"I was just wondering if you wanted any food—you missed dinner…again," Archer said. His deep blush was creeping across his pale cheeks like a rose garden blooming slowly across the yard. As every ray of sunlight touched their petals.
I sighed and rubbed my face, too tired to bother explaining anything. I knew that Jae and Miyoko would eventually find out about Archer and me. Even though the only thing we'd done so far was kiss. I groaned and buried my face into his shoulder. And possibly made love…maybe more than once.
Archer stroked my head and sighed, planting a kiss on my head of dirty, tangled black hair. He wrapped his hand around my waist and I looked up at him, he grinned and stroked my face. "You have such round, perfect eyes." I looked down and blushed. Every time he complimented me, even before we accepted each other, I always felt that same shiver running down my spine.
"They used to be gold," I said quietly, remembering the old days I spent in the Library, reading away my life and laughing as Jae spewed her opinion about the confusing character development throughout the story.
Archer breathed out and leant down, burying his face in the crook of my neck. I gazed out ahead of me, thinking carefully about those memories as they flew by. My father's death. My mother's. Anja and Aleksei. I closed my eyes, biting my lower lip. I didn't want Archer to see me cry. I didn't want him to see the weak and— even more—vulnerable me. I wiped my eyes and opened my mouth.
"Hey," Archer said. "Could you change your eyes back for me?" He asked, pulling his head away from my neck and leaving me cold and wanting for more than that.
I sighed and looked back at him, leaning down on the mattress and I closed my eyes, asking as politely as I could to that power lurking inside. I covered my face with my hands and bent over my legs, crossed and crinkled pants. I muttered the same promise—which I would eventually fulfil—and removed my hands. I looked down at my hands. Archer sucked in a breath and lifted my chin. I stared at him, dead in the eyes, and before I knew it—his mouth was on mine.
"Why…are you…so perfect?" He asked his breath on my face, his eyes on my throat and then my jawline.
I shrugged. "I am royalty, you do know that—right?" I said, grasping his face and grinning. "I have no idea why breaking the law is so simple," I muttered under my breath, slightly bewildered by this random thought.
"What, not being in love with another royal?" Archer asked.
I looked up at him. "Not just that—" I looked away, my gaze avoiding his. I felt my eyelashes caress my cheekbones and bit my lower lip again. It was a bad habit. "To be with one of the same sex." I pushed out, I looked back up at him. Waiting for his undeniable reaction.
I blinked in confusion when he leaned in and kissed my throat. I closed my eyes, waiting for his reaction. "What a bunch of assholes." He eventually said. I chuckled under my breath, I couldn't help it.
"Then tell that to them if I ever go back," I said, laughing a little more. That laugh turned into a short gasp as Archer bit into my shoulder. I let out a soft groan and twisted my head. "You know that I am not a fan of these attempts at cannibalism," I said shortly.
Archer chortled and I put my hand over the—what Archer called—'love bite' and scowled at him. He stroked my lips and laughed, almost in a whisper. "You're so cute when you're mad."
I rolled my eyes and sat up, crossing my legs and looking at him. He cocked his head, his light auburn hair falling over his amber eyes. I grinned and leapt on top of him. He willingly fell back and I lay on him, our noses touched and I smiled sweetly. Placing my hands on either side of his head and pulled back. "We only have a few more minutes before they'll get back." I sighed.
Archer frowned. "Let them know." He said his arm snaking around over the square of my back. I held his gaze and waited for him to agree with me. I couldn't tell them, it would just be awkward.
"That'll have to wait, unfortunately—I have to defeat the mass murdering gang who killed my father." I grinned and let my head rest partially on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and sighed, rolling off of him. I lay next to Archer, our breathing in sync. I looked over at him and followed the soft lines of his jaw and the grooves across his chin and lips. I couldn't help but feel happy as I closed my eyes. Imagining everything in the near future. What I would accomplish. Nothing.
