Status: Active
Chain Mail and Butterfly Wings
Introductions
Of all the things to awaken to, I awoke to the sound of…horse hooves. I blinked several times, finding the sun to be up already. “W-what?” I asked myself, finding my head pounding as it had the day before. “Did I drink too much alcohol?” I wondered aloud, although I didn’t recall drinking any alcohol, since I didn’t even like alcohol that much in the first place.
There was a chuckle from behind me and the memories snapped into place, which meant there could only be one person behind me that just-so-happened to chuckle at something I said: Aiden.
But, back to more important matters, where were the horse hooves coming from? I glanced around and felt movement from below me, which told me that I was riding a horse. “…Riding a horse…?” I said out loud, trying to piece things together. Yeah, I’m not the quickest thinker, so sue me.
“Finally awake Angel?” Aiden all-but purred in my ear, sending chills down my spine, most likely on purpose. Which then told me that he was in the saddle behind me. This explained how the horse knew where it was going when I didn’t even have the reins.
“God…” I groaned pressing my palm against my forehead as if to stifle my headache. “Where am I now?” I asked coolly, trying to ignore the fact that the chivalrous horn dog named Aiden was sitting behind me.
“About ten or fifteen miles from the castle,” Aiden answered simply, shifting slightly in the saddle. That was when I realized his arms were around my waist so that he could reach the reins and rest his hands on the saddle horn. I could feel my face flush slightly, but that didn’t last long before his words processed.
“What?” I asked in disbelief, almost knocking myself out of the saddle to turn and look at him.
“Whoa! Hey, watch it!” Aiden snapped resettling himself in the saddle. “Are you trying to knock me off this thing?”
“Ten or fifteen miles?” I shouted, fighting my way out of his arms and throwing myself off of the horse. I wasn’t quite expecting my legs to be asleep, so, needless to say, I wasn’t on my feet for long. I turned so that I was sitting down and glared at Aiden who grinned from the saddle, obviously more amused by my situation than I was. “How am I supposed to get back now?” I pointed out sharply, as if he had done this to me on purpose. Which, he might have.
“Well, you didn’t expect me to leave you there, did you?” Aiden dismounted and walked over to me, offering me his hand, which I ignored.
“Well, you didn’t have to take me with you,” I shot back impatiently, absently curling and uncurling my toes as I tried to wake my legs. When that didn’t work, I attempted to massage one of my legs into the world of the living.
“What? And risk being caught? I don’t think so.” Aiden knelt beside me and began massaging my other leg when I swatted his hand away in annoyance, he only smiled and said, “Not to be rude, but I think I’m in a bit more trouble than you are.” He sat next to me, but didn’t touch me again. Good choice on his part.
“I don’t even know what you did,” I grumbled, lifting my legs up and down when the feeling started to come back.
“Then you don’t need to know,” Aiden said distantly, and I looked up at him, perplexed.
I sighed. “You know as long as I’m with you General Darren will come looking for you.”
Aiden grinned at me. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.”
I shook my head. “I’m not a damsel,” I told him harshly, I wouldn’t become a housewife, ever, being called a damsel hit a little too close to home. It sounded too much like a girly word, something that didn’t fit me too well.
“Then I’ll just call you my Angel,” Aiden stated simply only smiling when I glared at him.
What was the use in trying to stop him? It wasn’t as if I would be able keep him from calling me something, unless I could somehow steal his voice…Nah, to do that I would have to keep wind from rushing past his vocal cords…so I could rip out his vocal cords…no, no, no, too messy. Letting him call me what he wanted was the easiest way.
I sighed heavily and stood up, feeling Aiden’s gaze on my back. “You know,” he began, waiting until I turned to look back at him before continuing, “during these past two days, you haven’t asked me my name once.”
“I guess not,” I said with a shrug, I already knew his first name, but I had never wondered about his last name, until that moment. “Well? What is it?”
Aiden stood up with a smirk. “I’ll tell you, if you give me that kiss I’ve been waiting for.”
I snorted. “I don’t want to know that badly,” I told him and turned away when he approached.
He was close enough that I felt his breath on the back of my neck when he sighed in defeat. “Fine, then I’ll tell you if you tell me yours first.”
“You already know my name,” I pointed out with an unlady-like snort.
“True, but I don’t know your full name, how else am I going to be able to find you and sweep you off your feet once I’m done being on the run?” Aiden pointed out as if it were obvious.
