The Prince and his Guard

Camping is sure fun!

(Emils p.o.v)

We were walking back to find Teddy and I couldn't stop smiling.
'I wish I had known it was Anna who made my crowns sooner. She truly is one of the best people that I know.'
"Are you okay Emil? You seem more quiet since we left the flower field." Anna told making me smile towards her even more.
"Just thinking how I wish I knew you made the flower crowns sooner. Since they truely are a favourite of mine."
"You do not need to thank me Emil. I do not mind you thanking me for the things I do for you, since I am only but an employee really. Our friendship isn't the most orthodox, since I should protect you and guide you, not join in on the fun."
'I wish she didn't think of herself like this... she's never replaceable to me.'
"Anna we both know, that from the moment you were assigned to be my guard we were always going to be more then the prince and his guard."
"I do. You make that clear to me everyday that you care deeply for me." She told giving a small smile.
'I truely do love spending time with her... she looks so beautiful in this moon light.'
"Emil? You ok?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You were slightly staring at me as you smiled."
"Just thinking how beautiful you looked in the moon light." I told making her smile.
She was about to say something when we heard Teddy.
"We must be close to our associate. We should hurry to him since he seems to be panicking." She told before grabbing my hand so we didn't lose the other as we rushed to find Teddy.
'Why do I have a strange feeling while I'm with her?'
We soon found Teddy and he was in fact freaking out. I went over to him holding the flowers and tried to distract myself from the moment.
"Found you!"
"Guys!" He screamed before he jumped on us wrapping his arms around us for a hug.
"I didn't know he did hugs." Anna told as we shared the same smile.
"You really love wildflowers." I stated making him pull away from us.
"Wait, your not mad that I ditched you?"
"Well of course not. Ditching is a classic prank between friends."
"Well, you are welcome."
"Now it's our turn to ditch you." I said grabbing Anna's hand before running into the woods.
We were stopped when Teddy grabbed us and I was slightly upset we didn't get a chance to ditch.
"Wait! No no no no! We should stick together, you know so our classmates can find us. They're probably super worried right now."
"I'm positive that the one called Tanner has most likely decided to catch a bat and rabies." Anna stated making me smile.
"She's fantastic." I told as the weird feeling I had earlier built up more.
'What is going on? I never had this feeling before'

We were in the forest for awhile and I was trying to start a fire, but Teddy started to be himself.
"We're going to die out here. It's freezing, I'm thirsty and there's no food."
"Humans can survive for more then three weeks without food and for a week without water. I assure you Teddy, we will be able to survive the night without food or water." Anna told making me smile.
"She is correct, but she is forgetting where we are. We're standing in nature's cafeteria. Back in Buronia, the Royal Badger Hunt could last for weeks, and we would have to survive off the land. Oh here." I said picking up a worm and extending my arm for Teddy to have. "Try this worm, they taste like almonds."
He took it from my hand and took a bite from it making me and Anna cringe. He spat it out and dropped the rest of the worm.
"That didn't taste anything like an almond!"
"Well maybe if you didn't start with the fecal track then it would have." Anna explained making me smile even more.
"Anna and her family are some of the best hunters in the Badger hunt. If you were to ever be lost in the forest, they are sure to find you and lead you to safety."
"He is correct. Our families have been working for generations together for the hunts, and by combining our skills we do extremely well on them." She added as I nodded.
"Wait a second....I hear bees. And where there's bees, there's honey!" He shouted before he began to follow the sound
"He truly is going to get himself injured or possibly kill himself somehow." Anna sighed.
"We should go after him." I said grabbing her hand before going after Teddy.
We found him looking up in a tree and Anna grabbed ahold of my arm making my face heat up.
'That's right. Anna is still slightly scared going near bees after we were nine. Why is my face warm?'
"And there's the hive. We just got to knock it down with a stick." He explained before picking up a stick.
"I..I..I do not know if that is the best idea."
"We could try and catch a fish if you are truly hungry Teddy." Anna added
"There is an old Buronian saying. 'If you disturb a beehive, you will be stung by bees'."
"They truely do not care if it was an accident as well."
"What it means is...."
"I get it. Look I know I seem like a go with the flow, laid back type dude, but I'm losing it out here!"
"Then calm down before you make the bees mad, and we can think of a better solution here." Anna told as she held my arm tighter.
