Alexandria: The Lost Princess

Chapter 6 - Part 2

After many hours of travel, the horses finally need a break. Everyone disperses immediately, allowing the horses to recuperate by the stream. Doing my best to ignore the water trickling by, I fear if I merely look towards it, I might just cry. Finding myself mesmerized by the horses, I stand dumbfounded. Inching my hand towards the horse, I attempt to pet it. It snorts, and I tug my hand back startled.

A man with sun-kissed brown hair approaches slowly, almost casually. No smirk reached up into his hazel eyes, just a calm unintrusive demeanour. He seems cheerful. A wave of calmness dissolves my nervousness, this man appeared to be of no threat like the others. Observing the horse, he lifts his hand up and strokes the horse's neck. His full focus on the horse as he stands beside me and I cautiously watch his casual movements, but he never looks towards me.

His mouth opens, and he remains focused on the horse. "Cecile said it would be good for you to get up and moving. Did you want to go for a walk with me?" I remain silent, not sure what type of trick this is. "It will get you away from the water."

I nod suddenly eager to move. Stepping back from the horses, the man is very cautious not to touch me and guides me away from the forest. Kalen walks over, blocking my path, separating me from the man.

His arms folded and he orders the man behind him with exhaustion thick in his voice, "She is not to leave this clearing."

The man turns around seeming unfazed by the disturbance. A light sigh leaves him, and his shoulders relax under the presence of my obstacle. "Your sister insisted," he counters.

"She can walk around the clearing not out of my sight," Kalen crosses his arms in triumph, raising his eyebrow challenging the man to say one more word.

Cecile shouts out from by the stream her thick black ponytail swishing from the action, "Actually, that's a great idea, Kale. I need Gabriel to get the horses packed shortly, you can take her instead."

"Cecile enough," Kalen groans rather weakly.

"It was my idea, not like this is an escape attempt. Relax," she reasons, placing her hands on her hips. A determined stance held with a stare, she was ready to argue. She continues after a quick pause to see if Kalen will protest. "It's decided, go take the princess for her walk."

Kalen huffs, and I stare amazed as he turns and points towards the forest. "Make this quick."

Quickly, I fall into step behind him. I could never understand why Wilfrid called him Kale. The man is so intimidating that I can't fathom anything but a proper full name from the lips of his followers. It seems his nickname came from Cecile. With her especially, Kalen has a tenderness that he struggles to hide in front of me.

He may be sweet to these people in his little army, but he is not going to trick me. That smile after I slapped him, its manipulation that I will not fall for. No amount of kind gestures will change my mind of him. His belief in my identity is the only thing keeping me from my family, and that is something I can't forgive.

Our arms brush against one another, and my heart begins to race nervously. Pulling away, I hug myself, stepping ahead to distance us. Kalen stomps a close distance behind me. My knee buckles and I stumble forward, a hand pulls me back. My should collides with his chain mail, it clunks under my weight. His cold eyes stare into me, the rich brown reflects my green.

My cheeks explode with a burning blush, and I shove away from him. Calmly, he lets me go, his hand glides down my arm in my stumbling haste. His warm hand forms goosebumps on my skin. Hurrying away from him, my blush beaming on my face.

Not a sound behind me indicates he has moved, checking behind me he remains still, staring at his hand with uncertainty. With a hesitant step away from him, he proceeds to follow.