Slave to Sapphire
Chapter 13

“Iris it’s me, are you still awake?” Ezekiel’s voice was muffled by the closed door.

What was he doing here? Iris jumped from the bed and rebuttoned the few buttons she had undone. She brushed her dress again in a final attempt to smooth any wrinkles. Her hair was in the process of falling out of chignon. Iris pulled the silver pin from her hair, shook her hair loose, and slipped the pin beneath her mattress beside the rope. She opened the door a crack and peered out at Ezekiel. He was still dressed handsomely in his suit from the ball. Iris pulled the door open the rest of the way.

“You are awake, and still in your gown?”

Iris stared back at him, taking in his raised eyebrows and tousled hair. She didn’t have a good explanation for why she was still up and wearing the silk gown. “What are you doing here Ezekiel?”

Ezekiel rested a hand on the door frame, running his other hand through his loose curls. “You seemed upset when you left the ball. I had wanted you to enjoy the night.”

Iris folded her arms across her chest, waiting for Ezekiel to get to the point.

“I want to show you something, and I think you will like it.”

Iris was still shaken by her narrow escape from Julian. If Ezekiel had arrived slightly earlier, he could have seen her sneaking back to her rooms with a rope slung across her shoulder. If Julian did alert the guards to what she had done, then it would be best if she was with Ezekiel. She could deny everything.

“Well, if you think it is something that I will like.”

Ezekiel grinned, “Great, follow me.” He extended his hand to her, and she placed hers in his. Her hand felt small in his, the skin of his palm soft against her calloused palm. The fog clung to them as Ezekiel guided them through the gardens. Through the concealing foliage Iris caught a glimpse of a couple in a compromising position. Ezekiel squeezed her hand and gave her a mischievous grin. They crossed the gardens entering back into the Palace. They then exited the Palace so that they were on the opposite side of the main entrance. The patrolling guards let them pass without question.

“Where are we going?”

“I was starting to get concerned by your lack of questions or conditions,” Ezekiel drawled. “It’s a surprise.” He gave her hand another gentle squeeze.

Iris stopped and looked at him skeptically, “I ask a lot of questions because I don’t like surprises. In my experience surprises are bad.”

“Well, it will be an honor to give you, your first good surprise.”

Iris stood her ground for a moment. She had already let Ezekiel lead her this far and he was taking her to a place on the Palace grounds she had not been before. Any more information about her surroundings would be useful. Iris shrugged her shoulders. “Fine, if you insist on it being a surprise.”

Ezekiel led them to the palace wall, stopping at the base of one of the guard towers. Ezekiel exchanged a greeting with the guard and the guard opened the door to the tower for them. Iris hesitated at the doorway looking up the narrow stone stairs that spiraled up the guard tower to the top of the wall.

“I promise you will like this more than the ball.”

“I am going to hold you to your promise.”

“I know.” Ezekiel ascended the stairs.

If Iris was going to use Ezekiel as an alibi, she needed to stay with him. Iris followed him up the stairs, she was glad for the flat sandals Ezekiel had given her, her thighs were burning when they finally reached the top of the stairs. Ezekiel knocked on the door of the guard tower. A guard opened the door and nodded to Ezekiel. There were three men stationed in the tower with crossbows strapped to their backs. They didn’t question Ezekiel and he led Iris from the tower to the top of the wall that surrounded the Palace.

Iris gasped; Ezekiel placed his hand on her back to steady her. High on the Palace wall they were above the layer of fog. The night sky glittered with stars, the moon a pale sliver. Below, the lights and sounds of Orinth were muted by the blanket of fog. It was peaceful up above it all. An ocean breeze played with her hair. Iris shivered in the thin silk gown, goosebumps pebbling beneath Ezekiel’s hand.

Ezekiel brushed her hair aside and traced the fresh scar on her shoulder with his finger. Iris shivered for an entirely different reason, a warmth building in her core. Iris turned to face Ezekiel. A muscle in his jaw twitched, his fingers still lingered on her scar. He dropped his hand.

