Ashe Knightley

I couldn't believe the luck we had. Our wagon blew up.

Well, not exactly "blew up". No, I was not being dramatic. Or was I?

Anyway, the wagon imploded. I knew a trap when I saw it, and our wagon was not a trap. At least, not one I was aware of. Impossible. I checked the wagon five times before getting on. Every few hours I'd stop the wagon and pace outside, checking the area.

More importantly, who was the idiot that thought it would be a good idea to attack me? I was in desperate need to relive my boredom, and I think a fight would do just that.

Though I didn't need to unleash my anger at all. Valarya did enough for the three of us.

She was cursing, kicking a plank of wood across the road. "Now what do we do?"

"Maybe calm down for starters," Randa suggested.

"Don't tell me to calm down. We have no way north and now we're stranded in the middle of nowhere—"

"Not nowhere," I corrected. "I got news that we're close to Zian and Adonia. Apparently, Kace sent Prince Thresan to help them." They would be getting there in one more day. What was the worst that could happen in a day?

Valarya shook her head, plopping herself on a boulder. "Wonderful. My feet hurt."

"Too bad, Princess. We have somewhere to be." Randa gave Valarya her outstretched hand. "And let's try to get there quick, yes?"

For some reason, Valarya ignored Randa's outstretched and continued down the road, muttering stuff under her breath. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was in a pretty good mood.

Especially after those Kandosian warriors destroyed our wagon. Their white armor and stupid golden accents. I had to admit: they had immaculate fashion taste. But now was not the time to be complimenting them.

With all of us trudging through the cold, early November weather, it'd be a matter of time before they showed up again. When they did, Valarya and I would have a little surprise for them.

*~⚜️~*

The city was fairly large. College students bustled everywhere, rushing to get to their next class. A part of me was grateful for my father forcing me to graduate early, but I barely figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I had settled for a bachelors in education.

"What did you study?" I turned to Valarya.

"Criminal justice," she said back.

How ironic.

"I studied economics," Randa pitched in.

Valarya opened her mouth, then immediately shut it. What was she going to say?

"I've never been good at economics," I said, staring down at my bracelet. Kace was always the smarter one. He could read when all I could do was fight and listen. Not to mention my severe primary dyslexia made things impossible to learn. "Worst subject."

"I'd be happy to tutor you sometime." Randa gave a smile.

My fingers shot to my bracelet.

Valarya stared down at my fingers, then back at Randa. "I'm sure he'll think about that offer. Let's go," she quickly said, grasping my arm and walking us forward. She leaned forward to my ear. "Focus ahead on the road," she instructed.

Had she known about my trigger?

There was no way she didn't know about my dyslexia. The letters I had written her were severely misspelled even though I reread several times to check. Anyone with eyes could tell I had some kind of problem, but I didn't mind if she knew. She wouldn't judge.

Whispers gathered around the streets, all of them pertaining to me.

Well, most of them pertaining to me.

"Her eyes... Her eyes are changing?" a civilian said.

I jerked over, watching as Valarya continued walking. She heard them, yet didn't say a word. Good for her. Grinning, I glanced back at the road.

"Oh my! It's Ashe Knightley!"

"It's been so long since he's been here. What's going on?"

If they had known that the woman currently latching onto my arm was the great Princess Valarya, I doubted they would be focused on me. With no more than a quick flick of my hand, I opened the door to the hotel, holding it for the two ladies.

Wow. The way her hair fell over her shoulder made my muscles tighten. She sent a smirk my way, and I grinned back. Wouldn't I love to take that smile right off her face. The things I would do—

"Hurry up, Ashe," Valarya cooed. "Don't keep us waiting in here."

Oh, I wouldn't.

"He's going to bite you," I said to Valarya in my head.

Valarya's smirk broadened as she sat in the hotel lobby's sofa. "Maybe I'd want him to," she said right back, her eyes connecting with mine.

Clearing my throat, I crossed one leg over the other. No eye contact with that woman until I got myself... situated. "Maybe you should not look at him like that," I warned her.

"Like what? I'm an innocent damsel," she breathed, rising up from the sofa. Her dress fit her incredibly well, sliding around her frame perfectly. It deserved to be ripped right off.

Holy—She stood in front of me now. My eyes darted to the floor.

"Randa's checking us into the hotel," she said.

"The poor man looks like he's about to burst," Valarya laughed.

If only she knew. Saints. I covered my face with my hand, calming myself down. Once I got to my room, I'd make it a point to take a long, cold bath. One that would get rid on these intruding thoughts—

"So," Randa said, walking back over to us, "I've got good news and bad news."

I didn't care what the news was now. I needed to get away and calm myself down.

"What is it?"

"Good news is, I got the rooms."

"Finally, something is going right." I raised my head back up, immediately turning to Randa. Staring at Valarya a second longer would've drove me insane. "Bad news?"

"Only two rooms, so one of us needs to share with another."

"Oh, do you see his face right now? He's about to lose his mind," Valarya mused rather excitedly.

She was right. I was this close to losing it and pinning her down on that comfortable sofa, but I stayed... somewhat calm. "There's two beds, right?"

