The Princess of Elfhame

Try to keep up

Rhea 

"BLOODY FUCKING HELL!" Prince Castien swears, yelling at the top of his lungs as his raggwort steed bursts into a gallop and I holler with laughter as we take off. 

He's gripping his steed by the neck, eyes terrified before he glowers at me laughing hard enough to *almost* fall off. 

"Of course you enjoy watching me fail at riding," he seethes and I crack a grin. 

"I thought you were good at everything" I taunt as I soar ahead of him. 

Within a few minutes, he's managed to catch up shakily before I slow down to a slow trot by his side. 

"So what do you think of Elfhame so far?" I ask as we crest a hill that overlooks the ocean. 

He smirks over at me. "Their Crown Princess is a bit of an ass." 

I laugh, throwing my head back. "I blame my father." 

He shrugs, smirking. "I'd say that's just all on you, Princess." 

I groan as I turn to look at him before settling for a sneer. 
"Why do you keep calling me that?" 

"What, because it's true?" he asks with a laugh but I sigh. 

"Fine. I only call you that because I know it vexes you. If you want me to stop, I will." 

I chuckle as I continue my steed into a walk. "It's not that. But there's normally a deeper meaning here in Elfhame for nicknames. Like my Circle of Archers. The Bomb. It's a title with a deeper meaning than a noble title." 

"Well, don't you think that Princess might happen to be the highest title of all?" he muses and I give a one-shouldered shrug. 

"I didn't know about the nicknames being a title. Like I said, I used it as a way to vex you. That is all. Obviously now things are a little bit different." 

I give a surprised laugh. "Why's that?" 

"Because maybe now I've grown to tolerate you, idiot" he laughs and a deep blush flushes my cheeks. 

"Tolerate or like?" I tease and he fixes me with a look. 

"How about you take the compliment first and then we'll see if we can make our way to being friends." 

I scoff. "Wow, don't get ahead of yourself, Castien." 

He smiles at me before looking out at the view. 

But I can't look away. 

Yes, he was a dick, and he cost me one of my closest friends. 

But was she truly one of my closest friends if she was preparing herself to kill me, with him protecting me.. but he's even more beautiful than the day I met him. 

His eyes glow in the fading sunlight as he takes in Elfhame and I grin. 

"You look like you're beginning to like Elfhame against your own wishes." 

He shrugs. "I'm not going to lie and tell you that your country is beautiful. I cannot deny any natural beauty." 

His eyes lock with mine and I quickly look away. 

"So- does that phrase normally work with women?" I ask with a nervous laugh and he smirks. 

"Yeah it normally does, actually. And why I'm telling you that, is because you are devastatingly beautiful, Rhea. Don't let anyone or yourself ever compare you to anyone else. Please."