Page 64 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
She nodded and managed to show him a weak smile. It didn’t make him happy at all. He only hoped she knew she was safe here.
Since she seemed stubborn about sitting up, he helped her, grabbing the pillow to place it behind her. She kept glancing around the place and nervously tried to comb her long hair with her fingers, but her left arm was badly hurt, and so were the fingers of her right hand. It was hard for her to move either one very much. He placed his hand gently on her wrist to stop her from doing that.
“You’re safe here,” Kassein whispered.
He gently moved to take her bruise-covered hand, grabbing her attention. She nodded again as if she was trying to persuade herself.
“What happened?” Kassein asked.
This time, he looked at her arm, pointing at the bruises with a frown.
Alezya’s dark eyes went to them, then back to him, and she shook her head with that sad expression. Whatever had happened up there, she didn’t want to talk about it. Had she been rejected by her tribe, then?
Strangely, Kassein found her to be in better spirits than the first time he’d found her. The first time, Alezya’s expression had seemed hollow, empty, as if she had almost given up on life. This time, although she was physically harmed again, she somehow seemed to be in a better mood.
Perhaps because she’d returned to him? He chased those selfish thoughts away, and sat beside her legs on the bed, facing her.
She definitely looked more serene.
“Food?” he offered her, handing her the lukewarm bowl.
She chuckled weakly, recognizing one of the few words she’d learned. Kassein almost dropped the dish. It was the first time he’d seen the hint of a genuine smile on her face... and it was beautiful.
While he was hypnotized by that new expression on her, Alezya nodded and took what he was handing her, her eyes lingering on the meat. She took the spoon, but her hand was so injured, she barely had the strength to hold it and lift it up to her mouth. Her bruised fingers kept trembling in their bandages, the spoon shaking so much it was almost painful to watch. Kassein helped her, not taking the spoon from her but patiently supporting her hand instead until the food passed her lips.
Alezya grimaced, probably because she had reopened the cut on her lip. Maybe the food being lukewarm wasn’t a bad thing after all...
She ate silently, clearly unbothered by his presence. The two of them just focused on feeding her, in a quiet, peaceful atmosphere. Kassein wouldn’t say it aloud, but he felt much better now that she’d returned.
Meanwhile, Tievin came back.
“Tievin,” Alezya said, either to acknowledge his presence or because she was glad she remembered his name.
The man bowed politely.
“Good morning, my lady,” he said, before turning to Kassein. “Sir, new clothes have been prepared for the lady. Her cape you ordered isn’t finished yet, but it should be shortly. I prepared another coat in the meantime.”
“My dragon?”
“It hasn’t been spotted since, sir. It might take a while before it returns, I’m afraid. I’ve ordered the men to reinforce the barricades just in case.”
Tievin seemed to hesitate, darting a glance toward Alezya despite knowing she wouldn’t understand his next words.
“I need to let you know, some of her... people have been sighted again, in the heights. Should we do something about this, or let them be?”
Kassein tightened his fist, and a cold chill ran down Tievin’s spine. The Prince was in no mood to let those people be, not after the state they’d put her in, twice.
“Is it her tribe?”
“We think so, sir, but we haven’t been able to confirm because of the distance.”
Kassein took a deep breath. He was fed up with those people. If they wanted to exile this woman, they should leave her be, once she was gone. What were they spying for? He didn’t believe it was a coincidence, and it made him even more annoyed.
“...Make sure they stop spying.”
“Understood.”
Tievin left, most likely to go and give the men orders that they were now allowed to shoot the lurkers. The archery units would be delighted, although they might not be able to get them all. The height was considerable, but anyway, Kassein would send his dragon to finish the ones hiding in the highest and hardest spots once Kein returned. His main goal was to keep those people away from Alezya this time. Whatever reason they had to force her out of her mountains, it didn’t give them any right to keep spying afterward. Perhaps they didn’t know she had survived, perhaps they were only spying on the camp as their enemies all along, but he didn’t care. Alezya’s safety camefirst, and that meant none of the tribespeople would be allowed near her again.
