The Misplaced Prince[COMPLETE]

The Book Of Possibilities

"There's a book."

Kasey glanced over her shoulder briefly before returning to study the horizon, the horse trotting leisurely beneath her.

For the past week she had watched over Prince Joshua's lessons with Lord Ventus from a distance all the while testing the men Shrader sent to her to join her in her quest to protect the Prince. If she wanted to do a proper job, she would have to rely on more than herself, even if it was a bitter truth to accept. She was only a human in these aspects, prone to tiredness and ill temper, and with Joshua's trying smirks sticking to him throughout the day was...difficult.

But she would oversee men to take shifts while she watched him through most of the day. It was a difficult job protecting the Prince from the world...and keeping the world from the Prince.

She was surprised Prince Joshua hadn't yet tried to escape. Terrible though it might be, Joshua Dashwood had had a life back there, a home. Some place far away from the expectations of thousands of unseen faces. A place where his hands didn't turn to fire, and unseen enemies weren't waiting to devour him the moment they got a hint of his existence.

If not now then soon...he would run.

And although it was unspoken, she knew the King also expected her to bring him back when he did.

Something, however, had made him decide to stay. Maybe he was just scoping this world, perusing where it was he belonged like an unplanned holiday. Maybe he was just biding his time before he caught her unawares. Maybe he was figuring it out himself what he was doing. But whatever it was, she knew there would be something, some evil here that would be too much for him.

And distasteful though it might be...she would have to keep him from running.

"A book." Prince Joshua continued, his horse cantering beside her, "Filled with infinite promise."

She glanced at him then. He looked tired, dark circles shadowing his pale brown eyes. For the past week he had glared, unsuccessfully, at a candle while Lord Ventus tittered God knew what. Knowing the little man, she knew it had to be infuriating. He hadn't managed to light even a flicker by will, but he had reduced his brother to a seething mess. Dick was the only one who looked even more miserable during the lessons than Joshua, and during the last session, vessels had burst in his eyes as he concentrated, rendering them reddened, miserable orbs.

She had expected, tired and in a foul mood following his lessons, that Joshua would desire to rest. She had been mistaken. A light had started to glow in his eyes, brightening the more Ventus hounded him, and each evening, he stood up, nearly swaying at first, before he made his way with purposeful intent...to the library.

Her mind and body protested following the rigorous weeding of men she was doing to form his personal guard in addition to guarding him, but she remained silent.

He sank on the floor after taking out books upon books, and then proceeded to read. Hours went by, and more than a few times, tired beyond endurance, she found herself dozing off.

A soft, barely there peck at her lips woke her every single time, but when she opened her eyes, it was to always see him pulling back with a mild impersonal smile before he murmured that it was time to retire.

And those moments of weakness were disastrous--not just for her sense of mind, because she almost found herself wanting those little pecks, wanting more--but for his safety. What sort of a guard would she be if she fell asleep watching him?

Alas, she did not have the power to stay eternally awake. And so she needed help.

"Aren't all books filled with infinite promise?" she said idly.