Teodor looked at us when we stepped out of the woods and into the clearing. He frowned and slowly blinked, looking worried but not jealous that I was alone with his Beloved. "Your Highness?" he asked and walked over to us. He cleared his throat and bowed, not meeting my gaze. "How are you feeling? Are you ok?"

"I am fine," I replied coldly and shook my head, and Teodor set his jaw and slowly nodded, even though I had a feeling that he didn't believe me. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Have your men eaten?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and Teodor nodded in confirmation.

"They have," he confirmed before he cleared his throat and placed his hands behind his back, standing tall at attention. "Do you need to eat before we leave, Your Highness?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he stared at me.

I shook my head no and pursed my lips in annoyance. "I do not need to," I said before I cleared my throat and started to make my way to my horse, and he followed me. "Is everyone ready to leave, Teodor?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow in question and looked at him from the corner of my eye. "I would like to get more ground covered before we set up camp again for the evening."

Teodor slowly blinked, and an annoyed scowl appeared on his face. He didn't say a word while he looked at me and then at Nikolai before he looked at me again.

"Well?" I asked while I raised the eyebrow higher while I looked all at Teodor and not just at him from the corner of my eye. "Is everyone ready to leave before we set up camp again for the evening?"

"I shall see," he said and slowly bowed, looking at the ground and not meeting my gaze. "Excuse me." He picked up his pace while he walked away, and I knew that he went to converse with some of his men to see if they were ready to leave, especially those that were on foot.

I bit back an annoyed sigh and shook my head while I walked the rest of my way to my horse with Nikolai following me because his horse was close to mine.

Nikolai didn't say a word while he watched my back, making sure that I stayed safe, even though there wasn't that much he could do because he hadn't been trained that much in fighting but enough to defend himself if needed.

Men started to get on their horses again, and I could tell that it meant they were ready to go. They stayed silent while they looked at me, silently waiting for the command to go and start walking again.

I got onto my horse before I cleared my throat and looked at Teodor with a raised eyebrow, making sure that the men on foot were ready as well.

Teodor nodded in confirmation, indicating that he and his crew were ready before he hopped onto his horse and waited for me to start going before they followed.

"Ok, let's go," I said and nudged my horse into the direction that we needed to go in, and my group followed me. I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes, not knowing what the future held for us and praying that nothing bad would happen to us on this journey...

***

We rode for a long time after that break, covering enough ground in a matter of hours, and the sun slowly started to set, signalling the end of one day and the beginning to the next.

And for some reason, I was starting to get hungry, but I made no move to indicate that it was time for us to stop so that I could get something to eat.

Teodor guided his horse over to mine and looked at me before he looked forward. He didn't say a word, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye before I looked forward again, waiting for him to speak and tell me what he wanted.

Finally, when the silence drew on for far too long, I cleared my throat and shifted in the saddle while I fiddled with my reins. "What do you want, Teodor?" I asked and looked at him again with a small frown on my face, setting my jaw. "What's wrong?"

Teodor smiled and bowed his head a little. "Nothing is wrong, Your Highness," he said before he cleared his throat again, growing serious while he looked at me again. "I am curious about when you want to stop again for the evening."

"Soon," I said and nodded, clearing my throat again and setting my jaw tighter. "Start sending out scouts for us to find a space to rest. The rest of us will hold back while you do so."

"Of course, Your Highness," Teodor said and nodded. He nudged his horse to some of our scouts, and I knew that he was going to do what I told him to while his Beloved walked over to my side but still a ways back to make sure that no one gets suspicious of us.

"Your Highness?" Nikolai asked, raising an eyebrow in question, and I looked at him from the corner of my eye before I looked forward again. "May I ask what's happening?"

I bit back an annoyed sigh and shook my head before I fiddled with my reins. I didn't say a word and slowly blinked while I watched three of my scouts pull away from the group and started to scout ahead of us.

"Your Highness?" Nikolai asked again. He stared at the back of my head, and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention when I felt a presence at the back of my mind, but I kept my block up, making sure that I didn't allow him to talk to me the way that he wanted to.

"We are settling for the night, soon, Nikolai," I said coldly and shook my head, silently indicating that we could talk later but not through the telepathic bond that he wanted to set between us. "They are finding a place to stay for the evening."

Nikolai pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn't say a word, and I had a feeling that he wanted to roll his eyes but didn't. He pulled his horse away from me, and I bit back a small sigh of relief, glad that he wasn't going to push me until a bit later and possibly when we were fully alone.

Thank Gods he stopped pushing me before I killed him myself.

Thank Gods...