Warrior Protect

-4- AURORA CORIERE

Life was falling into a rhythm. The first week was mostly spent with Eloy. He pampered me by taking me to the market and buying random gifts I didn't need. Even if I refused. It seemed that someone had asked for me to be left alone to adjust and spend my final week with my brother in peace. Who, however, I did not know. I assumed it was the Queen, since she often visited in the mornings to chat. She was much younger than my mother, and it amazed me that she had children at such a young age. Women in Eladere didn't marry until nineteen. However, it was known for girls as young as sixteen to marry in Cavix. The thought sent a shiver down my back. Not that women couldn't marry at sixteen. It just wasn't common.

"I will miss you." My brother openly hugged me under the imposing stone arch that highlighted the grand entrance of the castle. My hand went to his back gently squeezing him. I hid my stinging eyes in his shoulder, not wanting anyone to see.

"Now, now. A Warrior Protect cannot cry," he quipped. He patted my head softly. It was something he used to do when we were younger. Whenever I was hurt, scared, or unable to sleep. My heart warmed and I squeezed him a bit harder.

"I'm not crying, you buffoon." I laughed, pulling back to gaze up into those familiar light blue eyes. My brother looked down at me before planting a quick peck atop my forehead.

"Be well, sister. I will be sure to visit right after the wedding. Make sure to hold a ball in my honor." Eloy stepped away from me, moving to stand in front of Karas. "Make sure to take care of her." Eloy laughed, knowing full well that Karas wasn't needed as a guard.

Emotionally though, Karas was my rock, the one friend I was able to bring with me to Cavix. The only friend I had. Karas had spent the week mapping out the castle. He insisted on knowing any escape routes, and since Eloy was highly trained as well, he trusted our skills enough to part from my side. Karas preferred to do things alone and in the shadows. I never complained about it. Besides basic orders, I gave him free reign to do what he thought was best. He had finally shown up to fill in for my brother's soon absence this morning.

Karas nodded at his prince, despite knowing Eloy was teasing him. Eloy liked to tease Karas about being a guard for a Warrior Protect. Even if Karas wanted he couldn't leave, not by law or blood oath. Even if I told him to leave and freed him in both law and religious aspects, I doubted he would leave. Karas never left my side either out of loyalty, respect, or friendship.

Eloy finally turned away, climbing into his carriage. I focused on his familiar face as he turned to look at me from inside. Giving me one last somber wave, he reached out and shut the door, despite the driver's apparent protest. The horses brayed as the rider climbed to his seat and shook the reins. They left down the cobblestone road in a soft trot, taking my brother back home and leaving me behind.

"That fool lectured me for three hours last night about not marrying Cade if I didn't love him." I laughed before stretching, my soft cloth pants and shirt were for comfort more than anything else. Even so, the fabric was finely made, and the detailing was exquisitely hand-stitched. "Well, now that he is out of the way. The Queen referred me to a scholar to teach us to read Cavix if you wish to join."

We could both speak their language, but reading it, we could not. Speaking the Cavix language was not that hard to adjust to. Even the accents were not that far off from Eladereian. Where the confusion and absurdity of the language happened to be was in its alphabet.

Karas turned silent brown eyes on me. I grinned at him waiting for that hard-tanned face to smile back. He shook his head smirking at me before nodding. I nodded back before walking back into the castle, ignoring the gaze of Prince Cade as he stood by the towering wood door. It had become second nature to ignore his presence. He never spoke or approached me. He just stood near when he was expected to be around. I humored him with no more than a self-satisfied look. It didn't help that he ignored me the entire ball. We easily spoke before the ball in the waiting room. So why did he refuse to speak with me during the ball? I took it to heart. Maybe I was emotional, but my only family just left me behind. I left my home behind. I gave up everything to come here, to protect him, to marry him, and to be his queen. The least he could do was take the time to speak to me. I walked past Cade on silent steps. I would not talk to him first. He would have to take the first step.