Royal Blood

Chapter 7 - A New Friend

He was pleased with himself. I could tell.

"Until next time," he said. "Uhh..."

Oh. He wants my name. Heck no. I'm not telling him. "Why should I tell you my name? For one reason, I don't even know yours. You're just the guy who stole from me."

"You don't know my name?" he asked, his eyes big. I shook my head. He grinned. "My face, and... name are plastered all over this town... plus, a huge reward." He smiled, like he was proud of himself.

"You're a bandit, then?" I asked, but it was really a statement.

"Yes." He smiled again. "One of the most wanted." He did a small bow. "Mason, at your service."

I gave him a skeptical look. "You do realize, that you just tried to kill me, right?" Was this guy for real?

"Yeh, I know it was kind of a joke." I could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

"Okay." I rolled my eyes, and crossed my arms.

"Now it's your turn," he said.

"For what?" I raised my eyebrows at him.

"To tell me your name," he replied.

The wind blew lightly, and my hair blew into my face. I used my left hand to move the hair out of my face. My eyes met his blue ones. The wind blew his hair slightly. "Ember," I mumbled.

"Hmmp... that's different," he said. Now, he was going to make fun of my name, or laugh, or just say some rude remark. "Huh, I like it," he said. See! I knew- wait! What?

"Uh... thanks?" Wait, are we really getting along after he just robbed me? No, way. Not happening. "You know what, just get out of my face!" What was I doing?

"What?"

"You heard me." Without another word, I took off running. Don't look back! Don't do it!

I'm not sure why it happened, but it did. Hot tears ran down my cheeks. Why was I crying? I wiped away the tears.

Once I was out of his view, I ran, full speed. I slowed to a walk once I saw the village.

Hope. Hope was what I had now. Hope that nobody was in the lobby of the inn.

I opened the door, the bell rang, and I quickly started to make my way upstairs.

"Ember?"

I looked back down the stairs, wiping my eyes. I looked at Melony and smiled. "Yeah?" I croaked.

"Are you okay? What happened? And why in the world are you half naked?" she asked.

Tears formed in my eyes again. "I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm fine." I gave her the best smile I could manage.

"No, you're not." She shook her head. She walked up the steps to me. She grabbed my wrist. "Come on," she said, as she pulled me back down the stairs, and into the door she always come out of.

Inside the door was a small room, a kitchen. Then on the other side of the room was a door that I assumed led outside. To the left were four doors, bedrooms I guessed. She led me to the furthest one. We walked in, there was a bed, window closet, and makeup stand.

"This is my room. Don't worry my younger siblings all share the other rooms, perks of being the oldest. Everyone is fast asleep." She smiled lightly. "Anyway, let's get back to you. Here sit on the bed, and tell me everything."

I did as I was told and sat on the bed. She moved her hair out of her eyes, and looked at me.

"Wait, maybe you want something to wear?" She was kind of talking to herself, but I nodded. "Okay." She walked over to the closet. "What do you want to wear? How about a nightgown?" she asked. I thought for a second. Yes, something comfortable. I nodded.I didn't really know what was wrong with me. I hated this guy, I should have let him rot in that cell. Why did I hate him?

"Here you go." She turned around, and tossed me a blue soft night gown. I slipped it on, as she continued to ramble on, about different things. She would talk about one thing, and then start talking about something completely new. "You don't seem like you talk much, do you?"

I shrugged. I didn't know why, but I just didn't feel like talking.

"Well, will you please tell me what happened?"

I sighed, nodded, and patted the spot next to me on the bed. She walked over and sat beside me.

I cleared my throat. "Well, you know, I left in a hurry, because I needed air..." I explained to her everything that happened. The dagger to the throat, my things being stole, 'him', and how he became nice after he stole from me.

She sighed, and looked down at her lap. She shook her head. "Stupid... Mason."

Wait, what?

"Do you know him?" I asked.

She looked up at me, and smiled slightly. "Sadly."

"How? Can I ask?"

She laughed slightly. "Well, it's sort of a long story, and-"

"Please, tell me?"

"Well, uh... I guess, I can explain it. We're cousins."

I think my brain just exploded, and my jaw dropped to the floor. "How, how is that even possible? You're like so nice, and he's so... I don't know, I don't have a word for it."

"I know it's hard to believe, but his father is my... uh, my mother's brother."

"Is your mother, like a tense subject, or something, because that's what it seems like."

She smiled slightly, a sad look played in her eyes. "Yeah... she's, uh... dead." She looked down at her lap, again.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-"

"No, it's fine. It was like two years ago." She looked back at me, with a short smile, but it quickly disappeared. "Anyway, back to Mason. He can be a total jerk."

"Yeah, I noticed. Were you guys ever close?" I asked.

She sighed. "Hardly. When we were little, yeah. Absolutely. Incredibly close, even. But once he turned seven, his father, had him off doing things, and training constantly. In years from now he'll be the leader of the bandits, he'll take over his father's spot," she explained. "So then we grew apart, and I don't think we've talked since my mother died."

"How old is he now?" I asked.

She smiled, then frowned. "Uhh... nineteen."

"You sure? You don't sound very sure."

"Yes, absolutely."

"Oh..." I looked away from her.

"Eww... somboys got a crush," she sang.

"What? I do not. I hate him," I defended myself.

"Sure, sure you do."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever." It became silent after that.

"I'm sorry, did I upset you?" she asked.

"No, it's fine." I shook my head.

"You sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"We're friends then, right?" she asked.

Friends? The only friend I ever really had was Eli, and sort of Crystal. But mainly Eli, I told him a lot more, then I shared with Crystal.

"Just so we're clear I don't have a crush on your cousin. I hate him, okay?" I said.

"Okay, whatever you say," she mumbled.

"And, yes."

"Yes, what?"

"We are still friends, or now friends," I said, as I smiled at her, and she smiled at me. I had a new friend, maybe a best friend.