Frost

Chapter 5

Macon

I think I've been up since dawn, which according to my calculations was 2 hours ago. I tossed and turned all night, thinking about the princess. Something is off, everytime I'm near her I feel an urge to grab her and never let go. I've also been thinking about what I'm going to say to Blake when I see him again.

I'm probably going to get whipped for being gone for so long. The scars on my back ache as I recall the last time. Blake had just bought a knew whip and was waiting for someone to screw up. Newer whips tend to break skin on first impact, probably the worst thing you'll ever feel. I've managed to avoid that whip for 2 years but I had to go and mess that up with being caught.

I turn on my side trying to get comfortable, but my thoughts have made my mood sour. I finally decide to sit up, only now noticing my surroundings. Last night after the princess left, I cursed myself for being who I am, pacing around the rooms for a good few hours. After a while, exhaustion set in and I fell into a fitful sleep, not taking time to admire my surroundings or even take a shower.

A glance around the room, noticing 2 doors sitting next to each other on the opposite side of the room. I slowly get up, taking note of all the aches and pains on my body. It's mostly coming frim the cut on my hand though, so nothing serious. I walk towards the first door, thinking that it's probably the bathroom, while the other is a closet.

A big round bathtub sits in the left corner while a shower is perched on the right with glass walls. A mirror sits atop the sink, which is cluttered with toothpaste, a brush and all sorts of things. When I get a glance of my appearance in the mirror I start laughing. Oh, I see now why the princess was so terrified of me, not that my outburst helped but ah well. I look hellish with all the cuts, mud and dried blood covering every part of me. I quickly jump into the shower, rubbing the last few months of dirt and grime from my skin, watching everything swirl down the drain.

As I'm dressing in the biggest walk in closet I've ever seen, a loud knock sounds at the door. I hop towards it while trying to get the sweatpants over my ankles without tripping. I stop in front of it, finally getting the ankle hole over my foot, making sure everything is covered before opening it. Outside, the guard named Jack, who dropped me of last night, is standing there hand in the air ready to knock again.

"Uhm, we have a group training session in 5 minutes. You're required to be there." He says, awkwardly lowering his hand.

Jack is a big guy, probably reaching a few inches above me. He's got red hair with freckles covering his entire face. He's got light grey eyes and a long scar running down his face from his left eye to the corner of his mouth. I wonder what happened.

"Alright." I step towards the door before being stopped by Jack.

"You might want to put on a shirt." A smile tugs at his face as he eyes my bare chest.

"Why, is there some kind of dress code?" I ask, looking down at my chest.

"Sort of, you'll see in a minute."

I quickly grab a white shirt and shoes, closing the door behind me before rushing down the hallway after Jack. We pass alot of doors, which I'm assuming are the guard's rooms. We stop at a dead end, opening the left door,  a golden plaque with training written in it attached to the outside, to a gigantic room. The walls and floor are covered with training mats, equipment is placed along the far wall while weapons are placed on the rest of the bare walls. In the middle of it all is a group of guys making a circle around someone who's already fighting.

"Are we sparring?" I turn to Jack to see he has a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Yea, the guys are usually up early when Azara joins us," he grins, while walking away towards the group.

"Who's Azara?" I ask curiously, following behind him.

I push my way to the forefront of the group, growling at anyone who looks at me strangely. A small path opens up and my mouth falls open when I see the princess squaring off against one of the guys when I reach the inner part of the circle.

"I see you've been practicing," the guy says while, huffing and puffing.

She doesn't even look winded, maybe a little sweaty but that's to be expected. A slight sheen covers her arms and legs from the moisture, making it look even more toned. She's wearing a tight, sleeveless shirt and gym shorts, accentuating her flat stomach and muscled legs. Her tiny feet are bare but it doesn't seem to bother her.

" I'm glad you noticed. Now if only I can pin you down and finally claim those bragging rights you're always throwing my way." She lifts her eyebrow in the cutest way, stopping for a moment.

"Hah like that's gonna happen."

The guy barrels down at her, using his size to his advantage. She's quick though and avoids his onslaught. He loses his balance and she uses the move I used in the ring to sweep his feet from underneath him. She quickly takes advantage of his position and jumps on his back. She tightens her grip on him when he tries to buck her off but ultimately gives up.

"Alright, alright. You... win," He grimace as he says it.

She gives a triumphant smile and climbs of him. When she turns, her eyes lock with mine and she gives me a small smile. Before I can say anything to her the guys swarm around her, pushing me to the edge of the circle.

"Macon!" She says loud enough to be heard above everyone else.

The room goes quiet while I turn around to see her making her way towards me. A few of the guys frown but let her pass.

"Yes your majesty." I grit my teeth at the title, hating it with every fiber of my being.

She wrinkles her nose at the title but doesn't say anything about it.

"Since you won last night, you must be feeling confident. Do you wanna have a go?" She asks, motioning to the training mat.

I stare at her, not believing what she said. Why on earth would she willingly fight me? I look around the room to see some of them smirking. Not liking the way their eyes twinkle, I grin down at her, making sure my smile looks a little bit evil.

"Only if your certain you can beat me, princess, " I say the last bit sarcastically.

She laughs and beckons for me to come closer. I grin even wider, but not because I'm going to fight, but because of her laugh. It lightens my soul a bit and that right there, is where I draw the line. I'm a killer, I don't like girls. Especially not spoiled, fae princesses. I lose my grin and mask my emotions. The guys around her snicker as we walk towards the mats and Jack leans towards me as I walk past him.

"Be careful, she's taken out 5 of the guys so far today." I hesitate for a second, contemplating this, but continue on.

I stand at the ready while she walks lazily around me. I keep her in sight the whole time, relaxing my body. I turn in a slow circle as she reaches my back and immediately see the tightening of her legs, indicating that she's going to attack. The guys are cheering her on as she runs toward me.

I spin around catching her off guard, knocking her of balance. She's fast, but I'm faster. I didn't get where I am by being slow. She recovers quickly though and smirks at me. I frown but get ready. We trade jabs for a few seconds, her trying to get to my ribs, before she makes a mistake, leaving her side open as she goes for me legs and I catch an opening.

I grab her waist and throw her to the floor, not hard enough to cause damage but to at least make you gasp for air. The whole room goes quiet as she gasps but then she bursts out laughing. I lean over her, enjoying the contact of her stomach pressing against my legs. She looks pretty when she laughs, her eyes light up and the dimples around her mouth become more pronounced.

"You should probably get of me now," she smiles slightly and I quickly move away, too late realizing my mistake.

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