Avala

Edan Duncan had the incapability of eating his food with a closed mouth. I wondered if someone had starved him as a poor young boy and now he had to eat up for the times he wasn't able to. He greedy devoured everything that had been put on the table and although the rest of his table manners were passable, yet I felt the hypocrisy of every etiquette lecture I had been given by him. Eating three grilled chicken looked so easy, when he was doing it. All the food he consumed was straight turned into muscle mass. I had decided that when he was eating, I maybe liked him the most, mostly because he wasn't talking.

Edan and I had been forced to spend every day together. From painful sword training to dancing lessons. The dancing lessons were definitely more fun, although I did have an issue with the whole body contact thing. At some point I suspected he could feel my racing heart.

If I had been religious, I would have prayed for that poor pudding, which was put on our table. He was in Edan's hands immediately. With my hands I was drumming onto the silver, which calmed me down.

"What do you mean Captain Adalsteinn, is going to be my dancing teacher for today?" I asked him fed up.

Edan gave me the sweetest of smiles, that one smile that made me want to ruin his perfect teeth. "That the glorious Moira Adalsteinn has taken a day off to personally teach you the art of waltz. You have to be pleased with that, I'm sure half of this castle has been waiting for this opportunity"

"I'm not half of the castle", I stated eagerly "Also she is a Captain, not a dancing trainer."

"Is it exhausting?", he asked me, his eyes resting on my face, his fork poking the pudding.

"What? Training with a high-energy beast? Yes, definitely", I retorted.

"No, I mean the fact that you have to differentiate yourself from everyone all the time. Hi, I'm Avala the sad sad princess, who nobody likes, everyone is awful, I'm the only person that matters", he tried to mime my voice.

I highly debated whether I should throw my pudding at him or to punch him in the eye in front of all gathered nobility. I repeatedly had asked to not dine with anyone, just alone in my room, but I think it had been Master Eachann's sorcery that I wasn't allowed to.

"I'm not the only person that matters. Colia does count as half of a matter", I informed him.

"That's great considering the fact that Colia is Captain Adalsteinn's daughter. Then you can try to give maybe two percent of that matter to her mother, I'm sure she would be grateful. I mean she will have hard time, since you are going to be there missing me with every inch of your heart", he continued.

"Don't be silly", I said and took a scoop of the red goo onto my fork.

"I wasn't trying to be", he said.

I averted my gaze and tried to focus on eating.

.

Instead of the usual ballroom the training had taken place in one of the rooms in the castle that had been granted to Captain Adalsteinn. The dancing class had been so awful, that I had considered following my sister's example and run away. Although as opposed to Keeva, I would have been found in minutes or get lost in Melar city. I never have been granted the privilege to have a friend to ditch the castle with, Colia always had been prim.

Apparently my sister had also been a prima ballerina, because according to Captain Adalsteinn she did everything right and I did everything wrong. My arms weren't tense enough, my legs weren't flexible enough, my back wasn't straight enough, I wasn't moving my head enough, my face was either expressionless or I looked like I just had bitten into a lemon. I personally blamed my incompetence on Edan, he had been my trainer before.

Exhausted I was lying on my bed, a book lying on that spot, where I had killed the vermin. My eyes were closed, I still was wearing my short lace dress that I had put on for dinner. Since my conversation with the now vanished Sir Callum, I had started to change up my wardrobe. Usually I wore comfortable plain clothing, I never made an effort, it wasn't worth it. But now I picked every outfit of mine wisely together with Colia. Although the lace was uncomfortable, I was staring to make statements with my clothing. It had a high see-through neck which was covered in lace, the rest of the dress consisted of ruby and azure blue squares, it was very detailed and lively, I showed presence. The weight of the dress enlarged my exhaustion and I started to doze off.

Some of the senses that hadn't been numbed by the sweet poison of sleep, had alerted me when I heard my door creak. If it was somebody who had the intentions of assassinating me, I hoped they would make it quickly and without me getting up. I rested there motionless, just opening my eyes. I noticed a figure in the doorway.

"Edan, what the hell?", I mumbled, as I recognized him.

He had a charming smile on his face and wasn't wearing his usual attire, he wasn't wearing his butterfly pin, if knights had an off day that is what they would look like. Plain casual clothing, a shirt that was showing off their muscles, slightly messy hair.

"I thought you missed too much today, so I had to pay you a visit", he said and sat down on my bed next to me.

I was still lying down, not making a move to face him or sit up. "Please, don't tell me there is some kind of midnight training, I have to do. I am refusing to do so. Captain Adalsteinn broke the little dignity I still had left."

