Broken Prince (The Broken Ones) (13 page)

Chapter 14:

How to Shock an
Elf Speechless

Aro handed out carrots when they stopped well before
noon. The boys grimaced, but took them. They’d eaten well the night before,
devouring the stew she’d made. Even with the lack of ingredients or any spices,
it had tasted wonderful. They ate every spoonful and talked about what they
missed most.

She wasn’t surprised everyone had been quiet all
morning. Remembering everything they’d lost, all the things they didn’t have, was
hard.

They came across another large river and stopped again.
Garen ran along the banks to find the easiest place to cross with the horses. Kei
took the horses to be watered and to find a spot they could graze. Bo wanted to
try fishing again. She followed him down to the bank.

"Where did Prince go?"

Bo gestured further down the river. "To wash up."
He stopped when the ground abruptly cut off where the river had eaten at the
bank. Carefully navigating the drop off, he stomped the ground. The river,
though still deep and large, had receded and left a muddy shore.

"It’s pretty solid." He held out a hand and
helped her down. "Do you want to fish?"

She shook her head. "I’m going to see if I can
find anything else for dinner. Catch lots of fish!"

He laughed and winked at her. "Of course. I
always do. If there are fish to be caught, they will soon be ours."

Finding a place on the bank that wasn’t too muddy, she
crouched down and washed as much of herself as she could. Running wet fingers
over and over through her hair calmed it down a bit. She debated asking Kei to
cut it short again. Hanging just past her shoulders, it got in her face and
never wanted to stay in a braid.

As clean as possible without a bath and lots of soap, she
stood and looked up and down the river. It curved in each direction. She
couldn’t see Bo or Prince.

Spying some overhanging bushes downstream, she headed
toward them. Drawing closer she found familiar orange berries. Prince had
pointed them out last fall in the northern woods as being edible. With a grin she
plucked one and carefully tasted it, the mix of tart and sweet assaulted her
tongue, just like she remembered.

She picked the bushes clean of ripe ones, popping a
few into her mouth as she worked. The sweetness lingered on her lips. The boys
would be thrilled at her find. Once the pouch she’d made of the front of her
shirt was full, she climbed the bank and returned to where they’d left
everything. After she’d put them in one of the packs, she checked her worn
shirt, happy to find the thick skinned berries hadn’t left any stains.

Returning to the lower river bank, she headed
downstream again, hoping to find more berry bushes. After following the curve
of the river, she found Prince instead.

He sat propped against a large boulder sticking out of
the river ledge. His silly hat pillowed his head and his hands rested in his
lap. She took in his closed eyes and the way his head tilted slightly to one
side and smiled. He was finally getting some sleep.

Quietly picking her way over to him, he didn’t hear
her faint footsteps over the sound of the river. She crouched beside him,
smiling as she watched his sleeping face.

Her eyes followed the planes of his face, the dark
shadows around his eyes, the way his long lashes rested against his pale skin.
Her fingers itched to brush his long dark hair back from his face, to tuck it
behind his pointed ears. He was so beautiful her breath caught in her throat. She
loved him more than she was willing to admit, even to herself. Just watching
him sleep made her heart race. Imagining crawling into his lap to rest her head
on his shoulder sent a rush of warmth to her cheeks. She just wanted him to
hold her, to stroke her hair and kiss her gently, and tell her that he loved
her.

The knowledge that he never would rested heavily in
her heart. He didn’t know she was in love with him. To him, she was just a
child, not a woman at all.

Shifting forward to kneel closer, she focused on his
lips. Slightly parted, they looked so soft and inviting. Waiting. Her eyes
jumped to search his whole face. He hadn’t moved, his breathing continued slow
and even.

"Prince," she whispered softly.

He didn’t stir.

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a
moment. Her heart pounded in her chest. How could he not hear it? She knew she
should get up and walk away. Her traitorous heart didn’t want to listen.

Bracing her hands on her thighs, she leaned forward.
Lips almost touching his, she hesitated. She could stop. She could come to her
senses. The problem was she didn’t want to. She wanted to kiss him, just once.
Her first kiss. If he slept through it, that was fine.

Heat warming her cheeks, she brushed her lips across
his. Feather light, barely touching, but still a tremble rolled through her
body as she pulled back. He still hadn’t moved.

Closing her eyes, she leaned in carefully once more
and again softly set her lips to his. She didn’t move this time, just so very
gently placed them there. With her eyes closed, all she could feel was that
touch. So soft. So perfect. She couldn’t stop her lips from pressing a little
more, moving over his, caressing them.

For a brief moment his lips moved beneath hers. She
didn’t notice until they suddenly stopped and a sharp breath was inhaled.

