Testosterone and hoverboards

Iston

"That was one intense meeting brother." The princess says to her brother as one of the guards that escorted us to the palace when we arrived trails behind her.

We all file out of the conference room, I follow.

I really need to talk to her.

So I quicken my pace seeing she's already at the end of the hall, the guard no longer in sight.

"Karina."

She pauses her conversation with her twin and twirls, looking around for who called her name.

"Hey,"

There's a light in her eyes when she spots me then she smiles. "Iston."

Her brother on the other hand,

He eyes me and places a hand on the small of her back as I approach them.

Geez, possessive much.

He stares at me, hard.

That doesn't intimidate me one bit, I go on with the reason I stopped her. "Karina, I just wanted to apologise, I'm so sorry for everything that went on in there, for General Ennie and all..."

Her expression softens so much that she moves towards me, unsure if she should touch me or not. "It's alright Iston."

She finally decides to keeps her hands to herself, her brother not far behind her.

"No it's not." I say sincerely. "It was down right disrespectful."

The young prince scoffs, his stance defensive. "You bet your title it was disrespectful."

Well, he's been quiet for too long. I knew he'd eventually speak up.

I smell a fight coming.

Karina's pleading eyes look to her brother's silently praying that he lets it go. "Kaedan it's fine, back up."

"Listen to your sister Kaeda."

"That's Prince Kaedan to you." He pokes in the chest.

That's it, I've had enough of this spoiled brat. I've tried to remain as calm as possible during my stay here despite the fact that he's been throwing jabs at me the entire time.

I easily swat his finger away from me, my patience wearing thin. "Don't you ever touch me again."

He has a sick smirk on his face like he's been waiting for me to blow up, itching for a fight.

"What is your problem?" I take a threatening stance in his direction.

"Iston," Karina calls out my name trying to sound calm.

"My problem is you." He pokes me again.

"I thought I just told you not to touch me." I've definitely lost my cool now.

I see two pairs of similar grey eyes in shock as they look at something behind me.

Karina gasps, a white henna patterned hand to her mouth. "Iston your wings."

What is she talking about?

I feel them, not restricted by my coat anymore. Great I just tore through my coat in anger.

I try to calm down, praying to The Light that I don't beat up, possibly maim the princess's twin brother, surely that would cause a war.

With a calm demeanor I say to the young prince "Look, you don't know me and I've not done anything to you so I don't know what your problem with me is."

The young prince laughs with one hand on his gun hoister

Karina coughs. "Testosterone."

Remind me what's funny again? Must have missed the joke.

"Oh no you don't fool me, not one bit. You come in here acting all perfect and charming, get everyone to fall for you and your wonderful personality right?"

"I know what people like you are capable of."

"People like you? Now you sound just as crazy as Lord Baron." Karina puts a hand on her hip looking very unimpressed.

He replies "I know what I'm saying Karina. Let me just make this as clear as possible, I don't like you! Now I have no problem with the rest of the Sylphs, just you. Stay away from my sister."

Stay away from my sister? Puh-leasee. "What is he talking about?"

It's like we enter a staring contest, because he raises his head just a bit slightly to meet my eyes. Although I'm just a tad taller than this athletic looking young prince here, our eye levels are almost on the same plane.

A sharp authoritative tone breaks me out of our little "game". "Kaedan that's enough."

He doesn't budge.

"I said that's enough." Karina repeats again harshly this time. I don't think I've ever seen her this pissed.

He finally peels his eyes from mine and faces his sister's full fury.

"Prince Iston is our welcomed guest, don't you realize that?" She laughs, like she can't believe what is happening. "I don't think you do, because instead of treating him like one, what have you done instead huh? Oh I know, you have been mean to him, made false accusations against him and thoroughly insulted him. Is that how we treat our guests here at the palace? Is that how an Abraxas royal behaves?"

Well she's fiesty, very fiesty.

"Kaedan, I advise you to tender an apology to Prince Iston." She arches her brow and crosses her arms on her chest and if anything she doesn't look like she's giving him an advise, she looks like she's giving him an order, just being polite about it.

"My apologies, your highness." He has no regrets and his tone drips with sarcasm as the words leave his mouth.

He then walks away but not before roughly bumping into my shoulder with force.

It takes everything in me not to turn around and grab him by the collar.

That little...calm yourself Iston, calm yourself.

Karina sighs and watches her brother walk away.

"Iston I -"

"It's fine." I don't know if I'm telling her that or trying to convince myself. "Can we go for a walk?"

"I have a better idea."

She takes my hand and we both enter the teleporter, then she punches in an unknown floor that seems pretty high up.

I feel the cool rush of wind hit me once we rematerialize on the roof and my eyes lazily spot some hoverboards stashed at the corner.

"Whoa, I can see the entire city from up here."

"Well I won't say the entire city." She giggles. "I thought you might like the view even though I haven't been here in a while."

Since it's evening already and it's dark out I can see tiny spec of bright lights in buildings as well as vehicles hovering in the distance.

I walk to the edge and quickly take off my coat, what's left of it anyway, spreading my wings as I do so.

"What are you doing?" Her eyes are wide, frantic even.

I like the fact that I've gotten a flushed reaction out of her. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"I'm going to jump and then fly." I give her a very amused smile.

"And I'm taking you with me."

Her eyes are as big as saucers.

"No no no no no. I'm not jumping off this building." She holds out her hands in attempts to defend herself and takes cautious steps away from me.

"Relax Karina," I laugh at her "You'll be on one of those flying hoverboards that are stashed over there." I point at them.

She looks around, confused. "What hoverboards?"

"Oh those." Her expression falls when she notices them.

I have to reassure her. Flying is easy.

"Uhmm don't worry it'll be fun, I'll be with you the entire time."

I'm excited because I haven't been this high up in the air for a while. I miss that sweet rushing feeling, wind in my hair, adrelanine surging through my veins.

After repeatedly convincing Karina that everything will be fine, she finally climbs on one of the hoverboards and locks her feet in. Thank The Light she's wearing free flowing palazzo pants that are more appropriate for flying.

So here we are just at the edge of the building thousands of feet above the ground.

She looks down and gulps.

I look at the terrified young woman by my side.

"Do you trust me?"

Those huge grey eyes with light silver irises look at me with so much emotion.

And something melts inside of me when she says "Yes."