Romulus was doing his best, but her face resting on the inside of his thigh was too much.
"Wait." He closed his eyes, not looking at her. "If we're going to continue this conversation, I need you to move, please. You're distracting me."
He thought for a bit, trying to formulate an answer to all of that.
Elia took a sharp breath. His words stung as the rejection filled the air. She pulled her head away and she got to her feet. She took a seat on Lear's cot across from him, giving him the pace he wanted.
She crossed her ankles and clasped her hands in front of her. She tilted her head down to focus on the ground. Her anxiety was starting to spark and her hands itches for a glass of wine. She didn't ask for any yet, but she moght depending on how this conversation went.
It wasn't until Romulus opened his eyes that he realized he'd insulted her. "Elia, I didn't mean… it's just where you were, I was having trouble not… well…" He put his face in his hands, rubbing at his eyes. You've done it now.
He put his hands back down with a sigh, and answered her.
"I'm not going to ask anything in exchange, except your loyalty as my subject. That's all. Nothing from you personally, no favors, not bedding me, not spying for me, nothing. What I do, I try to do because it's right. Whether anyone else is doing that or not." He swayed slightly, before getting an iron grip on his balance again. "I'm sorry your safety is in such question. I can tell you that no one will successfully attack you on my watch. They'll get the same treatment you've seen me hand to would-be attackers already." His right hand closed into a massive fist, the knuckles cut and gouged and scabbed over from the night previous. "And as for hating me…"
He looked at the ground. "You can join the club if you want. I'm glad I'm not as awful as you thought, but you're not the only one with that opinion. However, I will ask one favor." He glanced up at her. "Hate me and want to kill me because I'm a jackass, not because of my father. I was 13 when he slaughtered the Venian nobility, and I wasn't present for it or in favor of it. I'm sorry it happened, and it's a mistake I can't fix." He paused, contemplating, before repeating his offer from before. "…If you ever feel you can trust me with your identity, I'll return your family's lands and titles, Elia. But there is no pressure to do so. Just…" He hung his head again, his voice dropping. "Know I would make it right if I could, but I can't."
For a man with a brash and flirtatious reputation, that was a remarkable level of vulnerability and candor.
If only he could return her family name and titles. It would challenge him and his claim for the throne. He would have to kill her to secure his position. There was no other way around it. If the people knew she lived, she had no doubt there would be rebellions and uprising to put her on the throne. Romulus wouldn't be able to rule without getting rid of her. The people would not bow to a pretender.but she said none of that. Only, "Perhaos sometime in the future I will tell you."
It would never happen but that wasn't something he needed to know. "You're a pain in my ass but you're not a jackass. You have a compassion I haven't seen in a very long time. Don't loose that. It makes you one of a kind. Along with your charming personality, that is," she teased him. She sombered up quickly. "It's just difficult knowing your father was behind all of this. I know it doesn't mean you are exactly like him, but…it's your blood that caused all of this. It is difficult to try to separate that from who you are sometimes. But it doesn't mean that I hate you."
It was an answer Romulus had heard a million times, and the one he rather expected.
I don't hate you, just everything about you but what you do for others.
I don't hate you, but you're a Harad, so I don't like you either.
I don't hate you, but you'll always be a Vespasian, and that makes you bad.
I don't hate you, but I kinda hate you.
It crumpled something in his chest he didn't realize he'd been holding out to her.
But the Prince hadn't survived this long by being easy to break, so he just nodded and smiled.
"I'm glad you don't entirely despise my existence." He tossed her a wink. "At least I'm charming, eh?"
He stood and went to find his armor pieces, which were scattered around the remains of the tent from the night before. He glanced at her quizzically. "Something bring you over here?" It hit him that he wasn't sure why she'd come to check on him.
Elia gave him a soft smile. "I don't hate you, darling. I don't think I ever could. I just need to come to terms with that. Give me some time to adjust to that. I have twelve years of trauma to work through, remember. Don't give up on us just yet." Their friendship, she meant but didn't voice that. She assumed he would know what she was talking about.
