Romulus started to shake his head, before realizing that would be disastrous. "I have things I need to do, but if you'll handle the kids for me, I'll have less."
He sat up slowly, using one arm to brace himself, and one arm to loop around her shoulders. He didn't exactly pull up on her, knowing he'd squash her, but he did use her to stabilize himself for a moment. "You mind climbing off? Normally I'd just stand up, but, well, you know, balance and all that."
If he could get Carth on the road, he could get the kids going by dusk tonight. They would ride through the night, guarded by the Wulf pack and the darkness, and be at the castle in time to get a good night's sleep before the morning.
( thanks for taking it so well. It just created a mental picture I wasn't ready for XD )
Elia pursed her lips and frowned. "Fine. But I expect you to drink lots of water and make sure you're eating. If you get dizzy you sit down. And if I find out that you've ignored me, you're in for it."
She really didn't look frightening but gods help the man who pisses her off. She was a whole different type of scary when she was mad. She could pull the look that really only mothers gave to their misbehaving children.
She placed her hands on his chest. She looked at him for a moment before leaning to kiss him. She just wanted to pretend for a little bit longer. She wanted to lose herself in him for just a moment longer. She knew the moment she walked out the tent, things would have to change. They couldn't be who they were in this cot. She just couldn't. It would be too much for her. But here, she could pretend she wasn't the heir to the throne and he wasn't the son of a usurper.
Romulus kissed her as deeply as he dared, knowing he couldn't get stuck here. His arm around her pulled her in gently, wanting to be close again.
He took her warning seriously, mostly because if more townsman came marching through the woods trying to hurt people, he needed to be able to crack skulls. But also because he didn't want to upset her just now. Something about her had softened, and he doubted it was permanent, but he would enjoy it while he could.
Maybe it would stick.
He pulled away eventually, hearing Alak's heavy footfalls on the other side of the sheet. "I'm glad you're ok too." He winked at her. "Now let me up."
Elia was hesitant to pull away from him once their kiss had ended. He had treated her so well and fit perfectly against him, despite their size difference. She knocked her nose against his gently before pulling away at the sound of footsteps. She swung a leg over him and hopped off of him. She didn't go far in case Romulus needed help standing up.
She used her fingers to brush through her hair, wincing as she got on a few tangles. First thing she was going to do when they reached their destination was cut it. She was tired of having log hair. She had never been given the option to have anything less than long hair. It was time for a change. Maybe not as short as her shoulders but perhaps in length with her breasts. It would be the shortest she had ever done and it would still be long enough to work with.
"Remember, water, food, and staying off your feet for long periods of time." She gave him a serious look that said she would have his head if he didn't listen.
Alak heard her scolding and came around the corner. He offered the Prince a hand, which Romulus took and pulled himself up on. Alak was one of the few he trusted with his weight like that.
"I'll be good, Elia." he said gently. "Go get yourself put together so the kids won't laugh. They'll need fed, then all their wounds rebandaged before we get them on the Wulves tonight."
He paused, realizing he hadn't explained the travel method to her. "Go get cleaned up and meet me in the big tent. Food and an explanation."
He turned to Alak. "Where's Carth?"
"Saddled up and ready, my Prince."
Romulus nodded. "Show me."
They headed out the tent flap, into the brightness of the morning sun.
Elia narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you saying I look messy right now? Do you think I look ugly?" She turned to Alak. "You heard him right? He was totally implying I look ugly in the morning. The audacity."
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned on her heel to leave. She looked back one last time to give him a wink, who the wink was for, she wouldn't reveal. Neither of them needed to know.
She quickly made her way to her tent where she freshened up. By the time she exited, she was in fresh clothes and her hair was braided into a crown on top of her head. It was the best way to keep detangled and mess free. She went around the camp, stopping at each tent, and gathering all the children. She made sure they were wearing appropriate clothes and helped brush their hair and style them. It took her about an hour to get them all dressed and ready before leading them to the tent for food.
She would check over their wounds while they ate, skipping out on breakfast herself. It could wait until later.
Romulus grinned at her, and Alak managed to look aghast.
