Interesting. The prince, who was kind to even a stable boy and a kitchen girl, could barely contain his dislike of Turio. That one realization eased a fraction of the tension in Aizel’s stomach. At least they shared that in common. She moved toward him with more confidence in her step.
“Then let us be off,” Turio proclaimed, approaching his own horse as two soldiers dashed forward to help him mount it.
The prince turned his back to Aizel, repositioning himself to mount his own steed.
Unable to call his name, she reached out and touched his arm.
He whirled around. For the briefest moment, he looked shocked as he stared down at her head.
Aizel wondered if something was in her hair and reached up to brush it away.
By the time her hand reached her head, he had quickly schooled his expression to the icy cold indifference he had shown yesterday. His eyes swept the length of her body, then drifted away, as if she were no more interesting than a rock on the side of the road.
A tight pain knotted at the base of her throat, just below the ribbon that circled her neck. She swallowed to release the pressure.
Lifting her hands, she crossed them over her shoulders, pretending to shiver as obviously as she could.
At least the motion caused him to return his attention to her, but his eyes narrowed in confusion. He leaned his head back, positioning his body ever so slightly away from her.
Ignoring the hollow feeling inside her chest, Aizel tried once more. Using her fists, she made a motion around her shoulders as though she were wrapping herself in a blanket or a cloak.
He shook his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t converse with people who refuse to use their voice.”
Aizel’s head snapped back at his callous tone. Although she hadn’t actually expected any kindness from a Quotidian soldier, she couldn’t help the tears that immediately flooded her eyes.
She turned away from him, holding her shoulders high as she all but stomped to her horse.
A soldier stepped forward to help her mount the horse, but she ignored him. Using the half wall, she mounted the animal herself, keeping her face turned away from the prince as they trotted out of the courtyard.
Perhaps it was better he was cruel and mean. It would make it that much easier to carry out her task.
Chapter 16
Erich hunched over his horse as he gently urged it forward with his knees.
He felt... guilty.
He had seen the tears in the girl’s eyes before she turned away from him. He had never made someone cry before. Not even his sister. Sure, he had teased Meena until she got angry and yelled back at him, but he had never ever made her cry.
He had not intended to be cruel... it was just... Every time the Majis girl looked at him, her eyes were shadowed and angry. Her motions were obvious; she was cold.
Her motives, however, were less obvious. Why hadn’t she just asked for a cloak? Was she trying to appear helpless and small to garner his sympathy? If so, she was absolutely succeeding.
The tears in her eyes, though, were a surprise. She looked genuinely rejected.
He was surprised that she had feelings, which made him feel quite silly. How could someone who destroyed dozens of lives at once still have feelings?
“You killed my men,” he should have said. “You think I care about your minor comfort when you destroyed innocent lives?” He had been right to ignore her request.
As he tried to exonerate himself from guilt, they left the tall protective walls of the monastery and the morning breeze hit his face. It was a chilly morning, and he was wearing multiple layers of wool and leather.
He wanted to turn around and see if she felt the cold, too. His mind could not unsee the image of her standing in front of him, hugging her arms around her small frame... her big green eyes gazing up at him, begging him to understand her wordless plea.
And her hair. Her fiery hair cascaded in windswept waves around her shoulders, reflecting the sunlight in the most intense shade of bright red he had ever seen.
He shook himself, opening his eyes to the real world around him.
That is exactly what she wanted him to think, that she was weak, innocent. She was trying to get him to let down his guard.