“I doubt that’s what will happen,” I informed him but turned to face him, took a step back when I felt like he was too close, and then said, “My name’s Angeline Elisa Terris.”
“What an absolutely stunning name. I think I’m in love with you already.” Aiden winked at me but I rolled my eyes, he could beat hot air balloon at a floating contest.
“I’ll let you know when the feeling’s mutual,” I said sarcastically.
Aiden’s eyes lit up. “When?” he repeated and I mentally slapped myself.
“If,” I corrected quickly then asked, “Now, what’s your name?”
“You, my dear Angel can call me Aiden Michael Stone.” He bowed slightly at his own introduction and smiled up at me.
The blood drained from my face and I became ghostly pale, Aiden must have noticed because he straightened and frowned. “What’s wrong?” he wanted to know.
I didn’t answer him, I was too consumed in thought. Aiden Stone? As in the Aiden Stone, that’s known throughout the kingdom as a lethal killing machine? As in the Aiden Stone that’s been rumored to kill over two hundred men single-handedly? Sure, that second part there was only a rumor, but I had believed it, that is, until I had actually met him in person.
“T-the, the assassin?” I finally sputtered, my eyes wide with shock.
Aiden’s frown deepened. “Oh, so you’ve heard of me already.” He sounded disappointed.
“Of course I have! You’re all that the guards talk about. You’re all that anyone talks about! You’re a goddamn legend!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air to emphasize this fact.
There was a moment of silence and then Aiden smiled to himself before asking me, “Do the ladies talk about me? God knows I’ve met more than a few through out my life. They do, don’t they? Go on, tell me what they say, don‘t spare any of the details.” I gaped at him and he blinked at me. “What?” he demanded suddenly.
“You’re the well-known assassin, Aiden Stone,” I said in confirmation.
Aiden nodded grimly.
“Who’d you kill?” I asked briskly.
Aiden looked shocked at my question. “What?”
“Who, did, you, kill?” I asked more slowly, emphasizing each word.
“No one!” Aiden denied instantly.
I snorted in disbelief. “If you’ve been taken to Castle Burdock then you obviously killed someone you shouldn’t have, or committed some other unspeakable act. So, what was it? Or who was it? A king? God help you if you killed a king--”
Aiden grabbed my face between his hands and forced me to look into his eyes--which was more than a little uncomfortable for me--causing me to stop mid-sentence. When I was finally quiet Aiden said, “I didn’t do anything.” Then he released my face, sighing in exasperation. “Assassin or not, I don’t go off killing anyone whenever a gold coin’s waved in my face.” He sighed once. “Whether you believe me or not, I didn’t actually do anything wrong…this time.”
I frowned at his last sentence. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, just because someone offers to pay me, doesn’t mean I’ll accept, do you really think I’d kill someone important enough to risk having my beautiful head on the line?” He smirked when I scowled. “Look Angel, sorry to just up and leave, but, I can’t have you following me anymore, not to kick a guard when she’s down, but, you’re slowing me down quite a bit,” he pointed out distantly as he mounted his horse.
“I--” I stopped before I could even begin my sentence. “I am not,” I said defensively, although I knew I must have wasted at least an hour by talking alone.
Aiden chuckled and shook his head, then waved over his shoulder, without looking back at me. “See you around Angel.”
I fought with myself for several long moments, deciding whether or not I would be capable of traveling all the way back to the castle on my own. Just as Aiden was disappearing over a hill not twenty feet away from me, I let out a sound similar to a frustrated tiger caught in a cage and jogged after him. “Wait!” I shouted, barreling over the hill after him. “Aiden! Wait!” I yelled again as I saw him ahead of me.
He turned curiously in the saddle, as if he really hadn’t expected me to come after him that time. I huffed when I caught up to him and then straightened and pointed an accusing finger at him, “Do you really expect me to just go back to the castle with this heap of crap weighing on my shoulders?”
Aiden looked surprised at my choice of words but smirked. “I don’t know what to expect with you,” he admitted.
“Thanks to you, I can’t go back to Castle Burdock without some sort of accomplishment to redeem myself, I already had a bad enough reputation as it was, being the only girl guard and not seeing a second of combat. And to add more to my stack of unaccomplished dreams, the one time I do see combat it’s with you and I’m completely blindsided and don’t even get to throw a punch! Even if I did go back to the castle and they didn’t send me on my merry way, there’s no way in hell that they’d let me get near combat. There you go. Dream ruined,” I finished in a huff of air and I crossed my arms over my chest.
