Chapter 13 New friends and new enemies
Marianna was in a great mood all day and that with a good reason. The exercise ran smoothly and she was able to impress most of the soldiers. Even Nolak seemed to be slightly stunned, because he stopped sending her glares. He was really strange and he made her skin crawl. But Rath said that he was trustworthy and the best guard in the castle. However something told her that she had to be careful around him. She decided to keep him always in her sight, no matter what everybody thought about him. Her instinct said that she had to be on guard when he was near and her instinct was never wrong. Thank god he would be not present in the next training, that was a relieve. Marianna was excited about the exercise and not only because Larek would be there. He was a really funny guy. Reminded her about her best friend Marius. He told her that he didn´t want to be a soldier. He did that only to please his father, who wanted his son as a fighter. But in reality Larek was a lousy warrior and he wouldn´t survive if a war would break out. However he had other qualities. He was good in science and technology. He was really bright and he had a mind full of new ideas. Marianna liked that about him. It would defenitly never be boring. And he is the complete opposite from Rath. Speaking of Rath, he was really strange the whole time they were in the training room. He seemed to be angry and moody. Sometimes he would sent glares to Larek or her and sometimes he ignored them both. Marianna didn´t know what bug crawled in his butt and died there, but he behaved like a jerk. At first he was the cheerfulness in person and a few hours later he pulled the heads off from people who dared to talk to him. He was the strangest person on this planet and Marianna didn´t know what to think of him at times. He was hot one time and the other ice cold. And she didn´t think it had something to do with the way she was talking to Larek or like he said poaching in Rath terrority. It´s not like she was together with Rath and flirted with a stranger infront of him. But why did he act so weird? That was the only bummer in her mood. Suddenly she was thrown out of her thoughts when some one tapped on her shoulder. She must have spaced out again, because she didn´t notice that somebody approached her. She was sitting on the little bench near the fountain in the garden and tried to relax, before the exercise. The day was so beautiful and she didn´t want to waste it indoors. As she turned her head to the intruder, she was sure that her decision was right.
" Hey Dollface, I brought something for you", Larek stood there in all his glory with a little blue flower in his hand, which he held in her direction. His smile was contagious and before Marianna knew what she was doing a smile broke out on her face.
" Thank you", Marianna took the flower and smelled it. The smell reminded her about the good days at home. Her mother loved flowers very much and everday there was fresh flowers on the dining table. " To what do I owe this pleasure of receiving a flower from you?".
" I saw you sitting here. You looked like you needed a brightening", Larek placed his butt next to Marianna. He was actually searching for her. He talked with Zan this morning and he said that he was on Rath´ bad side now. He wanted to know what there was between Marianna and Rath before he faced Rath.
" That´s really thoughtful of you", she had never received a flower. Not even from Lykus and he was her fiancee. But she knew that men didn´t give out flowers without wanting something in return." But now tell me the real reason".
Larek was impressed about Marianna. She let nothing fool her or he was simply too transparent. " Why do you think there´s another reason for giving you a flower. I´m a pretty thoughtful guy, you know". After he received a unbelievable look from Marianna he knew that he had to tell the truth for his visit. " Ok, you got me. I´m here to know about the relationsship between you and Rath".
" We have no relationsship", Marianna wanted to know why he thought that. Rath was engaged to Vilandra or almost engaged. But he was off limit for her and she respected that. " Why are you asking?"
" I talked to Zan and he told me that Rath is extremly angry with me".
" And that´s something new?", Marianna didn´t Rath any other way. But it would confirm her thoughts. He acted out of character even for his circumstances. Larek seemed to think so, too or he wouldn´t be so concerned.
Larek had to laugh about that. She knew Rath not for a long time, but she had him already figured out. Smart girl. " Usually no. But he was never angry with me".
" No? Then you must do something wrong", or maybe he reserved that only for her. She had seen him mad so often that she thought that was his nature. But she forgot sometimes that other people knew another side of him. A side she had yet to discover. " Did you try talking to him?".
" Do you think I´m stupid! I want to keep my balls attached to my body", there were few who had survived an angry conversation with Rath and one of them sat across from him. She was the only one he knew could stand against Rath. " Besides I wanted to know first if they was something between you two".
" Don´t worry. There is absolutely nothing between Rath and me", Marianna didn´t tell Larek about the kisses and the little strip by the boiling spring. He didn´t need to know that. Besides that were only exceptions and wouldn´t happen any time soon. " If you want I can talk to Rath?".
" No, it´s alright. We´re friends and the whole thing will go by", Larek hoped that at least. No matter what Marianna thought, there was something. And everybody saw that. Even the people outside the kingdom noticed the attraction.
" So now that the serious discussion is out of the way we can talk about more important things", Marianna wanted to know more about Larek. He was the only male friend she had now and she missed having a male friend.
