Kiera napped off and on as the terrain rolled by lulled by the rocking motion of the wagon and the warmth of the morning sun. Several times she woke up with a jolt, her cheek pressed to her cousin's shoulder, with the fabric of his abused shirt dampened from drool. His head was often dipped down so that his nose rested against her hair, buried into it as he snored softly. Lunch called the march to a brief halt and Kiera took the moment between stopping and rations being passed out to unbandage her feet. The skin was mostly healed, leaving little patches of pink that contrasted against the soft bronze of her skin. Cautiously she flexed her foot testing the tenderness of the freshly healed flesh.
"Are you certain you are supposed to.." Luca had finally woken. His head lifted from the side of the wagon where he had rested the past hour or so. The look Kiera shot him paused his question before he could finish.
"I am fine Luca" She carefully stretched her feet off the wagon towards the soil beneath. Her back arched as her hips pressed against the hard wooden edge before slipping to the ground. A soft hiss of discomfort escaped through tightly clamped lips. The brittle blades of grass, bits of rock, and various weeds poked at that tender new flesh. Kiera refused to allow herself to crumple at the discomfort as she made her careful path toward the edge of the caravan. Nervously her gaze darted between the various rebellion soldiers, camp pages, and other army hangerons. None seemed to notice her standing there in her ill-fitting borrowed clothing and bare feet. Her teeth worried at her lower lip as the young queen debated on her next course of action.
Stay in camp and become a pawn to Prince Gerodi or attempt an escape and leave the hope of ever recovering her jewels behind. The options tore at her soul and for once Kiera was thankful that she wore lighter jewels. Her toes flexed against the dirt as she continued to look around the constant shift and milling of the retainers as they went about their assigned duties or attended to the biological needs of their bodies.
"Ach.." The soft yelp of alarm escaped her as she felt a cool hand curve around her forearm. Startled she jerked away, only for the grip to tighten.
"Could you look more guilty?" Luca's whispered voice into her ear served to at least keep her from struggling even as she felt her heart trying to escape her chest in rapid thundering beats. Her hand lifted to press against her chest as she gasped for breath before swatting at her cousin in annoyance.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack." The hissed retort was directed directly at him as they started to walk in a careful circuit that would bring them closer to the wooded edge of the road. The twisted and stunted trees, fragrant bushes of juniper and rosemary, all tangled together to form a dense underbrush that her bare feet were already protesting before setting foot.
"What are you thinking?" Luca replied. His tone lacked any sort of reprimand. His head tipped to subtly indicate the small game trail that broke through the worst of the brush. Options that pulled at her. Remain with the man responsible for the death of her family or risk the unknown as a jeweless queen. Instinctively Kiera sought out the shape of Alessi where he sat consulting his advisors. Her jewels were there, dangling from his belt and so tantalizingly close.
"Tomorrow. We will wait for lunch camp. Maybe I can reclaim what is ours." Kiera muttered softly before hissing dramatically to stoop down towards the ground grabbing at the arch of her foot. Hiding her movements under the guise of rubbing the arch of her foot she grabbed a few rocks from the substrate that were roughly the same weight as their jewelry.
"You need shoes. Hopefully, the beast will remember that tomorrow." Luca sighed as he knelt beside her. Concern furrowed across his brow as he looked at her bare feet, already turning red in irritation from the scratching plants. "You can't exactly walk around outdoors without them."
That stated he scooped her up, ignoring her squeal of annoyance as he carried her back towards the wagon. The closeness in their heights just made the action more precarious as Kiera clung to her cousin in fear of being dropped. His arms flexed, for a second half dropping her before taking her weight again.
"Relax, I haven't dropped you yet," Luca grumbled as he started to pick his way towards the wagon. "Though sometimes I wonder if someone did when you were a baby"
"Haha so funny.." Kiera started only to stop as an arrow flew past her head to embed into the canvas of a nearby wagon. Luca's arms tightened around her as the screams started. Startled she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Previously unbroachable bracken was now being trampled beneath the feet of landen malcontents.
"Satan's balls..." Both of them breathed the curse as the ragged bodies, armed with a mixture of farming implements, swords, and other crude makeshift weapons seemed to crest against the camp. Arrows flew through the air and the acrid scent of smoke soon filled the air as the dried grass started to smolder. Short barked cries of pain from both sides soon started to fill their ears as she and her cousin sought a safe place to hide.
No longer encumbered, Luca had let Kiera down, and they both were running, trying to avoid the soldiers that were running towards the threat, and the landens that seemed intent to push in and swamp the military camp. Only Luca's sudden shove between her shoulders saved her from a wild sweep of a hoe striking her in the chest. The metal tool whistled just over the top of her hair as she fell forward catching herself on her hands and knees. Panicked, Kiera scrambled back to her feet only to pause as the landen exploded into small pieces in front of her, showering her in a spray of gristle and blood. Later, there would be time to break down about this later, now she could only focus on running back towards the center of camp. Her awareness narrowed down to the feel of Luca's palm against her back, and avoiding being trampled by either faction.
