She's a Rebel // Ben Finn x Princess

Chapter 7

I awoke, feeling like I hadn't slept at all. The desire to crawl back under the covers and hide from the daylight was almost overwhelming, but my duties befell me. I felt my limbs sink into the sheets around me, a biological refusal to start the day. I awaited the soft knock on the door that would signal the end of such immature thoughts, but it didn't come as soon as I expected. I felt myself slipping back into sleep, before the familiar sound lulled me gently into reality.

"Sorry to disturb you, your majesty," a servant, one I recognised but didn't know the name of, gingerly spoke to me. Without thinking, I sunk further under the sheets. "You have a visitor. I told them it was too early, but they insisted. When shall I tell them to return for an audience?"

"Uh...." I groaned in response, sick of seeing people. "Who is it? Can you not just send them up? How important is it? If it's only going to be a five minute appointment, send them up here. I refuse to get dressed for someone's escaped chickens," I yawned, aching to fall back asleep. The sunlight was harsher than usual, making the world seem far more real than I would have liked. "Just send them up, uh... what's your name?"

"Gabriel, your grace," he replied, sheepishly, nodding at my request. "I shall send them up, if you are sure..." He finished his sentence, accompanying it with a small bow, shutting the door quietly behind him. I took the moment to relish the silence; the private world of my bed could only be compromised by my responsibilities. But not for a few minutes yet.

I hid further, until I felt the lack of oxygen threaten seize my lungs. I wanted to live in the cave I had created for myself - well, it was the safest cave-like space I was going to get with Albion's Hobbe infestation. The welcome silence ended far too swiftly with the dull thud on the door. I attempted to emerge from my cave, but I managed to entrap myself in a sheet cocoon. I was barely free and standing before my guest began to enter the room. I quickly attempted to readjust my hair and sat at my desk, scanning a random document with a facade of full attention.

"Ah... Rose?" I recognised Ben's voice straight away, my heart leaping into a rhythm that didn't feel so healthy. I sighed, heavily. "Oh, is now a bad time, because I can come back.... Later, I mean..."

"No!" I shouted, quickly, slightly over-zealously. "I-I..." I turned my body to face him, my face flushed from the pure embarrassment. My whole existence froze as I saw, for the first time in a long time, the Ben Finn I knew - no more intimidating mercenary uniform and no more cold exterior. "I'm... uh, not doing anything, I mean, I am, just..." I breathed, my heartbeat still irregular, as he crossed his arms and watched me, one eyebrow raised. "You know, it's not anything important."

"Do I ask, or...?" The smile he wore marched the smile in his voice; I smiled back, almost apologetically. "Got it. I, uh, wanted an audience, because I had something to say, but I guess I didn't know exactly what I was going to say. But I'm here, now." He glanced to the floor, his fringe briefly covering his face.

"Evidently," I replied, sitting up properly. I wondered how appropriate it would be to ask him to sit with me. "What was it you wanted? Is it about last night? I'm not angry, or anything..."

"That's the thing. I was thinking about it, you know, thinking over it all. Because I do that, you know. Aaaaand, I was thinking that, maybe, you know, being a mercenary, even a mercenary boss, while it's undoubtedly a position suited to such a talented guy, like me, it isn't really all that legal, is it?" He sat down, slowly, almost absent-mindedly, on the edge of my bed, making gestures as he spoke. From a shorter distance, I could see the crystal blue of his eyes far more clearly. I gazed for a moment, transfixed, before realising the context of the moment and glancing away. "So, I was wondering, if the offer was still on the table. I would totally understand if it wasn't, of course, I haven't been the ideal soldier but luckily we have such a kind and generous monarch, who would totally give me my job back. And I would absolutely love to be part of your army. Again." His smile was borderline dazzling, and I found myself wondering if it truly was effortless. "If you'll have me."

"Tell me, are we your first choice or have you applied to all of the other criminals in the country and been rejected?" My voice was stressed, as my breathing wasn't exactly metronomic, but Ben didn't seem to pick up on it. It seemed that all of the negative energy from the night before had evaporated, leaving only a pleasant atmosphere. And, honestly, that did nothing to help my questionable feelings.

"They said I was overqualified. And far too handsome." He winked, and it felt as if my lungs deflated entirely. Was this normal? Surely normal people didn't experience this on a daily basis. It couldn't be healthy. My thoughts kept me distracted, without verbal words to fill the silence, the conversation dropped. "So, what do you say? Just, uh, promise you won't send me on a suicide mission to fend off the legions of the damned, yeah?"

"I don't think you're exactly in a position to be picky, Benjamin," I laughed, and he held his hands up defensively, laughing, his smile brighter than several suns. "I would be thrilled to have you back." I smiled, as I placed my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure there's nobody in this world who would pass up the opportunity to have the one and only, world renowned, professional marksman Ben Finn on their team."

"I knew there was a reason I risked my life to overthrow your brother," I shook my head in response, as he stood up to leave. I searched my mind for anything to say to keep him near me for longer but there was nothing. "You really won't regret this, honestly, I'm going to stick around, get to know Bowerstone Market a little more. If you need me for anything, I'll be the one running the cartel," I glared at him for a moment. "Jokes, your majesty, jokes."

I resisted the urge to watch him leave and looked back to the paper I was pretending to read earlier. My mind, while full of fuzziness and air, felt the need to attach itself to something real and official and political. As I skimmed the parchment, I picked up only a few words, such as "marriage", and "Lord Beckett of Knothole Island". Wasn't that the place with the Balverines? I shook my head, checking that Ben had left before lying back on my bed and covering my face with a pillow. I had become a monarch when I was barely out of my teens. I guess now was the appropriate time to act like a lovesick teenager.