Even if I didn't…I wouldn't love him. I opened my eyes and watched Archer wearily. I love him.
"What's up?" He asked, touching my cheek faintly. I burrowed my face into his fingers, not wanting to speak; to use words that had no meaning.
"Nothing, just…an epiphany," I mumbled, my words muffled into his palm as his fingers stroked my face gently. Archer pressed his lips to my forehead and kept them there. I closed my eyes and waited. Waited for him to push me, to ask me what it was I had realised. What I was thinking.
"Pack up your stuff, we're leaving tomorrow." That was all he said. I nodded and when I reopened my eyes, he was gone.
I shivered and lay back on the bed. Noting to myself that we'd all been travelling to Devil's Haven for the past week. According to Archer, we were around a month away from reaching our destination. If all went well.
I packed my things all into the same bag as Archer and stood up, looking out the tent and seeing the sunset's light stream through the leaves.
I walked outside and was immediately hit with the smell of Archer's rabbit stew. It was the only thing Archer had taught us all to catch. He said rabbits would fill us up, and we had no need to kill anything bigger. I saw justice in that opinion. We would be eating the traditional Angeland food soon enough. Sleeping in real beds and sitting in real chairs. In time.
I walked to his side and offered to help out. He shrugged and said if I wanted to. It hurt when he seemingly rejected me instead of hugging me. But I had asked him to act like that, I didn't want Jae and Miyoko to find out. Yet. I saw the suspicious, and slightly content looks on their faces when they heard the whole 'Keeper protects and shields Wielder—Wielder protects Keeper and never-does-anything-without-Keeper's-permission' thing.
They seemed to have acknowledged its existence and nothing more. They didn't seem to want any more to do with it.
"Chop up the onion and carrots and I'll go get some more water." Archer said roughly. Stalking off in a rage only I knew the reason for.
"Hey Hiro." Jae said. I look up at her and then back down at the hand slowly cutting up carrots. Her gaze stayed on my face and I didn't look back at her. "Can I ask you something?"
I nodded and continued to stare down at the board. My nerves were on end. She was perceptive enough. She had probably figured it out and had been wanting to ask ever since Archer and I came to breakfast wet and blushing. Enough evidence, right there.
"Have you ever shot a living thing before?" She asked, grinning at me as she slung the bow and arrow bag onto the makeshift table.
I grinned nervously and began working on the onions. "No, I haven't. Why do you ask?" I said, avoiding her gaze and chopping the carrots expertly. I had learnt from past experiences.
"Because I reckon you should ask Archer to teach you—he's really good," Jae said. I looked up and then hid my expression of disbelief. Even if she knew, she couldn't say something like that.
Now all I could think about was him. I partially wished Jae was my subject, and I could order her to shut up. But that was no longer my place. I was the centre of the group, sure, but Jae led it with Archer's help. All I had to do was not die.
"What makes you think I can't kill something?" I asked, looking back at the onions and scowling. I kind of wished I hadn't asked that question.
"You are too considerate, you're always thinking about others—even the animals. You have never considered that mankind has always killed animals. Animals have always killed each other—have you?" She said, placing her hands on her hips and grinning cheekily at me.
I pouted defiantly and didn't respond the way she wanted me to. With a comeback. And excuse. "And is that something I should be ashamed of?" I asked quietly. Jae's cocky smirk fell to a shocked expression.
"I—I guess not…" She mumbled, her gaze leaving my face and I looked over at her. I grinned and laughed, doubly over and forgetting all about my wild sleep and random attacks of pain.
"You're so cute!" I gasped out. "Oh gosh Jae—you're considerate too— but don't forget I have feelings that you would consider 'manly'," I said, grinning and sending her a warning look.
Jae sobered up, her eyes widening and then narrowing. "Right, yeah—forgot about that." She mumbled. I didn't really have a clue what she remembered then. But all I could think about after that was the look on her face as she turned away from me.
I couldn't understand what she thought at that moment. I also didn't think that I would understand anytime soon.