"What were you thinking?"
"If you are desperate to die then do not do it on my watch." Kebarah yelled, looking at a quite remorseful Yvonne.
"Do you think I am stupid or heartless?"
"Why will I send you in there without a plan?"
She tried to explain but he cut her off, a glare in his eyes.
"You have to get this clear. When you walk in there, it is a life or death situation, If the monster attacks, you have to be prepared, you have to come out alive for me, Dunni and the water nation."
Yvonne stood rooted to her spot.
Maybe she had been too impulsive. She shuddered at the thought of her torn to death earlier and quickly approached a panting Kebarah.
"I apologize, I was not in my senses."
Kebarah stared at her.
When Lewis had informed him of what he had seen, he had been furious.
She almost blew his chance at getting not only the alliance but also some of the venom for himself. If she dies, he would have to go through the trouble of explaining the happenings to her people. He may be able to strike a deal with Lewis since he is the only person that knows how to camouflage the venom but that will take more time than required. He may also lose the only pillar he had with the water wielders and he would have to start afresh which was a hassle he refused to go through.
However, seeing her state now, he realized it could be a blessing. This is the chance to pull out whatever seed of doubt she had in her mind. If he makes her believe he really cared about her, she would take his every word without question.
"Yvonne please, if not for anyone, then for Dunni." He murmured and suddenly, a thought crossed his mind and he rushed out of the room startling the woman before him
Who knew this would be of importance?
As quickly as he had gone, he returned with his journey book in hand. He opened the page to the last conversation he had with Dunni and showed it to her. When he was sure she had read it, he whispered.
"Please do not make a father break his son's heart."
Yvonne felt her heart swell at the words.
"How is Yvonne father?"
"She is making me proud."
She could not control the tears that filled her eyes.
"I, I am deeply sorry." She cried, bowing her head in shame.
He guided her to his open arms and allowed her rest her head on his chest.
"We all make mistakes Yvonne, just please, learn from this and never endanger your life again." He said, unable to keep away the sinister smile from his face.
************
It was past midnight yet Velaine had not stopped or at the very least reduce the speed he was riding with.
Aveedah sneaked a glance at the guards behind them and she could tell they were tired.
Fatigue was evident even in the horses they were travelling on.
This needs to stop. They need to rest in order to start early the next day.
"King Velaine." She screamed, hoping he would hear her albeit the loud noise of the hoofs against the dry leaves.
When she got no reply from him, she increased her speed and finally overtook him.
When she was right Infront of him, she suddenly came to a stop and turned her horse to stand adjacent to his forcing him to come to an unintended stop a frown on his face to show his displeasure.
"What is the matter?" He growled.
"We need to take rest." She replied carefully.
"Why, If we ride overnight we will arrive by afternoon." He replied anxiously.
"Look around you, they are almost passing out, I am tired too. We have to arrive early but not at the expense of our health so please, reconsider and take rest for the day." She was threading carefully. He was truly angry and if she is not careful she could set him off.
He stared at her, hesitation in his eyes. He did not need to look behind to confirm her statement. She is a reflection of them and he could see weariness in her stance. She was sitting upright but he felt the amount of effort it was taking her to do just that.
"But what if they are planning to kill him today?" He protested weakly.
Aveedah watched him keenly.
Could it really just be concern for Noelle ?
He is not an empathetic person, so what is it about Noelle that is making him lose rationality.
"I have a plan for that and if they are planning to kill him tonight, it is best we go by what I have because no matter how fast you ride, your horse will only throw you off it's back."
She watched as a small smile took over his lips but there was still unease in the way he held on tightly to the rein of the horse.
"Irina will teleport and check out the situation. She would be undetected since she is of their nation and efficient since she knows the palace and if you want, she could give Noelle a message but I am not sure I want to risk it. We do not know how much control Lewis has over his brother. If they are planning to do something today, then we will trust her to stop it and buy us time, I believe it is safer not to have her Interfering directly."
Velaine slowly released the reins of his horse and his features gradually grew calmer.