Aiden looked as if he were thinking for a moment then grinned at me. “There’s an easy solution to all of this,” he said with a glint in his amber eyes.
“And what would that be?” I asked in disbelief, there was never an easy solution to anything, I had thought it over several times.
“You don’t go back.” Aiden replied simply, watching me carefully for a reaction.
Before I could stop it, my mouth fell open, appalled at the suggestion before I could even process it.
“You could come with me,” Aiden added, still grinning. “And we can disappear over the horizon and ride off into the sunset.” He sighed dreamily at the thought.
This last suggestion shook the shock from my features. “Are you insane?” I asked with a snort. “That would be…it would be…” Damn it I couldn’t remember the word and therefore succeeded in looking like a moron.
“Treason?” Aiden offered.
“Yes! Treason!” I agreed, then added, “My King…or worse the General would lose all faith in me! I would never be allowed back to Castle Burdock,” I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air in exasperation.
“Do you have any family there?” Aiden asked after a short silence.
“No. My mother died when I was five and my father’s been dead for two years,” I replied sullenly, although it was more because of my predicament rather than my lack of family.
Aiden took it the other way around and stiffened instinctively, as all humans do when they feel as though they’ve unintentionally struck a nerve. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, then he fell silent. For the first time since I had met him, Aiden Stone wasn’t sure what to say. I had to admit, I was rather proud of rendering him speechless for once.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m over it,” I grumbled, although I had never gotten to know my mother very well, I still wasn’t quite over my dad. Which is why I didn’t want to talk about it…at all.
My gaze fell to the ground, I wasn’t willing to strike up my argument again, now that I’d fallen into a trip down memory lane.
“Angeline, hold your sword higher, tighten your grip. I’ll make a warrior out of you yet.” My father’s voice was husky and soft, despite the discipline applied to it during training.
“Right,” I muttered, focusing on my sword again rather than the butterfly that had flitted past me.
“You know, when you become a guard or a soldier you’ll have to wear chain mail. I have some old chain mail you could use for training. It would probably be helpful and less of a shock when you get your own chain mail, it’s heavier than it looks.” My father bent over to look sidelong into my face.
I grinned and nodded excitedly, he grinned back.
I gasped out of my trance when I felt someone’s arms lock around me. I instantly realized it was Aiden and recoiled, but Aiden held me tighter to him, refusing to let me pull back. “H-hey, let go,” I demanded, trying to pull away from him again.
“No. Not until you feel better,” Aiden replied stubbornly, tightening his arms around me yet again.
“I don’t need a hug! I’m not even sad or depressed or anything!” I objected, trying harder this time to get away from him, I felt the tears welling up in my eyes now. They wouldn’t have even come if Aiden hadn’t provoked them by facing the issue.
Aiden must have heard the waver in my voice, because he rested one of his hands on the back of my head and murmured, “It’s alright.”
I swallowed hard, I wasn’t going to cry right now. I wasn’t going to cry ever. I didn’t want to cry. I could keep from crying, if I just focused. It was Aiden’s murmured reassurances that told my brain that there was something to cry about. “Please, don’t,” I begged, unable to keep the waver from my voice.
“You can cry,” Aiden assured me, his one arm keeping me firmly against him while his hand moved from my head to the back of my neck and back to my head, a soothing gesture.
I felt a tear force its way from my eye and squeezed my eyes shut, willing more tears to spill onto my cheeks. I felt a sob choke my throat and hid my face in Aiden’s collarbone. “Damn you…” I muttered, cursing Aiden for his…I don’t even know what to call it…sensitivity?
“Right. Damn me,” Aiden agreed, although at that point I think I could’ve called him gay and he would’ve agreed with me.
I relaxed slightly and somehow got my arms free from Aiden’s crushing hold, I hesitated, then hugged Aiden back, turning my head sideways against his chest so that I could breathe. I took a deep breath and said in my most convincingly normal voice. “I’m alright now. You can let go.”
I felt Aiden hesitate but he let me go this time, taking a half a step back, while I took a full one. “Thank you,” I muttered after an unfilled silence danced between us.
“Anytime,” Aiden said instantly, reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder.
“I hardly even know you,” I pointed out, wiping any lasting tears from my face before looking him in the eye.
