Flame of Cytherea: Cytherean Chronicles book 1 by D. R. Rosier Read Free Book Online Page B

herself, but she knew at
the worst she would be punished by her father the king as a dad, not accused of
treason by disobeying his orders.
    She was determined to fight.   She had been present early this morning when poor Nora came back alone
with a horrific tail of death and invasion.   She had tried to join the elite women warriors in the past, but her
father had told her no, and she didn’t understand why.   She was a princess, but so what?   It wasn’t like she would ever rule, could
ever rule.   Plus she had two older
brothers for that anyway.
    She was just… an ornament.   She hated it.
    She understood after a fashion, it wouldn’t look good if the
king’s daughter joined what amounted to the misfits of society… except that was
where she fit in.   The royal family had
always been among the most powerful of the shape shifters.   The founding king had actually been a dragon,
although there currently weren’t any in her family it still cropped up from
time to time.   Still, they were strong,
and had secondary talents based off of what they shifted into.
    She was determined to fight… all she had to do was sneak out
of the castle.   She looked into a mirror
and saw green piercing eyes, fair skin and long curly hair the color of
fire.   She frowned looking at her
elaborate dress, that wouldn’t do for traveling, or fighting.   She didn’t have much of a choice though, all
her closets had in them were silly dresses.   Whenever she had asked for simpler clothing she was denied.
    It wasn’t that she didn’t love wearing a dress, she did, but
having something else for riding or weapons practice would be nice, of course,
she wasn’t allowed those activities despite her begging.
    She looked out the window and considered it.   There was just no way she could leave that
way, her other form wouldn’t ever be missed by the guards and her father would
be after her in moments.   She considered
for a moment in anger, so what, she was more powerful.   Then, overcome by shame at the thought she
dropped her shoulders and felt helpless.
    She looked in her closet one more time in miserable
desperation, knowing she wouldn’t find anything.   To her shock she saw a leather riding
outfit.   Excited, she grabbed it then
changed.   She looked into the mirror and
blushed.  
    Her large breasts looked squeezed together and lifted,
showing way too much cleavage.   She was also
a little uncomfortable at the amount of skin showing, and the womanly curves
that the dresses hid so well were in plain sight.   Then she got angry with herself.   Yes, it showed too much for a princess
perhaps, but it was not too much for a warrior.   In fact the leather looked a lot like the uniforms the warriors she had
wanted to join wore.
    She realized despite being eighteen, she was not used to
others seeing her body, and she was… nervous about it.   Yet, war was coming, and she wanted, no
needed, to help.   She was not just an
ornament and she would prove it.   She
slipped on the calf high leather boots she found with the clothes and headed
for the secret passageway.
    It wouldn’t do to get caught now after all.
    She slipped out near the armory and grabbed a leather
helmet.   Even in these clothes she would
be immediately seen for who she was by her hair.   It was unique to her across the kingdom after
all.   She put her hair up in a bun, then
covered it with the helmet.   Almost as an
afterthought, she looked through the weapons and grabbed a long dagger and
sheathe, attaching it to her uniform.
    She took the passages again as close to the castle’s
servants entrance as she could, then boldly stepped out and walked toward the
door, acting as if she belonged there.   The guard didn’t say a word as she walked by.   She blushed in embarrassment.   The guard’s gaze had not gotten any higher
than her chest…
    She giggled after making it all the way through the city and
outside the gate.   Apparently she had no
reason