Chapter 11: a single book

Kiera heavily sighed as she ran a brush through Lassie's mane.

After she had escaped from the window, she had ran straight to the stables with the intent to calm down her racing mind. She thought that by brushing her horse she would stop thinking about all the things the Beast King could be telling the prince about her.

But no matter what, her mind refused to think about anything else. She couldn't wipe the image of her Lord and the Prince leisurely talking about her.

Kiera let out an exasperated groan and crouched on the ground, prompting her horse to peer down at her with interest.

"What could they possibly be talking about?" She asked her horse. Then she immediately shook her head as she asked herself if she had gone mad. Why did it matter to her what the Beast King was telling the prince? It might end up working in her favor if the Beast King manages to scare off the Third Prince.

She remembered how she leapt through the window as soon as she heard approaching footsteps outside the Beast King's room. She knew who those footsteps belonged to and she was right. She saw the first signs of the prince's golden hair and panicked. She chose to escape through the window. Luckily for her, the drop wasn't so high up and she was easily able to land on the courtyard.

Though that begs the question, why did she do that? She could have simply and calmly passed the prince, and if he wanted to stop to talk to her then she would have made up an excuse to cut the conversation short.

Normally she would have handled herself quite differently. Normally, she would send a clear message whenever there was a Beast interested in her. Mostly it would end right as they got a definite 'no' from her, the really persistent ones would steadily come to lose interest when they realized Kiera would never fold.

In her mind, she somehow thought the Third Prince was different from all the other men thus far that have tried to catch her attention. She felt the difference ever since she had first laid eyes on him. He had an ever-present smile every time she looked at him, but she could sense there was something off, just hidden underneath. Maybe that's why he caught her attention.

But at the same time, Kiera had to admit his boyish smile had a way of cutting through her defenses, taking her completely by surprise. Once or twice at the peace talks, she had quenched the desire to smile back at him when he finally managed to catch her gaze. He was dangerous, that much she knew. A seriously dangerous man that she needed to reject as soon as possible.

She placed the entirety of the blame on the Beast King, for his words before they left Wolfcyre Forest still echoed in her head. She didn't need a Mate, she told herself over and over again, but as soon as the Third Prince entered the room she would become all too aware of his presence. Without the nonsense the Beast King had filled her head with she would have been able to calmly handle the matter.

Kiera buried her face in her hands while telling herself she didn't need a Mate. She was fine being alone. A Mate whose bright green eyes lit up whenever he laughed or softened whenever they were looking at her, a Mate whose soft and fluffy looking blond hair and who smelled of sunshine-filled meadows, could ultimately never spell anything but trouble for her. She was aware of him now, but that would be all she'd let their relationship go to. She will find a way to reject him.

"General?" Kiera shot up from the stable's ground as soon as she heard Jade's approaching voice calling out to her. By the time Jade had completely entered the stables, she had quickly gone back to brushing her horse's mane.

"Yes Captain?" She willed her face back to normal and hoped she had enough self-control left within her to keep a straight face.

"Bryan has been looking for you. He wanted to ask about how the peace talks were coming along."

She studied Jade's face to see if there was any indication that she had seen something off about Kiera, but Jade only stared back at her, confusion written plainly on her face because her General was staring at her without responding.

"Where is Bryan now?" She asked Jade, finally releasing her Captain from a silent staring competition she had never signed up for.

"I don't know. The last time I saw him he was at the Palace Library, but that was about an hour ago. Try there first and then maybe the gardens. He usually frequents those two places."

Kiera nodded, "Thank you, Jade."

"It's no problem for me General!" She said cheerily. "Do you want me to finish brushing your horse?"

She shook her head, "No, I think I've brushed her enough already."

Kiera couldn't be too sure, for the emotion flashed briefly through Jade's face before she could fully register its presence. To her, it appeared like her Captain was skeptical. She told herself that it could have very been her mind playing tricks on her, as she felt sure Jade hadn't seen through her façade.

"Captain?"

"Yes General?" Jade responded in the same casual way, and her face held nothing different than usual.

"Tell your subordinates we'll start training tomorrow. We're cutting our idleness short."

"Where should I tell them to meet?"

"The Solomon Knights' training grounds. There should be more than enough room for their Knights and our people."

"Understood General. I'll be sure to relay the information to Cody if I see him today."

Kiera then made her way out of the stables to go look for her other Captain.

Her heart nearly leapt right out her chest when she came face-to-face with the Prince upon reaching just outside the Palace's massive front doors. She quickly realized the blond haired Prince in front of her was not the same Prince she had grown accustomed to seeing. For better or worse.

"Greetings General Blackwater." Although the two princes had the same regal golden colored hair, the First Prince's hair had a different look about it that irked her. The brothers shared many similarities between the two, but instead of the brilliant green eyes, the First Prince had dark blue ones that alluded a whole different impression than she was used to getting from the Third Prince.

"I greet the Solomon Kingdom's First Prince." Kiera bowed her head respectfully and watched as a smile grew on the First Prince's face.

"The way your people greet is interesting, not at all like from how we greet here." She felt her whole body freeze up when the First Prince spoke. "Here, women curtsy while only the men bow their heads." She thought her greetings were acceptable as nobody seemed to mind her way of greeting, nor had they actually said anything. Now she realized her huge oversight in not learning the proper way to greet in Solomon.

"Forgive my ignorance, Prince Demos."

"It's alright General Kiera. It's not your fault, you're just confused. After all, you've been doing everything that a man does for so long already." Kiera's face stiffened immediately at the blatant insult directed at her. Human meaning sometimes completely alluded her, but this time she was certain that Prince's words were filled with malice.

The First Prince's face broke out into a wide smirk, knowing full well the Beast General's hands were tied. She could only clench her jaw and take the full brunt of his insult. If she fought a member of the host's Royal Family, then it might spark an even bigger conflict as there currently was no one around them to support her should she claim the Prince was the one to instigate the conflict. There was also the fact that she was still a commoner after all. A Beast General, yes, but still just a commoner.

A hardcover book fell from above, hitting the First Prince squarely on top of his head. He staggers, his hand immediately going up to nurse his head as the book lands on the ground with a soft thud.

Startled, she looked up, her eyes landing on the familiar smile and laughing green eyes.

"Forgive me brother!" He called out as he leaned half of his body out of the window, "I lost my footing and before I knew it, the book flew right out of my hands!" Kiera marveled at his cheeriness even when he made such a blunder.

"You idiot!" As the First Prince stalked away, a hand on top of his head, the Third Prince watched him with a blasé stare. His green eyes cut away from the First Prince and land on Kiera, to which his expression changes completely.

Kiera gazes up at him for a moment before she lowers her eyes. She wanted so badly to ask him about his conversation with her King, but decided against it. She couldn't afford to spend any more time with him.

Instead, she thanked the Third Prince by wordlessly bowing her head. Then she left, entering the Palace.

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