Page 36 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
“My name is Tievin, Servant of the Imperial Family and Grand Intendant of the North Army.”
Kassein wanted to roll his eyes. How was she supposed to get all that? As expected, Alezya was staring at Tievin with a confused expression.
He got her attention and then pointed at him.
“Tievin,” he simply said.
“...I’d actually prefer she call me Grand Intendant,” Tievin mumbled. “She’s not exactly a guest, Commander.”
Kassein glared at him, cutting off any more protest.
“...Tievin.”
They both turned their eyes to Alezya, who’d clearly just tried pronouncing his name. Tievin sighed, but nodded.
“Yes, my lady.”
No matter how much he would protest, Tievin had been well-raised in a family with high standards of education. As the son of one of the most prestigious Imperial Servant families, he’d been taught to act with politeness, courtesy, and decorum in all circumstances, and wouldn’t get mad at a woman for calling him by his name instead of his title; it was the first rule of etiquette to not make someone else aware of their mistake and thus embarrass them. Especially considering Alezya couldn’t understand their language, it was better she didn’t believe Grand Intendant was his name, and she would be hearing Kassein call him Tievin too anyway.
Now that this was sorted, Kassein was back to thinking. The bath was on its way there, so were the clothes, but what next? His eyes went back to Tievin. Or, more precisely, to Tievin’s coat.
“...Bring two of those here.”
“W-what?” Tievin blinked several times.
“Your coats. Pick the smallest ones you have.”
“Commander!” Tievin protested again. “Those aremycoats!”
“Your coats that I hunted.”
“Still! They’re... They’re part of my compensation!”
Kassein raised an eyebrow as if to ask, “Compensation for what?” but Tievin only seemed even more frustrated.My compensation for being sent to suffer with you in this stupidly cold country,was the thought Tievin really wanted to say aloud. Alas, after so many years by the temperamental Prince’s side, he knew better than to retort back.
Instead, he took a deep breath in, and mentally calmed himself.
“...Yes, sir.”
Tievin already didn’t like this woman.
It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, and he’d been forced to cradle a bucket full of her vile, unspeakable… bowel hell, and hand over two of his prized fur coats like some kind of fool. Forfree. He turned to leave in a huff, but not before delivering a long, squinty, thoroughly offended glare in her direction. To his dismay, she wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Much to Tievin’s horror, shedaredto glare right back.
Well. Not one to be out-squinted, Tievin narrowed his eyes even further, lips twitching in tight disapproval, and backed toward the exit with the confidence of a man too proud to admit he had no idea where the door was. He bumped into the tent frame. Stumbled. Recovered.
Then walked out backward, still facing her, stiff as a board, pretending the whole thing had gone exactly as planned... Kassein, who hadn’t missed anything of the scene, suppressed a smile.
“He’s a good friend,” he said simply.
Alezya had turned her eyes back to him, but she obviously couldn’t understand that. Kassein had felt hopeful after she’d easily understood basic words like food and water already, but now, he was wondering how long they’d have to keep guessing each other’s words.
He had never been a very talkative man, and was even less willing to talk after being sent to the north. In fact, he found himself wanting to talk to this woman, even though he barely spoke a word to his men.
He couldn’t explain why. He knew why he didn’t like talking to his men; he hated their gazes, the thoughts he could read on their faces, their stubborn admiration for him when he felt like he deserved none of it. He hated how they sometimes resented him, sometimes praised him, and none of that ever to his face. Tievin was the one he’d known forever, and the only one who knew honesty was better, although risky. All those other men who judged him without knowing him were just pests.
Alezya, however, was completely different. Not just because she was foreign, and a woman. She was wary around him. She knew nothing of his past, and only judged him by his actions, by what she could witness herself. They were meant to be enemies, yet that woman seemed to be willing to let him show his true character. Kassein didn’t care that she was scared or wary of him; those reactions were legitimate.
He’d taken her away from the one home she’d always known after something traumatic had visibly happened to her. Wariness seemed fair.
