CHAPTER FIVE
Brenda woke up the next day still feeling angry but somehow, watering her mother's garden eased her anger.
She sat down beside the garden trying not to remember what happened during the meeting.
Her mind shifted to Bryan.
He's been staying with her for five days and she had never seen him eat or sleep.
She raised her head,facing him.
"Have a seat" She said to him and he obeyed.
"You don't mind telling me what you had for breakfast,do you?" She asked.
"I only eat during the night your highness" He answered
"Why?"
"I protect you during the day so..."
"You haven't eaten anything today?" She asked again and didn't wait for him to respond before asking him another question "You're supposed to stay here for three months,right?"
He nodded.
"Earlier,you said you protect me during the day. Does that mean you leave the other guards to guard me at night while you go to sleep?"
"After I have my dinner at night,I rest for an hour before resuming my post. I'm sorry if you find that rude or offensive your highness" He bowed "I'll put an end to the one hour rest from today onwards"
She stared at him.
"Come with me" She said and headed for the door.
Just because he wanted to prove himself doesn't mean he should starve himself and go for days without sleep.
Seems like she would also have to make sure he took good care of himself.
She thought.
She took him to the dining room and told the maids to bring him food.
Different dishes occupied the table immediately.
"Eat" She said and sat down but he objected politely.
She sighed.
"You want to protect me,right?" She asked and didn't wait for an answer before speaking again"I won't have my protector walking around on an empty stomach" She said
"But your highness -"
"Eat" She commanded
He stared at the dishes,reluctant to eat it but she urged him.
The king was actually forcing him to eat.
Bryan didn't expect the king to care if he ate once a day or not but he appreciated it although it looked awkward that a soldier like him who usually went for days without eating was being forced to eat.
His father would be so mad if he found out he ate in front of the king
Brenda stared at him as he ate and for a while,she got lost completely staring at him
She smiled,admiring the way he ate the food and licked his lips
He felt the king was staring at him so he raised his head up and glanced at the king
She cleared her throat and looked away,her face turning pink,feeling shy all of a sudden
After he was done eating,Brenda took him to a room and told him that the room was his from now on and he was to protect her only during the day
He tried to object but a glare from her stopped him and he had no choice but to do the king's wishes
Later,they went to the field beside the garden so that they could continue their archery lessons
Brenda raised the how and took an arrow
She faced the target and breathed in and out
She fired the arrow and it hit the target but not the middle
She sighed
Bryan smiled and faced her
She stared at him looking surprised
Was he actually smiling?
She had never seen him smile since he got to the palace
Was it because she was being nice to him?
Well,whatever the reason was,it was a good one because she loved it that he smiled at her although she didn't know why
"I didn't hit the middle of the target too when I first started learning it" He said
He was actually talking to her
Not that he hasn't talked to her before but he spoke first this time
"Try again your highness " He said and handed her another arrow
Shane remembered the voice.
It was about twelve years ago,during the war
The man led the men that attacked the Palace and killed almost everyone.
It was after they left that Shane and Brenda noticed their mother was gone
"You!" Shane shouted angrily
He drew out a guard's sword with his two hands that were tied together and pointed it at the man's neck
Guards surrounded them immediately
The king was led out of the place by some other guards
The man whom Shane pointed a sword at also brought out his own sword and tried to kick Shane's sword away but Shane used his sword to kick the man's sword away instead
"Get rid of him"The man shouted and went to get his sword
The guards pointed their swords at him hoping he would surrender but he didn't
One of the guards tried to run Shane through with his sword but he raised his hands up instead and the sword went through the rope that tied his hands together,giving his hands freedom and the ability to fight properly
More guards came for him.
Their swords clashed together and being a skilled swordsman,he was able to take them all
His sword pierced through their bodies and soon they were all on the ground,lifeless
But that only brought more guards and soldiers his way and he fought with them but they soon became too much for him to handle alone.
He ran to take a bow and arrows that was placed beside the king's throne.
He shot three arrows at a time and it hit three guards.
He continued shooting the arrows while walking backwards towards the main exit but just when he was about to get there,a cage fell on him,trapping him.
He was carried back to the dungeon.
Brenda wrapped herself up in her blanket unable to stop remembering how Bryan smiled at her.
He even spoke to her!
She couldn't believe it.
"Think straight Brenda, he's seeing you as a man and not a woman" She told herself and tried to sleep without thinking of Bryan.
Bryan actually liked that the king was being nice to him.
Being one of the kingdom's most skilled soldier,he was always respected,praised and loved for being such but with the king,it felt different in some way he couldn't explain.
The king was treating him like a friend and he was beginning to get comfortable around the king.
That feeling of always doing something wrong or making a fool out of himself was gradually wearing off.
He no longer had to keep a straight face every time.
When he smiled earlier,he could tell that the king appreciated his smiley face rather than his straight face.
Brenda had meeting with the royal cabinet the next day and they apologized for what happened during the last meeting.
"We're really sorry your highness. We only want what's right for the princess" They said
She forced a smile on her face.
"It's okay" She said "So,any news?"
"Yes,we need to borrow Bryan for a few days" The short man said.
TBC...✍️