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3| MEILA

His command left her staring. He held her gaze with a smile. Had the prince just demanded that she call him by name? It was a honour to do so. She wondered why. She nearly smiled.

'I couldn't,' She began to say before she met his eyes. The look in his eyes sealed her speech orifice. 'It's a royal command,' she said with an over exaggerated sigh.

'Exactly.'

'John it is then?' He nodded. She smiled.

'Let's go,' he said. They began to walk. 'Let me help you with your bag,' he told her, halting. She looked at him, her eyes narrowing. She looked at him suspiciously. Why was he offering such?

'Ah! No, thank you The Prince,' She said.

'I'm older,' he stated. 'You are too young. Besides, it's just the distance to my camp,' he stressed in a tone that insinuated that she was ungrateful. 'Also...' She interrupted him.

'...It's a royal command,' she finished with a small smile. He returned the gesture.

'You are a good student. Now hand it over.' She hesitated. 'I am not the robbers,' he joked. She laughed softly.

'I know that,' she defended. 'Alright,' she said, handing the bag to him. She shrugged as he received it. He laughed at the nonchalant shrug she put up to veil her restlessness.

'You do not give trust easily,' He noted.

'Bull's eye!' She congratulated him. He gave her another small smile.

'Daniel,' he paused. She turned to him. 'Trust me,' he said, 'you'll be safe.'

'I do trust you Prince John,' she reassured him. When she looked up, she realized that they had reached the soldiers. They were strongly built like he was, his guards. They greeted him in nandish. Then, he addressed them.

'This is Daniel. He shall travel with the envoy. No harm must come to him,' he commanded them.

'Yes The Prince!' They chorused. He nodded, satisfied.

'Hello!' She greeted.

'This is Chana,' he said pointing at the most formidable of the guards. 'He's my right hand man...'

'...And bestfriend,' Chana finished. 'I'm the only one who screws him up -apart from his mom and pop that is,' he revealed to Daniel with a huge devilish grin.

'Chana,' Prince John warned in a playful tone.

'I'm Daniel,' she returned the smile.

'This is Inae, Pete and Wang,' Prince John continued, introducing the other guards. She shared necessary pleasantries with them for a moment.

'Let's go back to the camp,' he said to them all. She thought it was to the horses.

'Yes The Prince,' They said and made to obey what he said -carry out his orders.

The light of a fire in a clearing greeted them after about four minutes of walking. She sighted the horses first. There were about seven of them. Then, she saw her, the paragon of beauty by the fire. She was clothed in a beautiful topaz blue loose gown. She thought it looked like some sort of uniform. Her long black tresses hung behind her, dark and full. She had bright red lips. She was really beautiful. A tall guard stood close by, a spear hanging at her back. Yes, it was a she.

'The prince,' the maid greeted on seeing him. She came to meet him. 'Did you find them out?' She asked.

'Of course I did. They were indeed robbers like i guessed. They were trying to rob pretty Daniel here,' he gestured towards her with his hands.

'Oh no!' She sounded worried as her eyes fell on Daniel. 'Did they hurt you?' She asked coming to him with a hurried look on her face.

'No they didn't,' Daniel answered her with a polite smile.

'That's good,' she said sighing on relief.

'Prince John-' she caught the look in the Prince's eyes. She corrected herself. 'John, John saved me,' she finally said to her.

'Thank God,' the pretty maid said to her.

'Daniel,' the prince said. 'This is Meila. She is my personal maid,' he introduced.

'Hi Meila! I'm Daniel.'

'You're a handsome man,' she complimented. 'More handsome even than the prince.' The Prince lifted a brow at her.

'Meila,' he called. She laughed, clamping her hand over her mouth.

'I do not think she meant that,' Daniel said.

'I did mean it,' Meila said to her. She sighed.

'Don't let me start with you,' the Prince said. She smiled radiantly at him.

'It is true,' Meila went on despite the warning.

'I think you should let it go,' Daniel said. 'He might get upset,' she whispered.

'He likes a good argument,' was her defense.

'Anyways,' the Prince said. 'This is Gyotche,' he introduced the female guard beside the maid to Daniel. The guard nodded an acknowledgement. Daniel smiled at her. She had wheat colored hair, as long as her legs. They hung below her waist, long and silky, wild and free. She had a fierce look and an indomitable aura.

'Where are you from?' Meila asked her.

'Across the waters,' she replied. The three island countries were at war. She could not risk anything despite the truce on ground.

'Okay,' she said with a small yet intriguing smile. 'That explains why you look so beautiful though you are a man. I'm kinda jealous.' There was a pleased twinkle in her deep melanous eyes that made Daniel smile at her softly.

'Speaking of your roots, your people do seem to argue with robbers, do they?' Prince John suddenly said to her. He was smiling mischievously at her. She returned the gesture.

'It seems that they do The Prince,' she answered his question. His smile grew broader. She watched him carefully. This famous prince John, he was indeed handsome. She practically forced her eyes of him to look at Meila who was staring at her in admiration, nearly lost.

'Meila,' The Prince said. His voice brought her out of whatever daydream she was having.

'Oh yes,' she said. 'Come have a seat.' She was looking at Daniel. 'I'll get some water.' She hurried away to do so. They both sat, Daniel and Prince John.

'She's is charmed by you,' the prince said to her in a quiet voice.

'I don't think she is,' Daniel denied looking away.

'Trust me.'

'It's not possible.'

'Watch and see.'

'If you say so.' On a second thought she said, 'You do like to have the final say, especially in an argument.'

'It's in the royal blood,' he told her. Meila came with a tray of cups and a jug of water.

'Here is water,' she said offering them each a filled cup.

'Thank you,' Daniel said putting the cup to her lips. He drank the cool water. It felt refreshing to do so.

'Meila,' the Prince called after a few sips of his drink. She answered. 'Sit with me,' he ordered in a sweet voice.

'Yes the Prince.' She did as he had asked her to.

'Is he really more handaome than me?' He asked her referring to Daniel who caught the Prince's palm steal over her clothed thigh.

'Ohh!' She yelped softly.

'Is he?'

'I was joking,' she told the Prince. There was a different look in her eyes when it met Daniel's. She knew that look. It was a look of submission to passion. The Prince had a thing with this woman, his maid?

'Thanks be that you were,' the Prince said jokingly. Daniel heard the underlying threat in it.

'I think so too,' Daniel murmured drinking the rest of her water. She did not bring the cup down till it was empty. She looked around after, noticing then that the guards were stationed in strategic positions, to protect the Prince she supposed.

'Let's call it a night. We'll leave before dawn,' he announced after a while.

'Where do I sleep?' She asked the Prince.

'Meila will see to that,' was his reply.