The Princess and Her Rogue

by Sheritta Bitikofer

  Kiara wasn’t sure how to answer that without giving herself away. “I, uh… I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t like her at all, so I felt threatened.” Kiara covered her mouth to that answer. She meant every word, but she hoped that Nate wouldn’t look too deeply into it.

  “Threatened?” Too late. “Why did you feel threatened?” he asked, suddenly excited.

  “I just did. I was cold just like you were towards Ian.” Kiara cursed her wild tongue and scrunched up her shoulders, feeling the tension rise already

  “Oh, now wait a minute, I wasn’t being cold towards Ian. I just didn’t like the way he was looking at you. It was like he thought you were a piece of meat or some prize to be won. I didn’t like him one bit,” Nate answered with disdain, recalling all the times he had seen Ian leer at Kiara.

  “Well, Tasha was doing the same thing to you. Shouldn’t I have as much as right as you to be jealous because of that?” There she went again, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Kiara wrinkled her nose at her uncontrollably mouth.

  “Jealous?” Nate asked with shock. “Why should I be jealous of Ian? And why should you ever be jealous of Tasha?”

  “I saw how you looked at him from across the camp fire last night while we were dancing. If that wasn’t a jealous look, then I don’t know what is!” Kiara felt the hostility rise in her tone, as if this was turning into an argument.

  “You were watching me last night?” Nate seemed slightly confused by that notion.

  “Yes, I was watching you, watching me, while Tasha was watching you, watching me, being watched by Ian and I knew you were watching him too.”

  Nate had to pause in thought to understand what Kiara had just said. “So, you knew I was watching you?”

  “Of course! How could I miss that gaze of yours? You were jealous of Ian, admit it!” Kiara glanced up to Nate’s face as it shifted from confusion to anger.

  “Who could help being jealous of Ian when you were dancing like that?”

  Kiara couldn’t believe he just said that. Her jaw dropped and she never felt more insulted. But, he had a point, she was dancing like a whore. She went from feeling offended to convicted. “I was only copying Tasha.”

  “Why were you copying Tasha?”

  Kiara rolled her eyes and looked away, hoping that she wouldn’t answer. But, once again, her tongue couldn’t hold itself.

  “Because maybe I wanted you to look at me instead of her,” she grumbled, wishing he didn’t hear her.

  But, he did and he dwelt on that answer for a while before replying. “Why would you want me to look at you instead of her?”

  “Why would you want to keep me away from Ian most of yesterday?” Kiara retorted.

  “The man was a cad, couldn’t you see that?” Nate suddenly became just as defensive as Kiara.

  “No, I thought he was just plain scary.” Kiara shivered as she remembered Ian’s cold, cruel eyes staring down at her.

  “He was bound to hurt you and he almost did. I didn’t want him to do anything to you.”

  “And why care if anything happened to me? All you care about is getting the reward from my father when we reach Aleph.” Something in what Kiara just said made Nate fume with rage.

  “That’s not true!” he almost shouted, making Kiara jump a bit. She looked to his fiery eyes with her own and stood bravely to show she wasn’t afraid of him like she was of Ian.

  “And what is the truth?” she barked.

  Nate stopped cold under that question, wondering what the truth was himself. He breathed deeply out of his nostrils, and then deviated his stare to a fork in the trail. He halted and looked down both ways, trying to use it as an excuse not to answer. One path led north, the other curved to the south.

  Kiara reminded herself to ask Nate that question in the future, but until then, she chose for herself to walk down the path that led north.

  “Wait,” Nate ordered, holding out his hand in an attempt to stop her. And of course, Kiara wasn’t in the mood to listen. She sighed, rolled her eyes and stopped at the opening of the northern path, turning back to glare at Nate.

  “Don’t we need to stay walking along the base of the mountains until we get to Resh Pass?” Kiara asked, very irritated. She just wished that Nate would speak his mind for once and tell her how he was feeling. And the longer to took him to do so, the more she became impatient and irritable.

  “Yes, but I want to go this way,” Nate said, pointing down the southern path.

