The Kingdom

Chapter Eight

 Reilious looked at her in surprise, just staring for a couple minutes. He had not expected that. Talia looked at the floor, smiling like a moron and blushing like a tomato.

"Why did you do that...?" Reilious asked.

"D-do what?" Talia replied, nervously laughing, "I didn't do anything, no not at all."

Talia hurried out of the room as a soldier walked up to Reilious, watching her go.

"Well, she likes you," the soldier pointed out.

"Guess so..." Reilious responded, still surprised.

Reilious slowly walked back to the bunkhouse, where he found Deryle sitting alone still. Deyle had started a crossword puzzle, very focused on it. He shook his head as he finished, smiling. "Finally!"

"Did you cure cancer or something?" Reilious joked, trying to take his mind off of the jacket event.

"No, I finished this crossword puzzle Kinda lame, I know, but it's taken me a week," Deryle answered, "Where's Talia?"

"I thought she came back here..." Reilious answered.

"She wasn't with you?" Deryle asked.

"Well... She kissed me and ran off," Reilious responded.

Deyle's eyes widened, shocked. "She kissed you? Huh, of all people I thought it'd be me."

"Oh very funny, Deryle. We need to find her though," Reilious said, tossing his jacket down and walking out of the room.

Deryle followed, walking down the hallway to catch up to Reilious, bursting around the corner as he saw Talia.

"Talia! Wait up!" Deryle said, running down the hall.

Talia jumped, turning around. "What?"

"Reilious thought you came back to the bunkhouse, so we didn't know where you were. Also, did you kiss him? Wait, I shouldn't be asking that," he rambled on.

"Okay okay, one, I was not in the bunkhouse because duh, you were there. And two... I did kiss him," she answered, looking down at the ground.

"Oh wow," he responded, surprised yet again. "We should probably head back to the bunkhouse though, getting close to supper."

"Yeah, sure," Talia agreed, walking past him.

Deryle stood there still, watching her go.

"Damn... and I liked her too..." he said before following.

Reilious turned around a corner, running into Talia. "Oh, sorry mi- Talia! There you are!"

"Yeah, the one and only..." she responded.

"We should head back to the bunkhou-"

"Deryle told me," she interrupted, the floor was becoming more and more interesting to her.

Reilious and Talia walked back to the bunkhouse, Deryle yet again sitting on his bunk. He looked up, seeing the two. He watched them as Reilious sat down on his bunk, Talia on hers.

"So..." Deryle said slowly, feeling the awkwardness from his bunk.

Just then, as a call to freedom, the bell rang, announcing supper. Outside of the doorway, the sounds of soldiers talking began to be heard as they neared the door, then walking past. Reilious got up from his bunk, Deryle and Talia following suit. They merged into the crowd, walking down the hall into the cafeteria. Reilious was first in line out of the trio, followed by Deryle, then Talia. He sat down once he got his food, and began eating. Deryle and Talia followed soon.

"So, you and Talia got some?" Deryle asked, trying to lighten the awkwardness.

Talia spit out her food, Reilious just stared.

"Wrong time, got it..." Deryle said, sliding down in his seat a little and beginning to eat. "Oh, I just remembered! Talia, you never said what your last name was."

"Oh right, uh, it's Zykalo," Talia responded, to the reaction of Reilious almost choking.

"What's wrong?" Deryle and Talia asked, almost in unison.

"You mean Zykalo, like Fules Zykalo?" Reilious asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Yeah, I'm his daughter," she responded.

"He chose me over you?" Reilious asked.

"We weren't very close..." she confessed, looking at her food.

"Okay, so onto a brighter note," Reilious announced, "I found a deck of cards earlier."

"So we won't be bored?" Deryle asked.

"Yes, Deryle, we won't be bored," Reilious answered with a chuckle.

"Yay!" Deryle responded to a smile from Talia.