The Last Princess

Chapter 47

Though it was night, neither Aiden nor I were tired.

Still, Aiden had insisted that I rested, while he guarded. Then I had insisted that he rested while I guarded. This had gone on for some time until we both stubbornly sat down, leaning on two trees, staring the other down.

I wasn't breaking my gaze.

But neither was he.

"Oh come on, Elvina, seriously. Just sleep." Aiden tried again. "I'm not tired. And you can sleep, and I'll guard." I argued. He sighed. It was an impasse. No solution seemed available. Well, that was fine. I had broken the tension when walking, now he could do the same. "A compromise?" He suggested.

"Like what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "We both sleep?" "And who'll guard?" I asked. He grinned. "Me." I opened my mouth to protest, when he raised his hand. "Watch." With a flick of his fingers, I felt wind rush past us, and as he flicked his fingers again, a wave of golden light rippled above us, forming a dome around us.

"Protection." He said.

I was staring open-mouthed. I snapped my eyes back down to him. "You couldn't have done this earlier?" His smug smile disappeared. "Do you have to have a problem with everything I do?" I shrugged, even though I was grinning in a way that clearly said yes.

He sighed and said, "Well, we can both sleep now." I nodded and stretched my legs out, while Aiden lay flat on the ground, and closed my eyes.

It was hopeless.

I couldn't sleep. I was too awake, strangely, even though I shifted my position multiple times to feel more comfortable. So I opened my eyes, watching Aiden. He was already asleep, proving that he really had been tired, no matter what he said.

His breathing was even for once. I smiled remembering how he had slept before. Restlessly kicking his legs and waving his arms and turning on his back. Really, I was lucky he wasn't doing that again.

I closed my eyes again, and after maybe an hour or two, or three of trying to fall asleep, I really did. When I was woken up by the hard morning sunlight, Aiden was still asleep. I groaned. I'd have to wake him up again.

And that wasn't a very easy task.