Chapter Thirteen
Elek
Darkness still encompassed the sky when a sharp rapping came to my door. With much grogginess I reluctantly answered it when the person refused to relent.
“Good morning, Elek!” Huri’s obnoxious voice floated through the doorway. I had never felt such murderous intent rise up in me so swiftly.
“It’s not even dawn yet.” I seethed.
“Your father wanted to leave first thing in the morning. Since it is technically the next day, hurry up and get ready.” They said, eyes beaming with delight.
Probably delighted from their joy in causing me irritation, I thought. Rather than answer them, I slammed the door in Huri’s face, hearing them chuckle on the other side. I needed another soak in the spring before I had to deal with another five hours of being trapped in a carriage with them.
As I rested against the stones I allowed for my mind to finally wander to her. At this point there was no reason to avoid thinking about her. If that scroll was anything to go by, she was attractive. But that could not mask the hesitation I had about having to become responsible for a woman who was no different than a princess trapped in an ivory tower, like those unrealistic stories my mother used to tell Celina and I before bed. What kind of personality could such a sheltered woman have? Although, her personality didn’t really matter under the circumstanced. My father called the shots as my king. However, she did kill that guard, according to Huri. Someone who could do that had to have some fire in her.
The thought of her emerged again an hour into our journey. What were her social skills like? Was she able to grow up with any peers? I couldn’t have her clinging to me for support if she were to return with us. I had daily tasks to fulfill.
Finally, I caved and viewed Huri from my peripheral. They had to know more about her.
“Is she going to be more trouble than she’s worth?” I voiced, keeping my gaze to the window.
Something between a snort and a laugh came from them as they closed their book.
“What an odd way to ask what she’s like,” they began, face lighting up with joy. “As you know, I like to have a variety of eyes in various locations. But when it comes to her, I’m afraid the information doesn’t go much further than her movements, and even those are scarce.”
“Sounds like your eyes are terrible at their job.” I tried to mask my irritation.
“It’s not them that’s the problem. Anyone without authorization could face immediate execution for going into her wing. So I choose to not risk it. My spies are more valuable alive.”
“However,” they continued, as I looked over to see them push their spectacles up their nose, “recently there have been more sightings of her since the announcement. She was seen in the capital a short while ago and, from what I have gathered, she seems like a rather normal person.”
Well, that was anti-climatic. I turned back towards the window, a sense of relief coming over me.
“So she wasn’t awkward around anyone? Do you think she could adjust well to living in Demarcus?”
“I don’t see why she wouldn’t. Apparently she did just fine with her people. Although…” Huri trailed.
“Although?” I asked, looking at them again.
Their face lowered and their lips turned into a frown.
“Many of her people didn’t take to her as well as she did them. There’s still some concern about her being allowed to leave the castle, even with security.”
“So what you are saying is that it would be almost a kindness to take her with us.” I stated.
Huri adjusted themselves on the cushioned bench and shrugged their shoulders.
“She may not see it that way. If she sees going out into the city and meeting people as progress then pulling her away from that could cause resentment.”
“You make her seem like a complicated woman.” I said.
“Only because I don’t have much to go off. Most of what I’m saying is speculative. But you should ask yourself how you would feel if you were in her shoes.”
I snorted at the thought. “I never would be. I would have either told Jovan to stick his head up his ass or would have found a way to leave.”
“And yet you can’t even tell your own father ‘no.’” A smirk played at their lips, causing me to want to smack it off .
That’s different, I thought. There were expectations from me because I was born into them. I wouldn’t have been given the option to be brought up any differently unless I wasn’t born royal. When I told Huri as much and they just laughed.
“Right, you’re more restricted than a girl who spent most of her life locked away. Mind you, that she’s only been given such limited contact with the outside world that even walking around the city is seen as an immense freedom - whether dangerous or not. How did you ever manage to keep your sanity during your upbringing, dear nephew?” Huri mocked.
We remained in silence for a long while after that. Mostly so that I didn’t find just cause to punch them in the face. But as time went on and the sun perked up over the coastline, I couldn’t stop thinking about what to expect. What if I charmed her and she was quick to be manipulated into marrying me? Then I would feel like some low-life villain. What if she rejected me completely and I was left going home alone? Then I would feel weak because I couldn’t do something as simple as marrying a foreign princess.
“You are putting far too much thought into it. You’re going to give yourself a migraine.” Huri said, eyes lingering on the open pages of their book.
Squaring my shoulders, I sat up straight before speaking.
“You mentioned before that I was more likely to gain an attachment to her rather than her me. How will I know if what I may develop is genuine or a fabrication because of the bond?”
I couldn’t afford to lose my senses. If I found myself in a predicament where there had to be a choice between my country or her, I wanted to believe that I would choose Demarcus every time.
“You’ll still be you. The same grumpy Dragon Prince. How you feel towards her will remain in your control. But your sense of priority may change. That can influence you, and even cause for you to resent her. If she is standing beside you and another man walks up to her and asks to dance, your first instinct is going to be to pull her away. Or, if you are in a situation where there’s an attack, your soul will try to force you to save her before any others. It will rewrite your natural instincts. That’s how the chain works on your end because you’re her protector. And it’ll be even more so if you two go through the bonding ritual that your father wants,” they explained, eyes still scanning the pages.
Leaning back in the seat, I folded my arms against my chest. This was going to cause issues in the future. I just knew it.
