"Give," came Maverick's voice above me with his sword to my throat pinning me helplessly under him.
Maverick was the one boy in my class I couldn't stand. He was cocky and selfish and a bully-especially towards me since I was the only girl. He was a head taller than me and bulkier- all muscle and built like a bull.
"Never," I hissed, glancing towards my sword that had been knocked out of my hand laying only a finger's length away. If I could get him to move just an inch, I could grab it.
"I will not ask again, Eveline," he sneered. "Give or I'll cut that pretty little face of yours."
We were in combat class, but once our teacher had paired us, he had been called in to see the king and left us to keep ourselves in line.
He moved just an inch and I moved to grab my sword, but he grabbed my arm and, in a split second, before I could register what he did, all I felt was pain throughout my whole sword arm and I bit back an agonizing cry. Before anything else could happen, I saw Maverick crumble to the ground and Alistor standing behind him.
Alistor was my best friend, but in the moment I was angry. He had made me look weak by knocking Maverick out, so when he offered his hand, I slapped it away and used my good arm to pick myself up before retrieving my sword and storming off to the infirmary. Alistor called after me, but I didn't turn back. I'd grab my shield later, but more than likely, Alistor would grab it and bring it to me as a peace offering.
****
That night at dinner, I showed up with my left arm arm- my sword arm- in a sling and sat down at an empty table with my food. Alistor soon found me and sat down facing me. I drank my ale giving him the cold shoulder.
"What has you in such a fuss?" he asked finally.
I just glared at him. He knew.
"Eve..." he started.
I sighed. "You made me look weak, Alistor. How dare you? I had it under control and you had to interfere. You made me look weak and like I can't fight my own battles."
He looked down, his dark, sooty lashes shading his wonderful, stormy, blue eyes, and pouted his lip slightly, which always made him look very exposed and made you feel bad for him.
"Don't," I growled, looking away. "Don't you dare give me that look, Alistor ap Renn."
"What look?" he asked innocently.
"You know what look."
He laughed and I looked back over at him, taking a bite of my venison.
"You really are the master of manipulation. You know that, right?"
He laughed a bit louder. "I'm your best friend. I'm supposed to get on your nerves, and I also couldn't just stand back and watch him beat the pulp out of you any longer."
I sighed. I knew Alistor had good intentions, but I didn't like looking weak. I absolutely loathed it, but deep down I knew I couldn't have won that fight.
"Guardian Evan said to just report to class, but he won't have you back practicing until your arm is healed."
I nodded cutting another piece of venison. In truth, having Alistor save me today made me madder at myself than him. I didn't like figuring out that my extra hours of training were not working as I had hoped. It hurt my ego a bit and showed me I wasn't as capable as the boys.
***
As I was heading back to my dormitory later that night with Alistor, things seemed different. Alistor, who was usually very collected, was tense and fidgeting and it worried me. Perhaps it was because I had never been this cold towards him and quiet. When we reached my door, I grabbed the key out of my pocket.
"Alistor, I'm not-"
In the blink of an eye, he leaned down and kissed me and I stood there surprised. He pulled back and all the air left my lungs and butterflies formed in my stomach. Where had that come from? He looked down at me with a curious face that was hard to read.
"Wha ..." I started to stumble out, but my brain was having a hard time functioning.
"I thought it was obvious how I felt about you," he said quietly, bringing one hand to my cheek. "With how protective I am and how I always got bent out of shape at dances when you were asked to dance. I never could get up the nerve, but I'm tired of just standing by and pretending."
I looked up at him like a doe in a meadow that had just picked up the scent of an archer. I liked Alistor, but I had never thought of him as more than a friend. I had tried to keep those feelings under lock and key because I thought I was too stubborn to love.
I never thought his mere touch could have such a hold on me. He only usually touched my shoulder.
"Could you say something?" he asked.
I couldn't. How could Alistor ap Renn love me? He was witty, funny, handsome, collected and level headed. I was the opposite. I was a hot head, stubborn, witty in combat and not that pretty-not anymore with scars and bruises everywhere and my hair only shoulder length. Instead I leaned up and kissed him and for a moment he stood there petrified- more so than I was- and he kissed me back after a moment. He was so gentle and broke the kiss a moment later.
"Eve, you're hard to read," he said in the joking manner I was used to.
I flushed this time though. Usually I lightly punched him in the arm or elbowed him gently.
"I like you too, Alistor," I whispered.
He smiled, running his thumb over my cheek. "Was that so hard?"
I chuckled lightly and he did too. This was the most awkward moment for me and probably for him too. I was still trying to wrap my head around Alistor liking me enough to break his cool collected shell for me. He had gone out on a whim to see if I was there too.
"A bit."
He smiled. His pale complexion looked paler in the full moon light especially with his raven-black hair framing his face. He had worn it down tonight instead of back in the messy ponytail he usually had it tied up in. It looked so soft and I always had to resist the urge to run my fingers through it- especially just now. His eyes seemed warmer in the light as well.
He kissed my cheek. "Good night, Lady Eve."
With that he disappeared like smoke and I fell against my door still in shock from what Alistor had done and said. I was more in shock of I had admitted. I had kept that under several locks and keys trying to hide that from him, but he must have guessed. I knew Alistor well enough to know he wasn't that much of a gambler and he wouldn't have put our friendship at risk if he even thought there was a slim chance I would reject him. After a moment I opened the door to see Riana. She was smiling as she mended one of my shirts.
"You could have gone to bed," I said. A flush rose in my cheeks.
"So that Alistor of yours finally admitted it to you?"
The color must have risen in my cheeks.
"A ... aye. You knew?"
She laughed. "Eveline, it was written all over his face when he looked at you."
I sighed. Sometimes I was too stubborn for my own good.
"For how long?"
"About two months after you got here."
That long? This made me take a seat on the edge of my bed. Alistor could be so infuriating at times. Why had he waited so long to tell me unless I had made it that hard to tell till lately? How had I not noticed his jealousy at dances or understood why he was protective? I guess I was too stubborn to see that he liked me.
I tried getting undressed, but with my fractured forearm it was hard. After a moment of struggling, Riana got up and helped me get undressed and into my nightgown. I then retired to bed with one single thought on my mind- Alistor.