After Luciana left, I handed the map over to Dolores.
"Can we trust her?" Tyril asked.
"I think we can. She just fought by our side you know." I responded.
"That doesn't make her any less of a traitor you know." Tyril said angrily like he had a grudge against Luciana and not just about his trusting her. "She's probably going to get us trapped in that cave and bring Stefan himself to us, and when that happens we are left with no horses or enough weapons to defend ourselves. How do you think that will end?." He continued.
"Enough Tyril." I said. "You don't trust her and I see why, but I trust her. Now in turn you have to trust me. Don't trust Luciana, just trust Naya." I said.
"o… kay. It's time to go guys. To the cave before sundown. We have to regroup and strategize a way to reapproach King Matte. Luciana already blew our chances." Dolores said and led the way.
Throughout our journey to the cave, I didn't speak to Tyril nor him to me. Soon enough, we got to the cave at dawn. It was very far away from the main city perhaps it was abandoned. The walk to the cave took us hours, but we finally arrived.
"I'll get some firewood and make a fire and also see if I can find any edible fruit around." Tyril said to me and without even waiting for my approval left. I couldn't do anything again but nod.
"Trouble in paradise?" Dolores asked me after Tyril left.
"What?" I said in confusion.
"Lover's quarrel I presume?" she said again.
"Lovers? No." I said while blushing.
"You know love is quite distracting but trust me it's a beautiful thing. You just have to learn to keep yourself in check and never get carried away from your purpose." She said.
"I don't know what you're saying." I denied.
"Who out of the two sends the butterflies in your stomach into action?"
"What?"
"Tyril was jealous. Naya, you know Luciana and Tyril are both in love with you, and you possibly can't be in love with both of them." She said.
"I'm not in love with either of them as well." I lied.
Dolores smiled. "it's okay. I totally understand. You're still confused."
"c'mon. let's go help Tyril." I said and sharply left to avoid that conversation.
In truth, I was confused about this whole heart situation. I thought I was in love with Tyril until Luciana showed up again. Maybe my problem is just infatuation and not even real love.
That night, we all slept side by side to each other until the next morning. I wanted to talk to Tyril but I lacked the courage to do so, so I just slept off, but gently brushing my skin against his.
The next morning, I woke up to realize I was all alone in the cave. Where in the lights name did the others go?
"Dolores! Tyril!" I shouted their names as I made my way out of the cave.
"Good morning Princess." Tyril who was sitting on a rock said when he lifted his head to look at me.
"Where is my aunt?" I asked him.
"Dolores. She went to see if she could get anything from the market. You know apart from that guavaberry we ate last night, I think we're going to starve to death."
"But, the King's men I'm sure must be looking all over for us. What if they arrest her or she leads them back to us?" I freaked out.
"I tried, I tried to dissuade her from going but she's as stubborn as you. I even offered to go in her place but she insisted on going and going alone." Tyril explained.
"Has it been long she left?"
"No Your Highness."
"Why didn't you just wake me up then?"
"After the hectic day we had, you needed the rest." Tyril said.
"Right." I responded.
"Did you sleep well last night?" I asked.
"A guard never goes against his oaths, Your Highness." He responded.
"You know you won't also go against your oath if you called me by my name."
"I can only do that in public for now, Your highness. A guard has no right at all to refer to his master by name."
"Even on the master's orders?" I asked him but he left me with no response. "I thought as much." I added.
For some time, there was an awkward silence between us. We weren't exactly doing anything but we still didn't talk to or look at each other. Finally I decided to break the silence.
"About yesterday I… I ah… I didn't mean to be rude or anything. I was just really stressed." I said to him.
"You don't have to apologize, Your Highness. I'm just a servant at your command so you have every right to yell at me." Tyril responded.
"Well I'm saying I shouldn't have done it. You know you're not just a servant to me." I said to him then gently sat close to him.
Tyril seemed to feel awkward with me sitting very close to him so he quickly got up.
"I'm sorry Your Highness, I have to pick some woods." He said and left.
I nodded and honestly there were still piles of wood from what we picked up last night so he clearly just wanted to avoid me.
I got up to leave and maybe find something to do when I noticed some movement in the bush very close to the cave so I quietly sneaked up and hid to watch what it was. It was an old lady, dressed in rags and had a stick that supported her movement. She looked around suspiciously before she held the amulet on her neck, closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. A puff of smoke escaped the amulet and got into her nostrils. She breathed sharply and slowly turned into Dolores.
What in the light's name is this? A shapeshifter? Oh lights, is Dolores okay?...
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