I didn’t look at him, but I could tell that he was smiling when he said, “That’s alright Angel, I feel like I already know you like a friend…perhaps a friend with benefits…?” He prodded, his hand tightening hopefully on my shoulder.
That was it. Moment ruined.
I shook his hand off my shoulder and shook my head, but couldn’t keep from smiling. “I don’t think so,” I said with a snicker. “That was almost a really nice thing to say,” I added with a smile in his direction, only looking at him from behind my eyelashes.
Aiden snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “I always have nice things to say. You just don’t listen close enough.” He winked at me and it was my turn to snort. Aiden grinned and then asked more seriously, “So? What’ll it be? Me? Or Castle Burdock?”
The way he phrased it made it seem like I was going to marry a castle or a total horn dog, but I made my choice all the same. “I’ll…follow you.” Aiden pumped his fist in the air and his eyes practically glowed. “For now!” I finished, gaining his attention again.
“What? You’re not gonna stick around and marry me?” Aiden asked in a would-be innocent tone.
“Sorry, but, no. I want to be an amazing guard or soldier, not a housewife,” I said simply, I had said the line so many times before that I hardly realized it was out of my mouth.
Aiden chuckled and went to his horse, he pulled a bag from the saddlebags, turned the horse in the opposite direction and then smacked it on the butt so that it took of in a gallop back the way we had come from.
I watched the horse gallop away and frowned before asking, “Where did you get that horse anyway?”
Aiden shrugged. “I stole it.”
I glared at him, somehow mixing my glare with my shock and creating a completely new facial expression. “You stole it?” I asked incredulously then continued, “I’m a guard, I’m supposed to keep things like that from happening!”
Aiden waved his hand in dismissal. “You were asleep, don’t worry about it. I’m sure the owner will find it eventually anyway.” In a change of subject Aiden asked, “So you’re worried about becoming a housewife? That’s a pretty strange fear.”
A snort of annoyance was my only reply before I decided to add, “More importantly, I don’t plan on sticking around long enough for you to convert me.”
“Well then, you’ll just have to wait around awhile until I make you fall for me…Of course, that’s only if you haven’t fallen for me already.” He looked at me with a curiously raised brow.
“You really think you’re capable of something like that, don’t you?” I asked as I walked past him, partially leading the way, although I was just following the road.
“Oh, I’ll make you fall for me. And that’s a promise,” Aiden assured me with a dashing smirk as he fell in step beside me.
There was a chuckle from behind me and the memories snapped into place, which meant there could only be one person behind me that just-so-happened to chuckle at something I said: Aiden.
But, back to more important matters, where were the horse hooves coming from? I glanced around and felt movement from below me, which told me that I was riding a horse. “…Riding a horse…?” I said out loud, trying to piece things together. Yeah, I’m not the quickest thinker, so sue me.
“Finally awake Angel?” Aiden all-but purred in my ear, sending chills down my spine, most likely on purpose. Which then told me that he was in the saddle behind me. This explained how the horse knew where it was going when I didn’t even have the reins.
“God…” I groaned pressing my palm against my forehead as if to stifle my headache. “Where am I now?” I asked coolly, trying to ignore the fact that the chivalrous horn dog named Aiden was sitting behind me.
“About ten or fifteen miles from the castle,” Aiden answered simply, shifting slightly in the saddle. That was when I realized his arms were around my waist so that he could reach the reins and rest his hands on the saddle horn. I could feel my face flush slightly, but that didn’t last long before his words processed.
“What?” I asked in disbelief, almost knocking myself out of the saddle to turn and look at him.
“Whoa! Hey, watch it!” Aiden snapped resettling himself in the saddle. “Are you trying to knock me off this thing?”
“Ten or fifteen miles?” I shouted, fighting my way out of his arms and throwing myself off of the horse. I wasn’t quite expecting my legs to be asleep, so, needless to say, I wasn’t on my feet for long. I turned so that I was sitting down and glared at Aiden who grinned from the saddle, obviously more amused by my situation than I was. “How am I supposed to get back now?” I pointed out sharply, as if he had done this to me on purpose. Which, he might have.
“Well, you didn’t expect me to leave you there, did you?” Aiden dismounted and walked over to me, offering me his hand, which I ignored.
“Well, you didn’t have to take me with you,” I shot back impatiently, absently curling and uncurling my toes as I tried to wake my legs. When that didn’t work, I attempted to massage one of my legs into the world of the living.