That wink would fuel the boulder-like man for a month, so Romulus pretended he hadn't seen it.
He headed to what was left of his tent, which was torn canvas stretched over the remains of two tent poles. Someone had dragged away the dead bodies of the would-be assassins who had come for him.
He dug around and found a shirt, before changing his pants, which had blood and stuff on them. He washed his face, took the bandage off his head, and washed his hair. The wound had stopped bleeding, and didn't hurt unless he put pressure on it, which was a good sign.
He went and talked to Carth, gave the man his instructions, and slapped the Wulf's rump. The big soldier disappeared into the trees with a whoop of excitement. There were few thrills that equaled riding a Wulf as fast as it could run.
The Prince made his way to the meeting tent, where he found Calvin waiting for him. Apparently Lear had left him a note with the boy. Romulus read it as he got his food, digesting the information slowly.
So Elia did soften a bit last night… He smiled to himself a bit.
Lily was waiting for Elia when she walked into the meeting tent. She hurried over and smiled at the older girl. "The Prince asked me to get the little ones their food and start working on changing bandages while he talks to you. He's over there." She pointed, and started to go get the food, before pausing a moment.
She turned and hugged Elia tightly. "I'm glad you're ok." She said very quietly, before hurrying off to get started on the kids.
Elia smiled as Lily approached her. She was glad to see the girl was alright after the night before. She knew it must have been scary being grabbed like that, then seeing her afterward behave the way she did.
She hadn't been expecting the hug and made a small 'oof' sound. She wrapped her arms around the girl, giving her a tight squeeze and placed a quick kiss to her head. "I'm alright." She wasn't alright but she was better than she was last night. Elia had a sinking feeling she never truly feel okay. She had been through to much in her life and had never been able to unpack that with anyone. It really didn't make that great of a conversation starter.
She picked up her skirts and walked over to the prince.
"How are you feeling? Is your head bothering you?" She wasn't quite sure why she was being called over when she could be tending to the children.
Romulus smiled at her. "I'm feeling as well as Im going to for a while. And no, not really." He slid her a plate of food.
"I need to explain how the children are going to the Palace." He finished his bite and indicated she should sit.
"Does the term 'Wulf pack' mean anything to you?"
Elia sat beside him. She toyed a bit with the plate of food in front of her before finally taking a bite out of it. She searched the table for any wine but she wouldn't ask for any. She didn't want to appear desperate for a glass. And it was only breakfast. She could survive a bit without some.
"I have a feeling you're not talking about a pack of wolves that normally live in forests and hunt together and have an alpha and all that other ranking stuff. Because if you're not, then I have no idea what that means."
He smiled and very slowly shook his head, so as not to rattle his brain. "Not exactly. You've seen Ruir?"
Everyone has seen the Prince's massive Wulf mount. Looking like the spawn of a wolf, a horse and a bear, the creature was unmistakable.
He lowered his voice a little. "Also don't drink around the little ones. Later."
Elia nodded her head. "Of course I have. He's a little hard to miss. I'd think you'd have to be blind not to see him."
She didn't respond to his comment about drinking. She only took another bite of food to occupy herself. "So what exactly does this have to do with your wulf pack you mentioned?"
He smiled. "Ruir is quite striking. But I'm sure you've noticed I'm not the only one who rides a Wulf in our camp. There are several others."
Romulus watched her, not wanting to set her off. "Wulves are sentient. They are our partners and helpers. A Wulf pack is a group of them that runs without a human leader. Similar to the packs you're familiar with, but with thought and language and hierarchy. "
He glanced at his food. "That is how the kids are getting back to the Palace so quickly. We're strapping them to Wulves.and sending them back with one man and a pack of Wulves."
Elia gave him a strange look. "I don't think I quite understand what you're trying to say." She turned her body to fully face him. "You're putting those kids on giant horse things, with only one person with them to lead them back to the palace or wherever it is you're taking them. Would they not be open for attack? How are they going to keep the kids safe? They are still animals."
She didn't understand why he would send them off with so little protection. And what was one man to dozens of children? How would he keep them in line? How would they know where to go? What if something happened?