"There is indeed something quite like a midnight training, but it often occurs past the time the tower of Melar chimes twelve times. And you my lovely Avala Eithne Doughlass have been chosen to participate.", he stated gravely.

"First of all my second name is Eithlinn, but I'm sure your birdbrain only can remember the big Keeva Regani. Second of all if your midnight training consists in the consume of alcohol, which think it does, I have the bad feeling that it does, you could actually lose your job, third of all I'm a princess and you are my knight, you cannot make me", my voice was stern.

"My deepest apologies, your serene highness.", he retorted "But you still are going to join me"

He was right, although I hated getting up, I didn't want to miss the chance to leave the castle. I returned to upright position. "You know you can lose your station, because your helping another princess to leave? You might get imprisoned", I informed him.

"You don't have the intentions of running away, do yo? If something goes wrong we just blame me", he said.

I shook my head laughing bitterly. "Well, that was out of question".

He stood up and held his hand into my direction for me to take it. I didn't, I got up myself. Hastily I brushed through my hair, to at least make them look semi decent, it's not that I was obliged to impress anyone, but someone with a bird-nest like hair would attract attention. I look down at me, my dress could pass as a party outfit, just my golden necklace and high heels were too much. My eyes traced the room and ended up on some worn out boots, that Colia had described as perfectly vintage. I switched them and didn't mind the fact that I let Edan waiting.

"All set?", he asked.

"All set", I replied.

.

I couldn't believe my eyes, when Edan had forced to crawl through that very tunnel Keeva had left, and I even couldn't believe the fact that it still wasn't guarded. Perchance since everyone knew about it, nobody felt the need to guard it, it had become self-evident to not leave through here. I noted to myself that if the circumstances would make me queen one day, I would fire the entire security at the castle.

The alleyway we had ended up in looked like a crime scene in one of my books. I didn't necessarily felt comfortable. The paved ground looked dirty, the windows were grimy, the smell also wasn't rose water.

Edan escorted me trough the streets, we passed different shops, a bakery, a butcher, a tailor (who was probably way better than Callum Reed), to my joy also a library. The people in Melar were dressed festive, it was the last day of working before most of them granted themselves one day break. Edan and I weren't suspicious, we could have been every regular citizen. In front of a building that looked like an odd mix between restaurant, club and pub we stopped.

As Edan put his hand on my back, I winced a little. "Everything alright?" he asked.

Well except the fact that you touched me without asking, everything is awesome. I nodded quickly, I wanted to finally go inside, because it had started to become cold outside.

The interior design of the building resembled the descriptions of an opium den, which I had read about. It was stifling, there was the suppressed sound of chatter, some people were dancing to terrible music, some people were drinking. Altogether it looked dilapidated.

We sat down together at the bar, a big morose man was our barkeeper, he had a thin mustache and monolid eyes. He was busy handing out drinks to everyone that it took him a few minutes to notice us. I rested my elbows on the counter, if I was going to act like I wasn't of royal decent, I also could abandon all rules of etiquette. The rowan wood of the surface was antique and it had become brittle.

"What do you want to drink?", he grunted harshly.

"A Vodka Soda", I responded. Not that I had a particular like in vodka soda, I never have drunken alcohol, except at a couple formal events. Vodka Soda was simply the only term I knew that was remotely acceptable for this location.

Edan ordered something called Island Lemonade, which probably tasted as pretentious as it sounded. Surprised he turned to me when our barkeeper left and said to me. "Vodka Soda? Your sister always was a gin person"

At this moment I reached my point of Keeva overload. "You expect me walk like Keeva, you expect me to talk like Keeva, you expect me to dance like Keeva, you expect me to fight like Keeva and now you even except me to drink like Keeva? It's highly likely that she is having the time of her life on the other side of the world. I am not Keeva, I will never be Keeva. If you do need a substitute for a friend next time please ask Brynja to join you, because I won't be sitting here risking my life that you can get drunk and whine about how she left you"

"Do you always have to be such a raging bitch?", he asked and took a sip of the drink that now had been brought to us.

"Oh, is there also a measurement for the amount of raging bitch I can be? I'm sorry I overstepped the limit. Next time I speak to you, I will check it in the How-To-Be-Keeva handbook.", I barked at him.

He raised his hands into the air as a sign of defeat, still a hint of amusement in his eyes. I took my glass and threw the cool liquid down my throat, who felt like I had lit it on fire.

I regretted all of my life choices. Like, all of them. Including being born.

"Easy, easy, Avala. You don't want to give yourself alcohol poisoning that quickly. Your body is not used to consume alcohol quickly in big amounts.", Edan acted like he was an alcohol specialist.