A woman's calloused hand grabbed her wrist and jerked her down to half-slide under a wagon. Liuca scrambled behind Kiera, happy to let the inanimate object catch projectile weapons rather than himself. Kiera panted as she slowly became aware of the rawness of her feet, the cold trickle of sweat between her breasts, and the sweet coppery scent of blood that sickeningly filled the air.
"Stay down lady.." Her unintentional savior barked and Kiera finally realized who was holding onto her arm. Mirella forced her hand over the back of Kiera's head until her nose was nearly filled with dirt. Unable to shield herself, to defend or fight back, Kiera felt naked, exposed, and far more determined to steal back her jewels the moment she could. Suddenly she could feel the air thicken, the rallying cries of the raiders, cries of the frightened camp hangers-ons, and shouts of warriors all seemed faded. Then her ears popped, and the tension released as a fine spray of red mist floated over the air gently dispersing over any exposed surface. The world was silent except for the soft keening of mourning, faint whimpered moans of pain, and the crunch of heavy boots over the brittle grass.
Mirella released her hold on the young queen, allowing the woman to rock back and peer her head up. The shield around them released and the three of them were at least free of the gore that coated the ground and surfaces around them. Shock gave way over fear as she looked over what remained of their camp. Arrows, axes, and old swords were scattered on the ground, stuck in hard surfaces, or lay next to oddly shaped corpses.
Kiera forced herself to swallow hard as her stomach tightened. The urge to vomit pressed at the back of her throat as she fought for composure. The coppery scent of blood warred with the soured scent of released bowels added to the sensory overload as she rose to her feet trying to make sense of the last fifteen minutes. The few bodies that were still intact told the desperation of this rebelling band of landens. Skin stretched over bones, their clothing was ragged and patched in multiple places, and several appeared to be missing ears, fingers, or even the tips of their noses from either exposure or past wounds.
Suddenly hands gripped around her shoulders and she found herself being spun about. A cry escaped her as she tried to jerk back only to realize the fingers that bit so harshly into the fleshy upper parts of her arms belonged to the Saphire Jeweled Warlord Prince who had become her bane.
"What were you doing so far from the wagon?" His voice was hard, clipped in agitation until Kiera felt like she was under interrogation. His fingers flexed as Kiera attempted to pull away. Alessi glared down at her, making her feel like an errant child rather than an annoyed and unwilling captive.
"You could have injured.. if they had gotten a hold of you." His fingers tightened again and Kiera hissed in pain as she felt the tips of them bite against her flesh until she was certain there would be bruises the next day. His reminder of her helplessness was the final straw for her temper as she shoved at his hands.
"I would have been helpless to defend myself because you took my jewels." The angry heated words escaped her. Anger replaced shock and fear until it clouded her thoughts. "You put me here, you did this!" The sound of her hand striking his cheek seemed disproportionately loud in the sudden silence that surrounded them. Her second strike was stopped by his hand suddenly grasping her wrist as she tried to pull away.
"Only once" The evenness of his tone made her feel even further out of control. Her world was spiraling as she jerked back against his hold, writhing like a fight caught on a hook. "I won't be struck just because a little aristo witch's feelings were hurt."
Suddenly, Luca was there, at her side as the more level-headed of their remaining family tried to insert himself into the situation. "She is sorry, or will be, once she calms down." He held his hands up placatingly at Alessi. "She was very sheltered and the past several days.."
Luca's words did little to diffuse the situation. Kiera, instead jerked away from Alessi, ignoring the fact that he let her do so before she turned to storm away, back towards the healer's wagon. Angry and overwhelmed from the past several days she just curled up on a pile of straw and attempted to will herself to sleep despite the bright sun shining down and the stench that surrounded them. Anything for a reprieve from the nightmare reality that had become her life.
Alessi watched the stiff back of the queen as she stormed away. The tangled mess of her curls swayed just above the dip of her waist, bouncing with each angry step. His cheek still stung and he fought down the reactive rage that demanded he lash out at the witch that hurt him. He had deserved the blow, he knew that on an intellectual level, but years of playing the sick games of the ruling witches had left their scars.
His mind wandered back to the faces of the many witches who had demanded degrading things, demanded the price of his body, to buy safety for the weaker members of his family; not that it had mattered in the end for his father and uncle. A snarl escaped him before he turned, unable to trust himself to go after the angry queen.
Barked orders saw the camp pulling itself together to march on. His temper was a motivation for those around to keep their grumbled complaints to themselves as they all pushed hard to get away from the bloating bodies; left to rot under the ever-changing sky. Only occasionally his mind wandered back, focusing briefly on the relief he felt in seeing Kiera unharmed. Of the sudden terror that chased over him when he realized she wasn't in the shielded wagon, he had left her. Each time only pushed his anger back into force as he wasn't ready to face any other emotions outside of contempt for the woman.
