Page 98 of The Heartless Archer

She took a few steps past the guard, her legs still felt wobbly and the stitches in her calf tugged at her skin. Nonetheless, she kept on walking until she made a whole round around the chamber. Turning, a grin split her lips and she felt euphoric at having managed to walk, even if just for a bit.

“The height seems to be fine.”

“Fine?” Noora asked. “I can bloody walk again. I feared I would be stuck in bed all week long and could not participate in the next task.” Spike let out an excited bark.

“Even after your injuries you are still determined to participate?”

Noora threw him a confused look. “Why would I not want to? I almost lost a leg and an arm during this ridiculous trial, if I don’t win the prize gold, I can throw myself into a dragon’s den again.”

Something flickered across his face. “How are your injuries healing?”

“Fine. You can tell the princeling that I will be ready for the task in four days.” She walked past him with her new shiny crutches and Raphael let out a grunt. After a moment she realised he was laughing. She turned to glare at him. “What?”

“His Majesty has ordered for the last task to be delayed by a week, so I presume you will have more than enough time to heal.”

“A week? Why?”

The guard raised a brow and Noora quickly turned away from him, placing the crutches against the side of her nightstand before she sat down on the mattress again. Despite her fast healing, the walking still drained her. She grabbed a piece of buttery bread and started to stuff her face again. Raphael made a disgusted sound.

“Why are you still here?” She bit off another piece.

Raphael’s cheeks grew slowly crimson-coloured, his eyes roaming the room. “I am of the impression that you deserve an apology,” he said through clenched teeth.

Self-righteous Raphael. She kept on chewing, showing no mercy for his embarrassment. He should grovel. The way he went at her in the infirmary was pathetic but she never turned down some good apologies from men.

“Sometimes I can be rash, especially regarding the king, however, I now realise that your little spar with him was not intended to harm him.”

“You think so.”

He nodded. “Nikolai can be notoriously daunting which leads him into a lot of trouble. Which can entrap him in precarious situations. It is no one’s fault but his own.”

He looked at her expectantly.

“I don’t believe I have heard an earnest apology yet.”

Raphael clenched his chaw and bit through his teeth, “I sincerely apologise for having snapped at you. I…underestimated you and have been suspicious without any regard.”

Noora leaned back in the bed, taking the bowl of stew with her. “Funny, how everyone suddenly comes groveling just when you have beheaded an ancient dragon.”

Her lips twitched lightly, satisfaction coursing through her at the annoyed look on Raphael’s face. The guard nodded goodbye and turned to leave but she was not finished with the conversation. She still needed to follow her agenda for the day and those crutches were her exact starting point.

“He does not reciprocate your feelings and he never will, you are aware of that right?”

Raphael whirled around in horror. “Whatever are you talking about?”

“I think we both know. You are too intelligent to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, Raphael.”

Spike cocked his head in confusion at them both. Noora watched Raphale’s hands clench into fists at his sides, his knuckles protruding against his skin in a starkly white manner.

“He is my king and therefore I am willing to give my life for him; that is a completely normal bond we share.”

Noora nodded around a mouthful of meat and boiled carrots.

“It is, as long as the bond does not extend as far as wanting to share a bed with him.”

Raphael spluttered, though he did not seem to find any words. Noora eased up on him, just a tiny bit, she did not want to scare him off. “I am only telling you this because apparently Nikolai is utterly blind as is everyone else in the palace. You are not bad looking, a respected royal guard, the second hand of the king, there should be someone out there interested in you.”

“The guards of the palace are not allowed to carry any romantic relationships as it could cause a conflict of interest. It does not matter anyway, love like that is frowned upon in the kingdom.”

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