"Don't tell me what to do, Edan Duncan", I replied feeling the weird taste of my drink in my mouth.

"Is the fact that you keep referring to me by my full naming helping you to build up your ego? To say that you don't care a little bit for me, that all I am is a burden that you have to bear", he was swinging his glass around, stirring up the liquid of his drink.

"I would be careful with your words, I can have make you be hanged, drawn and quartered.", I told him.

"Oh, you wouldn't dare. Unless you and Captain Adalsteinn are best friends now", he suggested and leaned back casually. He was so hard trying to be cool, that I was afraid that he could fall of his chair. His cheeks were rosy from the exhaustion of the day and the first drops of spiritus. I had to admit that he was quite good-looking in his nonchalant way.

"Haven't you heard? Me and my good ol' pal Moira are going to burn down the world together", I crossed my legs. I felt oddly bubbly, I had a smile on my face that was very rare, I doubted if it was genuine.

"I'm looking forward to that", he said and nodded as if he was being serious.

The music that was playing had started to sound pleasing. The rhythm of the deep bass sound sounded like a humming animal. The dim light and the smell enhanced my state of slowly progressing numbness. Words that I spoke became meaningless and slurry. I felt this phony boiling joy that had started to cloak me, a growing impuissance. We had started to talk about the incapability of the castle staff to not serve sourcrout and our mutual hatred for it. I noticed a girl sitting a couple chairs behind Edan looking at us repeatedly, or more looking at him. Being trained a guard, he must have noticed it, but decided to not pursue a conversation with her. For the first time I wondered how close Edan actually had been with my sister.

Surprisingly it wasn't Edan who was approached by someone, it was me. A very tall handsome dirty blonde haired guy had consorted with us, when me and Edan had finished another round of drinks. "I'm Duncan", he introduced himself.

Edan looked at him perplexed. "No, I'm Duncan", he insisted.

Duncan gave him a comradely pat on the back. "Duncan Wallace", he informed him.

"No, I'm not Duncan Wallace. Edan Duncan, what a pleasure", they shook hands. Duncan was about a feet taller then Edan, though that didn't mean Edan was a small guy. I had to giggle when I watched them interact, I didn't like giggling, I wasn't a typical person to giggle.

Duncan now looked at me expecting. "Ava", I said with an awkward head movement.

"Ava, would you mind dancing with me?", he asked. "Or is he"

"No, he is not", I cut him off and got off. The limbs of my body were heavy, I wasn't sure if it still was my brain who was in control of them. Edan looked like all sympathy for Duncan had vanished.

"She has two left feet", the knight of the queen told him and turned his back to us, concentrating on his beverage.

Duncan lead me to the a small higher platform, which I assumed was the actual dance floor. People were dancing scattered all over the room,unsure why they had bothered with a dance floor anyways. I did the same as a girl next to me and put one of my hands on his shoulder. Dancing intoxicated was interlay different than learning formal dances. It wasn't really dancing, there were no steps, just strange snake like movements and hopping around. I oddly enjoyed it, i also oddly enjoyed brushing against Duncan's body occasionally, while handing my hand to Edan during waltz lessons had been an act of overcoming. For a moment I lost myself in the music, I could sense pure shaky liberty.

And then I kissed him or he kissed me. I don't exactly remember. The taste of a random stranger was a mixture between fireworks, the night sky and booze. I couldn't even relish it, someone grabbed my arm tightly and dragged me away with big eager steps.

Outside we came to a stop. I looked at Edan, when he let go of my arm. His grip had been hurting me and I wasn't having it.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?", he asked me upset.

"I'm having some fun. You should to, I think getting laid would maybe help you be less of an asshole.", I crossed my arms defiantly.

"You cannot make out with a random dude, this is your first time here. You have no idea what you are doing, can you not ruin anything for a second?", he had raised his voice, I saw the rage in his brown eyes, blazing like fire.

"I can do whatever I want. I'm crown princess now", my drunk self spoke.

"No, you are not. You are drunk", he informed me as if I hadn't noticed myself.

"What? I'm completely sober", I objected, just for the hell of it.

"I'm taking you home", he said and took my arm again, not letting go till he had placed me in my bed.

.

Duncan Wallace was making his way home, his mind was still lost in thoughts of the pretty blonde girl and her flaming eyes. When he took a turn around the corner he first didn't notice the hooded creature waiting for him.

He stopped abruptly and stared. The hooded figure revealed his face. The tranquillity of the streets of Melar, sent the chill down his spines. The last thing before his assassin pushed a blade through his heart, were two blue eyes and pearly white teeth.