Ryesen heard the door bell ring. She checked the clock on her phone, 5:30 pm to the minute. She smiled and grabbed her daisy white sweater and bag and headed downstairs not wanting Travis to stay alone for longer than he should with Jarle. Even if Jarle has promised to be nice to him and not to scare him off, but she knows that Jarle could be... well, intimidating. Anything over a three minutes with her fairtheoir would exceed the recommended dosage. 

Ryesen found Travis being questioned -more like interrogated- while he was still at the entrance. Jarle didn't invite him to come inside. Not that she wanted him come in. Travis won't stand a chance against Jarle and Ovia together. Judging by the way Travis looked at Jarle he was both alarmed and perplexed. 

"Hey, ready to go?", Ryesen asked as she stepped from behind the tall frame of the Dark fairtheoir who was blocking the door.

"Wow!", words escaped Travis's lips without any brain supervision when he saw her. She wore a white sweater over a peach colored shirt and a pair of skinny jeans and white sneakers. Her hair was tied in a pony tail that showed her beautiful face. Travis's face changed color slightly and he cleared his throat but his heart refused to descend back in his chest and kept clinching to his windpipe. He was fully aware of the, long haired, arm crossed, tall, dark and daunting person standing in front of him. And who just now arched an un-pleased eyebrow at him. "I meant, hi".

"Hi", Ryesen smiled and the flutter in her chest increased just by seeing him.

"You look...", Travis's sentence was interrupted by Jarle clearing his throat. For a split of a second Travis forgot that he was there. Only for a split of a second. "Nice...", then he looked at Jarle, "If I may say".

"Thank you! You too". He did. In his walnut brown jersey and charcoal shirt topping a pair of faded jeans. His blue eyes twinkled when they caught her gaze giving her a strange feeling in her stomach.

"Shall we go?", he motion to where his truck was parked.

Ryesen nodded. She turned to Jarle, "See you later".

"It was nice meeting you, sir", Travis said formally.

Ryesen had no doubt that it wasn't nice at all.

Jarle watched as Travis opened the door for her then rounded the truck to the drivers' seat. The young man nodded at him before he took his seat and drove off. Not a second later a car followed leaving nothing but silence. A light breeze of cold air blew through the branches and the birds chirped as they flew back to their nests. Night has already started to set and the stars dotted the sky. He noticed the surroundings around them since they stepped foot out of Tír na nÓg. A small smile stretched his lips before he went back in side.

"Your father seems like a... nice guy", Travis started, "You two don't look alike at all", and he meant that in many different ways.

Ryesen almost laughed hearing him describing Jarle as nice. If Jarle heard him it might have been the last words Travis ever spoke. "Jarle isn't my father. He's... he's family". That was somewhat true in a non-relative sort of way.

"Oh, I didn't know that you weren't living with family".

"Yeah, my father is working somewhere else".

Hearing her saying that she wasn't living under her parents' roof only reminded him that she was only here temporarily and that caused his chest tighten. "Is your mother traveling too?". He asked. When he glanced at her and his heart wrenched seeing the sadness invading her smile.

"Mom passed away a few years ago".

Without thinking his reach for the hand on her lap and covered it with his. He gave it a light squeeze, "I'm really sorry, Ryesen".

His move surprised her. She looked at him and he gave her a small apologetic smile. Even though his touch was light, it made her cheeks feel warm and that flutter didn't stop at all. It felt nice.

Travis wanted to know more about her, but so far the conversation was going in the heart aching direction. He raked his brain for a change of subject, but he was still stuck on his previous curiosity. Every question played in his mind was either, who else do you live with? Are they related to you? Where does your father work? Why do you have to leave? Think, man. Think!

"Hey, did Zoe send you where she lives?", Ryesen asked.

Travis sighed inwardly when she pulled him out of his loop, "She didn't have to, I know where her house is". He glanced at her with a smile, "We used to take the same bus to school and she lived in the same house for as far as I can remember. Two of her siblings were in the same school as us". Then he laughed, "I remember her younger brother was a trouble maker. He always ends up either with his parents coming to school to see the principle or in detention".

Ryesen laughed, "He reminds me of someone who spent the first day of school in detention".

Travis's smile widened. His heart shook in his chest when he remembered seeing her for the first time in class. It did that every time laid eyes on her. "Hey, I'm no where close to a trouble maker. I only get detention when it's worth it".

Ryesen stared at his grinning side view for a long moment. 

They stopped by Zoe's. Ryesen got out when Zoe's mother waved at them. She went to say 'hi' and introduce herself, but somehow ended meeting Zoe's grandparents, parents, brothers and sister, her sister's fiance and a few family friends. She noticed that her parents knew Travis. They extended them an open dinner invitation and a wedding invitation as well that the bride insisted that they must come and added their names to the guests list. Ryesen was pretty sure that Zoe's grandmother was trying to fix her with one of the their friends' son. Their house was full of life and vibrant. It had an active, prompt vibe that was familiar and welcoming.

