When Alina woke up the next morning exhausted, her skin dewy and littered with bug bites, she vowed that never again would she allow herself to be convinced by Katarina Ashowan to voluntarily sleep outside.

“Morning!”

The very redhead Alina was debating strangling greeted her brightly. Too brightly for her liking…

The young Lady Ashowan appeared perfectly happy to sit by the morning fire sipping what smelled like coffee…

The Princess had never been one to enjoy the bitter beverage, yet she was hoping it might occupy her hands and mouth to stop herself saying or doing anything violent.

Wordlessly, she reached beside Katarina’s seat, stood up with a grunt, then stalked over to where a small steel pot sat steaming. Filling up a nearby cup with the black liquid, Alina sipped it hastily before turning to face the Viscount’s daughter who sat by herself watching her with a gleam of amusement in her eyes.

“Didn’t sleep so well?”

The Princess didn’t bother answering. “Where are the men?”

“Ah, they went to water the horses by the nearby river. We’re going to head back as soon as they return. Are you ready to face the courtiers?”

“I’ll have a few hours to prepare myself,” Alina mused aloud grimly before taking another sip from her cup.

Kat chuckled. “So… I take it camping will take some getting used to for you?”

“I will not get used to it, because I will never do it again. Understood?” Alina’s imperial tone stunned Kat for a brief moment before she roared laughing.

“Gods, you’re always so mild mannered and sweet! I never knew you could be such a Princess, Princess!”

Alina scowled. “Next time I sit through a five hour council meeting without my back touching the chair even once, I will make you join me to do the same and see how you feel.”

Annoyingly enough, this only made Katarina laugh harder. “If the Gods were to create my own hell they should talk to you…” she managed between gasps.

The men returned then leading the horses, and all looking worse for wear after the poor sleeping conditions save for the Troivackian King who looked like his usual self.

“What is so amusing?” Brendan asked while eyeing Alina’s flattened expression warily.

“Your Majesties, we should leave now to ensure the castle doesn’t send another messenger,” Lord Ashowan interjected while handing off the reins of the second horse he led to Alina who stared at them unimpressed.

Alina drained her cup of coffee and handed the tin back to Kat who was already finishing loading up her horse while Duke Iones appeared and stifled their campfire.

“Good. The sooner I’m out of these accursed woods the better.” Alina turned with a huff towards her fiance who was watching her with a raised eyebrow.

“Just think, at the very least you’ll have a greater appreciation for your bed!” Kat called at her friend's back, which had Alina swinging around and flipping her middle finger into the air, making her friend break out hysterics again while the men all looked mildly taken aback that the normally mild-mannered Princess was using such a rude gesture.

“Where did you learn that sign?” Brendan asked slowly, though he was relatively certain he had an idea.

“The very woman who seems to be enjoying it the most,” the Princess muttered while snatching the reins from the King and stepping away so that she might mount her horse.

The Troivackian shot the redheaded woman a dark glare that was interrupted when Finlay Ashowan stepped between them, his eyes glowing threateningly.

Shaking his head, Brendan turned away and mounted his own horse.

“Let’s get moving, I smell rain coming.”

“RAIN! OF COURSE!” Alina’s furious shout once again stunned everyone except Kat who was clutching her sides, unable to contain her mirth.

Brendan sighed.

It was looking like it’d be a long ride back to the Daxarian castle.

*

About two hours into their ride back to the castle, Alina regained some of her composure and calm as she slowly sidled her beast up towards the Duke who was somehow managing to stay quiet that morning.

“I apologize for my outburst this morning, Your Grace.”

Lord Harris shot her a bemused smirk. “Not at all, My Lady, I’m well aware how irritating the Ashowans are.”

Fin cleared his throat loudly behind them and the Duke laughed. “Given that we are all here instead of warm under some blankets because of your kin, Viscount, I think you should cut me a bit of slack today, hm?”

There was another grumble from Fin who rode beside his daughter who avoided her father’s gaze at all costs.

“Out of curiosity… did… did my brother say if he were coming to my engagement ceremony?” Alina’s heart was in her throat as she feigned a casual posture on her steed.

It didn’t work how she wanted however as the Duke immediately stiffened, and all humor faded from his face. Which was when Alina knew things were far from right with the Prince.

“He… He didn’t say, Princess. My apologies.”

A gut wrenching moment passed where Alina wondered if she’d be able to successfully stop herself from begging the man for information right then and there.

Her emotions swelled, and she kept her eyes glued ahead of her as she tried to regain control.

“How…” she began after a moment, only to find that her voice rasped. She cleared her throat and blinked rapidly. “How is he doing? Is he learning all about the way the courts run in Sorlia? Or is he still training the novice Knights?”

She couldn’t bring herself to look at the Duke, and it was a good thing because the pain and remorse that crossed Lord Harris’ face would have made Alina more likely to break down her tentative grasp of decorum.

The one who did see the small glimpse of the Duke’s conflict, was Brendan Devark from Lord Harris’ left hand side.

Brendan's brow lowered and his expression hardened, especially when the Duke glanced over his shoulder at the Viscount who gave a small almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Katarina Ashowan failed to notice as she stared worriedly at her friend’s back.

The Troivackian King felt a black rage begin to fill him that he hadn’t felt in years as he observed the entire situation and had to fight back his own thoughts.

“He… He is getting to know the citizens of Sorlia, and even spending some time in the countryside,” Lord Harris finally managed before clearing his throat.

“Does he receive the letters my father and I send? You give them to him, right?”

The Duke was saved having to answer when thunder rumbled above them.