Randa cleared her throat, flexing her neck. "Um, only one in each."

"Please, look at his face! Priceless! I'm cherishing this moment forever," Valarya squealed in my head.

"You and Randa could share the room," I suggested.

"He got you there," I told her in my head.

The look on her face was absolutely priceless. Did she think she'd be able to sink her glorious nails into my flesh that easily? Ha! I'd show her—

"I don't think I'm comfortable with sleeping in the same bed as someone I barely know," Randa murmured. "Could you two share the room and I sleep by myself?"

My foot lifted, banging the coffee table in front of me.

Valarya was cackling in my head like a sadistic murderer.

"Oh, we wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable. Feel free to have the second room all to yourself," Valarya stated, her gaze drifting to me. "Ashe and I will just have to make do, I suppose." There was supposed to be disappointment laced into that sentence, but it was sly.

What a sly little devil. She'd pay for that later.

"Ah, thank you. I hope you two aren't uncomfortable together—"

"We'll be fine," Valarya chipped, already making her way to the staircase. "We'll be perfectly fine."

Heat rushed through me as I watched that little devil wink at me. She knew what she was doing.

It was bloody working, too. Every ounce of control I had was used to not have my way with her in the lobby in front of everyone. No shame.

"You may want to leave my eyes for what's about to happen," Valarya said through our minds.

The implication was clear.

I didn't reply to her. Instead, I gathered whatever was left of our belongings and trekked up the stairs, praying for cold water to drop out of nowhere. It didn't happen, though.

When we finally reached the corridor of our rooms, Randa split off, entering the neighboring one.

I wasn't waiting anymore. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Valarya craned her neck to the side, exposing her bare neck and collarbone. "Like what? I'm just looking, Ashe."

That was enough for me.

"You really should not look through my eyes. Perhaps for the next few hours," Valarya repeated.

"Oh, I'm watching this," I replied to her.

"Pervert. Can't blame you, though. Do you see his arms—?"

Before she could finish that thought, I pulled her into the room and slammed the door shut. "Tell me," I began, my body blocking her from walking further into the room, "do you enjoy watching me struggle?"

"Occasionally," she rasped out, touching a lock of my hair. "When I'm the cause of your struggling."

"You are," I quipped back. "You have been for my entire life. You've been a pain in my head and a pain in my life."

"Saints, then I'd say I'm doing my job well!" She ducked underneath my arms, setting herself onto my bed. "Rather comfortable, this bed. Care to join me?"

"If you're still watching this, I'd advise you to not stare at his lower hemisphere."

There was drywall between Randa and our room. Too much noise would go through—

Valarya slipped off her jacket, revealing the upper half of her dress.

"What... What are you—"

"Stuttering, Knightley? That doesn't suit you." She rose from the bed, her short, deep blue dress riding her. "My, my, whoever did this to you?"

"Val—Ohh, wow, you're touching my belt."

I just moaned.

My muscles tightened as she laughed, letting go of my belt. "We should get some rest, wouldn't you agree?"

Nodding frantically, I rushed into the washroom and stood over the water basin. Saints, if I was in there a moment longer, I would've had her through the drywall and made everyone in the hotel hear exactly what I wanted to do to her.

I was going to stay very appropriate.

"Ashe! Hurry up!"

How the hell was I supposed to stay appropriate? Images of her damned blue dress flashed in and out my mind. Her eyes staring up at me, her mouth, her laugh, that little arch she made when my breath reached the back of her ears—

I dropped my head into the freezing water.

"Why are you wet?"

Rushing up from the ground, I collected whatever was left of my dignity and broke out, "I... My head fell in because I slipped. Soap. I think it was soap? Nothing to worry about, Princess. It's all sorted out and perfectly fine here."

"Is it just me, or has he suddenly gotten terrible at lying?"

"I meant," I said, slowing down, "I was just washing my face. Good skincare is important, after all."

The nod she gave was purely analytical. I didn't dare to let my eyes stray to her body. She could wear whatever she wanted and I would not let myself, or anyone else, make her uncomfortable.

Valarya slid further into the washroom. "I know you're nervous. It's all right. Nothing will happen if you don't want it to."

It was... all right? 'All right' that I was nervous? Where was her usual impatient self? Why was she looking at me like that?

It was time I told her. No more of these childish lies and foolery. If she didn't want me, then I'd let it go. And if she did, I didn't know what I'd do, but I'd see where to take it.

"No, I want you, Valarya," I said, not a hesitant bone in my body.

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"I think I made my intentions clear—"

"You haven't," she stated. She was in front of me in an instant, her face full of fury. "One minute you want me and the next you don't—"

"Because you loved Ilias," I blurted out. "You loved Ilias and you kissed Rysdan and we are both terrible at communicating what we want."

"Exactly."

Words jumbled together in my throat. Another emotion, one much different than any I had felt before, came out.

"So what do you want, Knightley? You want me to sit around and be your partner? I don't have time to wait around! I've been locked up my entire life, and for once I just want a straight answer—"

"I'm in love with you."