Larek leaned back slowly and stretched his arms away from his body. Carefully he dropped his left arm behind Mariannas backside. Then he slid a little closer to Marianna. " And that would be?".
" You know what I mean", Marianna lifted her right eyebrow and tried to look real sexy. She knew that that was only fun. Therefore she played along. Too bad that she couldn´t feel more for Larek besides friendship. He would be a great boyfriend.
Larek couldn´t resist any longer. He broke out into loud laughter. After a few seconds Marianna did the same. And there they both sat on the bench and laughed together.
In the castle
Rath stood now for a half an hour at the big window which showed the whole garden. He saw the little display between Larek and Marianna. At first he didn´t think to much about that. They only talked. Althrough he didn´t like it that Larek seemed so interested in Marianna. But they only spoke with each other. However when Larek laid his arms on Mariannas back something in Rath told him to eliminate the threat. He didn´t know where those feelings were coming from. Larek was his friend and Marianna not his girlfriend. He had to do everything in his power to hold his anger at bay, before he destroyed something. He couldn´t hear what they were talking but the body language spoke volumes.
" Hey Rath. What are you doing here?", Vilandra was searching for Marianna. She had great news, but she couldn´t tell that Ava or her family. They wouldn´t understand it and the only person she could confide in was Marianna.
" What does it look like I´m doing!", Rath was in no mood to deal with Vilandra at the moment. She always put her nose in things that didn´t concern her.
Vilandra saw out of the window and discovered Marianna in a heated discussion with Larek. No wonder Rath was so pissed. " It looks like you´re spying on Marianna".
" I´m not spying on her. I only want to look out for her", ok that was not the best reply. Larek was no threat and Vilandra knew him better than that.
Vilandra tried to hold her laughter in. " What do think Larek will do? Kill her with his jokes? No better he bores her to death".
" Your really funny", Rath was close to lose it. If Vilandra started to laugh he would surely do something stupid. But she was right. Larek was not dangerous, at least not to Marianna." I don´t know what she sees in him?".
Now Vilandra realised what was up here and why Rath was so moody. Why didn´t she know it sooner. It was so obvious. " You´re jeaulous!".
Rath turned finally around and faced Vilandra. " No I´m not". And if he were he wouldn´t admit it. Not to Vilandra and not to somebody.
" Yeah. Try to tell yourself that and then maybe you believe it", he was jeaulous and if he would say the opposite a hundred time, she knew better. Rath loved Marianna. Now everything made sense. Vilandra was really happy for him. Maybe now their parents would accept that a marriage between Rath and her would be wrong.
" Do you have nothing better to do than bugging me?", Rath turned around and saw through the window again. He wanted to watch Marianna more. She looked like an angel when she laughed. Her whole face seemed to glow.
" Actually yes. I wanted to talk to Marianna", Vilandra almost forgot that she had something to do. She saw on her timer. She didn´t have much time, before Marianna had to be in the training room. She had to be fast now. " Maybe I can ask her out about Larek?".
Rath shrugged his shoulders. " Do what you want".
" I will do that. And if I´m in a good mood I tell you what I found out", with that Vilandra made her way to the door which lead outside. But before she went through it she stopped and turned to Rath. He was so far gone that he didn´t notice it himself. Love was a strange thing.
In the garden
Larek and Marianna talked about the training when a shadow fell over them. Immediately Larek jumped to his feet, afraid it could be Rath and he was too close to Marianna. But to his relieve it was only Vilandra.
" Hey Vilandra. What are you doing here?", Marianna seemed to be really popular today. At first Larek and now Vilandra. And she felt the presence of Rath since she took a seat on the bench.
" The weather is so wonderful today", Vilandra had the feeling that she interrupted something and she didn´t like the feeling. She tried to tell Marianna her real reason with her eyes. But Marianna didn´t seem to catch it.
" I think I go now. I have something to do", Larek in contrast understood the signals. Vilandra wanted to be alone with Marianna. " We´ll see each other later", with that he said good bye and dissapeared.
Immediately after Larek was out of the way, Vilandra took his place besides Marianna. She was really curious what happened between them. It looked more like a friendship. Poor Rath. It seemed like he didn´t have a chance. No, she couldn´t let that happen. Not when she was so close to prevent the engagement from happening. She wouldn´t let herself hold up about something so trivial. And if she had to force Marianna to love Rath.
" What´s up with you two. You looked really cosy?".
" It´s nothing", Marianna had to quell the urge to roll her eyes. Why was everybody so interested in her none existing lovelife. Larek thought she had something with Rath and Vilandra thought she had something with Larek.
" It didn´t look like nothing to me", and to Rath. Vilandra saw the rage that was waiting to break out.
" But it was nothing. He is a friend. Nothing more", Marianna meant no harm by it. Her two best friends were male. Was there a rule that didn´t accept friendship between different gender?
" I think Rath will be glad to hear that".