"What were you thinking?" Luca's voice broke through the numb fog that she had sunk into in the hours that had passed since the attack. His hissed words held the echoes of the fear that still lingered as he watched his cousin abandon all sense or use of protocol to storm away from the dark jeweled warlord prince. She became aware of how sore her hips were, of the irritation of straw digging through her clothing to scratch at her skin, and just how exhausted emotionally and physically she was.
"I wasn't" The soft reply escaped her as she moved, shifting slightly to ease the pressure on that aching hip. The first movement she had made in hours beyond her occasional blinking as she stared into nothing. Each blink dreaded as flashes of the carnage tore through her mind. Images that would haunt her dreams and chase sleep away.
"I was just angry and didn't think. Didn't care." She sighed before finally pushing herself upright. The sun had started to sink lower in the sky, coloring it a violent orange as the threat of dusk loomed over them. "He went through too much trouble to find me. So for once, my caste protected me." Kiera shrugged, still too numb to care about how close she brushed to death; how easily Alessi could have justified the kill at her lapse in temper.
"You cannot forget for a moment. Protocol is all we have right now." Luca's hands tightened over hers, squeezing to ensure her attention. "Your caste won't protect you always. Warlord Princes.."
"Are volatile, I know. More so ones not being held on a leash. I am young but I remember the whispered rumors of the Sadist." She leaned against her cousin's shoulder. A breath escaped her as she attempted to regain some composure; some sense of self despite the several traumas that threatened to swallow her sanity into the Twisted Kingdom.
"Besides, I am the only queen in this little troop, so that has to count for something." She attempted a teasing smile at her cousin. His stern look only earned a snort from her.
"Only doesn't mean irreplaceable, piccola." Luca's retort at least held a hint of humor. He knew what she was attempting to do. Her faint jest rang just a little too flat. Concern had him stroking a hand through her tangled hair, gently plucking out stray bits of grass and straw.
"Are you saying I am so easily disposed of?" Now she turned and widened those pale eyes of hers. The darkness of her lashes added a further aura of innocence around her. He snorted; immune to her begging face. She had used it too many times as a child for him to be affected now.
"Not to me, but to him.." Luca replied before kissing her brow lovingly. She was the sister he never had, the only one in their family who hadn't looked down on him for his sexuality. Queen or not she held his loyalty and he prayed that it wouldn't cost both of them their lives. The thought of losing her scared him beyond anything the Sapphire jeweled Beast could do to him.
"True, but he did go through so much trouble to acquire a queen." Luca felt his stomach tighten at her musing words. The play of her teeth against her lower lip told him that where her thoughts were leading did not bode well for them.
"Kiera..." The warning escaped him as she shifted slightly, her attention turned over their marching columns. For the first time taking in the ranks, organization, and condition of the men and women marching down the dusty road.
"Such a heavy price too. I should give him exactly what he paid for." The words were firm, solidified as her anger and instincts churned together. Ruling was part of who she was, the need to control even just a small portion of her world, to heal, to aid, and to ensure the health of those around her pushed at her for the first time in a century. Her mother's dictates were gone, the threat of being broken on some male's spear for catching the wrong attention lessened, and the fact that her life continually hung in the balance of an unspoken dance only added to her resolve.
"Oh for the love of.." Luca groaned as Kiera shimmied herself down to drop onto the ground from the slowly rolling cart. She staggered slightly before catching her balance. "Fuck..." He followed with as she started working her way through the ragged lines ignoring the stares that followed her. He breathed a slight sigh of relief as she pulled herself even with one of the supply wagons. Her hands moved animatedly in time with the conversation, offering a flare of enthusiasm for what must be a very boring conversation.
Luca sighed as he hopped down to catch up with his cousin. As they moved between the soldiers and pages, Kiera took the time to introduce herself to each. Some only offered the begrudged minimum due to a queen while others seemed curious about just what the waif was up to. Luca performed in his role of grudging escort, issuing greetings as Kiera strode through the line; his feet aching and tired as finally those in the front slowly stopped moving. The promise of camp, as rough as it was for those not joining the rebellion willingly, was a relief to his aching feet and frayed nerves.
"Satisfied?" Luca hissed into her ear as she finished a banal conversation with one of the warlords that made up Alessi's commanders. Her fingers curled just a bit tighter against his grubby shirt. The material was stiff from sweat, blood, and grime that came from wearing the same clothing for the past several days.
~Not, nearly~ she replied on a Rose thread between them. The silent reply indicated she didn't exactly want their conversation available for public consumption. Instead, she marched towards the next Prince on her list. Names and descriptions gleaned from her conversations as she had worked her way forward. Her nerves stood on end as she waited to feel the dark ominous presence of Alessi, but so far he seemed engaged with his first circle of command.
