“Here... They're cold, but it's better than nothing.” Lephas stooped and picked up the remaining cuts of rabbit meat from the night before that he had saved.
The faerie took his offering and began chewing her way through the tough meat. Her eyes glazed over and her expression turned vacant, deep in thought once again.
Lephas swallowed his mouthful.
“Is everything alright this morning?” he asked. “You seem quiet.”
“Oh, yeah. I'm fine.” Lori shot him another tight smile.
He shook his head. “I'm not buying it. Something is wrong.”
“I'm just tired.”
Though Lephas fought to contain it, he felt emotion bubbling up in his chest. Even as a lad, he had always hated the thought of the people he cared about being upset or mad at him.
“Was, uh... Was last night too much?” he asked, avoiding looking at the princess.
“No!” she exclaimed. “Only in the sense that it was almosttoo good.”
The demon felt a wave of relief, yet still concern ate at him. He allowed a long silence whilst he chewed. Before he had the chance to probe further, Lori finally spoke.
“I've just... Oh, it doesn't matter.”
“No, go on – I want to know.” He encouraged her.
“It's silly, really.” Lori shook her head.
“Try me.”
There was a pause. This time, it was the princess'sturn to avoid his gaze. She pressed her lips together nervously.
“Please tell me. I'll be worrying about it all day otherwise.” Lephas shot her an apologetic smile.
“I've just been wondering... I mean, we've been intimate now and I guess I just, um, I'm wondering whether it's just a casual thing or...?” Lori's face flushed.
“Oh.” Lephas replied, lost for words.
It was hard to deny the feelings he had swiftly developed for the small faerie. Even before he'd had the great fortune of meeting her, he wasn’t the sort of man to covet a casual fling. He supposed that was probably the main reason he had significantly less notches in his bed post than most of his friends.
Lephas had to be honest, their unique situation had been on his mind too. It was complicated. Lori was, after all, still a prisoner of war. He was still charged by his king to return her safely to him in order for her to undergo questioning. An uncomfortable hollow feeling crept its way into his chest every time he thought about it.
When they returned to Banesteppe, Zelrus would expect him to hand the princess over and put her in a cell. He didn't need to consider it to know he would struggle to do that to her.
He wanted nothing more than to be able to return to Banesteppe with her and just pick up his normal day-to-day life, albeit greatly enhanced with her beautiful presence, but he knew that was an impossibility.
“I... don't know,” he answered honestly. A sorrowful expression flickered across Lori's face, cutting him like a knife.
“I didn't mean I don't know about you.” He hurriedly backtracked. “This isn't a quick fling. I... Like you. A lot.”
“I like you a lot too.” The faerie's face softened into a shy smile.
Lephas sighed, trying to ignore how his cheeks threatened to flare into a blush yet again. “Well, that's good. But it's complicated.”
“No shit.” Lori snorted.
“I don't know what will happen when we get back to Banesteppe,” he explained. “You're my charge. I've already gotten myself into a lot of trouble just with what I've done so far.”
The princess smirked knowingly and Lephas rolled his eyes exasperatedly with a short laugh.