Jerking her head back, she snapped her eyes open.

Prince stared at her, his lips slightly parted, his
blue eyes wide with shock.

A shudder ripped through her as she returned his
startled look. With a horrified gasp she flung herself backward away from him.
Before he could speak, she flipped around and scrambled to her feet.

Her heart raced again, but for a different reason, as she
ran away as quickly as she could.

What had she done?

* * *

She plopped down next to Kei where he sat watching the
horses graze. "I'm an idiot."

He looked over at her, eyebrows raised. "What did
you do now?"

She sighed. "Kissed Prince."

He choked and gaped at her and she actually found
herself smiling.

"Why?"

Good question and not one she wanted to answer. "I
don't know. I'm an idiot?" She gently touched her lips. "I just…maybe
I just wanted to see what kissing someone would be like."

He surprised her by suddenly laughing. "You
should have said so. I would have volunteered."

It was her turn to gape at him.

His cheeks flushed slightly and he grimaced. "I
don't mean...I..." He growled. "I don't want you to think I'm in love
with you. I love you, but not like that."

She let out a little sigh of relief. Kei being in love
with her was not something she wanted to deal with. "I understand. Me,
too. With you."

He let out a deep breath. "Awkward."

"A bit," she said with a chuckle.
Unfortunately curiosity got the better of her. "So why would you want to
kiss me then?"

His blushed again. "I am a man, and you're
pretty."

"I am?" She bit her lip, trying to decide if
he was making fun of her.

"You are." He grinned suddenly. "Even
if you are human."

She scowled at him. "Stupid Fey!" She threw
a rock at him and he laughed.

"So, tell me."

She made a face, knowing he was talking about the
kiss. "It was short. I just leaned forward, pressed my lips to his. Then he
woke up and his eyes got really big and he looked really surprised so I ran
away."

"He woke up?" His lips twitched as he
struggled not to laugh. "And you ran away."

She nodded and closed her eyes as she sighed.

"So…you don't know if he's mad…or not."

"No idea. I'm wondering if I pretend it didn't
happen if he'll be fine doing the same."

"Probably. I doubt he's mad. He'll likely lecture
you. About growing up."

She groaned. Kei was right. She probably had nothing
more than that to worry about. Well, other than she'd made a fool of herself
and made her feelings for him obvious. "You want to do some scouting for
the rest of the day?"

"So you can avoid him?"

"Exactly."

He chuckled. "Sure."

They sat in peaceful silence for a while until Garen
told them he’d found a good crossing point. Bo excitedly shared he’d caught a
few fish.

Her stomach clenched and rolled as she helped Kei
catch the horses and walked them back to where they’d left their things.

She kept a careful eye out for Prince, ready to bolt
and leave Kei to tell the others they were both going scouting if necessary.
However she didn’t see him, so assumed he was still sitting where she'd left
him. She didn't know what to make of that. On a good note he hadn't immediately
gone and washed his mouth out with soap. Not that they had any.

They told Garen and Bo their plans. After filling
their water skins and strapping on their packs they headed out quickly. She was
pretty sure Prince hadn't seen them come or go, and that made her perfectly
happy. Unless something went wrong, she wouldn't have to deal with him until
they stopped for the night. The thought made her grimace. For once she wasn't
looking forward to curling up next to him. How was she going to be able to do that
now? Maybe he'd avoid her altogether; otherwise they'd have to talk.

Chapter 15:

Words and the
Tears They Bring

She had a wonderful day running around the woods with
Kei. Somehow she managed to not think constantly about Prince. Mostly.

When they returned in the evening to help set up camp she
couldn’t stop herself from continuously glancing over at him.

He didn't ignore her. However he wasn't making an
effort to speak with her either. The few times their gazes met he looked
merely...thoughtful.

What did that mean? At least he didn't appear to be
angry with her.

Dinner turned out rather crispy due to her lack of
concentration. The boys didn’t comment about it though. They chatted around the
fire while they ate and then Kei helped her clean up.

"He say anything?"

She shook her head and concentrated on cleaning the
pot in her hands. "Not yet."

"You’re both acting strange," Kei whispered.

Biting her lip, she closed her eyes for a moment,
trying to keep her stupid raging emotions under control. "I hate feeling
like this."

"Aro." Kei bumped his shoulder against hers.
"What happens, happens. Stop worrying."

"I’m trying."

He grinned over at her. "You always have me.
Don’t forget."

No, she couldn’t ever forget that. Even if Kei didn’t
melt her heart, she loved him. He loved her.

This full out crazy love thing wasn’t something only she
had ever felt. Everyone did, at some time or another. Some people fell in and
out of love all the time. Kei was right. Prince’s reaction was beyond her
control. Whatever the outcome, she’d be fine. Eventually.