Ezekiel removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, “You must be cold.” Iris returned her gaze outwards. His jacket smelled of oak and citrus.

“That scar is fresh. Was it a patron at the bar?”

Iris sighed, “It is nothing, life in Scarlet Town is dangerous. I was dying the night you found me, remember.” Before Ezekiel could ask more questions Iris spoke again, “You tried to open a kitchen in Scarlet Town?”

“I knew it was a risk letting Imogen speak with you alone. I did have a kitchen built in Scarlet Town, it was meant to feed those who needed a hot meal, free of charge.”

Iris had never heard of such a place in Scarlet Town. “What happened to it?”

“The project had obstacles from the start, merchants not wanting to sell me construction supplies among other things. I eventually had it built, it ran for almost a year, serving one meal a day. Then it was burned down by one of the gangs of Scarlet Town. I suspect they were paid handsomely by one of the guild masters or some other member of the Grand Ruler’s circle.”

A quietness fell between them as they both stared out into the night sky. Did that fact Ezekiel tried to help his fellow citizens in Scarlet Town change her opinion of him? Maybe it did.

“You are right, I do like this more than the ball.”

“I used to go up here with my mother. It was her favorite place to think. On a clear day you can watch the sun set into the ocean from here. I will show you one day.”

“I would like that,” Iris spoke truthfully. Ezekiel stepped closer to her so that his arm brushed against her.

“Tell me about your mother,” Iris wasn’t sure why she’d asked. Maybe it was because Ezekiel had taken her to a place that was important to him and his mother. Iris spent her life fighting to live each year. Ezekiel’s mother had lived so long that she no longer saw the point.

Ezekiel looked out to the stars as he spoke, “She was a dreamer. She was never content living in the Palace. She always spoke of sailing to Volos or taking an expedition over the Anemom Mountains.”

“Why didn’t she?”

Ezekiel looked upon Iris with confusion. “Ships from Orinth do not sail to Volos, and the citizens of Orinth are not allowed to board a ship to Volos. And the Grand Ruler would not tolerate one of his wives tramping through the mountains.”

Iris frowned at the idea of having everything given to you from birth but still wanting more.

“What are you thinking?” He asked.

“I don’t want to be rude.”

“I am happy to hear that you have started taking my feelings into account. But you can be frank with me.”

“Your mother had everything, but she still dreamt of more.”

Ezekiel studied her. “Wealth and immortality do not guarantee happiness. Many of those who seem to have everything still strive to find meaning and contentment in life. Though, I like to imagine that my mother felt some happiness when we would stand here together.”

Iris could not relate to what he was saying. She knew that the people of Scarlet Town would be happier if they did not have to work for each year of life. But, Ezekiel’s thoughtfulness in bringing her to a place that had been special to him and his mother allowed her to feel some empathy towards him. Though she didn’t understand it. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Ezekiel placed his hand over Iris’s where it rested on the ledge. Iris stopped herself from acting on the urge to lean into him, but she did not pull her hand away.

Iris could stand up here forever. High above the city with only the stars watching, she could forget about the ugliness that was part of Orinth. Eventually Ezekiel escorted her back to her room.

***

Iris lay in bed, soon it would be morning. Iris didn’t know how to conflate the Ezekiel who moved as one of the elites at luxurious balls and the Ezekiel who took her high above the city and shared memories of his mother.

Sleep must have come because she was awoken by Samson’s loud purring as he sat on her chest staring at her sleeping form. Iris groaned.

“It’s creepy when you do that, Samson. Also, we need to talk about the time you have been spending with Julian getting fed cured meats.” Samson cocked his head, his one eye staring at her; she grunted as Samson jumped off her chest and on to the windowsill and out of her room.

Iris bolted upright when she realized the amount of sunlight streaming into her window, it was well past sunrise. Usually, Ezekiel would have sent a guard to her room by now to bring her to his study. She pulled on her leggings and boots and then paused, chewing her lip. Was she meant to wait in her rooms, had Ezekiel forgotten about making her his assistant? Maybe he was just sleeping in late after last night. Maybe Ezekiel had learned about her late-night trip to the stables, and someone was going to be dragging her to the prison for questioning. Iris got out of bed and dressed, she had never waited on a man to take action before and she wasn’t going to start today. She left her room and walked to Ezekiel’s study, none of the guards stopped her or seemed to take notice of her.

