10-29-2016, 08:39 PM
Ok, so maybe it had been sort of a kiss. Just a peck. Nothing meaningful. Not something he planned on repeating any time soon, he had enough problems with women already. She really was a balm to his soul, a prickly little band-aid on the rip and tear he'd made of his recent life. Not a cure, but a temporary relief.
She spilled into her own history then. Her mother was the worst excuse he'd ever heard of one. She said the light loved her, and he let that pass without comment, not having a clue what the hell it meant. Then that new mother was just as bad as the first, if not worse. Disgusting. And wings, she added. Hidden wings. Strange, but pretty intriguing.
She talked about stomping her way into the hearts of some boys. He smiled wryly. Yeah, he could see that a little too clearly. She'd sure been in a mix of a love triangle, and she describes the dynamic of it. Then of course, came the clarification that she was happily involved with the one that had loved her all along. Sweet, romantic. A sweet and happy twist of fate. Oops. Yeah, that definitely hadn't been a kiss earlier.
And then she empathized with him, laying out so openly everything he hadn't realized he'd shared so clearly. Failure, and lost loved ones. He flicked his eyes away from her, feeling that familiar icy stab of pain piercing his heart. She couldn't know, not really. She couldn't know it had all been his fault. And he'd never tell her.
His deep, brown eyes came back to her, his gaze a little harder as the walls around his heart quickly erected back in place. She called him a decent guy, and he smirked. How hard it must have been for her to compliment such a dainty princess.
She ended with her name. Arrya. Arrya. He held his expression carefully blank. It was different, exotic. Almost like home, but not. It was a name worthy of his homeland. It could easily belong to a woman there, but a rare one. One bold enough to have a name never given before.
It is an honor to meet you, Arrya.
He smiled slowly and bowed his head as was expected of a respectful prince, a different bout of training he'd received almost as an after-thought. Not exactly his forte. She'd probably rolled her eyes, the feisty brat. But as her very own princess, he couldn't very well disappoint her. If only a horse could curtsy.
Where's your young family now? he asked her.