War of Faeries

Chapter 26

"Meeting went that well." Matthew mutters behind me, I was walking so fast that he had to jog to catch up. 

"I hate them. I don't know why they make me go to them."

"Because you are the Princess."

"The Queen doesn't attend." I argue back.

"She already went to those meetings. She knows how to run the palace. Now its your time to learn."

"Then I am off to a wonderful start." I mutter.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." he bumps his arm into mine. 

"I yelled at Elenore, and some other dude."

"First of all Elenore needed to get yelled at, and second of all whoever you yelled at most likely deserved it." 

"How would you know?" I question. 

"I just do." he answers coming to a stop in front of my door. 

I hadn't even realized that I was walking back to my room. He nods his head towards my door and I roll my eyes. I got the message. He would wait for me until I was changed and then we would do whatever I wanted the rest of the day.

I peeled the dress off of me and changed into tight pants made from armor material, and a shirt made the same way. I strapped several knives onto my arms and legs. I pull on brown boots and tied my hair back.  

The outfit I was currently wearing was perfect for training, only problem was no training was scheduled for today. Matthew was silent as he followed me down the hall. I liked it better when he talked to me rather than follow me around everywhere in silence. 

I knew he was doing his job, I knew that Henry would loose his mind if he knew how much we talked. I turned down the hall heading towards the guard area. I knew that if I wanted to go outside I needed more than Matthews protection. 

"Hey Princess." Max says walking past me in the hall arms full of towels. 

"You want to get out of the palace for a while?" I question him. 

"Are you kidding? I would do anything to get out of here." he mutters walking past me again. 

I glance at Matthew, and he is watching me with curiosity written all over his face. He raises an eyebrow at me once he notices me staring at him. I shrug my shoulders at him turning back towards Max, who is roaming the halls carrying items to their proper places. 

"I was thinking we could take a ride through the forest." Max glances at me before shaking his head. 

"Forest will be a problem. Henry told us to stay out of there."

"He never said anything to me." I crossed my arms, waiting for him to give me another reason why he couldn't leave the palace. 

"Fine, I'll tell the others in my team and meet you in the stables in an hour." 

"See, it wasn't too hard agreeing with me." I tease him before walking past Matthew. 

                                                                                       ****

"No. You are not going on a ride today." Henry states for the fifth time in the past several minutes. 

"Yes I am." I tell him. I have told him the same thing every time he has told me no. 

"I appreciate you standing up for me earlier today at the meeting, but that doesn't give you the right to fight with me about this."

I glare at him, and Matthew standing behind him. Matthew was like his hound dog, when ever I was going to get into trouble with Henry, Matthew had to be there.  Matthew returned my glare with an icy one of his own. 

"I am going to get out of this damn palace for a few hours." I tell him through gritted teeth. 

"No you are not." 

"Yes I am. If anyone tries to harm me I have Matthew to protect me." I say glancing over my shoulder towards him. 

He doesn't look at me, he stares straight ahead towards Henry's Matthew. I sigh through my nose, I didn't have time to waste. Max was supposed to be here with his team soon, and I'd rather not have him or the rest of his team get into trouble. 

"He is not going to be able to stop anyone from harming you."  Henry grounds out, and I shake my head. 

"I have been training with him for the past several days. I think I know he can defend me if I need it." I take a step in front of him blocking him from Matthew's view. 

"Stay on the main path only. I want you back with in the hour." Henry says taking a step back. 

He turns towards his Matthew and nods towards the door. Apparently he realized that I wasn't going to let him dictate my life, and arguing with me would get us no where. Once they were gone I turned towards Matthew. 

He isn't looking at me though, he is looking at the door way. I look at it half expecting for them to walk through the door again, but nothing happens. I turn back to him to see that he is now looking at me. 

"I can fight for myself next time Princess." he grits out before shoving his way past me to ready our horses. 

"I never said you couldn't." I say following him around for once.

"It didn't seem like that just a moment ago." He mutters as he grabs a saddle.

"I only said you could-"

"That's the problem Princess, you told them that I could defend you." He yells at me, cutting me off.

"So, what is the problem? And stop calling me Princess." I shoot back at him.

I knew he stepped out of line by yelling at me, I knew that most people in my position would have slapped him or belittled him to put him back into his place. But not me, I let him speak his mind, I let him have this moment.

"The problem?" he asks turning towards me, "The problem is-" he stops talking and watches the door again.

"I'm surprised Henry isn't in here." Max states walking through the door with several other guards.

"You just missed him." Matthew whispers to our horses.

"What was that Matt?" Max asks.

"Nothing. Just that I finished reading the Princess' and mine horses." He answers.

I grit my teeth at the word Princess. I don't mind being called Princess because that's what I am, but I do mind being called Princess as an insult. I stayed silent though, I knew better than to yell at him in front of everyone. I may have built a form of a friendship with him, but I didn't want to overstep my place.

"Right, Valarie, I think I should introduce you to the rest of my team." Max states drawing my attention to him.

"Brandon," he says pointing to the guard who was in the prison cell a few nights ago. He is an inch or two taller than I am with light brown hair and green eyes, and nicely tanned skin.

"Nick." He says pointing to a light blond haired man with deep blue eyes, he was the same height as Matthew.

"And this is Justin. My brother." He says pointing to the kid I met the day before I had to attend these meetings.

I nod at all of them and the do the same thing as they ready their horses. I watch them work in silence until they are all ready. Everyone walks out before me besides Matthew, he waits for me to leave the stables first. I want to apologize to him, and to listen to what he wanted to tell me earlier. 

I look at him, but he is looking out the door avoiding my gaze. I wait a few moments, hoping he will look at me- but he doesn't. I give up with a sigh and walk out the door and into the fresh air and bright sunlight.