Queen of Ashes │ Season 1 │The Journey

10 │The explanation

Freya couldn't hide her fluster. She wanted answers and she wanted them now... But she also didn't want to yell at the only person who had been nothing but the epitome of a gentleman so far. Suddenly she had found herself in quite a deadlock.

They had ridden until a small cave came into view. The woods were still quite thick, but not enough, so moonlight could light the area a little. They quickly dismounted and prepared a small camp inside. There was enough place for their bags and furs but not enough for them to have even a smattering taste of privacy. All three of them could rest there easily, but the woman couldn't hide her scowl at the thought of Qadir joining them.

"The thought about him joining us here makes me want to puke," she muttered. "Does he have to accompany us at all? You look capable enough for me as a vampire bodyguard..."

"Aren't you the sweetest, Princess?" Leander replied with a smirk.

"I don't understand what his deal is... It's not that I did something for him to dislike me so much. Far from it, that should be me giving him... Well, frankly... You both, quite a hell for your arrogant request," she stated her thoughts aloud, hoping for the vampire to engage in this conversation.

He did. "Yes, you should. That's the thing that surprised me the most when it comes to your person..." He smiled while arranging their camp. "But you appeared to be the pleasantest of pleasant surprises."

Freya chuckled. "Now, who's the sweetest?"

"I think we can already agree, that among the sweet things, we're both cherries on top." He winked making Freya strangely warm inside.

"I guess we both are..." Freya admitted with a blush.

They walked outside, assessing their setting. The area was quite charming, even in the dark. There was a small space in front of the cave making the perfect spot for the fireplace. The vines growing on the solid rock were enough protection from the sunlight, once the day was in their peak. The nearby boscage was good enough for some privacy if they were to relieve themselves.

The area was the perfect spot for camping, making Freya reminiscing some of her lonely ones. Every time in the wild woods she was alone—escaping from the constant reprimands her stepmother used to give her. She also didn't have a friend who might want to accompany her on these kinds of outings. Giselle was her closest person, but she wasn't the hunting or camping sort of woman. To be honest, none of the women she met were.

All of her life the constant feeling of not belonging accompanied her. She was too wild and emancipated to feel good at the palace, but she was too much of a royal with her father's bastard daughter label to feel good among the common people. If she was to choose, she would gladly stay far away from the palace's grounds, but her father's love and her own feelings toward him and her siblings made her choose them instead.

Persistently misunderstood, wild and lonely, she used to escape to her beloved forest, where nature was a more gentle company. There was nothing judgmental about the seemingly endless calm of life. The repeated cycles of dormancy and regrowth were a welcome relief for Freya compared to the unpredictable expectations placed on her on a daily basis.

Sometimes, she truly wished to be just a leaf on the tree's crown. She would have some company at least.

The Prince was on his knees preparing a small fireplace. He didn't look in her direction focused on the task at hand. "Sadly, I'm afraid we both don't have any say in the matter of him joining us. He's our company because my brother said so, therefore it's a law... However would that displease me," finally he spoke and after one more look at his finished job he stood up and turned to face the woman. "I believe I owe you some explanations, though."