After cleaning, she and Kei returned to the fire. Kei
threw on another piece of deadfall and she went to the packs to put everything
away.

Once done she turned and stopped abruptly, finding
Prince standing directly before her.

"Will you walk with me a moment, Aro?"

Her heart lodged in her throat, but she managed to nod
and plaster a small smile to her face. There was no excuse not to, the sun had
started to set, but light remained. As long as they didn’t talk too long she
didn’t have to worry about being away from the fire in the dark.

She followed Prince quietly, clenching and unclenching
her hands, trying to control her sudden nervousness. She knew what he wanted to
talk about. The kiss. She also knew the conversation would likely not go in her
favor. Apparently her wish for the whole thing to be forgotten had not been
granted.

She wondered what it sounded like when your heart
broke. Glass shattering? The thundering roar of falling mountains? Or maybe the
squishy rip of a real heart?

Prince finally stopped and she did, too, keeping a few
steps back from him and trying not to look like she was about to be sick. She
sucked in a deep breath as he turned to face her. He wasn't smiling. Not a good
sign.

"Do we have to have this conversation?"

He raised his brows, clearly startled. "Yes, I
believe we do," he said solemnly after a moment.

She turned her head away, waiting for the worst.

"You must not do that again," he said
finally. "Kiss me."

Her jaw clenched. Idiot. Like she didn't know what he was
talking about. She lowered her head, allowing her hair to fall over her face.
It hid the rising color spreading across her cheeks. She concentrated on trying
not to cry like some fool girl.

It was hard to do. She had been rejected. Deep down she'd
known she would be, but would have much preferred to not actually have it
happen.

At least she knew what the sound of a heart breaking
sounded like. Nothing at all. It just hurt. Deeply, painfully, like someone had
stuck a dagger in her chest and twisted. It became hard to breathe, impossible
to speak.

"Do you understand why?"

She nodded once, still not looking at him. It took a
moment for her to gain control, however he patiently awaited her answer. "You're
a prince. I'm not…I'm not anything." She grimaced at her mangled words.

"That is part of it," he agreed. "There
are so many different reasons."

His words hurt, even if she knew they were true. "I
know," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "I care about you very much. I hope
you do know that." She nodded. "You should be with someone human,"
he said gently. "It would be best for you." He paused a moment. "What
about Bo?"

She raised her head and stared at him. Not only
because he'd given her a suggestion on who to love, but the person had he
chosen. "Bo?" She said the first thing which popped into her mind. "He’s
old!"

Prince stared at her, eyebrows raised as he made his
point.

She realized then the trap he'd set. The Dragos had
mentioned Prince had been gone from Elven lands for decades. Decades. Rot it
all!

"I am much older than Bo," he said after a
moment. "Very much older. That is why you will always be a child to me. I
am immortal, Aro. Do you know what that means?"

She set her lips stubbornly and looked away again.

"All of us, the Were and Fey and Elves, we age
until we hit our prime. Then we stop. We do not grow old. We do not die of old
age. We also rarely get sick, and never from the hundreds of different human
diseases. We are not frail creatures such as you. Your lives are but brief
moments to us." He paused and sighed. "This is why we do not interact
with humans much. It is too hard on them, on us."

She grimaced. "Kei doesn't mind." Again, she
knew immediately she'd said the wrong thing.

A dark look crossed Prince's face. "Kei is just
as much a child as you are. He also knows little of what he is. Had he been
given proper guidance he would never have even considered binding himself to
you."

She shook her head in denial. No. Kei would have. He
knew what he had done. He knew she would die one day. He didn't care. Or if he
did, he was content to be her family for the time they would have.

"Aro..."

"I understand," she said firmly, not wanting
him to start again. She gathered what dignity she could and looked up at him. "I
apologize. It will not happen again."

He didn't look happy. He looked...pained. Hurt.

She didn't really care. "I would like to be alone
now."

He winced and lowered his head. "I am sorry. I–"

"I know." It became a struggle to hold back
the tears. She just really wanted him to leave so she could cry. "I’m not
angry. It's not like it's your fault. So...it's fine."

He took a step toward her, clearly distressed,
reaching a hand out to her.

She stepped back, avoiding him, but not looking away. He
needed to know she was serious so she looked him in the eyes. "I'm fine.
However I don't wish to discuss it anymore. Or ever again. And I would like to
be alone right now."

He lowered his hand and nodded, dropping his gaze
again to the ground. "Arowyn, I am so sorry," he whispered so quietly
she could barely hear him.