Keira forced her steps to a calm almost serene pace; steady and without indicating the anger that still rolled beneath the forced veneer of civil that worked best in handling males outside of the family circle. Two and a half days, was all she had allowed herself for grief and shock. The attack today put everything back into perspective; how vulnerable she was without her jeweled strength, without having gone through her virgin night, and without any formal training. Each time her lashes closed all she could see were flashes of those haggard bodies, their faces sunken and hollow. Desperation along with anger had driven them to attack a militarized force of Blood.
Instinct prodded her to do better, to start making improvements where she could. Small things that she could snowball into larger things once it was clear she could be trusted. At least, in her opinion, she could not be worse than what they had experienced under the previous rule. Kiera forced her mind from the thoughts as they managed to capture the eye of the Summer-Sky Prince from where he sat perched on the driver's bench of the wagon.
~I know that calculating look. Don't push things..~ Luca's frantic reply on their private thread only earned a faint tug of a smile at her lips before she approached closer; waiting for the Prince to signal if he was willing to converse or not. A subtle shift in posture, the change in psychic scents, and the small plays between the blood that instinct helped them dance across guided her actions.
"Prince Albacate?" The query was polite and allowed him to acknowledge her without putting a burden on his receptiveness to the conversation. His head dipped slightly as curiosity overruled the lingering hatred for the members of Hayll's formerly esteemed 100 Families.
"Lady Domani." His tone remained stiff and internally Kiera sighed. He was the first lynchpin in her thousand-step plan. Quartermaster for this outfit he was in control of everything from issued spare clothing, soap, and other items necessary for members of the legion to make it through the long marches without needing supply lines that reached for miles. Of course, the Prince's esteem would be harder to win than just her making the effort to learn her name.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" The Prince finally asked after several seconds had eclipsed leaving them a sort of awkward stalemate as the queen debated on her next course of action. Her indecision was cute and something he wouldn't have thought to be possessed by a woman of her bloodline.
"Not me persay. I don't wish to burden you with any extra duties." Kiera rushed the words out quickly before her nerve expired. "It is the others, who were involuntarily enlisted, I was wondering if it was possible to get them issued at least one clean set of clothing?" A breath finally left her as the words were barely spoken slow enough to give spacing between the syllables.
"Clean clothing?" What game was she playing? The Quartermaster weighed the options in front of him. He could deny her and earn her irritation; if she even had experienced being denied something in her formerly pampered life. He carefully kept his expression neutral as he weighed out the options. If the rest of the recruits were in a similar condition to her escort assigning them even the rough homespun garments would be an improvement for them and something he could easily justify as a necessity to avoid the spread of disease through the rest of the encampment.
"And perhaps soap. With all of us in such tight quarters, well the potential spread of disease and vermin.." Kiera gave an exaggerated shudder. Lice and other vermin that came from unwashed bodies in tightly packed quarters with little sanitation didn't terrify her, she wasn't exactly enthused with increasing the risk of the nuisances when a bit of soap and clothing could help prevent the issue.
"I could bring it to Prince Gerodi's attention." He bit back a grin at the sudden expression of frustration that flashed over her face before she smothered it back down into the sweetly agreeable facade she had been presenting. Her game was given away at that flash of emotion. She hadn't meant to have her little interference get out to the Warlord Prince; as if he was foolish enough to challenge their leader over the whims of an aristo; queen or not.
"I suppose that would be wise. Perhaps I shall bring it up with him." Kiera forced herself to keep her tone light as if she wasn't ready to snarl in frustration at asking the Warlord Prince for anything. A glance at her cousin and his filthy stiff clothing bit back her pride. She could and would grovel if it improved the conditions that the remaining bedraggled few of her people remained.
"Bring what up?" A curse was cut back on her throat as that luring and dominating presence announced Prince Alessi's arrival as much as the deep notes of his voice. Kiera forced herself to take a steadying breath as she turned, her fingers biting against Luca's arm as she braced herself to keep away any lingering temper from earlier.
"Clothing and soap for the rest of the prisoners," Kiera spoke quickly before the Prince could voice her request. Something told her it was important that she be the one voicing the concerns, that she bring the issue to him to resolve. "If supplies permit it, Prince Gerodi." Had she put just the right amount of difference in her tone for the Sapphire jeweled warlord prince? Always a thin line to walk between too meek and too mocking.
"And do the supplies permit it?" Alessi didn't turn his attention to the witch in front of him. She was up to something. No one, especially an aristo queen, went from a spitting hell cat to meek and contrite over a few hours. He wouldn't admit that he had been aware of her every movement, that he had worried about her breaking as she lay so quiet and still those hours after the attack. The relief of her finding her spirit again had eased away any annoyance he would have normally found in her meddling with the careful organization of his command.
"We can accommodate the request, mostly. Won't match but better than clothing that is about ready to walk on its own." The quartermaster spoke slowly as if thinking over the request; like the Prince didn't know from memory what supplies were available to be used across the camp.
"Once camp is set up then see that it is distributed among them." Alessi gave the order before looking down at the bowed head of the Queen standing in front of him. He could feel the frustration radiating off her as she had to depend on his allowance to give in to her little demands.
