Kajan examined everything curiously, eyes wide, the tears drying on his cheeks momentarily forgotten as he took in what must be shockingly humble surroundings to him. Feather played with his hair, making Kajan giggle. Much like Ramsay himself, Feather had been impeccably trained, and he'd always seemed to genuinely enjoy children while having little patience for most adults.
Kajan would likely never know how fortunate he was that it was Ramsay of all people who had come to his rescue. Soon, hopefully, this would all be a distant and largely forgotten memory for him. Though as he was the crown prince, more and increasingly dangerous problems would be coming his way. Hopefully his new bodyguards would be better at their job.
"Stay out of the way for a bit, Your Highness, while I take care of Feather, hmm?"
Kajan laughed. "That is a silly name for a horse."
Ramsay smiled and patted his horse affectionately. "Yes, I suppose it is, but he runs as light as a feather, even when I am on his back."
"Well, you're not very big," Kajan said, looking as though he were trying very hard to be nice, especially under the circumstances, but the truth was the truth.
Ramsay burst out laughing, leaning against his horse as he attempted to regain control of himself. He reached out to tousle Kajan's hair. "No, I am not very big. But I am fast and very tough, and I weigh more than you might think." He winked.
Kajan giggled.
Grinning, Ramsay finished ensuring Feather's comfort. Locking the stable door, he led the way out of the stable and across the way to his small, humble but sturdy cabin. Inside, he hung up his face and head wraps, then washed at the basin he always kept filled with fresh water. "Ah, that feels much better. I still am not used to the heat in your country, hmm? Where I come from, it is most often very cold. Would you like some tea?" He walked over to the stove, looking over his shoulder for an answer.
"Y-yes, please," Kajan said, looking suddenly uncertain.
Crossing back to Kajan, he knelt and hugged the prince tight. "It's okay, Kajan. We will get you home safe, I promise."
Kajan started crying again and hugged him so tightly that Ramsay struggled to breathe for a moment. "I want papa! I w-w-want to go home!"
"Shh, shh," Ramsay soothed, hugging him tight. "You will see your father again, Kajan. I promise."
Kajan just cried harder.
Ramsay drew back slightly and smiled. "Do you know what I used to be?" He smiled more brightly when Kajan only looked at him in confusion.
Standing, he crossed the room to his bed and drew out the small wooden chest he kept beneath it. Inside were the few precious objects he had taken when he left Tritacia behind forever. Picking out the small velvet jeweler's bag he wanted, he strode back to Kajan and knelt again.
Opening the bag, he dug out the only ring it contained. "Do you see this ring, Kajan?"
"No…" Kajan said, sniffling, tears drying as curiosity overtook fear.
"Once upon a time, it was my duty to protect a prince. I trained for it for a very long time—I was not much older than youare now, in fact. Every day for ten years I protected that prince. He is still alive and safe because I protected him. Once he was almost stolen, just like you. I stopped the men who tried to take him and got the prince safely home. That is what this ring means—that I am a guardian. What my people call a Holy Protector. I promise on my own life, Kajan, that I will get you safely home, all right? So you do not need to be afraid."
Kajan looked at the ring. "Papa has rings like this." He frowned. "But not like this too."
Ramsay smiled. It turned a bit sad as he looked at the ring himself. It was beautiful—made from white gold, set with a deep blue sapphire. Over the sapphire was more white gold molded into the royal flower of Tritacia. The ring of a Holy Protector.
He had given them so much, until they had taken the one thing he had begged them to protect for him while he guarded their prince. Then they had not even been sorry. He had raged and raged, all to nothing.
So he had buried his brother, dead at only eleven years. Then he had packed all that Feather could comfortably carry and boarded the first ship with room for man and horse. He had left Tritacia and the life of a Holy Protector behind forever.
Except it seemed the Three Goddesses were not done with him yet, not if they had guided him across the ocean to await the arrival of another prince. His father was right, it seemed. But he always had been. One could not escape their fate.
"There are very few rings like this one," he finally said, then reached into the velvet bag again and extracted a silver chain. He threaded it through the ring then looped it over Kajan's head to let it fall against his chest. "You wear it until I have returned you safely to your father. My promise to you, all right?"
Kajan nodded and smiled. "I am glad you found me."
Ramsay smiled, keeping his sighs to himself, and hugged Kajan. "Me too." Then he turned more serious. "Kajan, the first rule of being protected is this: you must obey me. I know that can be hard—"
"I didn't listen to papa," Kajan said sadly, shamefully. "He was always yelling at me, telling me not to run off, not to hide. I didn't listen to him."
"Well, so long as you have learned now that youshouldlisten."
"Yes."
