Esmerelda

Ten

"I am going to take a run...to clear my head," Thorian decided as I glanced at Rowan. He nodded in agreement. Yes...maybe he just needed to clear his head and have some time to himself. Certainly Rowan and I yelling at him was not going to fix his situation. Not at all.

I watched as he shifted into his lycan form. I used to be terribly afraid whenever someone would shift in front of my eyes but since there was a good amount of lycans now in my own kingdom, I had become accustomed to it.

Thorian's wolf approached me and rubbed his side against my leg. I smiled at him, my hands rustling his fur. "I am not upset with you, Thorian. Go ahead and take your run." He bumped up against me one more time before he shot Rowan a look of disdain and then rushed away.

"Do you think Sirus will have a problem with him studying under Edwin for a month or two?" I questioned Rowan as he wiped some of Thorian's blood from his face.

Rowan gave me a wary look. "I do not know...you go ahead and ask him. I will not get in the middle of you two like I have done so long ago," he told me as I scoffed. Rowan did not aid me as much as he would like to think back then, but I will let him keep his thoughts. "Why do you want him to go anyway?"

"Because he can learn from Edwin...find a balance. Plus he will be away from Margaret. Maybe his heart will rest more easier," I explained to him as Rowan began to laugh.

Nothing I said was humorous, and I crossed my arms against my chest, glaring at him. "He is not a child. He will bed some women, fight out his anger, and be fine."

I snorted, as disgust began to fill me. "Rowan, that is not..." I trailed off trying to find a way to not insult their ways while getting my point across. "There are different ways to deal with problems and I think Thorian should try another way...rather than the way he is doing things now. Using people as targets is not ideal."

Rowan shook his head, grasping my shoulder lightly. "How I miss your attitude, Esmerelda. Chelsea is very outright with her feelings, you are very cunning in your thoughts...just say you do not think our way is right and you want him to do things your way."

I slapped his hand away rather playfully, but it did not reach my eyes. Of course I wanted him to work out his problems like a sane human being! Not a beast...but the beast was apart of him. It could be tamed...with much, much work. Before I could try and defend my thoughts a guard rushed up to us, Rowan quickly staring the young boy down.

He glanced at me before bowing, a letter in hand. "My Queen..." Rowan growled. "Ah...oh...I mean Princess, Lady Esmerelda you have a letter. It is from your kingdom!" The poor boy held out the letter and I thanked him quickly before grabbing the it.

I opened it quickly, instantly recognizing my brother's handwriting.

Dear my lovely Esme,

I hope you are enjoying your stay with Thorian. If Sirus is giving you any problems I do hope you write to me in haste so that I may...eradicate that problem. Anywho, I am writing to tell you what I want accomplished between the Orc Kingdom and our own is set in stone. You should come back within the next few days for a special celebration. I hope this time was enough for you to get to know your son.

King Edwin.

"He really did it." I could feel heat behind me and knew Rowan was extremely close, attempting to look at what Edwin had written me. I turned around glaring at how close he was. "Would you like to read the letter, Rowan?!"

"I already did," he claimed as I shook my head ticking the letter under my arms. "So when are you departing? Whenever you choose to leave I hope I can say a private goodbye to your betrothed." A private goodbye meant that he was going to try and threaten him one more time before we left.