"And soap? Some wash water?" Kiera decided to interject. "Clean clothing won't be enough, for sanitation in the camp." Her eyes lifted, flashing with a hint of defiance before she buried it down. He could see the spirit and stubborn nature that had been beaten down over the childhood of being the Domani disgrace.
"Kiera..." Luca started before cutting off his words at a curt gesture from Alessi. The warning died in the air as the Prince obeyed the unspoken warning to let his cousin speak on her own.
"Water and soap? This isn't an afternoon picnic Lady, we don't have time for frivolous things" Alessi managed to keep his tone bland, and almost mocking as he watched her for further reaction. Some perverse part of him enjoyed watching her temper spark to life in stark contradiction to the broken creature from earlier.
"Frivolous? Disease, parasites, and general health are essential if you want to keep this pace. If you kindly give me my jewels I will happily join with those distributing the sanitation items." Keira's words were deceptively mild. Her urge to snap at him was given away by the clipped nature of her words.
"You are volunteering to work out of the goodness of your heart." He snorted before looking at his quartermaster. "See that a space to wash hands and faces is available when the clean clothing. No point in replacing clothing over filthy bodies." Alessi added as if the idea were his, just an afterthought to Kiera's request.
"I will escort her from here Prince Domani." Alessi took Kiera's hand and firmly pressed it against his arm, daring her to protest or pull away. Her jaw tightened and her fingers curled ever so slightly against the thick material of his shirt. "Camp is being set lady and it is time for your dinner and rest."
"I should stay with the rest of the prisoners. Shouldn't receive luxuries that the rest of my people are not receiving." Kiera attempted to withdraw her hand, only to find it trapped beneath his palm. The steely look in his expression forced her to pause. Did she want to bed down in the rough barracks-like shelter with everyone else? Not really, but at the same time, she felt guilty for the basic comfort and safety that sleeping in Alessi's tent offered her.
"Sleeping arrangements will stay the same." The look he leveled at her gave no room for protest. Her protest died off at the faint flick of temper that teased the air. He wasn't certain why, but the idea of her unprotected, surrounded by others, and vulnerable set off every protective instinct left in him. Unsettled by the idea that he felt protective over any witch, let alone an aristo, Alessi fought the urge to snarl at the warring emotions on his mind.
"Punishing us both, Prince Gerodi?" Kiera whispered between them. Her voice kept low purposefully to avoid their conversation being overheard.
"Just you little Queen." He purred back, his hand covering her fingers along his arm, pressing firmly to pin her hand against his arm as he started the walk across the camp. Her head turned to shoot one last look at Luca. Her cousin shrugged and held out his hands in a powerless gesture. Kiera sighed and turned forward with her eyes firmly focused in front of her she did her best to ignore the man at her side.
"What does that say about you Prince, if you think your presence is a punishment?" Her tone remained bland, distanced as she turned his words back at him.
"Are you saying it isn't?" He deliberately leaned down to whisper against the shell of her ear, pausing their walk toward the central space where his tent was erected.
"I haven't decided." She kept her words mild before freeing her hand from his arm to walk further into the ring of tents that made up Alessi's commanders and personal guards. The milling mixture of warlords and princes caused her to pause for a moment before she squared her shoulders to cross the rest of the distance between herself and the tent. Anything to put space between herself and her captor. The conflicting feelings and instincts pulled at her.
She felt safe and yet knew how dangerous the male was. He had killed witches and had ordered the death of her mother, and yet some part of her longed to just remain beside him. Before she could overthink things Kiera ducked into the tent. Her pallet was once more set up in the corner with its partially screened-off alcove. Her own space to hide in until they could end this brutal march and she could start the battle for her freedom and life.
His presence was felt before she heard the rustle of the tent flap, the sound of his footsteps that seemed to fill the tent. Kiera remained standing at the edge of her pallet, fighting the urge to sit down and just give in as a placid prisoner. She fought the urge to relax into the rich scent that was uniquely his, to let her guard down while basking in the dark power that he offered. The sword at her throat and her shield against the world.
"Stay in here, I will be back with the evening meal. The small chest has a few books you can browse through. Not certain if anything I have will interest you though." His hand lifted, unseen to her, as he fought the urge to brush his fingers through her hair. The want to reassure her was nearly overwhelming. Before Alessi could be tempted further he pulled his hand back before turning out of the tent. He had too much to do, they would reach the meeting point between the two armies.
Between now and then he had to make sense of the intel that was coming back to him from Draega and the surrounding countryside. All the while he had to figure out what they were going to do with his little warprize that wasn't feeling so much like a simple prisoner to him. Just two days and she had already tied his resolve into tight little knots.
Once the weight of Alessi's presence abated Kiera took the time to look over the tent. Her attention fell on the temptation of the small chest, wondering what type of books he thought would interest her. The irritation of stray bits of straw still caught in her clothing and hair forced Kiera to abandon her curiosity in favor of removing as much of the offending straw as possible. Without a proper comb, all she could do was run her fingers through the crimped fall of her hair before twisting it into another crude braid.