Marianna snapped her head in Vilandra´s direction. " What has Rath to do with it?".
" He saw you both and he didn´t like the way Larek touched you", Vilandra could practical feel the rage in Rath. He was close to losing his control. Any longer and she was sure that the palace would not be standing there anymore. " He´s totally jeaulous".
One part of Marianna was happy about that. But another couldn´t believe it. Why should he be jeaulous about something as harmless as a conversation. Besides he had no right to be angry, at least she was not engaged and could do what she wanted. He on the other hand was engaged and would be married in a few weeks. " I think not. You have to be mistaken".
" Believe me. I know Rath well enough. I´ve never seen him so worked up about a girl before", Vilandra wanted to take Marianna´s head and smash it against something hard. Why couldn´t Marianna admit that she felt something for Rath, too? It was so obvious that she had feelings for him. But why did she try to ignore them?
Marianna couldn´t believe her ears. Did Vilandra try to play matchmaker? Rath was her future husband. " Doesn´t this bother you? I mean your engaged with him".
Vilandra didn´t want to, but she had to laugh. How could Marianna say something like that to her? She and Rath. Ewwww. Already the imagination let her stomach do flip flops. It was like she would do the nasty with Zan. Double ewwwww. But Marianna didn´t know that. She only knew about the upcoming engagement between Rath and her. But she didn´t know that they weren´t in love with each other.
Marianna found that question not so amusing. She didn´t know why Vilandra broke out in laughter. Did she say something strange? " Why are you laughing?".
" Do you think if I had any romantic feeling about Rath I would be here and tell you that Rath has feelings for you?", the girl was too clueless sometimes.
" But you´re engaged?", Marianna didn´t understand anything anymore. Why would they be marrying if they didn´t love each other? What was the point of that. She wanted to marry Lykus because she thought she loved him. And she thought that it was the same for Rath and Vilandra.
" Only on paper. Our parents made the decision without us. It has something to do with tradition or so. But Rath and I are not in love", maybe that was the reason why Marianna was holding back. She thought she would hurt some one. If Vilandra wouldn´t find the whole situation so funny she would be moved that Marianna wanted to be a good friend.
Marianna was glad for the first time, that her father ignored her most of her life. Otherwise she would have been betrothed to a man she didn´t love like Vilandra. Thank god her father paid no attention on her love life or what she did with who. " That sounds aweful. It must be horrible to marry some one your not loving".
" Not anymore. I think I´ve found something that will convince our parents that a marriage between me and Rath would be a big mistake", Vilandra´s face showed complete happiness. Obviously she had something planned.
" And that would be?".
" A threat to the good reputation of the kingdom. What do you think will my father do, when he realize that his daughter and his son in law are unfaithful", Vilandra knew her father and she knew that he would do everything to keep his reputation intact. Besides he wanted his daughter happy and if she didn´t get what she wanted she could get really annoying.
" You´re evil, you know that", Marianna didn´t know that Vilandra could be so headstrong. She liked it. It was always good to fight for the things you believed in. She learned that lesson a long time ago. You had to fight for the things you thought matter and you didn´t have to be satisfied with less.
" I only know what I want. And believe me it´s not Rath", Vilandra shruddered by the thought. Even if she would have feelings for Rath, which she didn´t, she had no chance. He was so in love with Marianna that he didn´t see anyone else. " I want a man who sweeps my off my feet".
" Do you have somebody in mind?", now Marianna was intruged. She saw the smile and the glowing. Obviously there was some one special out there who could make Vilandra happy. Hopefully he was worthy of her and didn´t play with her heart.
" That´s actually the reason I was looking for you. I met a man yesterday", Vilandra couldn´t hide her joy any longer. If she didn´t tell Marianna soon she was going to burst." His name is Davico, he´s the same age and he looks really hot".
" Really. I´m glad for you", and because Marianna couldn´t restrain herself, she embraced Vilandra wholeheartly. Usually she was not so mushy. But since she had two girlfriends she learned that showing your feelings was not so bad. " You have to introduce him. I have to see if he is worthy of you or not".
" I will do that sometime", Vilandra saw on her timer. Marianna didn´t have the time, because she had to be in the training room in about five minutes. Otherwise she would have took her along to meet Davico. " But not now. You have to be at the training in exact five minutes".
Marianna took Vilandra´s arm and saw on her timer. Damn she was going to be late, if she didn´t get her butt in gear. She swore a blue streak. " I have to go now. But tonight we have a little chat about this Davico. We meet in my room and then you can tell me everything".
" Ok. After the dinner. And then you have to confess about Rath", Vilandra rose from her position and said goodbye. With a smile she saw after Marianna who ran like the devil was after her through the door which lead inside. Now everything was going to be alright. Vilandra had found her other half, Rath has found his also and nobody was going to destroy that. Not even their parents.
TBC