Firebird

Chapter 8

Beckett

    That night, the king told Kyla he needed to talk to her. She was only in his office for a few minutes before she stormed out and practically ran down the hall. When I tried to ask her what happened, she only told me that she was going to bed early and didn't want to be bothered.
    I decided to go up to Tanwens room. She seemed to have gotten used to me by now. I talked to her just like Kyla often did. I told her that something was wrong and Kyla locked herself up in her room. She gave me a small nod and bumped the large doors with her snout. In no time at all, she was out the window and gone. No doubt going to Kyla. I spent a few more minutes with the egg. I still couldn't decide on a name. Eventually I made my back up to my room. I almost knocked on her door but decided against it. She was probably with Tanwen or, even if she wasn't, I knew she wanted to be alone.
    I tossed and turned for awhile but couldn't fall asleep. So I decided to go down to the training rooms. When I walked in, I immediately saw Kyla with a sword in her hand. She was hacking away at a wooden post. I watched for a minute, trying to calculate how to approach her. Each swing was done out of anger but she was still precise. Skilled. I cleared my throat, which caused her to turn around. Her eyes were wide and sweat ran down her face.
    "What?" She asked angrily. I didn't let it get to me. I knew she needed to blow off some steam.
    "Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked. She started to shake her head. "Come on, Kyla. I'm your friend. This is what friends do. They talk and they vent to each other."
    I could tell I finally got through to her. Her shoulders sagged and she sat down on the ground, leaning against the post. The sword clattered on the ground. She put her head in her hands and sighed loudly. I sat down next her.
    "Apparently, there is a prince coming tomorrow." She finally said, looking at me. I must of looked confused because she let out a small laugh. "He is coming to ask for my hand in marriage."
     A pang of jealousy hit me for a moment but I internally shook it off. She was a princess and I...well I was nothing.
    "So this is not something you want to do?" I asked slowly.
    "Absolutely not." She said with a huff. "This isn't my first go around with this."
    "Not your first marriage proposal?" I said, baffled. "You're like nineteen right?"
    "I'm twenty and my birthday is right around the corner." She said. "Speaking of age, how old are you?"
    "Twenty five." I said simply. "Don't change the subject. How many other times have you been proposed to?"
    "Well I wouldn't say they really proposed to me. They asked my father if they could have me." She rolled her eyes at that. "There's been a few. And for some reason it always goes the same way. They cozy up to my father and barely acknowledge that I exist. Then they'll ask me some stupid question. After that they'll point out that I need a big strong man in my life."
    "That's disgusting." I said, making a face. "No wonder you didn't want to have a body guard around. You definitely don't need a big strong man around."
    She laughed loudly and shook her head. I could see the tension rolling away.
    "You're damn straight and don't you forget it." She said, still smiling.
    "So your dad just makes you go through this, even though you don't want to?" I asked. "Don't you have a say?"
    "He wants me to give each of them a chance. For the sake of alliances. So this prince will stay around for a couple days before going back home." She said. "I'm just tired of having to go through it. These guys aren't interested in me. They're interested in the crown. I mean, I want to fall in love. I want what my parents had. Is that too much to ask for?"
    "Of course not. You will have that." I told her, reaching for her hand. I gave it a reassuring squeeze. "If it makes you feel better, I'll be there the whole time. You won't ever have to be alone with him."
    "Thanks, Beck." She squeezed my hand back. "I know I didn't want a body guard at first but I'm glad you're here."
    I smiled at her then. After a few more minutes, I pulled her to her feet and walked her back to her rooms. She said goodnight with a smile, before going into her room. That night, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.