She needed time to work through her own prejudices and hatred for his father. It would take her time to separate the two from each other. Romulus didn't deserve her hatred, he had been nothing but kind to her. But there would always been that feeling in the back if her head. Should she be discovered, she would lose her head. She kind of liked her head where it was. She just needed to be careful. She felt too comfortable around him and that was dangerous.
"The children are ready from transport whenever you're ready for them. They shouldn't give too much trouble, they understand what's expected of them."
Romulus was still a bit confused about whether or not she was using 'darling' the same way she used 'love', or was trying to tell him something, but he smiled at her nonetheless. "Take your time."
Everyone he'd ever said that to still hated him, but it was fine. Absolutely fine.
He nodded at her report as he gathered the armor together and inventoried the pieces. "It's nearly lunch time, so it'll be several hours yet before the pack gets here." He tried to think exactly how long, but he couldn't wrap his head around it just now. But he had an idea.
"Let me show you something." He stepped out of the 'tent' and walked to the edge of camp, motioning at her to follow him.
When he got there, he gave a whistle, and Ruir came running up out of the woods. Romulus nuzzled his massive head, and scratched at his ears. "Hey, you."
The Wulf nuzzled him back, before looking up and seeing Elia. He locked eyes with her, before dipping his head, almost like a bow. It wasn't training, Romulus had given him no signal.
He'd just recognized her, and been polite. Like a person.
(Hmmm, I have a feeling it's not fine.)
Elia nodded her head. "Alright, I suppose I'll go hand out with them until they arrive."
She looked at him quizzically as he said he wanted to show her something. She followed him curiously. She had to jog to catch up to him and even then she had a hard time matching his stride. His legs were much longer than hers and she was able to keep up easier than she. She was almost running just to keep up with him.
She stood beside him as he whistled and waited. She took half a step back as Ruir, whom she believed he had said was its name, came forward. She watched in awe as it bowed for her. She repeated the same motion, bowing her head in respect. She reached a hand forward cautiously to pet his muzzle. She looked back at the prince.
"You did say we have a few hours. Can we go for a ride?" She was bouncing on her toes at the idea of it. She hadn't ridden a horse in a very long time, much less a Wulf. She had remembered the feeling of joy while riding, wind whipping through her hair, racing her brothers. She had always been competitive as a child. She had to be, having six other siblings. She wouldn't let them just push her around.
(I feel I should clarify: this is what you're looking at, just not snarling, and dyed red. A cross of a bear and a wolf, with longer legs like a horse, roughly 8 feet tall at the shoulder) (Also you're right, it's not fine but SHHH)
(That makes a lot more sense now. I was like envisioning just a giant horse lol)
( XD I kinda figured. So just big lotr wolves, but fANtAsy, so we'll spell it with a U ;) I don't know if you wanna edit your response to reflect that all)
(She's just kind of comparing it to when she used to ride horses but I tweaked it a bit. It's helps having a visual now tho)
(thumbs up)
Romulus smiled at her excitement. "Don't ask me, ask Ruir. He'll answer you."
The Wulf was watching her, an expression crossing his face that was impossible to read. Romulus recognized it as amusement, but he didn't say anything.
Ruir took a step towards her as she petted his muzzle. Up close, there was intelligence in his eyes that immediately let Elia know he was smarter than a lot of the men she'd slept with over the years. He huffed at her, a quiet sound the seemed to say Go ahead, ask me.
Elia turned back to the Wulf. She scratched his chin and rubbed his ears. It was strange, being this up close. She had never seen an animal with such intelligence before but it was amazing and frightening at the same time. To know that they could easily over power them but understand they were friends. It was amazing.
"Is it alright if we go for a ride?" She asked Ruir. She turned back to Romulus briefly, giving him a look that she shouldn't go without him. She knew how to ride a horse well enough, even if it had been years. She didn't trust herself on the Wulf by herself, even if he was smart enough to travel with an inexperienced rider.
Ruir pulled back when she started scratching his chin, communicating that he didn't particularly like that, but the ear-rubbing was fine. He towered over her and Romulus both, but was obviously gentle enough to be careful with them.