“What? And risk being caught? I don’t think so.” Aiden knelt beside me and began massaging my other leg when I swatted his hand away in annoyance, he only smiled and said, “Not to be rude, but I think I’m in a bit more trouble than you are.” He sat next to me, but didn’t touch me again. Good choice on his part.
“I don’t even know what you did,” I grumbled, lifting my legs up and down when the feeling started to come back.
“Then you don’t need to know,” Aiden said distantly, and I looked up at him, perplexed.
I sighed. “You know as long as I’m with you General Darren will come looking for you.”
Aiden grinned at me. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.”
I shook my head. “I’m not a damsel,” I told him harshly, I wouldn’t become a housewife, ever, being called a damsel hit a little too close to home. It sounded too much like a girly word, something that didn’t fit me too well.
“Then I’ll just call you my Angel,” Aiden stated simply only smiling when I glared at him.
What was the use in trying to stop him? It wasn’t as if I would be able keep him from calling me something, unless I could somehow steal his voice…Nah, to do that I would have to keep wind from rushing past his vocal cords…so I could rip out his vocal cords…no, no, no, too messy. Letting him call me what he wanted was the easiest way.
I sighed heavily and stood up, feeling Aiden’s gaze on my back. “You know,” he began, waiting until I turned to look back at him before continuing, “during these past two days, you haven’t asked me my name once.”
“I guess not,” I said with a shrug, I already knew his first name, but I had never wondered about his last name, until that moment. “Well? What is it?”
Aiden stood up with a smirk. “I’ll tell you, if you give me that kiss I’ve been waiting for.”
I snorted. “I don’t want to know that badly,” I told him and turned away when he approached.
He was close enough that I felt his breath on the back of my neck when he sighed in defeat. “Fine, then I’ll tell you if you tell me yours first.”
“You already know my name,” I pointed out with an unlady-like snort.
“True, but I don’t know your full name, how else am I going to be able to find you and sweep you off your feet once I’m done being on the run?” Aiden pointed out as if it were obvious.
“I doubt that’s what will happen,” I informed him but turned to face him, took a step back when I felt like he was too close, and then said, “My name’s Angeline Elisa Terris.”
“What an absolutely stunning name. I think I’m in love with you already.” Aiden winked at me but I rolled my eyes, he could beat hot air balloon at a floating contest.
“I’ll let you know when the feeling’s mutual,” I said sarcastically.
Aiden’s eyes lit up. “When?” he repeated and I mentally slapped myself.
“If,” I corrected quickly then asked, “Now, what’s your name?”
“You, my dear Angel can call me Aiden Michael Stone.” He bowed slightly at his own introduction and smiled up at me.
The blood drained from my face and I became ghostly pale, Aiden must have noticed because he straightened and frowned. “What’s wrong?” he wanted to know.
I didn’t answer him, I was too consumed in thought. Aiden Stone? As in the Aiden Stone, that’s known throughout the kingdom as a lethal killing machine? As in the Aiden Stone that’s been rumored to kill over two hundred men single-handedly? Sure, that second part there was only a rumor, but I had believed it, that is, until I had actually met him in person.
“T-the, the assassin?” I finally sputtered, my eyes wide with shock.
Aiden’s frown deepened. “Oh, so you’ve heard of me already.” He sounded disappointed.
“Of course I have! You’re all that the guards talk about. You’re all that anyone talks about! You’re a goddamn legend!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air to emphasize this fact.
There was a moment of silence and then Aiden smiled to himself before asking me, “Do the ladies talk about me? God knows I’ve met more than a few through out my life. They do, don’t they? Go on, tell me what they say, don‘t spare any of the details.” I gaped at him and he blinked at me. “What?” he demanded suddenly.
“You’re the well-known assassin, Aiden Stone,” I said in confirmation.
Aiden nodded grimly.
“Who’d you kill?” I asked briskly.
Aiden looked shocked at my question. “What?”
“Who, did, you, kill?” I asked more slowly, emphasizing each word.
“No one!” Aiden denied instantly.
I snorted in disbelief. “If you’ve been taken to Castle Burdock then you obviously killed someone you shouldn’t have, or committed some other unspeakable act. So, what was it? Or who was it? A king? God help you if you killed a king--”
Aiden grabbed my face between his hands and forced me to look into his eyes--which was more than a little uncomfortable for me--causing me to stop mid-sentence. When I was finally quiet Aiden said, “I didn’t do anything.” Then he released my face, sighing in exasperation. “Assassin or not, I don’t go off killing anyone whenever a gold coin’s waved in my face.” He sighed once. “Whether you believe me or not, I didn’t actually do anything wrong…this time.”
