Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mikhail was stunned into silence. The princess sitting before him, had not only relaxed in his presence, but had deferred to her old childhood nickname for him. He remembered her being so small and finding the name Mikhail too much to handle.

He never could hold it against her for always being wary around him. As a boy with his friends, they had always been a bit mean to her. Picked on her. Teased her. Pushed her. As a princess with one parent, she didn't ever have parental protection or her nanny since she was an expert escapist. And he mocked and bullied her for it. She was smaller, weaker and there was always an opportunity. He wondered if she thought about it as often as he did. A pang of guilt pressed his chest as he thought about his own mother.

But she wasn't small any more. She had grown into a modest, beautiful and remarkably intelligent woman, with a heart that was far too kind for the world they lived in. He was very aware though, that she did not see herself in the way he and the rest of court did. She was too humble for that. He only hoped that she had a back bone that he didn't know about, or the court and other nations would eat her alive when she was Queen.

Mikhail shook his head. He was mesmerized by the pink roses woven into her thick black hair. The sweet scent of the flower wafted to him as they continued forward. As they reached the road that led back to the city, Mikhail removed his cloak from his shoulders and passed it to her to put on. For her safety, he had always kept her unapproved adventures to himself. He didn't want any of the wrong ears to hear from palace workers of the princess going out on her own. He made sure though that he stayed in public areas as to not look suspicious as if he were hiding anyone important. It was common enough for him to be seen about the city and for people to share a saddle. When she had the garment secured around her neck, he pulled up the hood and made sure it came low over her face. She relaxed again against him and he continued forward towards the city.

The smell hit them first as they approached the city gates before the noise. Loud voices, working machinery, squawks, and bleats filled the air alongside the scent of food, animals, unwashed bodies and filthy streets. The guards at the gate nodded to the Knight Commander, and didn't stop him from entering or even glance at the form sitting before him. He was aware of her eyes being pulled for attention in every direction as her head turned back and forth. Observing everything she could. He noticed her attention lingered on a book store, a jewelers, and she stared as long and hard as she could as they passed Drake's Forge Armory. The best metal workers in the country. Whether basic blades, or grand, every blade was beautiful. Since his own promotion to Knight Commander, he was lucky enough to be able visit as often as he did. If he had done his math right, he could have a whole matching set of weapons and armor within the next four years. Sooner if he earned any special purses from the King. He knew an option would be to just ask Avalyn, knowing she would more than likely help him figure out how to get it all sooner but he didn't really need all that fine weaponry at once.

"Excuse me, m'lord." An older woman, dressed in bleak brown cloth and with gray hair pulled back in horse tail, reached out to him, “Would you care to buy some flowers for a lovely lady?"

Mikhail was already sidestepping the woman but Avalyn whipped around at the word, "flowers."

"I want some flowers." She mewled.

"No," Mikhail snapped, frustrated, speaking to all three. Ash was both trying to see what the woman was reaching out to them for and tried to respond to what Avalyn wanted. Mikhail steered Ash forward and kicked him into a canter. Avalyn turned around proper, removing her small hands from his vambrace, and tucked herself back into him. Shoulders slightly sagging.

To Mikhail's relief, they made it to the palace gates without any incident. The guards there, too, saw him and nodded him through with a salute. He made his way quickly towards the Royal Guard stables and dismounted and waited for Avalyn to swing her far leg over. He reached up to her and held upon her hips as she balanced herself against his shoulders and helped her jump down. Mikhail was worried. She seemed lighter but his attention was called away the moment he thought it. He looked about and let the princess slip out of his hands to go back to her rooms as one of his men came to deliver a report to him. He shared a few words with the man and turned back around to take care of their mounts but found them missing. He jogged into the stable and found his saddle on its stand outside Ash's gate, another saddle swung over and out of Graham's stall further down.

"Princess?" He called.

Her hooded head peeked out of Graham's stall, "Yes?"

"Nothing." He replied, scratching his hair. Ash blew heavily at him. Mikhail looked over at his mount to see him staring him down, standing right in front of his gate. Waiting.

"You are so prissy." He complained. Ash gave a loud retort, but Mikhail obliged and grabbed a brush.

Avalyn chuckled as she witnessed the exchange between mount and rider and wondered who was really in charge. After brushing down her own mount, still looking perplexed as to how they were snuck up on by the Knight Commander, she left him with a treat. She approached Ash's stall to see Mikhail picking the gelding's hooves. When Ash was aware of her he lurched forward, knocking Mikhail into the wall. Mikhail let out a snarl and shoved his over grown mounts rear off of him.

"Sorry," She said meekly to the Knight Commander.

"Do not be giving him any sweets!" He snapped. Ash turned and gave his rider an accusatory glare, but Avalyn walked off to leave the two of them in peace and not cause any more trouble for her guardian. It wasn't until she had finally walked into her rooms that she remembered that she still wore Mikhail's cloak. She shrugged it off and set it neatly on her bed. Mikhail would be by in a few minutes any ways to check on her.

After stripping out of her guards uniform she washed herself up and picked up the gown that she had ignored that morning, slipping on a cream shift before her deep burgundy gown. She fastened a black leather belt around her waist and walked out of her bathing chamber to realize that Mikhail still hadn't come. Unfazed, she put on her slippers and made her way to the library. She was in high hopes that the librarian would have something intriguing for her to read that evening.