Zoe came dashing downstairs like a flying arrow, she snatched her friends by the sleeves and yelled goodbyes without waiting to hear anything. Ryesen and Travis managed to wave and mumble a few  'nice to meet you' before being dragged out.

Once they were stuffed in Travis's truck, Zoe breathed. "I'm sorry, if I didn't pull you out we might never have left".

Ryesen was distracted by how close she was to Travis. In their new sitting arrangement in the single long seat of Travis's truck, she found herself in the middle. She knew by his tense movements that he was aware of that too.

"You might have lived with us until my bride to be sister first unborn child went to college".

Zoe's voice pulled her thoughts from Travis and into conversation and she laughed, "I like your family. They seemed really nice".

Zoe scoffed, "Of course you would think that. You don't have to live with them". Then she grabbed her arm, "You are coming to the wedding aren't you?". She looked at her then at Travis, "Please, it would mean a lot to me and I don't think I can survive that amount of family time by myself".

Ryesen nudged her shoulder to Zoe's, "I wouldn't miss it".

Travis gave her a wide grin, "Me too".

Zoe sighed in relief.

Others have already arrived by the time they reached Ben's bowling alley. It was somewhat how Ryesen imagined it would be. With buzzing lights that illuminated brightly. Smooth polished wooden floors under her feet. Upbeat music played from the speakers around them. One of the bowling lines had an 'Out of service' label, but the rest were working. Large screens above each alley displayed scores. The distant smell of pizza, burgers and french fries lingered in the air.

Travis introduced everyone to everyone before they split into teams. Travis, Ryesen, Zoe and Max -the boy who never seem to part away from his cap- ended up together. Each team huddled close to its members and talked game plan.

"So, do you ladies know how to play?", Max asked twisting his cap and wearing it backwards. A few strands on brown hair curling upwards.

"I played a few times", Zoe mumble.

Ryesen shook her head.

"How about a practice slash warm-up round first?", Travis suggested.

"Yes please", Ryesen said.

Max nodded, "Okay then. I'll inform the others and then we'll start".

Travis turned to Zoe, "Why don't you go ahead and start until I show Ryesen the basics".

Zoe nodded and went to grab a ball, not before she secretly smiled at Ryesen who hid her's.

"Show me your hand, please", Travis said trying to sound calm.

The request confused her but she complied anyway. Something wiggled in her chest when he held her hand and ran his fingers over it. She got more confused when he smoothed his fingers over her palm and all the way to her finger tips. She might have imagined that his hand shook a little. She lifted her head to see what was going on with him.

Travis snapped out of his state of haze just in time and met her gaze. "Your...", his voice sounded strange. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Your hands are small". He forced his fingers to let go and turned around. The THUD... THUD... THUD... of his heart subdued the sounds around him. All that from the mere touch of her hand. God, she has the softest skin. He thought before he self chided when the confused look on her face registered. Great work acting cool! Idiot! He picked a ball, took a deep breath and then returned. "I Think this will be perfect to you. Be careful now, it's a bit heavy".

He placed it in her hands and it surprised her that it weighed more than what she expected.

"Now, your thumb goes here. middle and ring fingers over here. You don't want to hook your fingers passed the first knuckle, otherwise it might peel off your skin when you release the ball and that will be painful", he instructed as he held the weight of the ball while she adjusted her hold. "Then what you do is you kind of drop and roll but you need to keep your hand underneath it when you do. Like this".

Ryesen followed his instructions. She tried to swing it in the air without letting go to. Her wrist strained a bit. Then he showed her how to place her steps one in front the other while swinging her arm before releasing the ball down the alley and it went right in the gutter. That had her laughing. 

Travis laughed too. "Not bad for a first time". He stood behind her with his hand on her wrist, "Let go when I tell you". 

That was the only time she hit all pins. After that the gutter was becoming her friend. She managed to swing the ball backwards towards the seats. Sent the ball to the next line, yet she hit a few of pins off of the neighbor's lane. She skipped when her ball hit a few pins and high-five her team.

The good thing was that two members of the other team were as horrible as she was. Travis and Max never missed a pin. While Zoe had her moments of bad luck and joined Ryesen in the gutter two or three times and they laughed so hard. Good thing the guys were good and their team won.

Afterwards they went for dinner before everyone headed home. Travis walked her to the door and they stood there for a moment. The silence in the car after they dropped Zoe was full of unspoken words.

"I had fun today", Ryesen smiled fidgeting with her bracelet. "Thank you for inviting me".

Travis smiled and cleared his throat, "I'm glad that you came".

"We should do this again".

