“Your favorite person,” he laughs, “and while I have no desire to be around while you take care of those needs, I can’t deny that I’d like to be present when the two of you start bickering at eachother while doing it. Would be good entertainment.”
“Pervert,” I shake my head with a small smile.
Cal’s friendly eyes dart to mine, his eyes crinkled in laughter, “sometimes.”
We leave our horses next to Holis and Mana’s and take a seat with the rest of the group. Prince Keane, Desmond and Lord Daniel stand a bit farther away, their heads bowed and talking with features still hard from this morning. Holis passes me a roll of bread that I take gratefully, my glance roaming around to the rest of the group as I watch them keep to their normal routine.
Barnes and Claymore are eating their food in silence while two of the human soldiers walk into the plains to relieve themselves. The third is laying down in an attempted nap while Alanna eats and sharpens her quiver of arrows. They’re all acting like this is any other normal day, no hint of nervousness showing on their faces and no quiet anxiety lingering in the air around them. Even my own traveling crew is smiling in conversation while Holis passes around more food.
Ancients.
Am I the only one with their stomach in knots?
Can everyone see how nervous I am?
Am I overreacting, or is my anxiety heightened because of my inability to defend myself?
I shift in my seat and envision the Hidden City, letting the promise of staying there on our trip back calm my nerves. My eyes drift to the handsome Prince who stood so proudly before it, frowning when I notice him still talking swiftly with his brother and Lord Daniel.
I sigh at the sight and excuse myself from the group, not wanting to be caught with my curious eyes on him for the rest of lunch, and make my way to Millie to give her some love.
“It’s not much like home around here, is it girl?” I pull out her brush and start grooming, “perhaps I’ll sprinkle the ground with cinnamon spice tonight, that way we can both be reminded of home in our sleep.”
“You’ll be sharing my tent tonight, Lady Alexis,” Keane states from behind.
I still at the quiet command in his voice.
No.
Ancients,no.
I can’t share a tent with him. Not after last night. Not after the mills. And definitely not after the damn Shadow Oak. My nerves are already wrecked from the travel we’re taking right now… I can’t go adding the two of us confined to a tent on top of that.
I grip Millie’s mane and try to calm my beating heart as Keane takes a step closer.
“You’ll be sharing-”
“-I heard you,” I cut him off on an exhale.
Ancients!Why will this nervousness not leave me?
“Thank you, Your Highness,” I tell him, “but there is no need.”
“There is every need,” Keane replies steadily, “these plains are not as secure as we believed and you are unable to defend yourself should a complication arise.”
As if I needed any more reminding.
I bow my head at his words and look at the dead grass under my boots.
“I appreciate the offer, Your Highness, but I have Cal for that.”
Keane shifts quietly behind me as a new tension cuts the air.
“You are the sole guest of the King of Disce,” he replies after a small pause, “you are the reason why we are traveling to Pyre in the first place. Youwillbe protected by the strongest.”
I lift my eyes from their gaze on the ground and slowly turn around to face him. My glance immediately lands on the black of his tunic, the color blending so well with the cool features of his face. His brown eyes are impassive and looking back at me without any emotions, every inch of him portraying the disinterest I’ve come to recognize in his kind.
I hate that face on him. But I should have expected this... I should have known something like this would happen from that first night in Agnor when Golem and I listened in on the Prince’s conversation with Desmond and Alanna…
