And that was perhaps the greatest regret of his life.
Aerina giggledover a funny story Sylar told her by the campfire as he played a silly tune on his lyre. Rawn preoccupied himself by checking their horses and bags again, making sure they had enough provisions for the second leg of their journey.
They had finally reached the borders of Erendor. They had perhaps twenty-five more miles before reaching their destination. They kept to the forests, avoiding the main roads. His hand paused on the flap of a bag as he gazed at Galadir far below the range. Moonlight reflected over the roofs of the tall stone buildings, windows flickering with candlelight.
Only one more day left.
Time had passed by too fast for his liking.
“What are you doing?” Nisa appeared by his side suddenly. “Come sit by the fire and celebrate the summer solstice with us. The fireworks will start soon.”
“I am preoccupied here.”
She groaned and crossed her arms. “You won’t be condemned merely for speaking to her, brother.”
He frowned. “What are you implying?”
“Rawn.” Nisa arched an eyebrow. “Since we left the castle, you have hardly spoken three words to the princess. She believes you dislike her.”
He balked. “She said this?”
Nisa grinned. “No, but now that I have your attention, why do you elude her?”
Groaning, Rawn returned to checking the belts of his saddle.
“What do you think of that, Fair?” Nisa teased as she stroked his horse’s muzzle. “Rawn can finally speak to his beloved, but he hides away like a child.” Fair whinnied and she snickered. “He agrees with me.”
Rawn shushed them desperately as he glanced at Aerina, but Sylar’s music was thankfully on his side tonight. “Will you cease?” he told her sharply. “Do not pretend to sense Fair’s opinions. He is not bonded to you.”
“I do not need to be bonded to him to comprehend him.” Nisa went to her own bonded horse grazing beside Fair and began brushing down her beige coat. “Horses are easy to understand. They do not complicate things like we do. Lowenna chose me as her rider as she chose Fair for her mate. He did not fight it either, did he, girl?”
Lowenna chuffed, nibling at Nisa’s cloak brooch in the shape of a horse. His sister grinned.
With a sigh, Rawn shook his head. “We are here for a reason, and it’s not so I can yearn for her, let alone be her friend.”
Nisa’s face softened. “So you do yearn…”
He continued his work, if only to ignore the statement, but the silence made him have the urge to fill it. “I am a lowborn soldier, Nisa, and she is aprincess. One I am tasked with escorting to safety. Nothing more. To even imply it, to even speak of it…” Rawn shook his head as his gaze returned to Aerina.
He knew his place. Yet in his heart, she was a wish.
A forbidden one.
“You were once friends.”
“That was before I understood who she was,” Rawn replied faintly as he recalled the time they spent together during their schooling years. Life had been more innocent then, not yet encumbered by duty and status. “We are not children anymore.”
“We are taking Aerina to Galadir tomorrow,” his sister said softly. “Once this mission is over, you may never see her again. I think you can afford one night where you forget about her status and the lack of yours. Tonight, you are not a soldier on a mission. You are simply Rawn who will ask a girl for a dance. What is the worst that can happen?”
The worst?
That would be to reveal the secret he had buried somewhere in his heart a long time ago. That Aerina would see past the carefully built wall he constructed around himself, concealing how hopelessly in love with her he was.
To entertain such a thing went far beyond any realm of acceptability. Especially while aware of the reason he was escorting her in the first place. King Leif trusted his honor. What kind of elf would he be to betray that?
Before Rawn left the castle, his father had given him the signet ring with a word of warning.Take this so all who meet you know you are a progeny of our House. This mission holds many lives at stake. Do you understand? Do not fail your king.”
Not again.