Her skin itched where stalks of straw dug and caught where it had worked through her skirt and blouse. Nervously she shot a glance towards the opening of the tent. How long did she have until Alessi returned? The relentless itch of the dried grass stalks forced her hand as she pulled off the skirt and blouse. Hastily she used what basic craft she could summon between nervous glances toward the tent doors and back to the clothing.
Shivering she pulled the blouse back on first before jerking the skirt on just as Alessi walked through the door. His raised eyebrow was the only indication that he had caught her fumbling the laces on the skirt's waistband as she secured it once more in place. They stood frozen, staring at each other until she released the laces from her numb fingers. Alarmed she jerked her eyes away from his, breaking their silent stare down.
"Should I ask?" Alessi managed to keep his tone level; curious as to why it appeared the little witch had just started stripping. The flutter of something golden brown caught his attention and earned a slight smile as he identified the broken stalks of straw. He could hear her still shaking and smacking the heavy wool of her skirt in an attempt to dislodge the last of the irritating plant debris.
"Straw itches and I didn't feel like sleeping with another irritation." Her caustic words lacked any bite behind them. The fabric rustled one more time as she walked past him to perch herself on the chair next to his desk. The tip of her head gave away the hidden stubborn streak this little queen had kept buried beneath grief and shock.
"Another? Your bed not up to your standards Little Queen?" He didn't fight her over the chair, allowing her the small win. It wasn't anything that would hurt him to cede to her and offer her the dignity of eating her meal on the desk rather than on the ground like a well-trained hound. The stew and thick slice of soda bread were placed before her on a cleared space of desk. The slight twitch of her nose as she smelled the tempting aroma of the food reached her nose. He watched her fight the temptation to pick up the spoon and start eating as she kept her hands folded tightly in her lap.
"The bed isn't the irritating thing I was talking about Prince Gerodi." The reply should have been biting with the aloof nature of her voice, but there was a softness to it. He couldn't resist, as much as he wanted to, running the back of his hand along the soft curve of her cheek. Watched as she jerked her head back to look up at him in shocked confusion. Those pale irises captured his attention as he watched her pupils dilate in reaction to the touch. A sense of satisfaction rose in him, realizing that she had welcomed his touch, even if neither of them wanted to admit the unspoken thing that lingered in the air between them.
"Oh? I have been nothing but accommodating so I doubt I would count as irritating Lady Kiera." He deliberately used her given name instead of family. Watched as her lips compressed as she fought whatever reaction she had to his tone drawing along her name. His laugh of response was nearly silent as he took his bowl and sat on the edge of the raised platform of his bed. He waited, listening for the sound of her spoon against the bowl or any other sound of her starting to eat.
"I suppose it is hard to count that high," Kiera muttered before lifting the soda bread to dip into the thick gravy of the stew. Hunger and a deft hand at seasoning helped with the gamey nature of the broth and meat within. Her hand froze at his sudden laughter. An emotion spiked through her that wasn't exactly fear, or arousal, but some strange combination that straddled the line between them. Her eyes pressed closed as she tried to recall all the reasons she had to hate him. All the reasons that she couldn't let herself forget who and what he was.
"You would be surprised. Eat now, you can skewer me with your sharp little tongue after you have filled your stomach" He waited, his focus on her until Kiera huffed a breath of defeat before taking a small bite of the broth-soaked bread. The flavor and rich texture pulled a soft moan of pleasure. Barely audible and yet he heard it too clearly, his cock perking at the noise. Damn woman, he fought the urge to snarl at her for the unconscious reaction to her food. Alessi forced himself to focus on his meal instead of reflecting on his response to her presence.
The first bite had started an internal war between her hunger and the forced manners of her upbringing. Each paced spoonful and careful time spent chewing was a tiny eternity when the sharp pinch of her stomach demanded that she spoon in the hot diced bits of meat, vegetables, and rich gravy as fast as she could. Her pride hated obeying Alessi even as her stomach demanded she give in and forget manners. A couple of times her hand shook as she forced herself to the slow pace ideal for refined ladies.
"Damn it, woman. Just eat. We aren't at some aristo house party and I can hear your stomach growling from over here." His irritated growl had her hand jerk, sending a few fat globs of gravy to fall on his desk. A mess she looked at mournfully before putting the spoon back into the bowl. Her hands fell to press against her lap, her fingers knotted around the fabric, as she tried to smother down the fear that threatened to kill her hunger.
"Pick up that spoon and eat, or I will feed you myself. I intend on sleeping tonight and I won't do it listening to your stomach complain" Alessi put his empty bowl on the chest that sat beside his bed. The ropes that held up the mattress of the camp cot groaned as he half rose to follow up on his threat. Kiera remained frozen, uncertain if she should obey if she even could. His terse voice brought back all the fear and pain that lingered too close in her memories.