"You have more than enough men to send an entourage with them. It would be better protection and maybe if there was someone familiar they would feel safer. Why this option?"
Romulus sighed. He wanted to explain this better, but he was struggling a little. This is why I sent Lear. Smart move.
He tried again. "The Wulves are sentient, thinking creatures. They're animal to us, but they have government and social customs and tradition and all the things we have. Think of their packs more as… tribes. Like a tribe of Wulves." He was trying to be clear without sounding like he was condescending. "Ruir isn't just my ride, he's my partner. I can give him an order as clearly as I would give any soldier. He just can't respond in any tongue I would understand."
He took another bite of his food, using the time he was chewing to think. "The Wulves will protect the children by A, avoiding possible attackers, B, being Wulves and being generally intimidating, and C, fighting off anyone in the mood to try it. The kids will not be in any danger, I can assure you."
He glanced around them while lowering his voice. "And as for your point about an entourage, we don't have enough men to do that. The 20 down in the city are likely the only reason we didn't have more would-be attackers on our lawn last night, and the ones I have here are either wounded or necessary to protect the wounded." He frowned, the decisions needing to be made weighing on him a bit.
"I would get the teens out of here as well, but the Wulves will move faster with just the children. They'll be safe very quickly. The one guard I'm sending will really only be there to speak for the to any human interactions they have which shouldn't be many at all."
He reached across the table and touchd her hand, very gently. "I'm also not sending the teens or you away because if we wind up with more kids… we'll need you." They had been supremely helpful, and Elia had been too, but the Prince didn't entirely say why he wasn't sending her away.
"It's convuluted, but that's the situatiion." He watched her face, wanting to be sure she got it. "That's what I'm asking you to prep the children for. We're going to literally strap them to the backs of 7 foot tall Wulves. Thus the fresh bandaging and everything else."
Elia listened with a bewildered look on her face. She thought it all bizarre and a little unbelievable, though she didn't voice that. No, instead she said, "Okay. If you say they're going to be safe, I trust you. But just know if anything happens to them I will murder you myself."
Her face was completely serious. She cared deeply for the children. They had all been through enough in their short time they had been alive, they didn't need to go through any more trouble. They needed nice homes where they would be taken care of and raised with love. They needed to go to school and make friends and have a childhood. All the things Elia didn't get.
Her heart twinged with jealousy for the life she never got. She would never take it out on the kids, it wasn't their fault. She was happy fir them, truly. But she wished she had had the same opportunity when she was younger.
"Is there anything else you need from me?"
Romulus smiled. "I would expect nothing less, but they'll be fine."
The Haradrim had a long history with the Wulves. The beasts had once held reign over a whole territory to the west of Harad, where the tribes had lived and warred on each other. The Haradrim of old had seen the benefit of the strength and power of the Wulves, and rather than letting them kill themselves off, they had conquered the Wulf tribes and made peace with their alphas. The Wulves had worked with the Haradrim ever since, as mounts and soldiers, and had lived in harmony on lands given to them by the Harad Kings.
It did sound a little fantastical, but Romulus and Ruir were as close as Lear and Romulus, much closer in some ways. The Wulf had done his share of killing the night prior, opposite of Romulus, and had only gone to calm the other Wulves when Romulus was out of danger.
But if you'd never seen that relationship, it did sound strange to entrust children to the beasts.
The Prince thought for a moment, before responding. "No, I think that's all. Just let me know when the children are ready, the Wulf pack won't be here for a bit."
Elia nodded at him and stood. She had left her plate mostly full, only having taken a couple bites. She wasn't very hungry and would much rather get on with the day.
She grabbed her skirts and picked them up as she made her way back to the children. She made sure they were all eating and drinking water. She helped Lily redress their wounds and apply salve to the wounds that needed it.
She would glance at Romulus ever so often, observing him. But when one of the kids called her out on it she blushed and effectively stopped looking at the prince.
Romulus smiled at her as she left, saddened to see how little she'd eaten, but happy she at least didn't seem angry with him.
He proceeded with trying to think through what steps they needed to take next, but thinking was taking him longer this morning than usual, and he found himself increasingly frustrated.