She found Ezekiel bent over at his desk. He straightened as she entered the room, grinning before he spoke. “You finally made it! I was beginning to think you decided you preferred the hard labor of the kitchens over me.”

“I am sorry that I am late, I assumed you would be sending a guard to fetch me.”

“Now that you are my personal assistant, I feel you have gained some measure of trust and do not need a guard to be escorting you during the day throughout the palace.”

“Lucky me.”

Ezekiel motioned her to the desk and showed her more piles of paperwork that needed to be organized. Iris studied them; they contained so much more than the ledgers she had been working on the past week. They ranged from receipts of purchases of equipment, to records of which parts of the mines had collapsed as well as censuses of the number of people working in the mines. As she took in the information, she fought to keep herself detached from what it signified. It was difficult for her to reconcile her year of torment spent in the mines and the neat numbers on the clean white papers. The events of the previous night must have affected her more than she thought. Her introduction to the Grand Ruler, her run in with Julian, and time with Ezekiel left her feeling raw and vulnerable to the information before her. She found herself unable to wall herself off, like she had while reviewing the ledgers.

“Is something bothering you?”

“I just can’t believe you spend your time, day after day looking at these numbers and have never been to the mines yourself. Do you even realize that these represent real people, with families and dreams and losses? I was one of these numbers once.”

Ezekiel raised his eyes to meet hers. “You must think I am a monster.”

“Maybe I do.”

He looked away; his face filled with shame.

“I hate that I have enjoyed the time I have spent with you over the past week,” Iris whispered. Ezekiel raised his eyes to meet hers.

“Iris, please forgive me; you make me want to be a better man. I was raised in the Palace and this is the only way of life I know. I kept telling myself to visit the mines and do better for the people of Orinth, but when one has eternity, there is always tomorrow to start being better.”

“You shouldn’t need me to want to do better; you should be able to find it within yourself.”

“Iris, I will never deserve you, but I want to try to. If you let me.” Ezekiel stepped around the desk and grabbed both of her hands.

“I despise all that you stand for.” Iris hated that she was starting to care for Ezekiel. The fact that he was generous to her and opened a charitable kitchen in Scarlet Town did not change what he was, who he was.

Yet, she did not remove her hands from his. His eyes fell to her lips and his mouth parted. Iris’ pulse quickened, heat pooling in her abdomen. Iris’ emotions were tumultuous with anger and desire. Ezekiel moved his hands up her arms to her shoulders. Iris tilted her head to look up at him. Their lips collided with one another; Ezekiel pulled Iris’ body flush with his. She wrapped her arms around him, and he moved her backwards until her legs hit the couch behind her and they fell onto it. Her tongue entered his mouth and he groaned. She could feel his hands over her shirt as he moved them over her abdomen to her breast. Her nipples hardened at the touch and she arched her body to meet his. The outline of his hard cock pressed against her leg. She moved against him; her conflicting emotions swallowed by desire.

There was a light knock at the door.

“Damnit,” Ezekiel’s voice was rough as he eased himself off Iris. He ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his pants as he walked to the door. He opened the door a crack. Iris couldn’t make out his quiet words as he accepted a note from the messenger.

Cerise, what was she doing? She had basically just told him she hated him; she was planning on sneaking in the dungeon tonight. It was only a matter of time before Julian did something about the stolen rope. Iris stood from the couch, straightening her clothes, and smoothing her hair. She needed to get away from Ezekiel, she didn’t trust herself around him.

“Well, I think I need a day off. I will be sure to arrive earlier tomorrow morning.” The words tumbled out of her.

Ezekiel gave her a half smile as she rushed out of the room.

Iris spent the rest of the day pacing her room and questioning her actions while she waited for night to fall.

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