He nodded his head in response to her question, a very human expression. The 8 foot Wulf knelt, and Romulus smiled at her. "Excuse me."
He lifted her at the waist and set her on the saddle like she weighed absolutely nothing. With a fluid, practiced motion, he leapt up behind her and settled in. "Will you need me to stabilize you?"
The Prince made sure to lean back a bit. They were very close, and he didn't want to crowd her, unless she wanted the help.
Elia squealed as Romulus' hand was suddenly on her waist and lifting her up. She settled into the saddle, feeling it, and trying to familiarize herself with it. She wasn't sure where to place her hands and settled with putting them on her thighs. She looked back as the prince climbed on behind her. She noticed how much space there was between them but decided not to comment on that.
"I think I would prefer that. We both know if I fall off, your day is about to get a whole lot worse." She shifted herself back an inch or so, assuming he would meet her the rest of the way. "So where do we want to go?"
The saddle was huge, meant for somebody of the Prince's size. It was layers of leather, meant to be flexible and move with Ruir.
Romulus smiled at her response, before moving her easily forward the inch or so. He proceeded to scoot way up close, leaving them no space at all, his chest flush with her back, the top of his thighs touching the back of hers. He wrapped one massive arm around her middle, and picked up the lead line with the other. The lead line was a leather strap attached to the bridle on Ruir's head. It wasn't reins, just something to allow him to communicate clearly with the Wulf.
"Hold onto his fur if you like." the Prince said softly, right in her ear, and tapped the lead line.
Ruir took off at a run into the woods, the forest blurring a bit as they whipped through it.
Elia leaned back into his hard chest. Her breath hitched, though she tried to conceal it with a cough. She chose to hold onto his arm that was wrapped around her instead of his fur. She dug her fingers into his arm as they took off into a run.
It took her a moment to get used to the speed, to get comfortable. Only then did she lift her head from the safety of his chest. She let out a laugh, free and joyous. Strands of her hair whipped out of her braid around her face. She did nothing to move it out of the way. She let go of his arm, extending them out on either side of her. She let her eyes drift closed as she lived in the moment.
(insert recorder playing "My Heart Will Go On" XD )
Romulus knew exactly what he was doing, pulling her in like that. Her grip on his arm made him grin. Ruir also knew what he was doing, moving quicker than he needed to from the get-go.
Her laughter changed the Prince's grin to a genuine smile, and when she let go of his arm, to extend hers, he nudged Ruir towards a ridge. They came up over the ridge, and Ruir leapt, sending them soaring down into the valley on the other side.
The effect was like flying for just a moment, and Romulus watched her hair flouncing everywhere as the wind whipped through it.
They landed and kept running, till they came to a high rock. Ruir climbed it and stopped at the top, looking out over the forest.
Romulus kept his arm around Elia, but loosened it, giving her the option to get off if she wanted.
Elia let out a squeal of delight as they jumped over a valley. She leaned back into Romulus, placing her head on his shoulder, or as close to his shoulder as she was able to. She looked at the forest as they stopped on a rock. She brought her arms up and around Romulus' neck.
She sighed quietly. She wished she could freeze time and stay there. Away from the rest of the world, surrounded by beauty and silence. It calmed her soul and soothed her worries. She took deep breaths, breathing in the clear air. She knocked her head against his temple affectionately before tilting her head back to look up at him. Her gaze drifted from his eyes to his lips and back to his eyes.
She parted her lips, giving him an invitation should he take it.
Her arms around his neck were comfortable, and Romulus was again caught off guard by her affection with him. He looked down at her gently, and immediately caught her drift.
Well, he was a man, and if the lady required it… Romulus leaned down to kiss her.
He was interrupted before their lips met, by a worryingly familiar yell. He jerked his head up to see Lear on his horse, at a dead sprint through the woods. He wasn't heading to camp, but on a path that would take him past it.
He was being pursued by 3 men on horses, slower, less impressive horses, but pursuing him nonetheless.