I frowned at his last sentence. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, just because someone offers to pay me, doesn’t mean I’ll accept, do you really think I’d kill someone important enough to risk having my beautiful head on the line?” He smirked when I scowled. “Look Angel, sorry to just up and leave, but, I can’t have you following me anymore, not to kick a guard when she’s down, but, you’re slowing me down quite a bit,” he pointed out distantly as he mounted his horse.
“I--” I stopped before I could even begin my sentence. “I am not,” I said defensively, although I knew I must have wasted at least an hour by talking alone.
Aiden chuckled and shook his head, then waved over his shoulder, without looking back at me. “See you around Angel.”
I fought with myself for several long moments, deciding whether or not I would be capable of traveling all the way back to the castle on my own. Just as Aiden was disappearing over a hill not twenty feet away from me, I let out a sound similar to a frustrated tiger caught in a cage and jogged after him. “Wait!” I shouted, barreling over the hill after him. “Aiden! Wait!” I yelled again as I saw him ahead of me.
He turned curiously in the saddle, as if he really hadn’t expected me to come after him that time. I huffed when I caught up to him and then straightened and pointed an accusing finger at him, “Do you really expect me to just go back to the castle with this heap of crap weighing on my shoulders?”
Aiden looked surprised at my choice of words but smirked. “I don’t know what to expect with you,” he admitted.
“Thanks to you, I can’t go back to Castle Burdock without some sort of accomplishment to redeem myself, I already had a bad enough reputation as it was, being the only girl guard and not seeing a second of combat. And to add more to my stack of unaccomplished dreams, the one time I do see combat it’s with you and I’m completely blindsided and don’t even get to throw a punch! Even if I did go back to the castle and they didn’t send me on my merry way, there’s no way in hell that they’d let me get near combat. There you go. Dream ruined,” I finished in a huff of air and I crossed my arms over my chest.
Aiden looked as if he were thinking for a moment then grinned at me. “There’s an easy solution to all of this,” he said with a glint in his amber eyes.
“And what would that be?” I asked in disbelief, there was never an easy solution to anything, I had thought it over several times.
“You don’t go back.” Aiden replied simply, watching me carefully for a reaction.
Before I could stop it, my mouth fell open, appalled at the suggestion before I could even process it.
“You could come with me,” Aiden added, still grinning. “And we can disappear over the horizon and ride off into the sunset.” He sighed dreamily at the thought.
This last suggestion shook the shock from my features. “Are you insane?” I asked with a snort. “That would be…it would be…” Damn it I couldn’t remember the word and therefore succeeded in looking like a moron.
“Treason?” Aiden offered.
“Yes! Treason!” I agreed, then added, “My King…or worse the General would lose all faith in me! I would never be allowed back to Castle Burdock,” I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air in exasperation.
“Do you have any family there?” Aiden asked after a short silence.
“No. My mother died when I was five and my father’s been dead for two years,” I replied sullenly, although it was more because of my predicament rather than my lack of family.
Aiden took it the other way around and stiffened instinctively, as all humans do when they feel as though they’ve unintentionally struck a nerve. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, then he fell silent. For the first time since I had met him, Aiden Stone wasn’t sure what to say. I had to admit, I was rather proud of rendering him speechless for once.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m over it,” I grumbled, although I had never gotten to know my mother very well, I still wasn’t quite over my dad. Which is why I didn’t want to talk about it…at all.
My gaze fell to the ground, I wasn’t willing to strike up my argument again, now that I’d fallen into a trip down memory lane.
“Angeline, hold your sword higher, tighten your grip. I’ll make a warrior out of you yet.” My father’s voice was husky and soft, despite the discipline applied to it during training.
“Right,” I muttered, focusing on my sword again rather than the butterfly that had flitted past me.
“You know, when you become a guard or a soldier you’ll have to wear chain mail. I have some old chain mail you could use for training. It would probably be helpful and less of a shock when you get your own chain mail, it’s heavier than it looks.” My father bent over to look sidelong into my face.
I grinned and nodded excitedly, he grinned back.
