The Prince's Escape

Chapter 17 || Is Ember Cold

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After James and Conrad tied the man to the nearest tree, everyone began slowly falling asleep, while everyone, but Luca. I had refused to even look at him since our fight, and I wasn't planning on doing it anytime soon. I turned to face the woods; welcoming the peaceful sight of swaying trees, and the forest hum. "Ember," I hear my name being whispered across our camp, so low, it could have been mistaken for the wind. I contemplate ignoring the voice, but before I can entertain the thought much longer, a hand gently shakes my shoulder. "Ember, don't go to sleep," Luca orders, all softness gone, once he sees me. Why? 

"I'm not sleeping," I state. 

His brows bunch together in frustration, "Simply avoiding me altogether," he smirks, folding his arms close to his chest.

"I have nothing to say to you." 

He lets out a sigh that momentarily softens his features. I see the man, who quickly pulled me to his chest upon me waking, "I want to explain."

"There's nothing to explain," I argue, turning away from him.

I can feel the annoyance washing off of him like an angry tide. "Yes, there is," I can practically hear his teeth grinding, but he does not reach out to me or even move a muscle. He waits patiently for me to become curious as to his words. "Ember, please."

I want to ignore him and walk away. I want to run away, really, and never look at him again, but he said please. That please held more desperation than I had been expecting to come from such an arrogant man. I slowly lift from my place on the ground, but I face a trunk, not wanting to let him off the hook just because I'm having, yet another moment of weakness. "Go on," I say to the chipping bark. He hasn't moved from his spot behind me, the notion gives me a strange feeling, so I suppress it.

He releases, yet another sigh, sending his warm breath down my neck, and the heat mixed with the cool of the night, causes me to shiver. "You had asked of my mother, which seems like a normal conversation for people, but- Ember, I haven't even thought of my mother like that in a long while. I needed to compose my thoughts, but before I knew it, I was lost in them."

He had never accepted his mother death. How stupid of me to ask her in such a way. But that doesn't excuse him from the way he acted after. "Why are you telling me this?"

He lets out another breath, "Ember," he sighs. It's unfair of him to say my name in such a way. My stare on the tree becomes more difficult as I just want to gaze into his eyes. "No, words are going to mend my actions," he adds.

"I'm glad you know that, but I still want to hear you say four words," I stated. If he can't  figure them out, then it will be easy for me to leave him once we return to the castle. He seems hesitant. 

"Will you look at me when I say them?" he pleas, and before the words can even register, my feet are already obeying. My eyes find those pools of blue, as he whispers, "I'm sorry, stable girl." I smack him in the chest. He knows those weren't the last two words. A deep chuckle emits from him. "Thank you," he sighs, but I can hear the sincerity and it causes a strange feeling to take hold of my stomach. He did it. Feck! 

I find myself unable to actually form coherent words, as he simply looks at me awaiting my response. I nod and tear my eyes away from him. Finally out of his insistence gaze, I can breathe, and clear my head. "Go to sleep, Princey," I whisper towards the woods.

"Can you not sleep, yet?" he asks a hint of worry clouding his voice.

"Just to be safe. I don't know a lot about the head, but I know it is sensitive, so I'll take first shift," I reason, moving away from him to perch myself upon a fallen tree trunk that has been down so long moss and other plant life as grown on it.

"Then, I'll stay up with you. I'm supposed to take first shift anyway." I shrug not wanted him to see how I truly felt by this gesture. No matter how I try to hate him, I can't. He took his seat beside me, and I could feel the warmth rolling off of him calling to me. I pulled my cloak closer to my face as if creating my own cocoon. "Is Ember cold?" He smirked, peering over at me. The fact that my name as to do with fire and heat, caused him to find much amusement in this notion. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"I am not my name," I stated, looking down at the men snuggling into their own coats for warmth. As Luca stood, I thought I hear him say, "How wrong you are." He had untied the heavy cloak that engulfed his long body and opened it towards me. Using his head he motioned me towards him as if it was an invitation. I shot him a look, 'you've got to be kidding.' 

"Ember, don't be difficult. You're cold. I have body warmth that can warm you and a coat that is warmer than your thin one, so be sensible," he reasoned. I scrunched up my face in annoyance of his conclusion. He's right. The weather somehow turned to ice. How are the other men not feeling it? As if reading my mind, Luca stated, "They too have thicker coats, Ember," his tone was not condescending, but cautious as though he was trying not to offend me when discussing how my thin, poor coat was not sufficient with these conditions as their thick rich ones were. I tried not to think too much about it as I gave in. 

Instantly, I was engulfed in the most beautiful heat. It clung to my flesh and I accepted it greedily. Luca's arms wrapped around me securing the coat, as I sighed in contentment. If someone were to spot us they would think Luca was a rather large man with a slim face, for my head was completely covered by the cloak. "This is nice," I sigh, and I feel my eyes begin to close. My legs grow tired, and I begin to slip, but Luca catches me easily.

"Oh no, you don't. Not twice in one day. Stick with me, little spark," he ordered. Little Spark? The nickname was sweet.  My eyes found him, and he sat me in between his legs as his back went against the log, and mine leaned against his chest. "You talk to me."

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