He didn't notice Elia watching him, but when a child started laughing, he glanced up and caught her blushing, pointedly not looking at him. It made him smile a little, but didn't entirely ease his frustration.
He stood, tossed a wink to the children, and headed back to the remains of his tent. Two tentpoles instead of four, with a piece of torn canvas stretched between them that did nothing but shield his eyes from the sun.
He tried to salvage the desk, but last night he had thrown a man through it, and it wasn't much good now, except for firewood. His extra large cot was in one piece, though the pillows and blankets were gone, having been covering in blood.
He sat on the edge of the cot, trying to think.
If Lear can broker good relationships and silence… then we can move on early. Wouldn't have to stay here the full week, maybe.
If not… well, I won't know till he comes back, but what if there's more…..
More what?…. I was thinking something…
More Kids, that's what I meant…
I can't think straight…
…I need Lear…
After they had all eaten, Elia gathered all the children into a circle and explained to then what was going to happen soon. They were going to be taken to the palace so they could meet their new families but they would have to be brave first. They were going to travel on giant horses with only one guard to take them. They would be safe from anything that might want to harm them but they had to behave and listen. They had to trust one another and the horses they would be placed upon. She promised her and the prince would meet them there in time, but they had very important things to do first before they could join them.
When she had them all on board, she gathered them outside in the middle of the camp and left Lily in charge. She knew the girl was young but she was mature enough and she knew the kids would be safe in their hands.
She walked to the prince's tent, a sad excuse really. The prince hadn't noticed her from where he say on his cot, so she walked over to him and kneeled between his legs. She placed her hands on his thighs gently.
"Whats wrong, darling?"
Romulus was so lost in his hazy thoughts, he didn't notice her right away.
Of course, any man who doesn't notice a beautiful woman kneeling between his legs is either dead, or healing from head trauma.
He did notice her there after a bit, looking at him with a slightly worried expression.
She probably asked me something…
He wasn't sure what she'd said, or what he ought to say, so he said one of the things that had been on his mind all morning, less a question than it sounded and more of a statement.
"You still don't really like me, do you…"
Elia's eyebrows furrowed. She reached a hand up to place on his cheek. "What are you talking about, darling?" She asked confused. "I do like you, it's just complicated. And I have trust issues. It's more me than you."
She didn't understand where this was coming from. She moved her hand to his forehead then began feeling around his head, seeing if there was any swelling or if anything was hurting more than it should.
"If I could tell you, I would. Believe me, I would. But this isn't something I can talk about, darling, to anyone. It's for me to bear alone and no one else."
The Prince didn't lean into her touch, but he didn't pull away either. He started to respond, but she spoke again, and now he was confused.
"I'm talking about the fact that less than 24 hours ago, even less than 12 hours ago, you were ready to curse my name, and now you're calling me darling and using that same first name. Which… " he paused, thinking carefully. "I don't know how to feel or respond, because I can't tell if you're just being very kind, or if you're doing some complex form of mockery or something…"
He wasn't angry, just… a bit lost.
He also didn't know what she was talking about in the last bit. "Also, I'm not trying to get you to tell me anything." Romulus looked at her for a moment. "But you mean your identity, don't you…" His eyes softened further, and he looked at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry it's a burden, Elia. I don't want you to tell me unless you ever want to, but… if there's ever anything I can do to alleviate that burden, that I want you to tell me."
Elia dropped her hand from his face and placed it on her leg. She looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back up at him. "I'm not used to kindness with no strings attached. Anytime anything was done for me I was expected to do something in return. I kept waiting for the same thing to happen with you. For someone to call on me or to request something." She sighed quietly. "I'm scared for my safety. I haven't left that brothel in twelve years. I'm afraid of what I'm walking into. I'm afraid I'm going to be recognized. I'm afraid something is going to happen." She leaned her cheek against his leg. "Your not as awful as I was expecting you to be and I don't how to feel about it. I'm conflicted. On one hand, your father is the cause of my families death. But you have been kind to me. You saved those kids and are giving them a second chance at life. It's confusing me. I should hate you and want to kill you but I don't."
