking in every corner waiting for the smallest mistake. So, at least once, maybe twice a day Cairo thought of the girl as he grew up, not knowing her name or who she was, but she was his breeze of fresh air and that ray of hope that life could be more than wishing for more. Annoyingly, that girl ended up being a new dragon rider and now he had to see her even more, to the point where she filled every single corner of his damn mind and now life too.
Only his friend Imran knew of these troubles he was having. About the constant annoyance at the back of his mind. Imran didn't have a solution to this problem and instead laughed at the prince. Cairo promised himself he would get rid of this issue at some point. Once he figured out how.
It's not like he could just ask someone for advice. He was the prince. The king always made things very clear about the expectation he had for his son. Firstly it was to marry someone noble that would help the kingdom of Shaya, second was to put the kingdom first even if it costs a life, and third was duty above all.
So a commoner girl from a bakery, who then became a dragon rider certainly did not meet the criteria of being more important than his duty and kingdom. But that didn't mean anything when she got in the way repeatedly.
When Myra was sick, Cairo thought he would go mad. Every night he couldn't sleep, worrying if his last words to her were too harsh or why didn't he just force the woman to stay in the palace. The pile of papers got bigger everyday, but he couldn't focus on them, or the training, or royal meetings, or anything actually. Not when he couldn’t see Myra or find the pathetic excuse of a human that injured her in the first place, but the rebel disappeared and neither Cairo or Astarot could track him down.
And what exactly was Cairo expected to do when Myra smiled at him the way she did? It took all his will power not to drag her away from that barn and show her exactly how much time she was on his mind. But again, not a very princely thing of him to do, especially when his father would punish both of them for it.
It will be best for Cairo to stay away from her, save them both from the misery he would cause.
So after Nythe tackled her to the ground, messed up the braid, causing golden locks to fall on Myra's face, he told her of the said stack of papers on his desk and walked out as quick as he could.
At first he walked around the palace in an attempt to calm down his racing thoughts and heart. Then, Cairo followed the dim halls to Imran, but he was asleep. Which was a good thing, since it would hopefully mean Imran would wake up feeling like a new man and not force him and Myra to be alone for hours. After the door softly closed behind him, Cairo made his way to the library to see those strange books Myra found.
To him the library was rather a creepy place. Why the king didn't change the outdated decor or at least better lighting in it was beyond him. It wasn't like many people had access to it anyway. For decades now the royal library had restricted access. Only the royal family and the bookkeepers could enter anytime, the rest had to have written permission and if they didn't, they risked being thrown in a cell while awaiting trial. The last person to break in and get caught was during Cairo’s grandfather's rule, where the person was kept in a cell without food or drink and they got found guilty of treason and executed shortly after. The library was said to hold the most ancient texts, ranging from innocent bedtime stories to prohibited cursed magic that could kill thousands. Because of precautions most people got banned from entering, but it wasn't like most people could read the fae language in the first place.
The queen taught Cairo how to read and speak the ancient tongue forgotten by most. According to his mother it was his heritage and his royal duty to remember the language and carry on the knowledge it possessed. It took hours mastering the skills it required, the writing looked more like drawings and the slightest difference in letter thickness or curving could change the meaning of a sentence, similarly speaking it felt odd at first and the right sounds took months to perfect. All that work and he used those skills a handful of times over the years, each time was when he tried to hide away from the king and the library was a place no one would ever look, and well nothing else to do in an ancient library than read. This was the first time the skills would actually be of use.
The books towered over him as Cairo stood there looking for the book Myra was sure contained the rebel symbols. They all mostly looked the same. Old and dusty, with zero purpose.
One leather book did stood out though and at first Cairo tried to ignore it thinking his eyes played games on him. The shadows surrounded it, light seemed to move away from its direction and it seemed to itch closer towards him, calling his name quietly. Not even noticing when he picked it up, the book was in Cairo’s hands.
It felt heavy and wrong. No words could quite pinpoint the feelings that it caused.
With a deep breath, Cairo began reading.
The text to stories that more resembled nightmares. It told stories of people who were one with shadow and could call upon in when they wanted. If that was all they could do, perhaps the world would be a much more peaceful place, but the book kept going. First it spoke about the storied Cairo already heard of and seen for himself. These so called erebiaen derailm could control darkness, make someone see nothing and surround them by shadow and depending on their skill level they could do it to a mass of people at once, some could even control what a person sees. Then some of them could control the sounds in their shadows, of they willed it then there would not be even a sound of the victims heartbeat. The more powerful users could appear anywhere they wanted, disappearing in shadows and coming back anywhere they wanted. And if it could not get worse than that, the most powerful shadow users could take away someone emotions, making them feeling nothing at all, just leaving them as an empty shell of what they were once where. It was more concerning that the list continued, but the pages were so old the ink was worn, making it impossible to decipher.
Power like this was not right. A person should not possess something that could strip another of their feelings. To Cairo it seemed so wrong and it terrified him. How was he suppose to protect his kingdom and his people against a force that could make him feel nothing at all? And with what he has read no one was truly safe, the rebels possessing this magic could easily gain access from travelling within the shadows if the book was right. One could appear while he slept and he would never know.
What Cairo did not notice while frantically turning the pages of the text was the shadows crawling to him, clinging to his legs and moving to his arms. All he focused on was the symbols Myra pointed towards and the words written under it.
If aligned correctly and with enough power given, those symbols can be used to destroy what is in one's way. However, if one symbol lacks precision, the surrounding area will be destroyed by either the pressure of shadow being too great or being sent to Haendon.
The rebels must have drawn the symbols in hopes of destroying the walls that surrounded Daran. Yet, if that was the case were the walls not damaged and still stood protecting the capital? More importantly what the hell was Haendon? Cairo tried to find answers that were arising in his mind and tried even harder not to panic about the possibility of the city being crushed by shadows or being sent off to god knows where.
It all came to a halt when Cairo finally felt it, the shadows that now touched his hand and its coolness against his skin.
Everything felt colder and yet so right at the same time. It disgusted him.
Carefully, Cairo carefully slid the book back on the shelf, gave one last look at his hands that seemed almost dipped in shadows and with a deep breath he shook it off.
There were now much bigger things Cairo had to worry about than just the golden haired dragon rider.