Between the lines is written in fire

Rosamunda straightened the folds of a lush purple dress, woven at the hem and on the chest coats of arms. The ambassadors came up to kiss the queen’s hand. Rosamunda was surprised that they were all young, about the same age. Usually ambassadors were bearded middle-aged men. These ones were all young and handsome. Probably they were the sons of some powerful person. Maybe they’ve invented the elixir of youth. They’re magicians!

Rosamunda was much more attracted by the glitter of the treasures in their chests than by their looks. She stared so intently that she didn’t notice the young man who came last. She almost fell off the throne at the sight of him. That’s what it means to get an arrow in the heart! The sight of the handsome golden-haired boy made her feel as if she was scorched.

He looks like a living elf! But he’s an ambassador, and his name is the same as the emperor of the Dragon Empire. Edwin!

He must be the emperor’s namesake. The Emperor himself wouldn’t show up unannounced and wouldn’t go behind ambassadors’ backs.

For some reason, at the sight of Edwin and the ambassadors, Dandy hastily ducked behind the throne. No one could get him out of there with a sap. Only his eyes glittered from beneath the legs of the throne.

Edwin bowed. The sight of him burned worse than the fire, and her hand burned from his kiss. Rosamunda watched the red stain spread across her palm. It must have appeared so. Some creepy winged shadow flashed quickly in Edwin’s eyes and disappeared.

What a pity this young man was not a dragon! She wished he had asked her to marry him!

How unpleasant to be the object of a dragon’s desire when there are such handsome men around!

Rosamunda wanted to start a conversation with Edwin, but she didn’t know where to begin. Any words spoken to him would sound like flirting. Edwin himself was silent for some reason and dared not speak to her first.

And Dandy had disappeared. He would tell her how to behave now. For some reason her knees shake at the sight of Edwin, and all her thoughts scatter from her mind. Is this what love at first sight is like?

«I must give you a gift from the Emperor,» Edwin suddenly pulled a rose out of the void like a magician. Rosamunda gasped in delight. The rose was unusual. There are no such roses in the royal garden. How could the Queen of Dauran be impressed by ordinary roses? A special magical flower was needed to surprise her. And that’s exactly what she’s been presented with. The bright orange rose was ablaze with yellow fire around the edges. In an instant, it was all fire. Only the stem remained green. The courtiers gasped in amazement, but Rosamunda did not dare to take it in her hands.

«Hold it by the stem, and it will not burn you,» Edwin advised. For some reason he avoided looking Rosamunda in the eye. Was he ashamed of her, or did he not like her? Or maybe the eerie shadow she saw in his eyes wasn’t a hallucination.

«Is that all you know how to do?» Rosamunda teased him. «A dragon could make me a rose like that with a single breath. I expected more from a wizard.»

In fact, she was delighted by the tortured flower, but it was unpleasant that Edwin paid her no compliments. Even the gift he gave her was not from himself, but from his emperor.

For some reason, at the mention of the dragon, Edwin flinched like a stung man. Had she insulted him? But what did he have to do with a dragon attacking Dauran? It was not he who had attacked.

Edwin shook his golden curls, whispered something, and a miniature rainbow appeared in the palm of his hand. A moment later, the rainbow flew out the window, stretched over the castle, and illuminated everything with a multi-tonal glow, leaving a handful of rainbow stones in the palm of Edwin’s hand.

Rosamunda knew that rainbow stones were considered the most valuable of all gems, for they could only be obtained from elves and fairies. And fairies and elves are notoriously difficult to bargain with. They will not want money in payment, but some magical condition. But Edwin got the rainbow stones instantly. Or rather, he conjured them. And he is an expert!

Rosamunda applauded and then realized that she might have insulted him. After all, he is not a magician, but a real wizard.

Edwin expressed no offense. He poured the stones into Rosamunda’s palm, and kept only one stone, shaped like a peach pit. He rubbed it in his fingers and then threw it into the center of the hall. The stone immediately embedded itself in the marble floor, and suddenly there was a cracking sound. It was the floorboards cracking. Roots that looked like dryad’s fingers sprouted from them. A tree sprouted from the roots. It instantly grew to the ceiling of the throne room, covered with twigs and leaves. Ripe fruit formed on its branches: either peaches or magic fruits with iridescent shiny peels.

«My throne room has been turned into a garden,» Rosamunda said whimsically.

«If you eat one peach, you will forget any sadness for a long time,» Edwin said.

Even the colorful birds flew away from the tree.

Rosamunda twirled a flaming rose in her fingers. Its petals were even hot.

«Would you like more gifts from my emperor?» Edwin asked.

«So all these miracles are gifts from your suzerain and not from you?» Rosamunda flared up.

Edwin silently unfolded a fan made of fire in front of her. All the plates, except the handle, were blazing.

«It is a blazing fan!»

He is mocking! Laughing at the queen who was attacked by a dragon! That’s why the gifts are all fire!

«It’s quite chilly in Dauran. A little fire wouldn’t hurt,» Edwin gave his gift.

«It is curious thing!» Rosamunda praised, accepting the fan. Maybe the ambassadors don’t know about the dragon, but just want to be helpful.

«How long will you stay?» She was more worried about whether Edwin would leave right away. Somehow she didn’t want to lose sight of him.

«We have been invited to participate in a tournament,» said one of the group of ambassadors.

«It is a tournament in honor of the solstice!» Rosamunda remembered. «It’s still a couple weeks away.»

«If we’re in the way, we can leave and be back by the day of the tournament,» Edwin said.

«You are joking! How can you get there and back so quickly? The borders of Dauran alone are over a week away.»

«Distance doesn’t matter to wizards,» Edwin replied cryptically. «You can fly around the world in one night.»

«Then teach me how to do it!»

«It is in any time, Your Majesty,» he stroked the signet ring on his little finger. «I can take you on a tour of the starry heavens, the clouds, the rainbow bridges.»

Now that was a bit like flirting! Rosamunda’s cheeks flushed. Curious, was it flirting a courtesy? Or did Edwin really like her?»

Edwin gave another shake of his unruly golden curls, which made Rosamunda faint. The ambassador was slender but strong, broad-shouldered, tall and handsome as a summer elf. Curious, who was he by title? Dressed sumptuously, like the son of a duke or marquis. His camisole glistens with precious stones, his sword has a gilded hilt, and the lace of his collar is like a frosty pattern.

«Put the ambassadors in the best quarters,» Rosamunda said.

If it were her will, she would have put Edwin in her bedroom. But stop! She’s not a libertine! Why were such perverse thoughts? Is he bewitching her? He’s a sorcerer! He can do anything. But Edwin did not impose his company on her, but hurried away. It was a pity he wasn’t as clingy as the dragon. You can’t get rid of a dragon that easily. Rosamunda looked warily up at the sky, where a magical rainbow was shining. She wondered if the dragon’s fire would shimmer across it again.

It was as if Dandy had been frightened by the ambassadors and now he wouldn’t come out from under his throne. Rosamunda tried to reach him, but he hid behind her skirts and clawed at them.

«What’s the matter with you?» She whispered.

«The ambassador’s name is Edwin.»

«What is of it?»

«I don’t like people with that name, especially wizards.»

«Is it because their emperor is also called Edwin?»

«It’s not a good name,» Dandy gritted his teeth in fear. «Bad people use it. They are dangerous people! They are treacherous…»

Dandy’s teeth chattered as if he were freezing to death, and all around him were fiery things.