Not Your Damsel

Part 6: Nicholas

In Which I Learn Something New And Jordan Hides Something

Makes you seem kind of like a hero.

Jordan's words rang in my ears as I retreated to my bedroom. A hero? Me? No, nothing quite so grand. I was just me, Prince Nicholas Dempsey, brother of King Adrian Dempsey, second dragon noble. Having that title by itself is impressive enough by itself, you have to admit. I'm not trying to brag about it, I'm just stating a fact. Being a hero on top of that? That would definitely go to someone's head. Or to their heart. I tried not to let it get to either, but the butterflies in my stomach had caught wind of the high praise and had started fluttering happily. Isn't it a bit too soon to become infatuated with your guest, Nicholas? I chided myself as I shut my door. You haven't even known him for a full day yet.

I opened the doors of my wardrobe, peering inside for something suitable to wear. As comfortable as my golden robe was, a pair of proper trousers would probably be more presentable. Especially if a stiff breeze happened to spring up while we were outdoors... After a moment's deliberation, I reached inside and pulled out my favorite pair of light grey trousers, a loose shirt, and a green vest. After running a hand through my hair and double-checking that I didn't look ridiculous, I left my bedroom and walked back to Jordan's. The butterflies in my stomach had started again much to my annoyance, and I tried my best to ignore them.

His door opened as I approached and Jordan stepped out into the hall. He was staring down at the clothes he had chosen, his brow furrowed slightly. "Are you sure it's okay for me to be wearing this?" he asked without looking up at me. "Damn, this is some really nice stuff. I'm not sure you'd want me in this..." He was wearing a deep blue vest over a white shirt, which he'd tucked into black trousers. He shuffled his bare feet awkwardly, finally looking up at me through his black hair. "You're really okay with me wearing this stuff?"

"Of course I am," I assured him, a bit surprised. Jordan bit his lip, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve nervously. He looked so uncomfortable and unsure of himself, and I had to remind myself that he probably wasn't used to finer clothing. Granted, his outfit was very simple and less fancy than his other options would have been, but it was still going to take some getting used to for him. Though I had to say, he did look rather handsome. "How about I give you the grand tour now?" I suggested, trying to distract him from his uneasiness. "I'm sure you'll find a few things here that you'll like."

"If you say so," Jordan muttered. "Lead the way, Nick." I raised my eyebrows at the shortening of my name, but didn't ask. Instead, I led him back up to the front of the cave to start the whole tour from the beginning. Again, I found myself feeling like I had to prove myself to Jordan. I wanted to impress him a little bit. You're being ridiculous, I chided myself. Just show him around, like you've shown other people. It's not as big a deal as you're making it out to be.

But you know what? Telling yourself not to worry never actually helps. It just makes things ten times worse.
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Jordan had remained fairly quiet as I'd shown him most of the rooms. But when I led him to my armory he started perking up. I let him try some of the weapons, and amused myself by watching him try to figure out some of the unfamiliar ones. Upon showing him how they actually worked, his eyes would sparkle and he would try it out for himself. He grimaced when I pointed out the battle armor in the cases on the other side of the room. "It just looks so...clunky," he said. "That can't be comfortable to fight in at all. And why does this one look like it has scales on it?"

"It's really not that hard to fight in, actually. It's dragon battle armor," I explained. "Our armor is infused with our own magic. I know it looks clunky now, but when I wear it I can barely feel it at all." He tried to convince me to put it on, and for a moment I was tempted to. I finally decided against putting on the armor, though when I told Jordan this he looked rather disappointed. "P-perhaps another day," I stammered, trying to appease him. "But for right now, I have something even better to show you."