Armor

Betrayal

"The King, he has awakened!"

Isabella broke out of Aiden's arms quickly, suddenly feeling cold without the contact and stared in awe at the panting Eric.

"Bella," Eric repeated, "Your father has awakened!"

Isabella snapped out of it and ran as fast as she could toward the castle, almost completely forgetting Aiden. As Isabella passed Eric nearly flying, he turned and sent Aiden a knowing look before allowing himself to be tugged by Bella toward the castle. The magic of The Fall. It gets everyone it seems.

Aiden just shook his head at both Eric and himself before beginning to walk in the direction Isabella ran.

*****

While Aiden went to go change his soaked clothes, Isabella trotted to her father's room bursting into the room with so much relief. "Father!" She cried, naked joy on her face.

"Bella, " William replied before noticing her damp attire, "why are your clothes and hair wet?" He asked amused.

Isabella thought of an excuse and glanced over to Edwin who had a smirk plastered on his face. "Well... father how are you feeling?"

William smiled, "Like I've fallen down a flight of stairs. My head aches dear, so does my back and leg, but I am alive."

Isabella allowed herself to cry and hug her father, "Oh thank the Lord!"

William patted her back soothingly, "Hush my dear you did not think your ol' man would go out without a fight? I have plenty of life left in me yet my dear." He grinned and she sniffed smiling back at him. "Besides, I've never got a chance to have my rematch."

She ran her hand through her hair and grinned, "Father are you still going on about that rematch?" Before all of the Jarian buisness came about, William would pester her with talk of a rematch between the two. He claimed he was having a bad day and that she should take him on again. His mentioning of it told her that things were slowly returning to normal and that the King did not suffer as much as a head injury as she first thought.

"I cannot let you get away with beating me in front of the men." The KIng said matter-of-factly. "A King has a reputation to uphold my dear." He laughed placing his large hand over hers and he took a moment to study his daughter. "Daughter, you have not been worrying yourself sick over me have you?"

Edwin spoke up, "I made sure she ate my Lord. I would not let her sit here and waste away for a knew you would not want that. And." He paused dramatically to which Isabella just rolled her eyes, "the Princess has gotten into a habit of walking the grounds... with company might I add."

Isabella glared promising retaliation later on to the big mouthed Edwin but could not hide her slight blush from her father. Edwin just smiled and immaturely stuck out his tongue to the fuming Princess. Serves her right for stealing my Arrow Polish a month ago. His smile brightened even more. The Princess blushed, this will be fun. "Sir I think his name is Aiden, oh yes that is his name. The young knight."

William glanced up and noticed the slight reddening of his usually stoic daughter's cheeks. "You've spending time with this boy Bella?" He was shocked. At home many men had come upon bodily harm when they tried to pursue Isabella. William struggled to think of a reason for her spending time with the knight. He noticed she would not meet his eyes. He knew his daughter, any time she refused to meet his eyes she was hiding something. Isabella looked up and nodded slightly afraid of her father's reaction. "You deal with the enemy. You know that Bella right? 'Tis bad to get lines crossed."

"Father I have spent time with Aiden for a very good reason, you see..." She trailed off unsure what to say for the first time in her life.

Isabella herself did not fully understand why she wanted to spend so much time with Aiden. She just felt relaxed around him, like there was no responsibility. He was that stranger she longed for. He was new and dare she say it, refreshing. She thought back to that moment in The Fall when he had almost kissed her. She remembered not wanting to step back or cause bodily injury to him as she had to previous men who stupidly tried. My guard is falling. If father finds out, it will hurt him. She sighed. Gardia comes before any thing, my father comes before everything. My father awakens and I am out in some woods with a man, a Jarian man at that. A Jarian knight! The Head Knight! My sworn enemy.