Brendan pulled on the reins of his horse, and fell back so that he could round the group's backs, and instead come up on Alina’s right side.

Without a word, he reached over and hauled her off her steed into his saddle.

She let out a surprised yelp as the Duke grasped her horse's reins reflexively to stop the beast from stopping.

“Your Majesty, you forget yourself. Return the Princess to her horse now,” Fin's firm voice didn’t garner any immediate response from the Troivackian King. Instead, he removed his black cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around Alina as she spluttered in the saddle in front of him.

“Your daughter failed to bring a cloak or proper blanket to keep the Princess dry, Viscount. With the current condition of her lungs, a cold could kill her.” The acid tone in Brendan’s voice made Katarina’s eyes narrow and even Duke Iones’ eyebrows shot up.

“I-It’s really alright, I-” Alina was cut short when the deluge of rain began to pound down from the sky tattering against the thick foliage of the forest in a lively rush. “You’ll be soaked,” the Princess observed quietly while staring up at the stoic Troivackian who didn’t bat an eye at the sudden deluge.

“I’m harder to kill,” he replied shortly, ending the debate.

They rode in silence for another few minutes until Katarina Ashowan’s horse trotted up beside the King’s.

It was then Brendan noticed steam rising off the woman, and she somehow appeared mostly dry…

“Why can’t she ride in her own saddle now that she has your cloak?” the redhead asked pointedly, her golden gaze boring into him.

The Troivackian King turned his stare ahead of himself, already displeased by her presence- even if her ability to stay dry was more than a little interesting.

“She can if she asks, but I believe it is perfectly clear we are riding like this now because we want to.”

Alina felt herself blush all the way up to the roots of her hair. “Gods, did you really have to-”

Brendan immediately turned his chin down to her, his eyes softening immediately. “Am I wrong?”

For some reason the Princess found herself biting her lips to ward off a smile as she struggled to meet his gaze. “N-Not… quite…”

Even Katarina blushed a little as she allowed her horse to fall back in step with her father’s.

“Well, that’s a surprise,” she muttered under her breath before turning to risk a glimpse of her father’s profile.

The Viscount’s eyes weren’t anywhere near the Princess and her fiance, however, and instead were lost in thought.

Kat felt her stomach grow knotted. She already knew she was in trouble, but whenever the Prince was brought up, her father’s mood would always immediately turn horrid. Meaning, her mild punishment might be made significantly worse…

Sighing, she caught Lord Harris’ eye who gave her a mysterious half smile and shrug, though even he still seemed downcast after the Princess’ questions.

Frowning slightly, Kat wondered just what the annoying future King of Daxaria was really doing? Had he run away? Was he up to his eyeballs in prostitutes? Was he sick? Perhaps he had eloped with someone from the mysterious western kingdom of Lobahl and her father was trying to track him down.

She had constructed many interesting theories and ideas ever since her father had returned from visiting Eric Reyes years ago, yet no one, not even her mother seemed to know what exactly had happened.

*

“Are you alright?” Brendan asked softly as the rain continued to swamp their efforts to get through the forest. No one could hear their words over the downpour, and given how quietly he was speaking it was clear he didn’t want anyone but the woman in his saddle to hear.

Alina had to admit she was incredibly grateful to be beside the hulking Troivackian as she nestled closer to his warmth and remained only slightly damp, while he looked like he had been dunked in a river.

“Fine thanks to you, though I’m looking forward to a good fire and dry bed once we get back.”

“I meant about the Duke’s replies regarding your brother.”

Alina stiffened, and Brendan instinctively hunched his shoulders further around her, and found himself enjoying how she fit perfectly against his chest.

“He… He has my father’s permission to release as much information as he deems necessary,” she answered while feeling her throat restrict again.

“So even your father doesn’t wish to know where his own son is?” The disbelief in Brendan’s voice somehow made Alina’s chest tighten.

“I… I don’t know. He might have more information than I do and they all think they’re protecting me…”

“Well, given how this affects you politically and otherwise I’d say it isn’t protection so much as disrespectful of you.” The growl in the King’s voice somehow made Alina feel a little better. As though him being angry on her behalf helped lessen the burden somehow.

“I suppose they’ll tell me when they think I’m ready.”

“What of your brother then? He has a responsibility to his kingdom and family, and you said he hasn’t responded to any of your letters.”

Alina was grateful for the rain then as she quickly wiped a couple of tears that escaped her eyes in a hurry.

“I know when my mother died it changed him… but I suppose I always thought it was just that he… he was doing something important in order to come back to us. Then he would explain everything and we could… we could be a family again.”

Brendan was silent for a long time after that, and so Alina settled back against him and tried to stop herself from shivering as the temperature dropped around them.

“I will bring your brother back before you leave for Troivack. I promise you, on my pride and honor.”

Alina felt her eyes grow round.

A Troivackian vow on their pride was the most serious one they could make. If broken, no matter who or what trivial matter the vow was regarding, they were immediately treated as… disappointments and symbols of shame to the Troivackian people.

“Y-You don’t need to do that. He could be doing something important and-”

“-Then I’ll help him finish up whatever important business he has, because one way or another, even if I have to break his legs, he is going to come see you and explain himself.”

Despite the casual threat of violence, Alina was moved beyond words, and some corner of her heart couldn’t help but feel a little… softer towards the massive, terrifying Troivackian King. As he sat in his saddle, his face set in its usual neutrality, his shoulders and arms protected her from the rain, and his beloved pride had been placed at stake in order to give her the greatest wedding gift anyone could, or be shunned for trying.

‘Gods if I’m not careful, I may end up liking this man a little more than I thought was possible…’