helped keep her stomach from heaving. It was hard to not think about what she was doing. Tears continued to slide down her cheeks. He
was like this because of her. Because he'd protected her. Finally she finished
and wrapped the worst spots. Before he could turn around she quickly brushed
the tears from her cheeks. She couldn't do anything about her shaking hands.
"Aro? What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She shook her head quickly. "I'm
just tired. And hungry."
He watched her for a moment before he nodded and
stood, gathering up his bowls and cloth. "Let us head back to the fire and
have something to eat."
Her head shot up at that. He had food? Her stomach
cramped at the idea of food. How many days had it been since she had more than
a few pieces of that horrible bread? She followed him eagerly, and then watched
impatiently as he puttered about the fire, cooking a few small fish on sticks.
What looked like clams or muscles he placed by the fire until they opened.
She stuffed her face, and licked her fingers. "Oh,
that was so good!"
He smiled over at her as he continued eating, in a much
neater and proper fashion.
"So you can cook, too?"
He nodded. "I travel often. There are not always
inns and such to stay in."
She yawned and curled up by the fire, watching the
flames flicker. "Well, you are very good at it. At least with seafood."
He laughed quietly. "Thank you." He finished
eating and tidied up. She watched him leave for a moment, and when he returned
and handed her a small piece of wet cloth, she smiled. She sat up, laughing at
his manners and wiped her mouth and hands.
He watched her, as if making sure she did a good
enough job, and then settled down to sit beside her.
"Is there a reason you're being so nice?"
She struggled not to yawn. "I wouldn't think you'd care about someone like
me."
He paused before answering, as if surprised at her
comment. "I am actually quite fond of you."
"Mmm," she managed, not really believing
him. She lied back down again. A full stomach made her so tired.
He chuckled suddenly. "I have always had a soft
spot for children."
His words caused anger to shoot through her. He
thought her a child? She frowned slightly as she wiggled against the cold
stone, trying to get comfortable. Finally she closed her eyes. "So you're
that kind of man are you?"
She cracked an eye open to see how he'd taken her
comment and couldn't hold in a chuckle. His cheeks were absolutely flaming, his
eyes wide and horrified. They narrowed quickly however, at her laugh. "Got
you," she murmured.
"You are such a troublesome child," he said
sternly.
"I'm not a child," she muttered.
His fingers brushed hair from her face. "Ah, but
you are," he said so very softly. "Don't rush growing up. Being a
child is so much better. Hold on to your innocence."
"So I should stay a boy? I don't think the others
would do that."
He grew quiet for a moment, as if trying to figure out
what she meant. "Ah, yes," he said finally. "That was not…quite
what I was speaking of. So you are…yes of course you are."
She smiled slightly at his floundering words. "I've
never even kissed a boy," she admitted quietly as sleep pulled at her more
strongly.
As she drifted off she felt his hand on her shoulder. "You
have lots of time, Aro. Lots of time."
Chapter 10
A Good Day
The next morning she couldn't see Prince anywhere. She
frowned, looking around. She was certain it had been his leaving that had woken
her. She could vaguely remember him brushing hair from her face, and the
feeling of his cool fingers against her forehead.
Had she dreamed it?
No, if she'd dreamed of him, it wouldn't be something
like that. He simply still worried about her being sick, or maybe getting sick
again. That was beyond strange itself. She hadn't thought he liked her, but
from what he'd said the night before, he did.
Maybe they had started to become friends after all.
Such thoughts quickly sobered her. What had happened
to Kei? Had he died? Or had he
was like this because of her. Because he'd protected her. Finally she finished
and wrapped the worst spots. Before he could turn around she quickly brushed
the tears from her cheeks. She couldn't do anything about her shaking hands.
"Aro? What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She shook her head quickly. "I'm
just tired. And hungry."
He watched her for a moment before he nodded and
stood, gathering up his bowls and cloth. "Let us head back to the fire and
have something to eat."
Her head shot up at that. He had food? Her stomach
cramped at the idea of food. How many days had it been since she had more than
a few pieces of that horrible bread? She followed him eagerly, and then watched
impatiently as he puttered about the fire, cooking a few small fish on sticks.
What looked like clams or muscles he placed by the fire until they opened.
She stuffed her face, and licked her fingers. "Oh,
that was so good!"
He smiled over at her as he continued eating, in a much
neater and proper fashion.
"So you can cook, too?"
He nodded. "I travel often. There are not always
inns and such to stay in."
She yawned and curled up by the fire, watching the
flames flicker. "Well, you are very good at it. At least with seafood."
He laughed quietly. "Thank you." He finished
eating and tidied up. She watched him leave for a moment, and when he returned
and handed her a small piece of wet cloth, she smiled. She sat up, laughing at
his manners and wiped her mouth and hands.
He watched her, as if making sure she did a good
enough job, and then settled down to sit beside her.
"Is there a reason you're being so nice?"
She struggled not to yawn. "I wouldn't think you'd care about someone like
me."
He paused before answering, as if surprised at her
comment. "I am actually quite fond of you."
"Mmm," she managed, not really believing
him. She lied back down again. A full stomach made her so tired.
He chuckled suddenly. "I have always had a soft
spot for children."
His words caused anger to shoot through her. He
thought her a child? She frowned slightly as she wiggled against the cold
stone, trying to get comfortable. Finally she closed her eyes. "So you're
that kind of man are you?"
She cracked an eye open to see how he'd taken her
comment and couldn't hold in a chuckle. His cheeks were absolutely flaming, his
eyes wide and horrified. They narrowed quickly however, at her laugh. "Got
you," she murmured.
"You are such a troublesome child," he said
sternly.
"I'm not a child," she muttered.
His fingers brushed hair from her face. "Ah, but
you are," he said so very softly. "Don't rush growing up. Being a
child is so much better. Hold on to your innocence."
"So I should stay a boy? I don't think the others
would do that."
He grew quiet for a moment, as if trying to figure out
what she meant. "Ah, yes," he said finally. "That was not…quite
what I was speaking of. So you are…yes of course you are."
She smiled slightly at his floundering words. "I've
never even kissed a boy," she admitted quietly as sleep pulled at her more
strongly.
As she drifted off she felt his hand on her shoulder. "You
have lots of time, Aro. Lots of time."
Chapter 10
A Good Day
The next morning she couldn't see Prince anywhere. She
frowned, looking around. She was certain it had been his leaving that had woken
her. She could vaguely remember him brushing hair from her face, and the
feeling of his cool fingers against her forehead.
Had she dreamed it?
No, if she'd dreamed of him, it wouldn't be something
like that. He simply still worried about her being sick, or maybe getting sick
again. That was beyond strange itself. She hadn't thought he liked her, but
from what he'd said the night before, he did.
Maybe they had started to become friends after all.
Such thoughts quickly sobered her. What had happened
to Kei? Had he died? Or had he
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