Harvi

Chapter-13

Harvi's p.o.v-

I didn't stay for long at Dari and Reva's house. Dari insisted on going on his carriage instead since it would take me another few hours had I walked back to the tent. He made sure to ride the carriage on muddy streets as it would get suspicious by the guards and soldiers. 

He stopped a few yards away from the boundary of the tents to pretend to look at the tires while I slipped from the crate and moved silently in the dark. Long bushes and shrubs helped me conceal my form. I took long strides when I entered the middle of the boundary, moving along the shadows of trees. 

I could see the tent from a few meters away. I heard a light crunch sound, I didn't stop to look though, thinking I might get caught if it actually was going to be one of the soldiers. The crunching sounds become louder making me faster on my steps. A silent shriek got caught in my throat when somebody grabbed my shoulder. I was about to move and ducked but instead, I got caught in a headlock. 

"Always a sneaky one." A voice whispered smoothly to my left making my body go stiffened. 

"What are you always up to, wild one?" He muses again. He pulled my hood off of my head. 

"Prince Dahlan." I gulped. 

"Nice to meet you again, Harvi." His smile wasn't vicious or tricky. His face remained passive but his eyes held a shining glint. 

"I… I.." Prince Dahlan didn't let me speak, instead, he pulled me through the meadow, to the back of the tents which was actively hidden from any roaming eyes. He stopped when we reached a cave-like stone that was covered with stones and mud. He pulled me inside. 

I didn't want to go but reluctantly I let him drag me, fearing he might do something to me. The cave-like structure was barely lit with lanterns but it was smartly covered with shades and long bushes. 

"Here, we are safe. Nobody could hear us or see until sunrise." He said patiently. 

My guards were up. Prince Dahlan behaved differently with me. He wasn't scary like Prince Zades or egoistic like Crown Prince Nikos. If he was cruel like he was defined to me earlier then I have yet to see that side of him. 

"What do you want to know?" I spoke without mincing my words. Prince Dahlan had already caught me red-handed from sneaking back to the tent. It would be useless to play dumb now with him, He was a Prince after all. He could see through my facade within mere seconds even if I tried to buy the time to mislead him. 

"I want to know everything about you, Harvi." The way he said that made me shiver. He was watching me intently. 

"What do you mean?" I asked bravely. 

"I really like your boldness, Harvi. Maybe that's how you have successfully hooked Zades's interest in you. Dare I say, you have piqued my interest in you, as well." He said in an amusing tone. 

"I don't understand. I have done nothing to you or Prince Zades. He is the one who attacked my Island, he is the one who robbed my people's freedom, he is the one who killed my people, he is the root of my every problem." I seethed out in anger. Momentarily, forgetting that I was talking with another Prince who seemed to look at me with unreadable eyes. 

"We are the rulers, Harvi. Your island will get seized later if not sooner. If only your chief head accepted Zades's offer, he would be living with his people, peacefully." Dahlan stated calmly. 

"In slavery you mean. Tribal Women and children will get sold to other kingdoms and countries. Men will either get killed or unwillingly recruited in your army where they will eventually get murdered. No, We did what we could to save our people, our island. I would rather get my head cut off than spend the rest of my life in Zades's slavery." I spoke in a determined voice. I was expecting a backhand or even a dagger sliding right through my throat.