  “Why? That goes deeper into Deceiver’s territory and deeper into trouble.”

  “I know, but I want to avoid that path. I know where it leads, too.” Nate ignored her and began walking down the southern path. Kiara knitted her eyebrows, glancing between the two paths and Nate as he kept walking.

  “Where does this path lead, then?” she asked, gesturing to the northern path.

  “To my father’s house,” he replied with a sigh.

  Kiara gasped and looked startled to Nate’s blatant disregard for his father. “Your father? Let’s go visit! Maybe we can have lunch with him. Let’s go!” Kiara excitedly skipped down the northern path without Nate.

  After a while, they both noticed they were traveling down separate paths, alone.

  Nate stopped in his tracks and looked around for Kiara. “Kiara! Where are you?” he called out into the dense patch of trees that divided them.

  “I’m going to see your father!” Kiara responded playfully.

  “No, get back over here! We’re going south!”

  “I’m going north!”

  “Kiara, quit being a stubborn brat and get back over here!”

  “Nope. I’m going to see your father. You’re welcome to join me!”

  Nate rolled his eyes and stomped his way back west to the fork in the road, then turned to travel north with indignation.

  When he finally met back up with her, she was waiting patiently, with arms folded over her chest like she had been expecting him to come around. Nate glowered at her.

  “Why don’t you want to go this way?” Kiara asked with a calm, steady tone. He took a deep, bemused breath.

  “I haven’t seen my father in many years. Do you really think seeing him now would make a difference?” he replied seriously. Kiara’s facial expression didn’t change and neither did his.

  “Why is it so hard for you to go back? He’s your father. Don’t you care about him at all? You know that he was put into exile unjustly, so there should be no bitterness in your heart against him.”

  Kiara couldn’t see why Nate was having such a difficult time. If it were she and her own biological parents, she would go to see them anyway, despite the fact that they didn’t know or like each other. So, why did the look on Nate’s face depict such heartache and anger? “What else did he have against his father?” she wondered.

  Nate stiffened his jaw and glanced from her to the path ahead indecisively. “I just feel like he could have stood up for himself more than he did. He just let Malcolm trample all over him and banish us… I wish he had fought harder for our place there. He ruined my life and destroyed whatever hope I had for my dreams.” Nate’s voice was shuddery, as if he was about to break down completely. He hadn’t told a single soul how he was feeling.

  Her countenance softened with understanding and she let her arms drop down to her sides. “What dreams did he destroy?” she asked quietly, seeing another part of Nate that she had never witnessed before. He seemed so vulnerable, revealing part of himself that was contrary to his character.

  “I wanted to be a knight when I was younger. I wanted to go out and fight for Malcolm and be a loyal subject… But, when my father and I were put into exile, that possibility disappeared. There’s no hope for that dream now. My father knew how much I wanted to be a knight. He even promised to make all my armor and weapons when I started training. He put a good word in for me with Malcolm and your brother. I practiced by myself night and day, but that’s all gone now. My father knew my dreams an
d he didn’t fight for me. I can’t forgive him for that.” Nate’s eyes grew moist, but no tears would dare show themselves. Kiara felt her own heart break for Nate. She had no idea that leaving her father’s kingdom like that had such an affect on him.

  “So, that’s why you ran away?” Kiara wished she could wrap up both of their bleeding hearts. Nate nodded sadly and looked away to compose himself. Kiara tried to give him a comforting smile, but it was hard. She knew what it was like to have her hopes and dreams killed in cold blood, unable to stop. It was then that she was reminded of her pledge to Sir Claude and how much her heart wanted nothing to do with him. To be given no choice about one’s destiny seemed like the worst possible kind of punishment.

  Nate readjusted his sack over his shoulder and walked down the path towards his past without a single word.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, still, watching him walkaway.

  “To give that old man a piece of my mind,” Nate grumbled. “I’ve still got a package I need to deliver, anyway.”

  Kiara ran to catch up with him. “What package?”