She wanted to eat, but her limbs felt frozen, could feel when his irritation turned to anger. The room filled with the heat of it and it pressed down on her until Kiera's fingers curled into fists, her nails bit at her palms as she breathed through it. Her eyes remained lowered and she didn't move from the chair; didn't dare make a sound as he reacted to her fear. She felt, more than watched, him stalk closer. Felt the heat of him radiating behind her before she felt the chair she was on turn.
Kiera pressed her eyes closed, fighting the urge to gasp in tiny little breaths that would do little to keep her from fainting. The warmth of his body and the teasing hint of his breath brushed over the back of her hands as she heard the faint sound of his knees pressing against the ground in front of her. His hands curled over hers; shaking in anger as instinct had him wanting to tear apart whatever had her so scared; even if he knew it was his anger and his presence that had her so alarmed.
"Breathe, Gattina.. I need you to breathe and calm down." Kiera tried to obey. She knew that she needed to reign in her emotions or this could end poorly but memories of her mother's death clouded eyes, of those dismembered landen, of the death that had followed every step of his appearance into her life pushed her fear even further. Her lips parted as she panted softly as her heart attempted to fly from her chest with each rapid beat.
"Fuck.." He moved suddenly and she flinched away. Nothing overt, just a slight jerk that threatened to break something he didn't want to admit remained in him. This little queen was terrified of him and for just reasons, but it hurt and pushed his anger higher making him a greater danger to her than hunger. Alessi didn't pause or give himself time to sink further into the emotions swirling between them. For the first time since the Witchstorm the General retreated from a shaking and traumatized witch.
"Bring her damn cousin and make certain she eats." The snapped orders were left in his wake. The pair of guards snapped quick salutes before one left to fetch the Prince from the prisoner's tent. The other guard lingered at the tent entrance uncertain if he was supposed to go inside and babysit the captive queen or remain outside and wait for Prince Domani. The lingering heat and psychic scent of anger decided for him as he remained safely outside the tent.
Kiera finally opened her eyes as she heard the tent flaps open and close behind Alessi. The moment he was gone she started sobbing. Days of pent-up emotions escaped all at once. Fear, disappointment, grief, horror, and guilt all combined into an unnamed feeling that escaped her with each tear, each gasped sob as she fought to keep from sliding from the chair. The urge to crumple close to the ground, to let the land leach away the pain that ate at her soul.
She lost the battle and allowed herself to slip from the chair before curling up on the ground. Her shins and palms pressed against the soil as each sob was torn from her. Her shoulders shook and her tears wet the earth beneath her, feeding the hungry winter dormant plants beneath her. Distantly she heard the tent flaps flutter but she couldn't stop the sobs that tore from her.
The footsteps were softer, and the psychic felt familiar as the new male approached. She heard him pause to take in the scene, the lack of destruction and the stench of her fear that threatened to permeate the entire tent. A soft muffled curse escaped him and she identified the new person as her cousin. She gasped and fought to stop the tears, but they just kept coming until the edges of her vision flickered with black. Each breath was a fight to draw in as panic stole further reason from her.
"Damn it, get a hearth witch in here. If he comes back to this the situation will only escalate." Luca yelled out of the tent before sinking to cocoon Kiera in his arms. He settled back on the ground, ignoring the dampness of the earth against the serviceable wool of his newly borrowed pants. Gently he pulled her back from the earth, his hands tender as he wiped the edge of her skirt along the skin exposing the small half-moon cuts along her flesh from where she had dug into herself.
"Piccola, you need to breathe. Slowly now. " He attempted to coax her from whatever emotion rode her. Her silent sobs turned into howls at his insistence. Wordless and formless, her cries were a vocal outlet for all that had happened to her. A scream against the injustice of it all. "Summon a damn healer too." Luca didn't stray from her. His hand pressed against the center of her chest, rubbing in a soothing circle as he tried to get her to calm herself.
Kiera wanted to calm down and stop the yowling and sobs. Her head hurt and her eyes burned as the tears continued to fall. She hated that she was crying, hated that she had given into these stupid weak emotions when she needed to remain strong and stubborn; hated that her stew was probably going cold as she broke down on the tent floor of a man who had fled her crying fit like the hounds of hell were on his heels.
The tent rustled again and she heard two more witnesses to her humiliation enter. Kiera turned her head, pressing her face against her cousin's shoulder in an attempt to at least maintain some dignity. A female voice cursed and Kiera identified it as Mirella. Another voice swore then movement. Her sobs slowed, not abating just exhaustion started to take its toll on her body. Luca kept the pressure on her chest, gently rubbing in slow circles as he held her closely, letting her feel the slow steady pace of his breathing.
A cup of something steaming and herbal was pushed against her lips and she swallowed reflexively between each shuddering sob. She felt her limbs loosening as tension drained from them and breathing became easier. Kiera's eyes felt so heavy and slowly darkness claimed her vision as she fell asleep in the familiar embrace of her cousin. Tears soaked her cheeks, leaving little dusty trails along her skin and the small cuts on her hands had scabbed over.