Romulus immediately tapped Ruir's sides. "Go." The Wulf leapt off the rock, and took off into the woods at an angle to cut them off.
The Prince wrapped his arm tightly around Elia's middle, keeping her secure at the high speed. "When we get to them, I'm jumping. Just grab Ruir's fur, he'll get you back to camp." His voice was low, even, and had a serious quality that could only be identified as deadliness.
Elia sighed into his mouth. She had plans to pull him deeper into a kiss but was interrupted by a yell. She lifted her head away from him and looked forward. She gasped as she saw Lear being chased. She grabbed onto Romulus' arm as they were off at a sprint. She leaned forward and grabbed hold of the fur to stabilize herself further.
"What? Romulus, they are on horseback, they have the advantage." She turned her head back to him bewildered. "You could easily beat them if you are on top of Ruir. I'll jump off and you can circle back for me afterward. Do not put yourself in harm's way. You're still injured."
She glared at him. She was fully prepared to jump off the Wulf. She had loosened her grip and started to swing a leg over the back.
The Prince shook his head. "Watch this. And please don't make Ruir have to catch you can carry you in his jaws like a wayward pup." It wasn't a threat, he just said it like he'd seen it happen before.
He gently moved her leg back into place and kept his arm locked around her.
Ruir burst through a set of bushes into the path of the horses. Lear's horse was used to him and didn't flinch, just ran right past him, but the pursuers weren't so lucky.
One of the horses reared and threw his rider, before sprinting away, screaming. The rider stayed down, likely unconscious.
One of the horses ran right past Ruir, but tried to dodge. He threw his rider right into Ruir's head, and one snap of the massive jaws ended the rider's life.
And the last horse found himself without a rider as Romulus launched himself from Ruir's back and tackled the rider to the ground.
Ruir circled, prepared to run home with Elia, but that had gone well, and he stayed since she wasn't in danger.
Romulus punched the rider once, and the man slumped. He didn't crush his skull, but the man had stopped breathing after the tackle, so the job was done.
Lear turned and circled back. He was ok, but breathing hard. "My Prince! Thank you." He glanced at Elia and nodded, briefly wondering if they'd been together all day. "I can explain."
Romulus nodded at him, and put the unconscious rider who'd fallen off the first horse on the back of Lear's horse, before leaping onto Ruir's back again. He wasn't even winded as he wrapped an arm around Elia again. "When we get back. Take it easy for now."
They took off for home at a canter.
Elia held on tight to the Ruir, watching as Romulus jumped off and onto one of the remaining horses. She turned her head to watch, gulping loudly. This was the man she had decided to spend her time with. A weapon himself, without even drawing a blade. It did things to her that it certainly shouldn't. She squeezed her thighs together as well as she could on top of the Wulf.
She settled into his back as the prince got behind her. She turned her head to him, searching for any injuries. When she found none, she turned her head forward. She held onto Romulus tightly as they sprinted back to the camp.
If Romulus noticed her reaction, he gave no indication. Ruir noticed, but ignored it.
Lear caught the reaction, and watched her carefully afterwards.
He wasn't sure what had happened all morning while he'd been away, but he was afraid his suspicions were going to be a wrench in the cogs if he mentioned them. IF. There was the problem.
They made it back to camp, and Lear got off his horse. He was alright, and Romulus was fine, but the Prince was not going to be happy. "Negotiations went fine, and the leadership seemed on board, but as I was leaving town, these three came after me. I'm not sure if they're council sent, or from what's left of the underbelly, but our sleeping beauty here should have answers." He swatted the shoulder of the man sprawled over his horse's rump.
Romulus slid off Ruir, feeling a bit unsteady, and swung Elia down to the ground easily. Ruir took off to go keep an eye out for the Wulf pack, which should be here soon, and Romulus turned to Elia. "See what I mean about the kids being safe?"
He turned back to Lear and touched his shoulder. "Are you hurt?" Lear shook his head. "Then let's get this bugger to what's left of our tent." He picked up the man like a sack of potatoes, and headed that direction.