"What do you mean?" My nostrils flared as I met the prince's red eyes. He leaned against the wooden post of his tent.
"Don’t take me for a fool warrior, I am sure the thought of escaping has gone through your mind, more times than you’ve blinked. But I believe we should establish a relationship of trust, and just in case you are not on the same page, your companion will be staying in my tracker’s tent. I doubt you will leave him behind." He cocked his head to the side, as if he were reading my every thought.
Pompous ass.
“The other option would have been to put you in my tent. You are my bodyguard after all.” The prince smirked, and I bit into my cheek.
"You have over a hundred guards here, I don't mind standing outside your tent if that's what it means," I argued. Trying not to get sucked into those ruby eyes. "You've survived this long without me," I muttered.
"You'll need to get used to your guard duties and please do learn the Apollon etiquette lessons, Inanov will be able to teach you some." He ignored my statement, looking me up and down, as if he could see right through me. I was back to being afraidof him and suddenly nauseated. The tea at the campfire didn't seem too appetising now. "You will also receive clothes fitting to be part of the royal guard." The prince frowned at my boots. I wanted to be defiant but instead kept my mouth shut, plus, new boots wouldn't hurt.
"Enjoy dinner." He looked to the campfire behind me and brushed into his tent.
I silently strode for the campfire, where everyone seemed to have finished the tea and was now passing around bread, grapes and cheese. Sitting next to Red, a cloaked and hooded guard pinched out some grapes and passed the rest of the food to me, it was Inanov.He passed me a cup from the ground, with tea that was no longer hot but close to warm. I appreciated it regardless. "You did not get your share," he roughly answered. My cheeks warmed.
"Thank you," I murmured and sipped on the overly sweet tea. The rough vulgar sounds of soldiers talking quietened. Some making it obvious to look at me.
“Just be patient with him and follow orders. You will be fine,” Inanov’s deep voice murmured into the cool night air.
“I need to be patient withhim? I did not ask for this.” I was exasperated and looking at him with wide eyes.
“He did not want a bodyguard either. Trust me on that.” Inanov sarcastically chuckled, the light of the campfire shadowed his features but I remembered his face. He was handsome in a roguish kind of way yet still neat.
“Then why is he so cruel?” I muttered and Inanov looked at me with sudden seriousness. “He is far from that and I suggest you not speak that way of our royal prince.”
I tightened my fist and refrained from saying,“He is not my prince.”
"Go on, Akiel, tell us a story," a young man with hazel hair said to the older lookalike sitting next to him.
"Well Hulin, since you have never been to Abdera, I'll tell you a story or two," Akiel said, rubbing his chin. "Do your’ll know why Abdera’s trees and grass are red? All things supposedly seen as greenery in most lands and forests are all red in Abdera. It looks like a city of blood. Do you know what is also red? The eyes of our royals. The Goddess of Nature, Donella is said to have favoured the Apollon royalty and blessed these lands in symbolism of their eyes." The men around the campfire cheered. I snorted. Inanov, with his close proximity, noticed this.
"You seem to disagree?"
Shit.
The men stared. The boy who had similar features to Akiel frowned at me. They seemed to take it personally. "Morana has been to Abdera plenty of times. Right, Mor?" Red answered and smiled. Unknowing of the falcons that surround us. Ready to pick our bones apart.
"Enough times, yes."
"You disagree with Akiel's speculation? Be honest, you won't hurt his feelings." Vermillion eyes met mine.
He was listening.
The prince sat atop of his golden cloak as if it had meant nothing. As if it were normal to see a royal with beautiful platinum locks lounging about the grass with soldiers around. An Apollon servant laid a tray of delicacies before him and he waved a hand away.
"Your Majesty. It's your dinner."
"No need, I will have what’s being passed around." He eyed the grapes in my hand and took his own. Popping the grape slowly into his mouth and licking his lips. My mistake was watching. I looked away, heat filling my body. He smirked.
"Bring it my way, boy. I am in the mood for seconds anyways." Colfe, that foul, man called to the servant from far away.
"Well,Mor?Are you going to tell us?" the prince mockingly asked. The soldiers looked at me angrily but more composed as they were in the presence of their crown prince.
"Abdera was not always red. They had close to sub-tropical climate, with actualgreenerylike most forests," I answered. But with the look he gave. It seemed he wanted me to go on. "It changed twelve years ago. In my humble opinion, I doubt it has to do with the Earth Goddess Donella's blessing to the Apollon royalty."
A few angry shouts arose.
"Now, now, men. My warrior is giving heropinion,"the prince said, in a rather provoking manner.
