Flora immediately regretted posturing in front of Prince Andrei the minute they set out to the back tower. He was keeping his promise to leave her in the dust if she couldn't keep up. The prince was already trained in combat, and if he exercised every morning with those guards... Flora struggled to walk beside him, forcing her breath to quiet as much as possible when they climbed each flight of stairs. Oh gods, they weren't even at the back tower yet, and Flora felt as if she might pass out.
"Tired princess?" Prince Andrei was in front of her, so she couldn't see his face, but she knew he had that filthy smirk of his on him. "I thought you said that you wouldn't fall behind."
Gulping some air down her throat, Flora kept quiet before she said with as much force as her lungs could provide her, "who said I was falling behind your highness?" It took more energy to not sound winded than it did to hike through the palace. "I'm perfectly fine." The last line came out as more of a huff than a statement.
A dry laugh came from the prince as he continued on. "You sure know how to make things difficult princess."
"I've been told."
Prince Andrei slowed his pace, but didn't turn back to Flora. His voice lacked the mocking tone he had been using on her. "Why are you doing this?" The prince was silent as he waited for Flora.
Even Flora wasn't quite sure of that. Of course she was trying to get their engagement to succeed, but she didn't quite see how this situation played into all of that. For all she knew, this would only make the prince hate her even more. Maybe Flora needed to show a bit of honesty right now. "I was serious." She thought carefully through her words as she caught her breath. "I want to become more acquainted with the man I am supposed to marry."
Again Prince Andrei gave a short, unamused laugh. "I wouldn't count on that too much princess. You know as much as I do that this trial period was only a tactic."
"But it's not," Flora was growing more and more heated as the conversation turned worse. "You asked me to marry you your highness, politics or not, and I said yes. Even if there is a trial period, our two leaders decided that this is what is best for our countries."
The prince stopped, but he still faced away from Flora. "What makes you so sure of that princess? Who are you to say the real intent behind their majesties." Prince Andrei's tone had turned from plainly uncivil to ice cold.
How could Flora answer that question without giving up what Felix had demanded of her? He obviously wanted this marriage to succeed so badly that he forced Flora out of the country, marriage or not. If her brother was willing to abandon her, there must be more serious reasons behind this arrangement, but Flora couldn't say any of that. She couldn't even express how much those words had broke her heart. Flora shoved those thoughts out of her head; she needed to focus on talking to the prince. "I just know your highness. I know how much this alliance means to Prana, and I'm sure Leosta as well. This is a good-"
"Ha! As if Leosta would ever need the help from a country like Prana." Prince Andrei's voice came out more cruel than cold this time. "What could a backwater country like Prana ever have to offer Leosta?"
Red clouded Flora's vision; she had had enough of this. Without even thinking, she reached out and jerked the prince's arm so that he was looking at her. All decorum flew out the window as she seethed, "must you always insult my country?" Her jaw began to hurt as she clenched it even tighter in rage. "The way you speak of my home. You have no idea what you are talking about."
"I know plenty," Prince Andrei sneered back at her. "History tends to repeat itself."
Flora didn't loosen her grip as she stared down the prince with pure malice in her eyes. "You seem to think you have it all figured out, hmmm? You must know everything about Prana, yes? So much so, that you already passed judgement on what kind of person I am without even meeting me. You don't even know me!"
Wrenching his arm out of Flora's grasp, the prince snapped, "Oh I do know you, princess." He grabbed his arm where she had ahold of him just a moment ago and continued in a snarl, "I am WELL aware of your type. The beautiful and spoiled princess that has NEVER wanted in her life. She is SOOO used to people flocking toward her and bending to her every need, that the ONE time someone doesn't act as she wants, she throws a hissy fit." Prince Andrei stepped closer to her, closing the gap between them. Flora felt his breath on her neck as he growled, "but here is the thing princess, I'm not the kind of man to play someone's pet."
Flora shoved him away as she mumbled, "that's not..." The anger inside of her was melting into something much more depressing. That fire inside of her had fizzled down to coals as she shifter her gaze away from Prince Andrei. It wasn't like she was surprised; she was used to this kind of treatment. He didn't know anything and was just like everyone else she had ever met. It was almost funny how off base the prince was. People flocked toward her? What a joke. To Prince Andrei, she wasn't the cursed princess this time, but a fake one. Even though this wasn't a new reaction, for some reason it felt worse. Flora didn't think she would ever be able to escape the poor image of herself everyone else saw. Was there any sense in fighting it?
"Whatever," the prince muttered, continuing his way towards the back tower. This time, however, he walked much slower than before. He wasn't going to say anything, and neither was Flora. She could feel the negative energy seeping off of the prince, and she was over it.
Even after the prince's nasty words, Flora had decided that she wasn't giving up on her mission. Her hope for this engagement was waning, but the idea of letting him get away with multiple "companions" was enough to keep her going. He might not understand her, but one thing she was going to make crystal clear is that she wouldn't stand by his philandering silently.
Finally, they began the last ascent into the back tower. Flora was sure of this, because they were climbing a wide, spiraling staircase for more than a few moments. With their snapping at each other earlier, Flora was even more pressed to keep her breathing soft. Why was she so out of shape? The thought of the prince having anything else to look down on her by pushed her to climb readily with no end in sight.
At the top of the stairs, the wide spiral swung out into a chilly room. Flora blinked at the bright light that was streaming in from... the sky? The area was open to the air, connecting to another room by walls that didn't reach the rafters. Why would this tower be completely open to the elements? What about the winter weather? This palace was ever the more confusing each day she spent here.
Prince Andrei stepped forward towards a large iron door and pulled it open, exposing an even bigger and brighter room. Hesitantly, Flora followed after him, not wanting to loose him in a strange place such as this. She didn't even get the chance to look around the room before she slammed into the prince's back with the full force of her momentum. He had stopped so suddenly she couldn't avoid him. Just as Flora looked up, gathering herself, there was the flapping of powerful wings, and one of the biggest birds she had ever seen.