Spencer
I could tell she hated this. She hated that she had to be around me all the time. I doubted she hated me, just the fact that she had to be near me. I couldn't blame her honestly. But, being around her so much, I began to notice the small things. The way the corner of her mouth tilted up a little when she was reading. The way she furrowed her brows and poked her tongue out of her mouth slightly when she was drawing. When she was nervous she fidgeted with a ring she wore around her middle finger. Her eyes could shift from a silver colour to stormy grey within seconds. It was like you could read her emotions with just her eyes.
I need to stop. I'm supposed to be guarding her, not studying her. It's not my place to notice such small things about the Princess. My job is to protect her. Yet, I couldn't help the way I was starting to feel. It terrified me. We're trained to not need anyone, not trust anyone. The one time I did.. I reached up, brushing my hand over the scar that cut across my left eye. I looked over at her, her sitting curled up in the corner of the chair in the library. The same one she always sat in when she came here. I started fidgeting with my hands, watching her. It's been two weeks and I was falling. And I was falling hard.
"Commander?" Her voice snapped me back into reality. "Are you alright?" I looked over at her, to see her looking up. Her hair unbound and sitting over her shoulder, her book open in her hands.
"Yes, I'm alright. My apologies Princess." I bowed my head to her.
"We've been over this, please use my name." She smiled slightly. "If you tell me once more that it would be 'improper' I'll make it an order."
I smiled faintly. "Alright."
"Now," She sat up, marking her page and shutting her book. "What's wrong? You're fidgeting and being oddly quiet."
"It's nothing." I shook my head. "Please don't trouble yourself with it." I smiled a bit and leaned against the wall, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword.
She frowned faintly and curled up in the chair she'd been in. "Alright. If you need anything, say something alright?"
"Okay." I nodded and glanced towards the doors.
I heard a soft sigh behind me and turned, finding her messing with her hair as she read.
"Are you okay Lilah?" She was always so quiet, but now she just looked kind of sad.
"I'm alright. Just wishing you didn't have to be here." She shook her head. "Not that I have anything against you but-"
"I'm sorry. But it's for your safety." I walked over and stood in front of her, crouching down to meet her eyes.
"I know. But I just." She sighed. "I hate feeling weak. I'm not allowed to leave the grounds even. I know why but it just." She shook her head. "I don't want to feel weak. I already do that enough. Add this and I just-"
"Lilah." I reached out and took her hands without thinking. "You are not weak. And no one thinks you are."
"I haven't done anything to prove otherwise." She shook her head.
I reached out and brushed her hair out of her face. "Do you know what your father told me when he told me I'd be assigned to you?" When she shook her head, I smiled faintly. "He told me that half of my job would be protecting the world from you. He told me that once you decide to do something, there's no stopping you."
She chuckled a little, still curled up. "Did he?"
I smiled and nodded. "He did. Ask him yourself if you don't believe me." I tucked her hair behind her ear gently.