  “Forger gave me a package to give to my father, because he knew we would be headed this way.” Nate’s face was stone cold and serious, almost like it was the on the first day or so of their journey.

  “Do you know what’s in the package?”

  “It’s some old stuff from back when they were friends that I guess he never gave back.”

  Kiara nodded and walked beside him along the dusty trail, noticing that the further they went along, the less worn it became. Vines from the bushes seemed to creep onto the path, forcing Kiara to pull up her skirt a bit to hike over the undergrowth. The path became more narrow, the trees and bushes closing in until Kiara had to fall behind Nate to let him lead the way. She imagined that Nate’s father must not receive much company with such an awful road leading to his home.

  As they were nearing the end of the trail, Kiara could see a break in the trees ahead. When they reached the edge of the tree line, she saw a small cabin sitting in the middle of a clearing. The wood that made the cabin was old with moss clinging to its edges. Except for the wisps of gray smoke that rose from its chimney, the house looked deserted. Piles of firewood were collected on the side of the house, a threatening looking ax leaning against it. The lawn was overgrown with weeds and thick grass, so much that neither Nate nor Kiara could see their feet through it.

  The two looked to each other hesitantly, then Nate took the lead towards the little hut. His shoulders were held up, chest out and chin erected high. Kiara followed after him timidly.

  “Are you sure this is the right place?” she whispered, looking around suspiciously.

  “Pretty sure. Nothing’s changed here,” Nate replied, taking stride after stride towards the front door. Kiara had a hard time believing that nothing could have changed about this homestead within the decade that he had been gone. There was no light coming from inside the cabin and to her, it looked as if the place had been abandoned years ago.

  But, as they drew closer to the front door, she discovered that she was wrong.

  All of the sudden, the door burst open, flying off its own hinges and out jumped a tall, burly man with a handheld crossbow aimed right at the intruders. Nate stopped and held out his arms to shield Kiara from any fired arrows. Kiara shrieked with fright and gripped the back of Nate’s shirt tightly in her fists, hiding from the arrow’s tip.

  “You two are trespassing on my property! Get out! You’re not wanted here and I won’t give you anything! Leave!” the man shouted in a husky voice, his deep blue eyes fixed upon the two travelers with ignorant anger.

  “Father, it’s me, Nathan… Nathaniel, your son,” Nate said hastily, staring at the old man, who’s mind must have been dusty and full of cobwebs from years of being a hermit.

  The man looked long and hard at Nate, and then lowered the crossbow to reveal wrinkles and a mass of white hair. Looking upon the man, Kiara could see the resemblance between him and Nate. They both were built for labor, muscular and fit to survive anything. Their eyes were what Kiara noticed the most, both were stunningly light blue.

  “Nathaniel?… Is that really you or are my old eyes fooling me?” the man asked with skepticism, peering at his son, who approached with caution. Nate stood in front of his father, leaving Kiara to stand alone on the lawn, watching this sentimental reunion.

  “Yeah, it’s me.” Nate was nervous for some reason, as if his father wouldn’t accept him. Every hateful, spiteful thought that Nate had been stewing upon on the way to the shack blew away with the gentle wind that swept through the field. He couldn’t speak any of them.

  But, when the man recognized his son, a wide, toothy grin lit up his face and he wrapped his son in a warm bear hug. Both of them laughed and smiled to one another in a display that made even Kiara want to burst into giggles.

  After a few long seconds of embracing one another and marveling at how they’ve changed over the years, Nate’s father turned to Kiara with fascination. The look on his face caught Kiara off guard and she straightened up and wiped the silly grin off her lips.

  “I think my eyes are deceiving me. Princess Kiara?” The man addressed Kiara with such dignity and respect that Kiara couldn’t help but smile once more and nod, “You’re supposed to be in Aleph, my lady. What are you doing all the way out here?” he asked, walking past Nate to step towards Kiara excitedly. He must have never been so happy to see some familiar faces.

