Memorybound

Chapter 15

"Hey, One Arm, catch!"

Aaron glanced up to see Edward throwing a ceramic mug at him as hard as he could manage. His hand automatically reached up to retrieve it from the air before it smashed into his face.

Edward looked annoyed that it hadn't shattered across his nose. Some of the other men smirked but many of them accepted Aaron into their ranks, but Edward would have been a lieutenant instead of Aaron and having the new guy promoted ahead of him did not make them friends.

"One arm, Derrick wants to see you in his office," Edward grumbled. So that was his game. He wanted Aaron to come in with cuts all over his face to speak with the captain, a captain who would expect more from Aaron than he did from the other men.

Aaron was done eating anyway. He stacked his dishes together and stood. He almost expected something else to be thrown at him, but he walked out of the great hall with people sniggering behind him. He didn't mind the taunting as much as he used to. He had shown that he had a clear head in the face of a dragon and that had given him Derrick's respect. It was enough.

He had not been to Derrick's office often, but he found it unnerving to be sent there. A knot of worry began to grow in his stomach. Derrick usually brought men into his office to promote them or to discuss behavior that he would like to change. Had he done something wrong? Had Christian told him that they had gone all the way to that little village to take the man's body home? He had himself so worked up that his hand trembled on the handle of Derrick's door.

He opened the door to find that Derrick was not there. A table sat in the middle of the small room, which was pushed up against the only window that Aaron could see. Papers and a few scrolls covered the desk, along with two tubes that were used to convey messages via pigeon. There were a few chairs around the room, and one behind the desk.

Aaron closed the door. He didn't want to be in there alone. It felt like an invasion of privacy. He closed the door and leaned against the wall, waiting. He couldn't help thinking about Hailey. His mind seemed to drift towards her whenever he had a spare moment. She had been so uncaring of anything or anyone else except for the princess. It was like they had started a relationship. He had finally started courting her, and then nothing. It was as if it had never happened, as if he had never taken her in her arms and felt her finally start to have feelings for him.

He sighed and leaned against the wall. Why would Derrick send him here if he wasn't here himself?

"You waiting for Derrick?"

Aaron turned to see a gorgeous woman striding towards him. She had bright red hair pulled back into a short braid. She was tall for a woman, almost as tall as he was and her green eyes danced with mischief. He straightened and bowed. He had never seen a woman in a military uniform before, and he had to admit, it looked good on her. She moved with a lithe grace of someone who has spent years swinging a sword.

"Don't bow to me. We're the same rank. You must be the new guy, right?" She walked past him, pushing the door open and then dragged a chair close to Derrick's table and lounged, leaning back in her chair. "You going to stand there all day or you going to come in? He'll be here soon." She grinned conspiratorially. "The captain is usually late to all of his own meetings."

He found himself wondering who this woman was and why no one had mentioned that the woman who was in the king's army was gorgeous. They had only mentioned that she existed. He came into the room, feeling uncomfortable.

"I heard what you did with the dragon," she said, glancing at him as he dragged the chair awkwardly forward with one arm. "Very impressive. I wish I could have been there for that battle. I was stuck at the manor biting my nails and hoping that all of my friends wouldn't be dead by the end of the day."