Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Ephemeral

"Do you want me to jump?" I ask in a very annoying manner.

I look off the cliff and freaks myself out a little-a lot. I hate heights.

Green cloak clicks his tongue, "To think His Highness is willing to be a homosexual to be king. Truly, His Highness deserves his birthright."

"How is that my fault again?" I step back from his aimless swinging sword. If I'm going to die, I'm not going to die remembering pain. "And just how long have I sleep?"

"Umm...a little over three days?"

I look up at the sun, lick my finger and test the air, "Yup, a little over three days. Can't believe it's still ten in the morning. The rain just passed two days ago?"

"Lord Griflet, how does he know these things from licking his finger?" That soldier licks his finger and the others do it too.

Griflet is the last to do so because he feels left out, "I don't know how he does it."

I almost laugh out loud, but try my best to hold it in since I still want to use it later... If there is a later.

"Okay, it's time to jump," I hop and they all try to catch me. Something isn't right here. "Move back, I want to practice dying before I jump."

Wait, that sentence doesn't make sense. I want to practice dying before I jump. Um not right. Or is it, I want to practice jumping before I die?

It gotta be the latter, but it doesn't sound as cool. Oh well, whatever.

I practice a few more times before Griflet, the green cloak dude, pulls me away from the cliff with a grim expression. This guy is definitely the epitome of the devil. He just need horns and a tail.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm practicing so I don't hurt myself when I die," I make the most sincere serious face I could so that they'll be confused.

But they just act like my sentence is finally making sense. Jerks.

I'm a bit sad. I would've like to be their friend if we met under different circumstances too. We could've been besties or something.

"Alright," I clear my throat. "I'll jump for real this time, so move out of the way and don't have second thoughts on saving me, okay?"

"Wait." The same Aarthian soldier from before interrupts me, "We're not here to have you jump off the cliff."

"I just said don't have second thoughts on saving me," I frown immediately. He's a cool dude.

They all push me further away from the cliff and surrounds me, "You must be mistaken. We're here to separate you from the family and His Highness until the wedding. Isn't that your tradition?"

"Oh, is that so," what a completely different outcome than I suspected. "Thank you for clearing things up. I'll jump off the cliff now."

"Can you please don't? We already stayed out here for two days," the soldiers look very sad and pitiful, just not green cloak.

"Right," I squint my eyes. "Then why tie me up?"

"Your brothers remind u-"

My brain cuts them off. Only my brothers would do this. So I am getting married.

I know I probably use this idiom too often, but literally jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.

How is it that father is okay with this? I gasp of the thought that befalls me, perhaps my own family is tired of me.

"-Eve. Lord Maeve!" Green cloak snaps his fingers in front of my face. "Listen, His Highness is also doing this for you and he doesn't like you."

"Doing what?"

Griflet averts his eyes, "I can't tell if you're dumb or highly functional."

I feel like those words should hurt, but why? He's saying I'm not dumb and have a possibility of being highly functional. It's a good thing, right?

"Anyway," Griflet regroups my thoughts. "His Highness wants me to tell you that, just go along with this and you'll have your dream of traveling once he's King of Aarth."

"Oh, so I'm consort in name only," I nod my head. That's a lot better. Worst would be homophobe wanting to do things together everyday or something.

It's good to know I'm free after he becomes King. I'll just stay here in the mountains with my family until he becomes King. Probably three to four more years at most.

"Wait. Something isn't right here," I shake my head and lick my tongue. "How is it that I'm consort and not Princess Cassiopeya?"

"Her Highness said it's fine. She'll gladly be the second spouse if she can could support him more that way," green cloak answers me while ordering others around to prepare lunch.

So I'm getting married tomorrow huh. Just four days ago, my sister was on this cliff, what did she think about?

Was she okay with marrying me? Because I was and am still not okay. All of life, I just want to treasure my marriage like mother and father.

Marrying who I want, when I want, where I want, and how I want. I don't want a lackluster love like my birth mother who sold me to a rich boy.

Fortunately, he knew of the things my mother was doing to me and set me free while keeping my virginity.

He is my first love. I'm sure he thought I was a girl, mom dressed me like a girl to get customers.

I wanted to find you, my rich boy. I'm sorry that I have to marry someone else before you; but I promise that you'll be my first time.

From this cliff, I can see no end to the Aarth Kingdom and it's still expanding.

How can someone want so much?