5 - A ROOM FOR TWO

Meridian Water

 

Today, Prince Sweeney would be on the east side of Umbra, where he would see how the region is doing and whether the guardians are doing their duty. The journey would be made by royal carriage, where we would stop in at least three areas to rest, as it would be a three-day journey.

I had already been serving as his protector for a month, and being constantly on the move as his shadow wasn't difficult, because today would be the first time he would actually sleep outside the royal house. I had studied every spot where we would stop, assessing each necessary escape point in case of a riot attack.

Rebel demons who didn't respect royalty.

I fulfilled my basic needs and put on leather pants along with a crop top, adding my dagger to my waist, and two other small daggers inside the leather boots that went up to my knee. I tied my hair into a ponytail and headed outside, knowing that the servants were in charge of carrying my suitcase to the carriage.

When I arrived outside, I stood next to the royal cavalry soldiers as the first in a side line, waiting for the prince. It took ten minutes to wait until he was on the stairs next to his father, who seemed to be saying something.

“You know what needs to be done, don’t you?” My keen hearing allowed me to hear.

I disguised.

"Yes I know." He responded without even moving his mouth, just grunting.

“Don’t disappoint me, son.” The king said.

Then they stopped talking, my instincts told me there was more. I wanted to know what they were talking about, simple sentences left me intrigued. But I soon forgot what I was thinking when I automatically noticed the prince. He was wearing a suit, his formal blouse with the initial buttons open gave the beginning of a rune that I wanted to know the meaning of. I looked away, pushing away the depraved thought in my mind, it wasn't just the rune I wanted to see when I imagined him shirtless. He was the prince, I was a renegade, although his protector put us on different levels, so it couldn't happen. He could only bond with a pure-blood mage.

He passed ahead of us, and with a quick wave to his father, entered the carriage.

I entered after him, sitting in front of him. As his protector, I had to be his shadow and be wherever he was. Something told me deep down that this could be a problem. The carriage continued to be followed by a front and a rear carriage.

As we traveled the route to our destination, I watched every face and movement outside, always on alert.

The first hour was full of silence, we had nothing to talk about, there were no words to be said. The day was slipping away, time passing. We chose less busy routes to avoid the hustle and bustle. And as the carriage moved, I felt his gaze on me. He seemed to continue watching me, his black eyes seemed hesitant, but I knew he was there. Analyzing me. His expression carried unspoken words, and that bothered me. It intrigued me. He was the prince. You could ask whatever you wanted, and I would be forced to answer. But in my life, there was nothing interesting that fueled the curiosity that sometimes appeared in his eyes.

After hours of traveling, with the moon falling under the starry sky, we approached one of the inns where we would stay. It was a small town, the carriage stopped in front, and I got out first to check out the territory. There was very little movement and with the soldiers positioning themselves at strategic points, curious looks recognized the presence of royalty and whispers spread throughout the place. I remained alert, ignoring the noises offensive to me and quickly assessing that the environment was safe for the prince. As soon as I finished, I opened the carriage door so he could get out.

The prince got out, and we followed him into the inn.

“Oh, what an honor to have you at our inn, your majesty!” The tone of irony and lust was evident in the voice of the woman who welcomed us. I looked at her with a sideways smile.

“We want all the rooms.” I was the one who addressed her, with a firm and authoritative voice.

“Would your majesty like to have the suite?” She asked, ignoring me and referring to the prince.

“If you disrespect me again, I will not spare the prince from seeing a bloodthirsty show put on exclusively by me tonight.” The tone in my voice was more threatening than dark.

I saw her shudder, and her gaze turned to me warily.

“All the rooms?” She asked with a certain mockery in her voice.

“You’re not deaf.” I responded with an ironic smile on my lips and rested my elbow on the reception desk.

“I'm afraid I can't accommodate your request, some of our rooms are occupied.” She said, looking away from mine and lowering it.

“There are more inns in the city.” I sighed. “This is the prince. I want all the rooms, but I'll give you a few hours to do it. Give me the key to the suite, when I come down again, I want to see all the cavalry properly allocated.”

She just nodded, giving me the key to the suite. I faced the prince, who said nothing, acting as a mere spectator. We went to the top floor of the inn, where the suite was. I opened the door and went in first, to check the room, while another soldier stood outside along with the prince. I waved for the prince to come in since he was safe.

He entered and closed the door behind him, leaving the soldier outside and just the two of us inside the room. That thought punched me in the stomach, and I limited myself to thinking that there were more people, even if not in there. So there was no need to fear. And what was I fearing? I sighed, ignoring the daydream.

I opened the second door facing the bathroom.

“This is the bathroom, Your Majesty.” I said, looking at him. “Will you get ready to eat something now, or would you prefer to rest?” I asked.

“I would like to rest.” He replied. His low, hoarse voice gave me goosebumps. I wasn't used to listening to him, and his tone wasn't as imposing there.

“Can I order something to eat here?” I asked.

"Yes you can." He said, removing his suit and unbuttoning his shirt.

"OK. I will sleep here tonight. You are aware of that, right?” I asked, looking away from his almost bare chest.

"Yes I have." He responded methodically, almost automatically. Making me arch an eyebrow in response to no one in particular.

I went to the door and opened it, asking the soldier to go in search of something for us to eat, he promptly complied. A knock on the door ten minutes later revealed our bags and a cart with dinner. I authorized the two to enter, while the prince headed to the shower now that his things had arrived.