Not Like You (The Simian Forest Saga: Vol. I)

The Lie [XIII]

Krissa ambled along the almost stepping-stone-esc path to the royal family's hut, her stomach in knots and her hands wringing one another. It was early in the morning, just before the first light had taken to the sky, and she had slipped out unnoticed by Slate and his sibling. The stone was cold beneath her bare toes, her ankles nipped by the breeze from where her pants had been cuffed up. Her pullover seemed to lack the capability to keep her warm at that moment, but she knew that eventually she would warm up; daily activities kept her busy, and ergo keeping her slender frame at a reasonable temperature. As she ascended, Krissa could only recall how fierce the prince had appeared the day before-- fiercer than she had ever seen him during a hunt. Cupping her hands, she brought them to her lips and blew a hot gust of precious air, temporarily heating up her frigid fingers. The day would eventually come to its peak of fifty-nine degrees fahrenheit, but until then, she needed to get the blood flowing in her veins. Coming to a stop, she eyed the entrance of the royal hut, peering at the torches aflicker and then at what she could make out inside, lit by an inviting yet faint citrine glow. Hugging herself, Krissa took a step forward, her lips parting as she began to find her voice. Would the prince even be inside?

Glancing over her shoulder, she felt apprehensive at first, unsure of whether she should simply step indoors and search for his Highness on her own, or if she should simply call out and wait for someone to answer. As soon as her scrutiny returned to the inside if the hut, she was met by two large emerald eyes and a pale face. Cornelius arched his brows as she squeaked softly, nearly jolting back in surprise. "Your Majesty, I-I --" she stammered, then caught herself, swallowing. He tilted his dark head. Honestly, Cornelius was quite a handsome specimen. His cocoa-brown fur was thick and grew thoroughly, his shoulders broad and his neck thick and muscular. The prince stood at the same height as Slate did, a few inches taller than she. Cornelius seemed to be inspect her with mild confusion. "I apologise for the.. er.. the interruption. I was meaning to speak to you.."

'I've been awake for an hour,' he disclosed, shaking his head. His passive expression tilted away from her, gazing off listlessly across the silent clearing. 'Your company is not an interruption.' Cornelius then shot her a side-glance before pivoting and beginning to limp forward. Krissa, feeling as though it would be rude to simply allow him to walk away and wait for his beckon, followed behind as they travelled down into the centre of the little town. There was a tense silence for a moment as the two came to the other side of the colony's main square, the prince coming to a stop as soon as he neared the entrance. He peered over at her, seeming to abruptly notice that she had followed, evidently leading to his lips pressing into a flat line. Cornelius came to all fours and settled back upon his haunches, raising a hand to sign. He seemed to be perplexed. 'What is it you wish to speak about?'

Clearing her throat, Krissa came to kneel next to him, meeting his height. Was this what you were supposed to do with an alpha. 'I want to thank you, for yesterday,' Krissa began. Cupping her hand, she created a "c" like formation, then waved it to the left; she then followed by giving him a "thumbs-up" and jerking it in the opposite direction. 'At the hunt.'

His emerald eyes expressed something that she could not quite make out in the dark. A huff escaped his nostrils, which she indicated meant he wasn't too pleased. 'Need to be more careful,' he advised. Krissa was surprised by his lecture. Was he actually concerned for her safety? 'You may be quick, but bucks are quicker.'

Now was her time for her brows to knit. Her head bobbed quickly, attempting to convey that she understood. 'I'm clumsy compared to apes. I need to learn how to move without getting in the way,' she interpreted. Sighing heavily, she readjusted so she were sitting with her legs crossed beneath her. Krissa looked off across the sleeping town, noticing that the sky was slowly illuminating into a lazy shade of royal blue. 'The only thing is... I don't know what I can do in order to make things easier.' The survivor understood that she was speaking her mind more often than not lately, recalling how she had attempted to tell Pine off just moments before the incident. Shaking her head, she held her tongue on the subject. There was no reason to go blabbing everything to everyone and their mother. Perhaps it had just been an accident that the brutish chimp had collided with her, but with his common impulsive behaviour and his hatred toward her, Krissa was slowly beginning to understand Slate's suspicions. Why he was taking it to such an extreme as just about tearing into his brother and alerting the whole clearing in the process, she was unsure.