Vanished (I LUV U.) - Abide With Me Book 1

Chapter 8 - Romance by the River

By now, you've already noticed I have a fondness for weird animals. Yes, I'll continue it here. :)))))) I just love strange animals, but I also love it when strange animals cause some... unexpected romance.

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Chapter 8 - ROMANCE BY THE RIVER

 June 4, 1499.

“I don’t feel so good,” Zenzu mumbled.

Last night, Alaya cooked a soup she called tetek. It smelled really good and he managed to finish a coconut-shell-bowl worth of it in under a minute. Only when he was done did Alaya tell him it was a bear-dog.

“Bear-dog?” he reacted then. Suddenly, the tetek soup he’d ingested started climbing up his esophagus. Zenzu had never heard of anything called a bear-dog. Whatever it was, it tasted very good, until he realized what it was.

He looked up to the purplish dawn sky. The moon was still visible, but half as bright. A crowd of palm trees seemed to reach for the silvery object. Far on the opposite side of the campfire was Alaya.

Wow! Even in her sleep, she looks hot.

She seemed to be sleeping very soundly beside a big boulder. It made him wish he hadn’t chosen what he thought was a ‘darn good place to sleep on’. All he got for that decision was a cold, muddy sensation on his back that he couldn’t shake off.

“Good morning,” Alaya said while stretching her arms.

“Umm, good morning to you too?” Zenzu said.

The banished princess got up on her feet and picked up the dagger that had been lying next to her. Lucky she didn’t roll over it in her sleep, Zenzu thought. Alaya rubbed her fingers together and produced flames on the tip of her thumb and index. Slowly, she scraped off metal with nothing but fire and her nails until all the edges were as sharp as flawlessly-cut diamond.

Zenzu stood there, his mouth wide open. I can’t believe she’s my wife! he exclaimed inside.

“So, did you miss me?” he asked.

Alaya grunted. “I only saved you because I have been cursed as your wife. And as a wife with warrior skills, it is my duty to protect you.”

“I think it should be the other way around,” he suggested.

“From the way you handled yourself in the pronghorn stampede, you inadequately used your earth-jorean skills.”

“Inadequately? So you think I’m an idiot, then? Is that it?”

“Quite.”

Steam blew out of Zenzu’s ears. His face grew bright red. He clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth.

His wife only giggled. “You are a very fine man,” she said with a laugh.

Her words gradually emptied out Zenzu’s anger. He felt good being a ‘very fine man’. “Thanks,” he said. “Thanks for saving me too.”

Alaya nodded with a barely noticeable smile.  “You are different.”

“So are you,” he said back. Alaya showed a smile, but only for a second. He narrowed his eyes on her expressions. She still couldn’t accept her marriage to this stranger. Who would?

“Maybe we should get to know each other,” Zenzu suggested.

The princess’ smile disappeared. “No.”