Page 122 of The Nymph Prince
“What made her change her mind about coming with us?” I asked, remembering how she’d intended to leave for Silver Falls once we reached the surface.
“Loyalty,” Troy answered, lifting his head from my shoulder. His bangs fell into his face and he tucked them behind his ear. His hair had grown longer. Soon, he’d be able to braid it in a single braid instead of the smaller ones he put in it now. “She misses her home, but she couldn’t leave us. We’re her family. Alek, too. And you don’t abandon family when they need you most.”
I wished the same could’ve been said for my father.
When I’d gone to tell him goodbye before we left Avalontis, he’d said very little. He was proud of me, and he’d said as much. He wished me success in battle and told me to honor his name. In other words, he’d told me not to bring shame upon him.
Sometimes, I barely recognized him as my father. He could be caring one moment and distant the next. Gods were known to be mercurial in their behavior, but it still hurt when it was your own father.
If I fell in battle, would he even mourn me?
I used my satchel for a pillow. The most uncomfortable pillow in existence. I sighed and punched at it, trying to fluff the un-fluffable. It wasn’t the pillow that was the problem, though. No, it was my thoughts that made me irritable.
I thought of a pond in the center of a meadow. The pond where Alek and I had become one. I focused on it and closed my eyes, bringing forth every detail: the crisp water, the sound of Alek’s deep chuckle, the feel of his hands caressing my sides. The taste of him.
I didn’t remember falling asleep.
The sun woke me early, and I rubbed my eyes as I sat up. Warriors were breaking their fast and gathering provisions. Traveling with such a large number of men seemed as though it would slow our progress, but it didn’t at all. Our army was proficient and moved with haste. No dawdling or falling behind.
“Good morrow, young prince.” Malik handed me a wooden bowl that smelled heavenly. “Eat. We need to leave soon.”
“Thank you.”
The fish was juicy and the berries added a burst of sweet on my tongue. I had to force myself to eat faster instead of savoring the salty-sweet combination like I would’ve preferred. Another long day of travel awaited us. But we should meet King James’ army before too long. Not even an hour later, we were back in formation and moving through the countryside.
At least the day was nice, not too hot. Spring was in the air, both a blessing and a curse. It was time for new beginnings, but for Alek, it could very well be his end.
Rid yourself of those negative thoughts.No good would come from dwelling on them.
Troy commented on everything as we walked: the clouds, the birds, and the valleys we passed.
I got the feeling he talked so much as a way to distract himself from his worries, and for that, I could find no annoyance with him. So I let him talk…and talk. And I listened.
Malik stepped up beside him after a while and held out his hand. “Here.”
Troy accepted the palm full of berries and grinned. “Oh, I love these.”
Malik caught my eye over the top of Troy’s head and nodded. I cracked a smile, knowing why he did it.
If there was one thing that Troy loved more than talking, it was eating.
When the sun was low in the sky, and we were exhausted from a long days’ journey, we reached the location where we were to meet King James and his army. They had already arrived.
Soldiers approached us, hands on their swords.
“Prince Lorcan?” they asked, eyeing me as if I was a bug they wanted to squish under their boots.
“Yes.”
“Welcome,” one of them said. “Your men can make camp with ours. King James wishes to see you in his tent.”
“You do not go alone,” Malik growled in my ear. “I do not trust that snake.”
“Neither do I,” I whispered before facing the soldiers again. “Very well. I will give my men the order and follow you to the king.”
After speaking with Captain Orta, I walked through the camp with Malik at my side.
We passed several tents, which I assumed were only meant for the higher ranking officials because the rest of the army slept outside on the ground. Soldiers cooked meat in front of fire pits and talked, while others practiced their offensive and defensive skills in the nearby field.
