My lips pursed. “You can say that.”
Marreth immediately caught my tone and stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“Apart from Rhylan wanting to take my mate, us being trapped in a horrid kingdom with no escape and receiving life threats every single day?” I responded sarcastically, but he ignored my comment.
“Apart from that.” Marreth pushed, searching beyond the obvious.
“I was a prick last night,” I admitted, and seeing how he still looked concerned, I decided to confess the whole thing to the only half-friendly face I could find around here. “After you let me inside I went ballistic and destroyed everything in the room and by the time she returned I felt possessive, desperate so I…” I took a moment to find my words, “I behaved like a jerk. Long story short, she doesn’t want me touching her.”
Marreth’s face crumpled in understanding and had the good sense to fake a grimace if only to imitate the state of my feelings.
“She’ll forgive you after she finds those flowers,” he encouraged, placing a hand on my shoulder. “That’s a nice trick,” he admitted, “It would have saved me so much trouble in my old life if I could do something like that,” the commander admitted and squeezed my shoulder, a gesture to help me regain my stance and brighten up.
“I doubt it, seeing how I’m not even allowed in bed,” I huffed under my teeth but nodded as a thank you for his encouragement and pointed my hand out, a silent request for Marreth to continue walking.
“I heard that about human females. Apparently, they take comfort away from males as a means of repercussion. Never tested it though,” Marreth lifted his brows in surprise, but did as advised and continued walking. “I guess you tested that theory for the both of us,” he added, laughter in his voice.
“Is there someone in need of flowers on your behalf?” I took the opportunity to ask, seeing how he was chatty this morning, and for the first time, the male had a chance to treat me as a companion soldier, rather than a hostage.
“Prince, are you sure you have time for all my love stories?” he turned his head only slightly and grinned proudly at me.
“Anything to distract me, even if it has to do with your hideous self,” I grinned back, teasing him, just like I used to do with my brothers.
On the way to the training field, Marreth told me about his life and love, about the females he had been with in the Fire Kingdom and back in his own, his words trailing along at the mention of a particular lady, way above his status, whom he had loved deeply, always from afar.
The rest of the day was spent training, long hours flying by just like they did back at home when the sun-scorched our backs and blades tore our skin. To my relief, I did not recognise any soldiers from the Earth Kingdom, but felt a dash of happiness to be returned into the ring, able to touch real blades and feel the heaviness of the steel.
It took a while for my muscles to regain their balance, but after the mid-morning breakfast, I felt refreshed and challenged the higher ranks into the ring, claiming victory in each and every field.
Even Marreth confessed his surprise at my abilities, especially after the time I had been submerged in iron, but none of that seemed to matter when blades connected to my arms. I felt them as a part of myself, reminding me of better days and normalcy back at home, so I enjoyed every moment of holding them and cutting through armour after armour, always careful not to deeply wound or break any limbs.
“If you don’t stop soon, prince, the single ladies in the kingdom will form a queue to your room,” a voice made me stop in place, my battle partner seizing the moment and striking right into my teeth, making me tumble to the ground.
“Rhylan,” I greeted him after spitting the accumulation of blood from my mouth. “We need to talk,” I uttered, exiting the ring and abandoning my partner in the middle of combat, an un-soldier-like thing to do. I would explain my actions at a later date, I told myself.
“Indeed we do,” Rhylan nodded and left the ring with long steps, allowing me enough time to return the weapon and trail after him through the dark corridor.
“I assume Anwen will be the first subject matter,” Fear Gorta started speaking again when he sensed my steps approaching his own.
“You assume correctly,” I quickened my pace enough to grab hold of his arm and twist it, forcing him to stop and face me. A dangerous move, I was well aware but I would not take a stroll while having an extremely important conversation regarding my mate.
“We are not going to converse until we reach a place where I feel comfortable discussing,” Rhylan shook his hand away to let me know I had sullied it with my touch. He scanned my body, the sweat trailing along my naked torso, and rose his lip in disgust, then turned once again and started walking.
I sighed and followed him through the narrow corridors, trying to count my way up from the training field and focus my attention and anger towards something else, knowing that I was one wrong move away from attacking Fear Gorta right then and there.
“Here will be fine,” he announced and opened a door that led us to a small chamber containing a round table, a fireplace, and two chairs. I entered and followed after him, taking a seat without being told to and grabbing the bottle placed on the table and a glass to serve myself a drink.
“What happened last night?” Rhylan turned to me, preferring to stand by the fireplace and watch my dirty self lean against the velvet chair, sullying it with my sweat and grime.
“Apart from you announcing to take my mate as consort and removing me from your way to be alone with her?” I pressed my words from between gritted teeth.
“What happened afterward?” Rhylan pressed and addressed me as one would an insolent youth. “What did you do?”
My breath stopped, eyes going wide. “Is she alright?”
Rhylan scanned me for a long moment, leaving me to boil in a cauldron of wrath of my own making until he deigned me with a reply. “Physically, yes. Otherwise, she is hurt. I assume you are to blame for that, she was perfectly fine when I brought her yesterday,” the fireling explained, pressing his accusation.
“I need to speak to her,” I immediately said and tried to rise, but Rhylan pressed his energy around me, forcing me to keep my place on the chair. It felt like an invisible cliff had dropped on me, allowing my blood to flow freely but keeping everything else immobile.
