Masquerading

17. Not Your Enemy

LEIF stopped on the edge of camp and attempted to erase his anger as Killi watched him. He ignored his concern for his thunderous mood when he appeared atop the hill far ahead of Kyden and assaulted a tree with his throwing knife. Breath after long breath was released slowly and as Kyden's uneven gait reached the top and threatened to upend his composure, Leif sauntered into camp.

His squelching steps left puddles in his wake, as he approached the fallen tree that Tavis and the Princess sat on. Kneeling as he took in the young woman, still wearing her masquerade mask, he was overwhelmed with relief at seeing her once again.

"Leiffff!" It seemed she shared his relief because, before he could utter a word, she launched herself at him, toppling them both to the ground. He winced as his wound jostled and was crushed under her. The Princess quickly remembered the presence of the others and sat up. Still, she took his face in both her hands and examined him.

"Princess." Leif's voice cracked and his eyes welled with tears at having her so close again. His face warmed at the attention of the others on their interaction, but they all looked away quickly as if intruding.

"How dare you do something so stupid as to come after me?" The Princess scolded. "You're needed at home—you're the Prince for goodness sake! Your parents would have me killed me if anything happened to you!"

Leif flushed again and bowed his head, knowing she was right, and he'd made everyone worry.

The Princess' shriek brought everyone's attention back to her, alert for a threat. Leif, however, leaned away from her uncomfortably, but she had a grip on his neck like that of a vlamhok on its singed prey.

"What happened to your hair?!" She pinched the base of his recently exposed neck.

To Leif's dismay, Kyden tossed a coiled length of rope into the Princess's lap—Leif's hair.

"Oh Sweet Mother of the Sea!"

Leif had only half a mind invested in what the Princess was saying to him. While she fussed over him, he watched from the corner of his eye as Tavis tended to Kyden's injuries. While she complained that being stolen away from the palace was quite boring and unlike what she'd have imagined, he tried hard not to watch Kyden greet the horses. He knew from the way Kyden's gaze always redirected when he looked up, he too tried not to watch Leif.

How had he not suspected anything, Leif wondered. Kyden's one-shouldered armour was typical of Loricus, his clothing borrowed from different kingdoms, he'd understood the Loricai soldiers as they'd fled. Even his hair and skin, darker than a typical Faladrine's, should have been a clue. But Leif had been too blinded by a bewitching smile and everything else about Kyden that had captured his heart.

The betrayal hurt. That they'd become close and still Kyden had lied to him, caused Leif a great amount of distress. Worse was the fact that despite the betrayal, he sat staring into Killi's fire wondering how much—if any—of it had been true.

How could his heart pine for someone he should have hated with every bit of his being? But pine it did, and he began to understand what his mother told him; nothing was easy, not even falling in love.

Kyden had looked truly crushed when Leif had attacked him earlier, and maybe it was stupid, but as Leif replayed it in his head, he believed it was real.

"What did you hope to gain by joining us? Were you going to make sure we didn't get her back? What would you have done? Kill us? Kill her?"

"I would never kill you." Kyden smiled sadly, curling his fingers around Leif's and gently pushing his hand away from his neck. Though Leif stepped back, he kept his guard up, and his dagger ready to be used. He tried to evaluate what the Prince was saying, but he found himself distracted by the tender look in Kyden's waterlogged eyes, and the feeling of his skin burning against his own hand.

"Who are you really?" Leif stepped back. The distance allowed his mind to refocus on all the wrong.

"Prince Kyden...of Loricus, now of Faladrin. What I said before wasn't a lie, I went to your kingdom to seek aid. I have not been allowed in my kingdom for years, I've been barred from seeing my sick father. He will die with his advisors using his feeble mind to drive our kingdom to war. They will destroy Loricus and my people. It was never my intention to deceive you—your father would have known me right away."

Dropping his gaze, he sighed heavily and said, "Please don't look at me that way Leif. I am not your enemy. I could never be."

His pleas, his worry for his father and his kingdom, and even the broken way he'd begged Leif not to look at him with hate had been real.

Leif had thought he knew how things would go after they found the Princess; they'd ride back to Aradanas and the Princess would announce the man she chose. Now as he looked at that man across the camp, he didn't think that could ever happen.

But, he couldn't ignore what Kyden had said. His father was no longer running the kingdom. It was advisors, and—as Leif thought of all that had happened on their journey—possibly something much worse.

Imprisoned in the isolated ruins of the once great Kingdom of Nagora, it should never have been able to escape. But the presence of grimlings pointed only to the fearsome entity that bent minds and controlled beings with a mere look.

Leif chewed his lip as Killi sat by his side, realising once again that the Queen had been right and he'd not had a life tested with difficult decisions. He only hoped he'd handle this one in the right way.

"Three hours past, you and Kyden wouldn't have needed hinei were they there." Killi's smile at his own words was short-lived. "Now you won't even look at each other. What happened, Leif?"

Leif looked at Kyden, now sitting across the fire from him and held his gaze. "Tavis, Killi," he finally said, looking away. "Had either of you met the Prince of Faladrin prior to the ball?"

"I was there years ago—the Prince was just a boy, too young for court events." Tavis paused and peered at Kyden

"You're no Prince of Faladrin!"

Kyden's sad eyes slid away from Leif's, and he raised his chin at both Killi and Tavis and their drawn weapons. "Prince Avan of Faladrin is my cousin. I have been a Prince of Faladrin for the last two years, as I've slowly been edged out of my own kingdom... Loricus."