'I don't like when she is scared.'
"If we don't get that honey, I'm not gonna make it."
"I told you we can survive without food for weeks." Anna argued but was only ignored by him.
"Just hit it over there! Everybody knows bees can't fly north in the spring."
"He has lost all complete sense." She stated annoyed by the whole thing.
"What if you are allergic?" I asked.
"I'm not. Less talkey, more pokey." He said before handing me the stick and going to a hiding spot.
"Emil.... you don't need to do this because of Teddy." Anna said with a pleading look.
"I will just try and dig some honey out to please him. And if anything goes wrong I will try and protect you as best as I can."
"I am the one that's meant to protect you."
"It can go both ways do not forget that." I told making her give a nod before I put the stick in the honey.
As soon as I tried to move it I could feel it was stuck.
'Oh no.'
"It is stuck, isn't it."
"It is."
"Then we should go find something else for food. This is clearly a sign that nothing good will come from messing with the bees."
"Anna, Teddy needs me and I am not going to let him down again. Stand back." I told before getting a better grip on it.
"Emil, please as your guard. I must advise you against this idea. Especially since there is a chance either of us could be allergic." She told
"What?!" I asked looking straight at her
As I did that I accidentally pulled the beehive off with it flying off somewhere in the bush. I quickly grabbed ahold of Anna to protect her from getting stung when Teddy stood up from where he was hiding taking a few steps towards us.
"Where'd it go? I hear it but I don't see it." He told before turning around, showing us that the hive had landed on his back.
"It's on your back!" I shouted making Teddy scream.
He began to run around screaming but I kept Anna protected in my arms from Teddy and the angry bees. We saw him run up the trail towards a ridge making me shout.
"TEDDY, LOOK OUT FOR THE....." I began but was cut off by him falling.
We rushed to where he fell and looked over the edge to see him still alive.
"Oh man." He groaned
"Oh good. The best of snakes broke your fall."
"I hate camping!"
"You have made that extremely clear Teddy. But this whole situation is your fault due to the fact we told you messing with bees is a bad idea, and you continued to do so." Anna added
"Yes thank you Ann for your insight on the situation!"
"You are completely welcome."
'At least she wasn't stung again.'
We collected a bunch of vines and we were able to get Teddy to tie it around himself as we began to pull him up.
"Do not worry Teddy. You will be fine!"
"I don't feel fine! Fought off a family of snakes, ate bug butt, and now I'm dangling from a rope that you made out of vines."
"Well next time we know to bring rope incase this exact same situation rises again." Anna joked making me laugh.
"If they can hold a sack of angry badgers, they can hold you." I stated.
"We are very skilled at weaving vines so they are sturdy."
"I swear if I survive this, I'm going to live every minute like it's my last. Seize the day. I'm even going to ask Sydney out. No more waiting!"
"Congrats on getting the courage many have."
"Like your one to talk Ann!"
"Actually my love life has been non-existent. Especially since no one is usually brave enough to ask out the daughter of the head guard as well as the fact I'm usually always with Emil if I am not doing any other task. Which in all honesty, I'm completely fine with not having one right now. Tati on the other hand is dreadfully upset about boys not asking her out and Alex is swooning for one of the people that cares for the moose's."
"I saw him talking to one of them. We should try and get them together when we return if they are already not together."
"I think he is planning on asking them out soon, he just wants it to be perfect. So if my brother can have the courage to ask out the person they are swooning for, then you can as well Teddy."
"Well today is the day!"
"That's the spirit Teddy. Heave!" I shouted making me and Anna pull the vines until Teddy was finally back on the same ground as us.
"Guys you did it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He said before hugging us again.
"Well it would have been extremely cruel if we were to leave you down there." Anna stated making me laugh.
"No problem friend. And now, you can go seize the day and ask Sydney out." I said making him pull away from us again.
"You know....things get said in the heat of the moment...."
"No, no, no, no, no. We are going back to camp before you change your mind."
"Besides you said it, so no take backs." Anna said
"It's right this way."
"Wait! You knew how to get back to camp this entire time and didn't tell us?!"
"Of course we did. We have been trained since we were younger to be able to travel through the woods incase we were ever lost of worse case situation, kidnapped." Anna explained making me nod.
