Miavel

Okay.

I’d had enough.

It was time that I mentioned it.

“Why? Why do you keep calling me princess?” I hissed out through my teeth.

His eyes widened a fraction as he stared back at me, his gaze darting between my equally glaring eyes.

“I–” He started to say something and then stopped. He sighed. “I suppose it’s a habit.”

A habit, huh?

Well, wasn’t that ridiculous?

We’d never met before we were married. How could it possibly be a habit unless he made it a habit after our marriage. Either way, I’d have preferred never to be called by that term again.

“Stop calling me that,” I demanded. "Stop calling me Princess."

He raised an eyebrow at that. Some of my bold courage and determination to get my point across slinked away. I took a breath and stood taller, not that it made much of a difference… since he was like a giant compared to me.

“Am I – am I not a Queen now?” I asked, feeling ridiculous all of a sudden for having to explain. “You should address me as one!”

“No, please?”

I gaped at him. Openly. I couldn’t control my mouth or face anymore. And he had the audacity to wear amusement on his face! Before I could poke him or say something more to get him to stop looking at me like that, he spoke.

“My, if I call you a Queen, I dare say there won’t be a thank you either.”

Was he joking? He was making a joke right now? To me?

My heart jumped in my chest, the room was very warm whenever I was around him anymore. I couldn’t explain it. I shook my head. It wasn’t the time to wonder about my own complicated emotions right now.

I scoffed. “Of course there won’t be one! This is common sense! Why should I have to beg to be called by my title correctly!” This time, I did poke him. Not enough to hurt. Clearly. If I was a chipmunk, he was a bear. “It’s – It’s rude not to!”

When the silence hit, it was as if I could see my life span in front of me, running away, far away. Did I have a death wish? What the heck was I doing? When did I forget he was the King? When did I forget that I was technically supposed to be keeping the peace, not shredding it with my own teeth?

Instead of my worst fears, something happened.

A noise.

It hadn’t come from me. As we were the only two in this corridor, I looked at him, bewlildered.

Was that… a tiny laugh?

A smirk took over his face. If he wasn’t so pretty, I would’ve been panicking more. I guess, to die by the hand of someone handsome was better than dying alone, right?

“You’re quite entertaining, Princ… Miavel.”

My lungs stopped working. There was no air moving, whatsoever. It all caught in my throat. I couldn’t say anything; all I could do was stand and stare at him.

“We’ll see if you truly become a Queen. I’ll save it for the day I see it in you.”

And then, he turned to go. I nearly called out to him, nearly reached for him. He looked back at me.

“Get some rest.”

I stood there for several long moments before entering my room. In a daze, I sat down by my window and traced random lines upon it.

It was only when Lilia returned to my room, gently knocking and calling for me, that I realized we’d left her there, in the room with Talyn’s mother, Claudia.

Even so, after apologizing to her for leaving without her and hearing her chuckle before telling me that I hadn’t, in fact, left, but instead was dragged from the room, I fell back into that daze.

The day I become a queen in his eyes, is the day he’ll call me one…

He’d caught himself before calling me princess again.

I smiled, remembering it, hearing his short laugh, seeing the way he looked back at me, his joke he’d attempted to make.

A queen, huh?

Then I’d just have to show him.

Show him, yes.

But…

I stood at the back exit to the palace, the place Rogers and Lilia led me to. The carriage was waiting for me to go on the trip to Lord Malin’s land. It was only a few hours away, so I could go there and come back within the same day, as I’d started my day rather early. Lilia put me in a simple dress with no fancy accessories, but it was warm and comfortable. I was wearing a cloak for the journey as well.

But…

I glanced at Rogers and Lilia whose faces only reminded me that they worked for Talyn originally. That they were two people Talyn trusted. That he had appointed them specifically in order to keep an eye on me.

They seemed delighted for not having mentioned this to me.

Sighing, I walked down the steps and to the carriage, right to the man waiting there, dressed as simply as I was, also with a cloak for the journey.

“I’m coming with you.”

“I see,” I replied, deciding fighting him on this wouldn’t be worth it. I mean, he was already visibly dressed for it. I suppose him approving it meant he was coming with, huh? I'd keep that in mind for next time.

He lent me a hand up into the carriage before climbing in himself.

I couldn’t find any words to say. All of yesterday kept running through my mind, especially when I looked at him, and it was driving me crazy.

“Miavel.”

“What?” I asked, not looking at him.

It was silent again as the carriage started moving. My gaze followed the scenery outside the window next to me.

“Miavel.”

“What?”

I heard him sigh.

“Look at me.”

I refused silently, feeling oddly bold and daring today. For some reason, I wanted to push this as far as I could.

“Please?”

His voice was so soft, so quietly alluring. I turned to face him, pretending to be unaffected by it, by how he’d quietly pleaded with that one word.

“What is it?” Even my reply seemed to tone it down; it was quieter with his soft plea. Seeing him, sitting there, waiting on me, asking me, was everything for me in the moment.

“I hope I’m not overstepping too much,” he started. “I figured my skills are as good as any knight I’ve trained. I figured if I come with, then I won’t make you take as many knights with you.”

I nodded, showing my acceptance of his words. “Alright.”

With that, he seemed to relax a bit into his seat and didn’t pester me anymore about looking his way. I gazed at the window again, and when the carriage turned on a new road, the way the light shone in through the windows, I could see his reflection in my window. I watched him instead of the scenery.

Instead of pushing the feelings aside this time, I let myself revel in this warmth, just being near him, in his silent presence, in this simple sweet moment. It was nice.

The time seemed to fly by and before long, we arrived at the end of the market street in Lord Malin’s territory.

Talyn helped me down out of the carriage, spoke a few quiet words to the Captain of his knights before the carriage drove off, leaving us to our own devices. I noticed that it was just the two of us, no extra guards. Despite that fact, I wasn’t worried. Maybe it was all those rumors that he was a monster on the battlefield which made me feel safe.

What an odd thing.

Feeling safe with the so-called monster.

But, as I looked up at his hooded face, made less recognizable with the cloak unless someone was as close to him as I was, I couldn’t even think of him as anything even remotely similar to that of a monster. I saw something else there, someone else. I wasn’t quite sure what it was yet, but I knew what it wasn’t.

It was definitely not a monster.

Just as we started walking, a man and woman rushed past us, one of them bumping into me a little. I stumbled a bit, hearing their apologies as they kept running. I sighed and stepped a bit closer to Talyn, hoping his larger frame would be able to protect me from the same kind of incident.

It was a good plan in my head, but the moment I moved closer, a hand appeared in front of me, held out to me. I looked up at Talyn, surprised.

He inclined his head to his hand, silently telling me to take it. Without so much as a second thought, I reached for it and fell into step beside him.

Together, his larger hand engulfing mine, we walked down the streets. I smiled when I noted his steps were smaller, just to match my shorter legs and stride, and the warmth did not cease, but rather, it grew within my heart.