I gasped out of my trance when I felt someone’s arms lock around me. I instantly realized it was Aiden and recoiled, but Aiden held me tighter to him, refusing to let me pull back. “H-hey, let go,” I demanded, trying to pull away from him again.
“No. Not until you feel better,” Aiden replied stubbornly, tightening his arms around me yet again.
“I don’t need a hug! I’m not even sad or depressed or anything!” I objected, trying harder this time to get away from him, I felt the tears welling up in my eyes now. They wouldn’t have even come if Aiden hadn’t provoked them by facing the issue.
Aiden must have heard the waver in my voice, because he rested one of his hands on the back of my head and murmured, “It’s alright.”
I swallowed hard, I wasn’t going to cry right now. I wasn’t going to cry ever. I didn’t want to cry. I could keep from crying, if I just focused. It was Aiden’s murmured reassurances that told my brain that there was something to cry about. “Please, don’t,” I begged, unable to keep the waver from my voice.
“You can cry,” Aiden assured me, his one arm keeping me firmly against him while his hand moved from my head to the back of my neck and back to my head, a soothing gesture.
I felt a tear force its way from my eye and squeezed my eyes shut, willing more tears to spill onto my cheeks. I felt a sob choke my throat and hid my face in Aiden’s collarbone. “Damn you…” I muttered, cursing Aiden for his…I don’t even know what to call it…sensitivity?
“Right. Damn me,” Aiden agreed, although at that point I think I could’ve called him gay and he would’ve agreed with me.
I relaxed slightly and somehow got my arms free from Aiden’s crushing hold, I hesitated, then hugged Aiden back, turning my head sideways against his chest so that I could breathe. I took a deep breath and said in my most convincingly normal voice. “I’m alright now. You can let go.”
I felt Aiden hesitate but he let me go this time, taking a half a step back, while I took a full one. “Thank you,” I muttered after an unfilled silence danced between us.
“Anytime,” Aiden said instantly, reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder.
“I hardly even know you,” I pointed out, wiping any lasting tears from my face before looking him in the eye.
I didn’t look at him, but I could tell that he was smiling when he said, “That’s alright Angel, I feel like I already know you like a friend…perhaps a friend with benefits…?” He prodded, his hand tightening hopefully on my shoulder.
That was it. Moment ruined.
I shook his hand off my shoulder and shook my head, but couldn’t keep from smiling. “I don’t think so,” I said with a snicker. “That was almost a really nice thing to say,” I added with a smile in his direction, only looking at him from behind my eyelashes.
Aiden snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “I always have nice things to say. You just don’t listen close enough.” He winked at me and it was my turn to snort. Aiden grinned and then asked more seriously, “So? What’ll it be? Me? Or Castle Burdock?”
The way he phrased it made it seem like I was going to marry a castle or a total horn dog, but I made my choice all the same. “I’ll…follow you.” Aiden pumped his fist in the air and his eyes practically glowed. “For now!” I finished, gaining his attention again.
“What? You’re not gonna stick around and marry me?” Aiden asked in a would-be innocent tone.
“Sorry, but, no. I want to be an amazing guard or soldier, not a housewife,” I said simply, I had said the line so many times before that I hardly realized it was out of my mouth.
Aiden chuckled and went to his horse, he pulled a bag from the saddlebags, turned the horse in the opposite direction and then smacked it on the butt so that it took of in a gallop back the way we had come from.
I watched the horse gallop away and frowned before asking, “Where did you get that horse anyway?”
Aiden shrugged. “I stole it.”
I glared at him, somehow mixing my glare with my shock and creating a completely new facial expression. “You stole it?” I asked incredulously then continued, “I’m a guard, I’m supposed to keep things like that from happening!”
Aiden waved his hand in dismissal. “You were asleep, don’t worry about it. I’m sure the owner will find it eventually anyway.” In a change of subject Aiden asked, “So you’re worried about becoming a housewife? That’s a pretty strange fear.”
A snort of annoyance was my only reply before I decided to add, “More importantly, I don’t plan on sticking around long enough for you to convert me.”
“Well then, you’ll just have to wait around awhile until I make you fall for me…Of course, that’s only if you haven’t fallen for me already.” He looked at me with a curiously raised brow.
“You really think you’re capable of something like that, don’t you?” I asked as I walked past him, partially leading the way, although I was just following the road.
“Oh, I’ll make you fall for me. And that’s a promise,” Aiden assured me with a dashing smirk as he fell in step beside me.