The Princess's Servant

20. The Pet

The pair came upon the princess as she loaded a crossbow near the old boar's pen. She was dressed in her earthen cape and waist-high pants that blended with the cracked dirt. At her hip, a thin chain dangled, and by her shoes a leather pouch bathed in the rising light.

As the two of them approached, Sybil aimed her crossbow at Holden's chest. The servant stopped and raised his hands and looked at her the way an innocent looks when they're arrested; the way the guilty look when they're caught for their crime.

Her finger cradled the trigger. She lowered the bow.

"Leave him," she said, nodding to Holden.

Marcus bowed and stepped away. Holden watched as she walked off and she offered him a knowing look.

The Wardian prince jumped as the princess unleashed her loaded arrow upon the great oaken door of the pen. He traced its wobbling wood to her outstretched arm and eventually to her serious expression. Her eyes were brighter than any sun. Holden looked away.

"Have you ever had a dear pet, Wardian?" The princess asked, bringing her arm back down to her side and loading another arrow.

Holden watched her crank the crossbow. "I've had friends," he said. "Animal friends. I've never had a pet."

"A pet is a 'friend,' as you call it," she said, unloading another arrow at the oaken door. Holden flinched as it landed with a ttthuck! and splintered some of the wood. "If you've had an animal friend, you've had a pet."

"No," he said. "A friend can leave if it likes. It can leave you," he said. "A pet can't do that."

The princess stared at him and he stared back. For a moment, something intense and living permeated the space between them and Holden grew concerned. When the duration of their eye contact became awkward enough, he moved his gaze in the direction of the woods and took in the breeze that blew in from their darkened depths. Soon this would all be over, he told himself. Soon he would be free.

"I've lost my boar," she told him, lowering her arm again. She swung her crossbow across her back and turned to the woods. "One of you fools released him during the test. I would like him back."

"And you're going to shoot him to bring him back," Holden asked, throwing a hand towards her weapon. "I don't know what I expected."

"No," she said, "I'm going to coax him back." She picked the pouch up off the ground. She opened it and withdrew a fistful of acorns. "They're his favorite," she said, and she clipped the satchel to her side.

Holden nodded. "Then the bow is for...?"

"The bandits," she replied. "As is this," she parted her cape to reveal a short blade. "And this," she parted the other side to reveal to another satchel alongside her chain. Holden didn't quite know what was in it, but he was sure he didn't want to find out. "The woods are quite dangerous and I'll not be killed by marauding peasants or feral beasts. Not until I can dispatch your emperor, that is," she said.

Holden could tell that statement was meant to get a rise out of him, but a large part of him wished he could kill his dad, too. "So you have your crossbow for protection, and your acorns as bait," he said. "It seems you've got yourself covered. Why am I here?"

The princess feigned thought, bringing index finger to chin. "Hmm... You're right," she said. "I thought you might want some fresh air, but I'll have Marcus put you back in your cell. Don't let your clothes get too moldy," she waved, and took in breath to yell for her guard.

"Wait," Holden said, glancing to the woods again. As skeptical as he was of her intentions, he needed to get to those woods. "You're right," he said. The princess smiled. "I don't want to go back in."

"Well why didn't you say so! Come on!" The princess said. And she began their narrow walk down the dirty paths that led to the forest.

A/N: Don't forget to vote! :)