"And well technically you never asked. I also thought we were having so much fun bonding that we did not want it to end." I explained making Anna smile.
"That is the most ridiculously thing I've ever heard. I'm out of here." He said before storming off making me sad.
"Do not be sad Emil. He will somehow make his way back to us knowing him." She said making me smile.
Soon Teddy came around the bend and walked towards us looking defeated.
"Emil, Anna, can you please take me back to camp?"
We both gave a nod and began to make our way back to camp.
'I'm glad I have her in my life but I feel bad that she doesn't want to experience dating because of her duties to me. Maybe I should talk to her about it when I get the chance.... why did the thought of her dating upset me? Could it be...'
My train of thought was broken when Teddy saw we were now back at camp.
"I made it back to camp! I'm straight up rugged." He said before a bird cawed making him scream.
"Ah yes Teddy. Screaming at just a bird cawing often means you are 'straight up rugged.'." Anna joked before we both laughed.
'It's most likely nothing. Her laugh is amazing though.'
"Now that we are back. I feel like I should apologise for tonight's misadventures. I simply wanted us to be friends like Bone Saw and Stabby Mike, but instead I stabbed you in the back....like Stabby Mike did to Bone Saw. I guess I just pushed too hard."
"Honestly, I'd still be lost out there if it wasn't for you two. And maybe, sometimes....occasionally, I need a little push."
"Well, there is Sydney, so..... push." Me and Anna said pushing him towards Sydney.
I looked towards Anna to see she was smiling and I couldn't help but join her for it.
'I promise Anna I will work out this feeling before I tell you about it. Until then I will be here for you like we are magnets.'
"You did quite well today, Emil. Starting to act like the role you will one day take."
"Thank you Anna. But I only was able to do so well, because you were there with me."
"Well I do not plan on stopping anytime soon."
"But what about your love life?"
"It doesn't matter."
"But you should be able to have one. If it is too much work I can have you reduce time so your able to meet people and experience everything with no regrets." I told
"Emil. As much as I find that sweet that you want me to reduce my time. I am perfectly content with how everything is. I'm fine with not dating or doing what most people our age do, because as long as I spend time with you and live life with you then I'm happy and have no regrets. Because honestly you get me to do the most childish things back home and I do not expect it to be any different here." She told making me smile.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. I would never lie to you unless it was some form of a surprise."
"As long as you are sure that it's ok. Then I'm happy with that."
"It seems Teddy is about to do it." She told making me turn my attention away from her and towards Teddy and Sydney.
"Hey Syd...." he began only to get cut off by Tanner.
"Hey Sydney. Question, do you want to go out some time?"
"Wow! Well, my mums would hate the idea. But I've had such a great time with you, I'm gonna say sure."
'Oh no.'
"Before you answer, let me make my case. We were awesome at charades, we shared our dreams with each other, I've been holding in a fart like all night."
"Because that obviously equals to being a fine gentleman." Anna quietly told making us both chuckle.
"Tanner. I said sure, which means yes." She said making him realise.
"She said sure, which means yes." He said making everyone cheer and chant his name.
Teddy walked back over to us with a defeated look on his face, and we both held a sorry look for him.
"So that went.... sad. You probably want some time to be alone." I said making him look up at us.
"Actually, maybe we can be alone together." He said making us smile.
"I think that is a swell idea. Wouldn't you say, Emil?"
"You got it Teddy." I said before Anna interlocked her arms with us and we headed back to the campfire.
'I never knew this was how camping was going to go. But I'm glad we did this.'
"Oh that reminds me." Anna told before placing the flower crown she made for Teddy on his head. "I made that for you."
"A flower crown?..... actually that explains why you two were wearing ones."
"Back home in Spring, we have a festival for the flowers and for the bees in our country." I explained.
"And the females in my family make the crowns for our family as well as Emil's. I always make Emil's though he never knew till today."
"That is true. I did not."
"And I took the opportunity to make flower crowns for us as well as Sydney, when we were in the meadow."
"Do I have to wear it?"
"Yes." We both told.
"It would greatly upset me if you didn't Theodore."
"You wouldn't upset her on purpose now would you?" I questioned making him sigh.
"Fine I'll keep wearing it."
"Yay!" We both exclaimed.
"I will five this to Sydney and then we can all take a photo with them on." Anna told before rushing off to get Sydney.
'She's great.'