Harper was pushed roughly into a chair by one of the guards. "Hey! Watch it, you good-for-nothing pile of sh-"
He was stopped by a third man walking in. The guy was even bigger than Tyr, and looked a whole lot meaner...
The large man glowered down at Harper. "So... You would be the worthless human that took our beloved princess from us."
Harper glared up at the man. "I never took her from you! Hell, I *just* found out that she was a
princess! And *she* found me!"
The man glared back at him, seeming to get even larger than he already was as he paced back and
forth. Then, talking in a low powerful voice, he questioned Harper again. "Now let me get this
straight: you never knew of the child before you came here, and you and Her Highness had never
had any relation in your known time?"
He took a deep breath and looked at Harper before continuing. "But as soon as you've learned that she's a princess, you're suddenly in love with her!" He put his face merely inches from Harper's. "Bullshit. We all know it'll end quickly enough once you've gotten her into your bed."
Harper went red in the face and jumped up out of his chair, knocking the man to the floor in the process. "Okay! One - that child's name is Shaylena. Two - I've loved Trance from the moment I laid eyes on her! And Three - I would never hurt her like that!!!!"
If possible, Harper had gone even redder in the face as he got angrier.
The man pulled himself off the floor and slapped Harper, knocking him into the chair again.
Harper jumped back up, slamming his elbow into the man's chin, and was promptly slammed
into the chair by the two smaller men, who both hit him again.
The largest man looked back at Harper, his mouth dripping a small amount of blood, and continued baiting him. "I've always known that the princess wasn't worth the power she was given. She was nothing but trouble to this kingdom and a-"
The man was stopped short by Harper slamming his fist into the man's nose.
" That's *it*!!!!" Harper shouted. "I will not just sit here and let you badmouth her like that! If you had any idea what Trance has done for us, what she's been through-! She'd risk her life for anyone! And she saved Shaylena, didn't she?"
The man looked at him, sneering. "Yes - a half- breed."
Harper hit the man again. " You're a dumb-ass, aren't you?"
The man stepped up to Harper and hit him again. "I'll kill you before this is over, human."
Harper smiled wickedly. "Well, you'll have to, 'cause I'll kill you if you don't shut up!!!"
The man smiled and suddenly turned and walked out, leaving Harper still pissed and now very confused.
"What the hell?! Where'd he go?!"
He didn't have time to figure it out, because at that moment he was seized by the two smaller men again. They dragged him to his room and pushed him in. Still cursing at them as they shut the door, Harper turned around and saw Trance standing by the window.
Trance's smiled faded when she saw him. "Harper! What did they do to you???"
Harper smiled slightly. "You should see the other guy."
Trance frowned. "Harper.... what did you do?"
Harper frowned back "Hey, I didn't start it this time. He did. You should have heard him, Trance
- what he called Shaylena, you, me! I had to do something!"
Trance suddenly smiled. "Oh, Harper!!!" Then she ran and threw her arms around Harper.
Harper smiled. Even though he was in pain, it somehow felt better to have her hug him. "What
did I do?"
Trance pulled away, still smiling. "You passed the first test - you defended my honor!"
She threw her arms around him again, and Harper laughed slightly, then stopped suddenly. "How many test are there?"
Trance smiled. "As many as they want, but that was one of the hardest. If it was just an act you
were putting on, he would have killed you."
Harper pulled Trance's chin up and tilted her head so she was looking him in the eyes. "Trance, I
couldn't have acted if I tried. I love you and there's nothing they can do to change that."
He leaned close to her, placing his lips to hers, praying to any god he could that she wouldn't pull away. She didn't - instead, she pushed herself against him, deepening the kiss to a passionate embrace as a small moan escaped her throat.
Harper quickly closed the small distance between Trance and the wall, as Trance grabbed the bottom of Harpers shirt and broke the kiss long enough to pull it over his head and let it fall to the floor.