"What happened here?" Luca looked around the tent. Nothing was disturbed outside of the chair that had toppled over when Kiera had slid from it. The bed was rumpled on the side with the empty bowl a visible testament to it simply having been used as a seat while eating dinner. Still, the stench of dark jeweled anger, along with Kiera's own emotions filled the air indicating something had happened between the two.
"Doesn't matter. You, get her onto her bed and get me that ewer of wash water over there." The healer didn't waste time. Her snapped orders indicated she was pretty much over the trouble the two of them caused her over the day. Mirella had already started the process of clearing the air. The mess made by eating cleared away and Alessi's empty bowl vanished. She paused at Kiera's uneaten meal, ready to whisk away what should have been a cold bowl only to find the food still warm to the perfect temperature.
The warming spell in place was as subtle enough order and Mirella left the food in place. Order restored to the tent she did her best to clear away the psychic residue that lingered in the air. Without Kiera's continued emotional turmoil the air seemed to clear and the three of them were able to breathe easier.
Gently Luca tucked his cousin into the thin pallet. The blanket was pulled up to under her arms leaving them outside the covers as the healer worked on gently cleaning the small injuries on her palms before rubbing a thick salve over the small cuts. The wounded tended she started picking up her supplies of herbs that Mirella had considerately stacked tidily to one side while she cleaned.
"She should sleep for a while yet. Won't hold her all night." The woman looked between Mirella and Luca, her mouth tightened and eyes narrowed in disapproval at the situation. No one wanted her opinion on how this was a disaster waiting to happen. An emotionally unstable queen and a warlord prince who was at odds with his instincts was a recipe for disaster. No one asked her though so instead she sat out a small muslin pouch.
"Leave directions for the Prince, she should have this as a tea when she wakes up. It will help with the headache." The bag of herbs was left on the desk next to the uneaten stew. Her part in this debacle completed the healer left. Luca stood, uncertain of what he should do. Loyalty and love had him wanting to stay with his cousin and be there when she woke up; however, the tent was Alessi's domain, and another male in here when he returned from venting his emotions would only antagonize the Warlord Prince putting Kiera at further risk.
"Come, she will sleep for some time and once the General calms down she will be safer than the rest of us." Mirella placed a gentle hand on the Prince's shoulder as she watched him war between two very difficult choices. The pair of them retreated from the tent, leaving Kiera peacefully sleeping and the air a bit lighter inside.
Late in the night, Kiera stirred from the herb and exhaustion-induced sleep. The pinch of her stomach only rivaled the ache behind her temples. Her lashes felt gritty as she tried to open her eyes and she raised a hand to wipe away the dried salt from her tears. The tent was dark except for a small globe of witchlight that hovered near Alessi's desk. The soft yellow light broke up the darkness and she could see the Prince at work.
At the sound of her sitting up the soothing sound of his quill against parchment ended. Kiera wiped the back of her hand along her cheeks, trying to smooth away any of the puffiness that came from crying. Her throat felt dry as she tried to swallow, uncertain exactly what she should say at this moment if anything.
"Good, you are awake." Alessi's voice was pitched low and soft as if speaking to a fractious horse that could spook at any time. Kiera shifted to rise from her bed and pushed the blanket down past her hips. "No, stay there." He stood up and grabbed a bowl that still had lazy tendrils of steam rising from it, along with a mug of something also hot and steaming. The sight of the mug made her aware of just how thirsty she was.
"I'm sorry.." The words escaped her before she could change her mind. "I shouldn't have.."
"No, there is nothing to be sorry for. Your reaction was only natural." Alessi shook his head at her attempt to take the burden of guilt from the evening. He stopped just beside her pallet waiting for her reaction. When all she did was shift the blanket to smooth more over her lap Alessi held out the mug and waited for her to reach her hands up to grasp it. A small tendril of craft was used to float it down smoothly to her hands. He was loathe to bend down and seem like he was looming over her.
"Healer's orders. To help with the headache." Slowly he knelt to crouch beside her bed. The bowl of warm stew was clasped between his palms as he waited patiently for her to drink the tea. Once the mug was empty he traded it for the bowl of stew. No other words were exchanged as he rose and slowly walked away; comforted at the quiet sound of her spoon tapping against the side of the bowl. Alessi struggled to focus on his work as he continued to compile the various reports into a condensed stream of events.
When she sighed and the bowl was put beside her pallet he felt something loosen. The rustle of cloth and turn of her breathing back to the steady and slow pace of sleep proved a comfort to him. No damage done; she would be fine. She had to be fine. Alessi wouldn't allow any other outcome for the little rose-jeweled queen who alternately challenged him and fought her fears. As she turned in her sleep, he decided he was done working for the night.
Alessi didn't bother to roll up the letter he had been drafting before slipping into his bed; the witch light extinguished to leave the interior dark. The sound of her slow and steady breathing was the metronome that he counted down into sleep.