The Kingdom

10

Keira woke up feeling her body sore because of the stone where she slept on. Her eyes searched for the one shelter she now had but she found his place empty. For a few seconds, she rubbed her eyes and questioned herself about what she had done. Was she right? Was that the right thing to do? What would her father think? But then, once again, she concluded marrying Cahill would only bring her misery as well as to him. For the brotherly love she felt for him, she knew she was doing the right thing by freeing him from the burden to have her as a wife. Cahill deserved someone who wanted him and not someone who would never fully commit to him. As she heard some noise outside, she got up to go there. James was already busy walking from one side to another. Though she was sure he had felt her presence he didn't say anything, not even good morning. He continued walking back and forth like a busy ant gathering things and pretending he didn't notice her. She couldn't but curl an eyebrow at his behavior and it infuriated her a little because she was not used being ignored.

"Hey!" Keira said. He didn't look at her right away, it took him a few seconds to do so.

"Do you have any food?" He asked and Keira shook her head.

"You didn't bring any?"

"I didn't have time!" She claimed. "It's not like I left on good terms..."

"Not even horses?"

"It's not like I do this now and then to have everything planned in my head." Keira shot.

"But at least you could have thought about how we would travel right?" He opened his eyes at her and his hands flew a little up in the air. He was still mad.

"Right..." She rolled her eyes. "I ran away from there without thinking much alright? We can walk."

"I know we can walk...but will you take it?" James asked. "My real question is, can you walk?"

"Ah!" She exclaimed indignant. Her mouth opened without making any sound, then she recomposed herself and put on a cocky semblance. "I'm stronger than you think."

"Alright miss stronger... then bring your stuff outside because we need to begin our journey."

"Aye!" She nodded and came back inside.

Feeling rather disappointed with his behavior and even with his coldness towards her, she was still feeling her heart beating fast. That time not because of him but because in the village soon they'd know she was missing and her heart ached for her father more than anyone else. Egan would be so disappointed knowing she had turned her back at her people, at her future. She also knew he'd send men after her so she needed to be as far away as possible not to be found right on the first day away. She rolled her things around a fur and brought it all outside. Then, she remembered she didn't have the time to do her hair or to change to a clean tunic. She concluded she must have looked awful or even dirty and she wasn't used to it.

"Can I clean first?" She asked. He laughed a little which annoyed her very much.

"Go ahead." He said. "But if you are caught don't blame me for it."

"But I must look awful!" She said.

James looked at her. He was going to answer dryly once again but as his eyes hit her face no words came out. His chest shrunk as tightening against his back. She didn't look awful. She never did and even if she was not as neat as she used to be, she looked perfect.

"We don't have time for it now." James said instead of the rude words he actually wanted to say. "I also want to wash but I am not going to do it."

"Can we do it later then?"

"We need to find something to eat first. That's our priority now since you didn't bring any food."

"That's not a problem. There's a lot of berries we can eat. I know which ones are good and which are not." Keira explained. "It's not winter yet, there's no snow..." James felt a shiver running over his body as she said so.