  “Well, it’s a very long story. We may need some help,” Nate replied, joining the two out on the lawn. Nate’s father cuffed his hands over Kiara’s pretty white cheeks like a friendly relative, but at hearing the fact they needed help, he glanced to her belly with apprehension.

  “She’s not pregnant, is she?” he asked, turning to Nate incredulously.

  “Oh, no, no. We’re just on the run from the Deceiver and we’re low on supplies. Can you help?” Kiara said sweetly with a giggle. Why would his first thought be that Kiara was pregnant? Did she look pregnant?

  “I suppose I can. Come inside, my lady. I’ve got some stew brewing on the fire for lunch,” he said, escorting Kiara by the arm nobly into the little cabin with Nate following.

  Once inside, Kiara was met with the musty smell of rotting wood and a burning fireplace. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, but gratefully sat down into one of the wooden chairs at the table as Nate and his father remained standing.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember what you like to be called,” Kiara said to Nate’s father. She hardly remembered interacting with him in her childhood, so she always recognized him as Nate’s father, rather than by a formal name.

  “Oh, you can call me Randolph, my lady. Now, tell me all about your journeys. I apologize for that hostile greeting earlier. If I had realized it was you two, I would have never brought that dreadful thing out of the house,” Randolph said as he pulled out three bowls from a little shelf and poured three servings of soup into them.

  Nate kept his eyes focused upon his aging father with mixed emotions. Kiara knew he looked slightly sad to see his father’s body decaying so quickly, but also happy to see him alive. Nate also looked to be restraining the anger in his heart that he had been harboring for so many years.

  “Oh, we’ve been all over Deceiver’s territory. In fact, we traveled all around its borders already…” And with that, Kiara began the long story of how she was kidnapped by bandits from Aleph and taken south to the Field of Fire. She told how Nate came to her rescue and dragged her all the way west, then north, then east again and all the little predicaments in between.

  Randolph was thoroughly enthralled by this epic journey; grinning to his son with pride for his courage and bravery, frowning at all the hardships and laughing when he heard about Nate eating the wild berries, getting sick and being wrong about the existence of Mem’s Pass. He became more interested in the mention of Tasha and her relation with Nate, but he let that slide off his shoulder easily enou
gh to avoid an awkward conversation.

  “Well, it seems like you two have had your share of adventure. Where are you headed now?” Randolph asked, allowing Kiara to take a breath and eat her cold soup while he continued to slurp his own.

  “We’re going back to Resh Pass in the east, then we’ll be heading back up north towards Aleph,” Nate replied after swallowing a mouthful of stew.

  Randolph donned a look of concern and turned to Nate. “Don’t you think that’s a little dangerous? What if Malcolm sees you?”

  Nate only shrugged and stared down to his bowl blankly. “If he does, then he does. I don’t care what happens to me anymore,” he mumbled.

  This statement puzzled both Kiara and Randolph. They exchanged worried glances and the table was silent for a while, until Kiara broke in.

  “So, how have you been since Nate left so many years ago?” she asked Randolph with a weak smile.

  Randolph sighed and pursed his lips together. “Nothing as exciting as what you two have been doing. I’ve just stayed here, living my days alone. Oh, every now and then I go out to town, but I can’t stand being near so many rebels. I’m still loyal to Malcolm and I hate to be here out in the middle of no where…”

  “Why didn’t you fight harder to stay in Aleph?” Nate interrupted deliberately with flared up rage. Randolph saw his son’s anger and was taken aback by his outburst. He hardly knew how to react to that. Kiara gave Nate a stern look, trying to convey that what he just asked was inappropriate and ill timed.

  “I… Uh… I don’t know. It’s the king, Nathaniel. What could I say? He was adamant about this. There was nothing you or I could do. I know how much you wanted to stay in Aleph. But things happen,” Randolph said, struggling with the right words.

  “You could have tried to prove them wrong. They were wrong. Kiara can tell you herself. Malcolm discovered he was wrong and regrets his decision. You could have tried to make him realize it sooner. Why didn’t you?” Nate was slowly but surely losing his temper and Kiara put her little spoon down to watch with anxious eyes.