000

Avalyn came back a couple hours later to her room to see a familiar furry face sitting in a small bed upon her own bed, collared with red leather and a little bell, "What are you doing here?" She said exasperated. The fox bounced out of his nest of her pillows and flew over to her. She picked him up and hugged him and accepted his wet little kisses. She looked around and realized Mikhail had been by to pick up his cloak, but he had also left a vase of flowers sitting atop a note in his neat handwriting on her table.

He stowed himself away in you saddle bags

M.

P.S. Eat! Don't give it to the animal.

She looked at the covered platter and at the fox, "Hungry?" He reacted happily to her talking, and she knew he always wanted food. She set him on her table and he immediately followed his nose to the food. Carefully, she removed the silver lid and took a quick inventory. Her fox looked at her, waiting on her to know what he could go for, but it was obvious he really wanted some of her roasted chicken. She giggled at him and set the lid aside, and tore a manageable piece off for him. He took it gingerly and bounced a pace away to lie down and eat his prize. She took a piece herself and popped it in her mouth, savoring the salt and herbs.

The two companions had been eating a few moments when a knock sounded on her door, and the Mikhail came in. Avalyn looked up from her book to see him scowling at the fox eating her food and on the table no less.The fox paused in his eating, having a stare down with the Knight Commander. After a beat he picked up his meat and dashed off the table into Avalyn's lap, out of the Knight Commanders line of sight. He hastily tried to consume it faster than he could manage. She stroked him and took his piece, getting him to lie down again and eat calmly once again.

"You don't follow orders well." Mikhail observed darkly, picking his note up from the table.

"I can follow them just fine, thank you, when I think it necessary. Yours was not." She replied in a sweet tone, never taking her attention of her new pet.

"He has food." He snapped exasperated.

She finally looked up at him, “Obviously."

"That is not what I meant.”

Avalyn smiled shyly, "Thank you for the flowers.”

Mikhail was momentarily derailed from her sudden topic change and looked both embarrassed and flustered, "You're welcome.”

"What did you need?”

He was silent a moment as he tried to remember what he had come up for, he shook his head, a grin full of teeth, "I come with an invitation.”

Avalyn was instantly suspicious. It was far more usual for him to be surly and grumpy, but now he looked as sly as a cat, "An invitation to what, precisely?”

Mikhail gave a wolfish smile, "Dinner with all the guards in the mess hall.”

He started coming around the table as Avalyn frowned at him, "My father has dinner with me.”

"And now you’ll have dinner with me, and every other guard in the palace." Mikhail looked so smug, she thought she might just smack him, "Your father agreed with me, the palace needs to know their most beloved crowned princess better than they do.”

"You're evil.”

He stopped behind her chair, and bent over to whisper in her ear, "Thank you, I know." He reached over, and snatched the small chocolate cake off her plate, a habit he never kicked from his childhood, filching her sweets. She never argued because she knew he needed all the sweetening help he could get. The fox in her lap glared at Mikhail, ears going back, small paw protecting his meat. Mikhail growled at the critter and walked away, taking a bite out of her stolen cake. The fox let out his own rattily growl.

"Now, now, sweet one, don't let him get to you.” She soothed his raised hackles.

“I’ll try not to, as you command.”

"Good," She replied, tone dripping with sarcasm, to his retreating back as he turned the corner he looked back at her and paused mid-stride, "And wear a real dress.”

"I am wearing a real dress you…”

"No name calling, brat." He interrupted, turning around into her rooms. He disappeared from her view and she heard her wardrobe open.

"I am a royal." She sucked in a sharp breath.

"Fine, royal brat.” He amended, his chuckling barely making it to her.

"What are you doing, rifling though my wardrobe? It isn’t seemly.” She got up, setting her fox on the table and walked into the other room to see him digging through her clothing, "I'm sure the palace tailor could make a dress that would fit you better than any of mine could.”

Mikhail paused through his search to give her his most frightening stare, she just smiled. He went back to looking through her garments, "You either have over the top gowns or…" he looked back at her, eyeing her up and down, "boring ones." Avalyn scowled and crossed her arms.

“Yet you wonder where Ash gets his prissy attitude from."

He turned to face her, coming up close into her space, but she wasn't going to let him size her up, "Mind your mouth, Princess, or it’s going to get you into trouble." He popped the last bite of the cake into his mouth. Killing the scary persona he was throwing out before her.

She pursed her lips, raising a delicate eye brow, "And what could you do about my smart mouth? Arrest me?”

He didn't reply, but a slow secret smile pulled at his lips, his eyes glinted dangerously. It always made her nervous, that look. And she always thought it more frightening than the faces he made in anger.

"I'll have a dress for you, tonight.”

"Are you going to bring more flowers?”

Mikhail rolled his eyes to the ceiling, she was an expert in killing his moments, "Girls and flowers.”

“You better not have gotten chocolate all over my clean gowns.

He marched around her and left out her door.

She scowled and followed him out, "I don’t recall dismissing you.”

He was already half way down the corridor when she stepped out, he stopped and turned and made a low, graceful bow, "Have a good afternoon, Your Highness. I have work to attend to. I will see you again this evening.” Her chin went up in response. He turned on his heel smartly and strode away. A heavy sigh left her and looked at the guards right outside her door, giving them a thin smile.

"One of these days he'll remember his manners, or they will remember him for him. Arse.”

A snort came from Theodrid on the left, and made a poor attempt of covering it up.

Avalyn eyed the lieutenant up and down and gave him a smirk, “I completely agree.” It earned her a chuckle from both of them.