Underestimate Me

His eyes fell on her just as they had a million times before except for the hint of disappointment hidden behind his gaze. Rowen heard the metallic blade whiz past his shoulder—the noise startled him so much that he dropped Laila’s hands at once and turned his eyes toward the ground—before her voice engulfed him and surrounded the party she kept. That thing standing before him, before her people, was not the Josselyn he once thought of calling his.

Her lilting laugh filled the air causing Rowen’s mood to lighten further. She always had that effect on him. “Your poor brother hangs on your every word and he will be ruined when you are finished with him.”

“Yes, tis a possibility but look how he happily laughs.” His eyes never left her face as he spoke. “Is it not a beautiful sight.”

She sighed heavily while rolling her eyes. “You cannot say things you do not mean for me to hear.”

His famous smile graced his lips, though it is different for her, before he leaned closer to her ear and replied, “And what if I mean it for you only?”

She pushed him away while averting her gaze to hide her wide smile and blushing countenance. “You say that to every pretty maiden you come across, Rowen. Do not disgrace me with a tired compliment.”

No, the woman running from the eyes of those who saw her embarrassment was not the woman he held so fondly in his memories. “Are you…” Evelyn started in a whisper. Rowen shook his head. Of course he was the farthest thing from alright, fine, content; any word she could think of other than shocked, disappointed, and ashamed would not fit what he felt.

“She missed either by purpose, which I suppose is more true, or accident. We do not have to go through the ordeal of wound cleaning again.” Laila smiled. He would not meet her gaze.

Instead of speaking to the women who were being so kind to him, he looked at Aldith. Rather than speaking his request, he let down every wall he built for himself, for his soul, and showed all in his eyes to her, just as he showed Laila his sorrow for how she had been wronged. Aldith seemed to understand because she position the manacle around his neck and locked it into place again.

“Fear not, Rowen,” Laila whispered to him. “She has been on edge lately; must be the impending threat your father poses against us.”

His eyes narrowed though they still would not meet hers. She patted his uninjured shoulder trying to comfort whatever pain she was sure to upset him. It was not physical pain that she could sooth away. Rowen jerked away from her fingers. Her eyes widened; he could read the offence in them.

“That is not polite!” Evelyn hissed at him. Her disapproval stung more than he thought it would, but it was not enough to make him speak. “Our leader has her reasons, do not take your anger at her, out on those being kind to you.”

“Will you seal that jaw of yours now?” He growled. “I want no more conversations with any of you.” Rowen lied. Memories of what he endured haunted him, and the punishments Merek took from their father made him sick. If these girls were caught disobeying the creature they called ‘leader’ what would happen to them? How many other ways could poor Laila be hurt?

He pulled his mind from wretched thoughts of these sweet women being harmed because of him. That would not do. Though Evelyn’s bright face dimmed with something Rowen thought of as worry. Why would she worry over me?

“What is wrong with you?” Evelyn whispered harshly so the others might not hear. “The boy I remembered from so long ago was kind and generous. This man before me is different. You try to hide that kindness under layers of steeled countenances and worst of all when we think you are nearly back to that kind boy from so long ago, you turn on us causing us to feel disappointment and anger towards you.

He shied away from her hand while his face shifted from that hardened glare into a look of regretful sorrow. She pulled her hand away from him before glancing at Aldith who nodded in response. “I am sorry,” he said to Evelyn. Three sets of eyes turned on him, all wide with shock.

“What?” Evelyn’s voice stated while her hand covered her heart like someone was getting ready to shove a dagger through it.

“I do not mean to make you angry or disappointed. You have been kind to me, and I do not what that lunatic to hurt you for your disobedience.” He grimaced upon using the word ‘lunatic’ to describe Josselyn; however, he could not think of a more suitable word for a woman that just flung a knife at his head for nothing more than a conversation.

Evelyn laughed first, but was soon followed by her rebel sisters. They left him for a moment under the care of several other women while Evelyn spoke to the young girl she sent to Josselyn earlier. Rowen did not know if he still wanted an audience with her, but he knew there were things that needed to be spoken between them. The young girl with the endearing round face and wide eyes sent Rowen glances. Though she believed them unnoticed, harmless looks, Rowen did notice, and they were not harmless.

“Do I know you,” Rowen growled out of frustration as Evelyn and the girl ventured closer to his pole. He bit his lip for speaking to this child while silently praying she didn’t answer

“No,” she cried before covering her mouth and running from his sight as fast as she could.