Pages 13 and 14
Keldf held her head and stroked her hair. "No, it was my fault for blowing up like that. I shouldn't have assumed things like that. I was just... I don't know, Iyana."
She looked up at him, her eyes were red from tears. "You're still going to the west?"
He smiled. "I can't, remember? For one thing, I'm supposed to be your responsibility."
Iyana laughed at that, but it was a short laugh.
"And for another, I won't leave you here for the war to swallow you up while I hide. I'm going to stay with you, Iyana, no matter what you have to say about it." He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
She smiled and closed her eyes. "You know, it's a good thing these doors are thick and the walls are even thicker so no one can hear anything. I don't think anyone thought of this, but someone could scream 'bloody murder' and no one would hear. Because if anyone heard what I just yelled, then we'd both be in a whole lot of trouble."
"As long as we don't have to be separated. I never thought I'd ever be this happy, Iyana. My whole life of running through the streets, stealing for my food, and hoping I'd live another day. Back then, my life wasn't worth anything and I didn't care whether I'd lived or died, just as long as I made it through another day. But now..."
"How long do you think they'll give us in here before they barge in with their swords drawn?"
That was an excellent point. Keldf hadn't thought of that. "Uh, you'd better get up, then. I hadn't even thought of that, Iyana. But they won't let us have much longer before they'll think I've hurt you or something." He helped her sit up and he moved across the room grudgingly, so it would look like he had sat there the whole time.
"Now we just sit and wait," Iyana said. She tried to wipe her redness in her eyes away, but it really didn't work. Hopefully, the guards wouldn't notice.
Not long after, the doors opened and the two guards came in with their swords ready.
"Are you OK, princess?" one asked.
"Of course I am. Now, I would like to be led to my room. Does Keldf have an attached room yet?"
The guard nodded and led them out and through the twisted hallways to Iyana's quarters.
That very afternoon, a handsome prince came to visit Iyana. She informed Keldf that his this prince's name was Floans.
"This is the thief that you freed?" Floans asked as he sat in the tea room.
Floans had a strange, red hair that was cut in the ridiculous style of the nobles of the times, he wore black breeches--silk, probably--, a green shirt, and a woolen, green and gold jacket, despite the heat. His eyes were sharp and a strange hazel color, and his muscles weren't all that impressive, in fact, one could say that he had almost a slight build.
Iyana sat across the room from Floans in a thick-cushioned chair, and Floans sat on the couch. Keldf was serving the tea, as Iyana has thought.
"Yes, Prince Floans. His name is Keldf."
Iyana looked extraordinary in the dress she was wearing now. It was long--down to her ankles--but looked extremely light, which was good because it was coming close to summer now. It was a light yellow with pale blue flowers on it. It clung at the top, but was loose on the bottom. She looked even more beautiful than he had remembered, and he didn't think that was possible.
"Keldf," the prince called, obviously wanting Keldf to answer.
"Yes, your highness?" He was going to be polite, no matter how much he hated it.
"Could you please remove my shoes?"
Now he had to wonder about this. Remove his shoes? Were nobles that spoiled? Keldf's eyes widened and looked to Iyana, who nodded shortly. "Yes, your highness. I would be happy to remove your shoes for you." Keldf bent down to take off the prince's boots when Floans hit him on the back of the head, right near his neck. However much he wanted to grab Floans' arm and twist it around, but he was not allowed, so he fell. When he hit the floor, his head was in pain and he was seeing stars. So much for thinking he had a slight build. This man was obviously a lot stronger than he looked. But not too much, because any stronger man would have knocked Keldf out.
"Why'd you do that?!?" Iyana shouted. She knelt beside Keldf and helped him up. "Are you all right?"
He nodded and rubbed his head. "I've had worse."
Prince Floans was sipping his tea quietly on the couch. "A servant should answer immediately to a request, Keldf. You should learn that and know it well in my presence."
Iyana pointed a finger at the prince. "It is not honorable to hit someone when they can't hit you back--especially a servant, who you should be grateful even serves you!"
"He should be grateful he's not in prison right now. Now sit up, princess, please." When she did, he continued. "It is true that it is not honorable to hit someone who can't hit back, but this man has no honor, so there is nothing dishonorable about it."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Iyana replied.
"Let us talk of something else, hmm? This subject can lead to things that are not pleasant. So, Iyana, why exactly did you free Keldf?"
"Why? Because I didn't think that he deserved a life in prison. You seem fixated on this subject, Prince Floans. Do you have some objection to my judgment? Because I think that I have judged fairly."
"Well, I have to say I don't approve of a delicate princess having constant contract with a strong thief. It just unnerves me."
Keldf could've smacked the man. Instead, he said "Prince Floans, your highness, I am pledged to serve her faithfully as a bodyguard and a servant, if need be."
Floans flared his nose in disgust for a moment. The whole action made him look ugly, though he had hardly done anything. "Servants speak when they are spoken to."
Well, now in Keldf's mind, he looked ugly permanently. He nodded anyway and stood behind Iyana's chair as he thought a bodyguard would.
"What are you doing?" Floans demanded.
"I am protecting. That is my job." Keldf thought that was a bit obvious.
"Well, you should be watching from behind me so you can see the whole room." When Keldf obliged, Floans rolled his eyes and faced Iyana again. "Incompetent."
One advantage to being behind Floans was that Keldf could make fun of him and he wouldn't notice.
Iyana seemed to be having trouble not laughing.
"What is it?" the prince asked, and when he looked behind him, Keldf was standing normally as if he hadn't been doing. He looked back to Iyana and though Keldf couldn't see his face, he knew it was from confusion.
"Nothing." Iyana was hiding a smiled behind her hand. "I was just remembering a joke that I heard yesterday."
"Please, inform me of this joke that keeps you smiling even a day later."
"All right. A man walks into an inn and gestures for an ale. He had worked in the inn a few years before, so the innkeeper knew his little signs. The man drinks the whole ale without saying a word and when he was done he said, 'You know, I have not uttered a word since the last time I saw you until now.' and the innkeeper replied, 'The where's the milk?!?'"
Keldf couldn't help but smile at that. She had messed up the story a bit, but he had heard that one, too.
Iyana cleared her throat when Floans didn't laugh. "It was funnier when--when the man had said it."
"That's a farmgirl joke," Prince Floans said. "Crude humor." He said that last sentence with a touch of disgust.