She wished she hadn't. His pity for her made her
furious. It wasn't her fault he was an idiot and didn't love her back, didn't
want to accept her love for him. Fine. She would move on. She would add this to
the rest of her messed up emotions and memories. She would learn and grow
stronger. She'd survive it and be fine again. Eventually.

Since he seemed to not take the hint to leave she
turned and walked away.

Though they hadn’t spoken long, the sun had slipped
below the tree-line. Darkness quickly hid her from view and she began to run.
Little light from the moon and stars made it through the canopy, barely enough
to see by. She didn’t go far before she slowed and dropped to her knees. She couldn’t
see. Tears blurred her vision and streamed down her cheeks.

Aro? Aro? What’s wrong? Where are you? Aro?
The voices of the others rattled through her head.

She ignored them.

Clenching her teeth didn’t quite smother the scream of
frustration, of anger and hurt and embarrassment. So many emotions coursed
through her she didn’t know what to concentrate on first.

She heard Kei coming long before he crouched down in
front of her. "You’re noisy." Wiping her eyes, she sniffled.

"I was worried." Leaning forward, he reached
out and brushed new tears from her cheek. "Didn’t go well."

A short, rough laugh cracked through her lips and she
shook her head. "No."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Of course not. He didn’t touch me."

Kei grimaced. "That’s not what I meant. Was he
cruel? Should I kill him?"

Her laugh came out easier this time. "No. He
wasn’t really."

"I’ll tell the others then. So they don’t."

Startled, she looked up quickly. "What?"

"You didn’t come back with him. You didn’t answer
us."

Groaning, she put her face in her hands. "Everyone
knows?"

"I’m sorry. Prince said…" His words trailed
off at her horror stricken face. "I’m sorry."

The tears started again and she wrapped her arms
around herself. She looked up at him through blurry eyes. "I hate this. It
hurts so much."

Kei moved to sit beside her and pulled her against
him. She cried against him for a while. He truly was her best friend. Her
brother. After a while she leaned back and pulled a rag from her pocket to blow
her nose.

"Better?"

"No," she admitted.

"Are you sure he wasn’t cruel to you?" He
tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I don’t like seeing you cry, Aro."

"I don’t like crying."

He smiled slightly. "Do you want to talk about
it?"

"I…I..." She shook her head, but then the
words bubbled out of her, everything Prince had said.

"Wait. Stop."

She sniffled again and rubbed more tears from her
face. Had she been talking too fast? No, she’d gotten to the part where Prince
said Kei was foolish for binding himself to her. She should have known Kei
would take offense to those words.

"That’s not true," he said stiffly.

"I know," she whispered, lowering her head.

He grasped her shoulders and peered to look at her. "Do
you? Do you know why?"

Well, maybe she didn’t really. She shrugged, not
meeting his gaze.

"Then you will listen." He pulled her back
to his side, putting an arm around her. "Those first days, you amazed me
even then. Here was a girl, dressed as a boy, who’d lost everything. You were
hurt. Alone. But you tried so hard to be strong. You were so brave, Aro. I
respected you. Then I found out you were Commander Mason’s daughter. Have you
understood how much he meant to me? He saved my life. He had died, but there
you were. That first time, I bound myself to you willingly because of your
strength, and who you were. Honor demanded I protect you. I knew you were human.
I knew what it meant. Even then, I was prepared to protect you and be by your
side for the rest of your life. Your father gave me this life. It was the least
I could do to take care of his daughter."

She’d never, ever, heard him speak so much. Staring at
him in shock, his words slowly sunk in. Leaning forward she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you. For whatever reason you did it. I needed it. Needed someone then."
Mumbling into his shoulder, she wasn’t sure he heard her until his grip
tightened around her.

"And you know," he whispered into her hair, "the
second time, I truly meant it. I wanted to. You are my family. And I…I couldn’t
let you die."

The tears started again, but for a different reason. "You’re
my family, too. Always."

"Forever."

"Yes." Squeezing him tightly once more, she
then leaned back and wiped at her tears.

"You’re a mess."

"At least it’s dark."

He smiled a little and brushed the last of her tears
away. "Things will be better tomorrow."

"I suppose you want to go back to camp now."

"We should."

She turned away, biting her lip. "I don’t want to
see him. Not yet."

He squeezed her hand. "You’re my strong girl. You
can do this."

Yes, she could. Maybe. "Can you go first? Let me
know how things are there? I’ll be right behind you."

Kei watched her carefully for a moment before nodding.
Standing, he grabbed her hands and pulled her up, too. "I’ll be with you."

With a nod
she
followed after him, until he stopped and grabbed her hand, pulling her up
beside him. "Forever by your side," he whispered.

Kei always made her smile.