He had butterflies in his stomach and those THUDs never stopped, if possible they increased. "Yeah, how about we do something next week?". That sounded to eager in his ears, so he tried to dim it down, "Or the next. Whatever suits you". Then his tongue betrayed him, "Next week would be good", he bit down on his tongue but it was too late. His face has changed color and he stuffed his hands in his pocket.

She giggled, "I would like that".

A wide grin stretched his lips as he rocked on his heels, "Then it's settled". He took a step back, "I guess I'll see you at school".

"Yup. See you."

He waved at her before he drove off. Ryesen skipped her way inside and closed the door behind her.

"Hey, Jarle", she chirped when she passed the living room.

Jarle looked up from the book he was reading and nodded, "Princess. Did you have a good time?".

"Yup, yup, yup... I was horrible at bowling, but it was fun", she laughed before walking to the kitchen. she came back with a bottle of water from the fridge before walking back to the living room. Her heart was still fluttering and her face still felt warm. That happy feeling inside her was gradually pressed down by guilt.

"What's on your mind?", Jarle asked noticing how quick the sparkle died in her eyes.

She smiled a little. He knew her too well. This little outing with some human friends was the cry of freedom she longed for, but the moment she stepped inside the house everything that she was fleeing from came crashing down on her. She battled the idea that she did something wrong. 

"Would... would it be wrong to like a human?", her heart felt heavy and the question felt wrong to be asked.

Jarle set the book aside and studied her. He was by her side from the day she came to this life and everyday after that. He knew the weight she carried on her shoulders. If she had asked him this question a few years back, he would have said 'Yes' and added 'vastly wrong' regardless of what she felt or thought. But now, now his loyalty was to her, and her well-being was his priority. "I think that you are here for a year and it would be a shame if you didn't make the best out of it".

Ryesen was prepared to be frowned upon or even chided for having such an idea, but certainly not understanding. This was surprising.

"You still have obligation regarding your studies and training, but remember, you have an obligation towards yourself as well", he smiled a little before his features got serious, "There is nothing wrong with living a little".

She felt the weight lifting off her shoulder and her heart shook with happiness that her eyes almost teared up. She nodded, "I will".

Jarle bowed his head and lifted his book again. He heard her skip out of the living room, stop, then rushed back in. He waited to see what she might have forgotten. Instead, Ryesen surprised him with a hug before he could object. He was fairtheoir and a warrior. He was on the job twenty-four hours, seven days a week. Princesses do not hug their fairtheoir. He reproved that action in the small number of times she did that. Always reminded her of her royal position.

"Before you start scolding me. I just want to say, thank you for not only being my fairtheoir but also my friend. You and Ovia are the best friends any girl could ask for".

She was right. The scolding was on the tip of his tongue, but it refrained from going any farther. Jarle never doubted for once his decision to capitulate his loyalty to her. It was moments like these he most treasured. He reached and placed his hand on her head, "I'll let it slide this time. Just don't make a habit out of it".

Ryesen beamed at him, "I won't make any promises I'm not planning to keep", then she skipped upstairs.

 He could hear the faint whisper of a song coming from her room and he smiled a little. "You think I'm wrong, don't you?", he spoke out talking to the shadow that lingered in the study.

Ovia stepped into the light, a deep frown creased her features, "You shouldn't have told her that. Why would you encourage her?".

He didn't answer, instead he asked her, "What did you see when you shadowed her tonight?".

Ovia didn't appreciate the change of subject and her short circuit of patience snapped, "What else did I see, a bunch of teens playing a silly game".

He was gradually getting to his point despite her quiet outburst, "Ah, yes. But what had you coming back early?".

Ovia was silent of a moment debating if she should snap at him again or simply walk away. Instead, she slumped on the chair next to her and gave up the urge to be infuriated with Jarle, "She was happy. Laughing, playing, having fun. Just a normal teenager". She pushed her blond hair back and sighed.

Jarle nodded now that she reached the point that he wanted, "No sixteen year old should be burdened like that".

Shadow Mountains

Alrik was in his study chamber following on the pile of records that was brought to his desk. Even though he preferred to be out with the warriors on the field, there was paperwork that needed to be done. The sound of a papers being turned occasionally reminded him that Corwin was there.

The low knock on his door didn't weaver his concentration. "Enter". He didn't lift his head to see who it was. He knew his visitor. This has been a regular thing for weeks now.

"Your Highness", his visitor greeted with a respectful bow.

"Report", Alrik ordered without lifting his head.

"The Dark assigned on guarding reported that a truck was lingering outside the house. Her Highness went out with a human male and came back four hours later. It was the same male that has been spotted with the Princess multiple times".

Alrik's hand stopped writing mid sentence for a second before resuming with the records. Something stirred inside him and he dismissed it as soon as it started. "Keep guarding the house and school. Keep you distance and do not engage", he ordered.

His informative bowed before turning around to leave.

Corwin watched the Dark Prince silently for a moment saying nothing before returning to his work.