Kingdom Come

Chapter Five: Dealie

We leave late at night. I wave goodbye to the small place.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zack growls gruffly.

"Waving goodbye," I tell him,

"No one can see you," he mutters,

"I know. But it's the thought that counts," I tell him, waving for another moment before turning around to face forward.

"We're going off-road again soon," Zack mutters. I groan,

"Really?" I ask, he just nods,

"Yes." I frown.

Within only a minute of being off-road, I'm back to being in Zack's lap. I press myself again his chest, attempting to not be thrown about like a rag doll.

The trailer hits a rock, and I yelp as I fly a foot into the air. Zack doesn't even move AN INCH.

Another rock, another yelp and another annoying realization that Zack barely moved.

I end up deciding the safest way to travel like this is to curl up facing Zack and hold him in a tight hug.

"Is this really needed?" I hear Zack grumble as I clutch tightly at him.

"I don't wanna fly into the road again, so YES," I tell him. A few minutes earlier, I got THROWN out of my seat into the road. That is correct, thrown out of the seat into the road. AND IT HURT! He sighs.

I yawn, nuzzling into his warmth. Why am I soooo tired these days?!

I wake up to Zack shifting me around.

"Stupid little girl," I hear him mutter under his breath. A sharp stinging blade slides into my chest. The words seem to echo around my head for a moment.

I open my eyes, staring up at Zack. He stops moving, suddenly still and rigid despite the rumbling trailer. I shift out of his arms, and onto the seat beside him, I turn towards the woods, propping my arms up on the wood.

I don't look back at him. Slow tears track down my cheeks.

'Stupid little girl'. You'd think, that after hearing those words enough times... I'd get used to it...

But it hurts every single damn time.

"[F/N]?" he asks,

"Yes?" I ask, my voice is steady and calm, despite the tears and pain.

"You okay?" he asks, almost nervously,

"Yeah," I tell him simply, still staring blankly out into the woods.

'Stupid little girl'.

"Would you just turn around?!" he snaps, I turn toward him, effortless whipping my eyes before he sees. He looks at me out of the corner of his eye, unable to turn away from the road.

"What's wrong?" I ask softly, he pulls on the reins, and the bay horse stops. Despite this, he doesn't turn towards me.

"Did you... hear... everything?" he mumbles. A small part of me hardens at this. What else could he have said...? I stay silent, and he slowly looks at me, "DID YOU?" he bellows angrily.

"I heard enough," I whisper, my voice is soft and cold after his loud and harsh one.

His jaw clenches slightly. I turn away, looking back out at the woods,

"Where are you and I going now?" I ask, and silence hangs between us. Before I'd have said 'we'. Before I wouldn't have even asked this question. No, before I wouldn't have even THOUGHT this question.

"Dealie," he answers, and a second later, the bay horse starts moving again.

Dealie... I turn the word over in my mind. There are plenty of guard posts there. I can go home...

"Okay," I say calmly.

A few silent hours later, and we arrive in Dealie.

I dutifully help Zack unpack, and he collapses into the tiny couch in the room. It looks oddly exactly like the one in place we just were. I climb under the blankets on the small bed. I stare at Zack the way I did on the first night. Though it was only days ago, it feels like eons.

I close my eyes, trying to think of how it'll be back at the palace...

There will be the red-cloaked staircase, and long sparkly dresses, and gourmet meals, and servants to do things, and a bathtub so large I could swim laps in it, and never having to do anything myself, and always having people willing to risk their lives for mine, and lavish gardens, and exotic pets, and...

My eyes open, and fall on Zack.

And... there will also be oppression. The cage may be beautiful, but it is a cage nonetheless.

Though Zack is angry, he doesn't try to control me in the same way. While he did tell me to not leave the room earlier, when I did (though he was angry) he gave me a knife for my protection and told me I could walk around by myself.

He also doesn't care about how I look at every second of every day. I don't have to look like a respectable princess even at night or during a walk in the gardens at sunset.

I slowly stand up, dragging the blankets off the bed. I haul them over to Zack and quickly toss them on top of him. I hesitate, checking to make sure he's asleep before lightly pecking his forehead and slipping under the blankets.

For a moment, I'm uncomfortable, dangerously dangling over the edge of the couch, and awkwardly pressing against Zack. Then his arms slide around my waist and pull me tightly against him, and the feeling of dangling turns into a feeling of safety and comfort. I snuggle into his warmth.

My eyes droop shut, Sorry Zack... but...

If I don't go home soon...