It has been long since he had lost control like this. He looked up at the woman before him and he saw her calm blue eyes assuring him and he found himself letting go of the anger that had been fuelling him. If he would listen to his heart, all he wanted to do was lay on her shoulder to have her comfort him knowing fully that would be wrong for both of them and rather cruel on his part.
"What mess is this?" He whispered to himself.
"Pardon?" She asked, straining to hear him and he shook his head.
"Irina, can you do as she had suggested?" He asked, though he knew she could.
"Yes I can, your majesty."
"Do only the necessary. Interfere only when you absolutely need to, otherwise your mission is simply to get information." He warned.
"I understand your highness." She replied gleefully.
It always felt great when he showed his concern for her.
"I expect you soon." He said and she bowed then disappeared right in front of their eyes.
"We take rest here." He announced to the eager guards. They had been biting their nails hopefully throughout the exchange. It would have been torture if they had to continue and at that speed, some may end up on the floor overtaken by fatigue.
Eric got off his horse and walked to Aveedah.
"Your highness..." He started when she cut him off.
"I will sleep on my horse, you take rest also."
Velaine stared at her for a while before he understood the reason.
Shadow hunters, he had forgotten all about them for a while.
He watched as Eric hesistantly bowed and began to walk off, doubt on his face.
"I will sleep on my horse too." He said to the guards laying his tent.
He watched as Eric looked back briefly then walked away, this time less worried.
Aveedah smiled at him and teased.
"You know a person better when you travel together. Who would have thought you could be so compassionate?"
He smiled and moved his horse closer to hers and aligned it so it stood parallel to hers.
He was finally looking at her now. He had been avoiding her gaze afraid he would not be able to fight the feelings they aroused in him
"I lose my sanity once in a while too." He replied, referring to a lot more than the fiasco earlier.
She chuckled a bit before she replied.
"I do not mind the insane you but he whom I can not handle is the irritable one."
He looked like he did not want her to prod so she chose not to.
He blushed remembering how he had been ignoring her and refusing to travel by her side. He only spoke to her when he needed to and that too with a tight frown and a grouchy voice.
He also remembered why he had done that and knew he should keep doing that but he was too tired.
What could go wrong if he turns a blind eye just this once.
"He was just flustered by his own feelings." He replied quietly, instinctively moving closer to her.
"What feelings?" She asked, her voice barely audible and her eyes staring into his.
She could feel her heart rate increase and her palms get sweaty but she would be damned if she could look away. She had not realised just how much she needed to clarify what was between them until now.
"Feelings he should not harbour."
She heard his voice say yet she saw something else in the way he looked at her.
Since when had she began to look at this man differently?
"Then tell him to take pity on me and stop drawing me in."
The words were out before she knew it and the widening of his eyes just made her more embarrassed.
Since when did she speak without thinking?
She knows very little about this man. He could be misleading her for all she knows yet here she was, falling in his trap eyes closed.
He closed his eyes for a while as if trying to pacify himself then suddenly opened it.
He truly is helpless when it comes to her or at least for just this night.
"You will have to pardon him just this once and if you can not convince yourself then believe we are doing it for the horse."
Before she could comprehend what he was saying, he snaked an arm around her waist and just like last time, pulled her up and carefully dropped her on his horse right In front of him.
He nodded at one of the guards that had not turned around fast enough and he came and took the horse, guided it to where it would lay with the others.
"Your horse would needs some rest too." She replied, nearly choking on her breath.
There were closer than last time, her back touching his chest and his head in the crook of her neck.
He wrapped his hands around her waist again making her instinctively wrap hers around his and whispered in her ear.
"We would switch later, so it's wiser if we sleep sooner."
Slowly, he pulled her with him till his back rested on a nearby tree and hers on his.
"Is this comfortable?"
She wanted to scream no and push him away but she could not.
They had done nothing yet she felt like a criminal.
"It is scandalous." She replied honestly.
She heard him chuckle softly before he replied.
"View this as a break from the world, we know not the news Irina would bring with her."
She held her breath for a while before she gradually let it go.
'Just for this night.' She thought as she relaxed against him and closed her eyes.
'It is comfortable.'