The Kingdoms of Blue and Green.

Part 43

Evelynn lowered her knife. Exhaling she dropped it onto the mat.

"Nervous?" Marcus questioned lowering his bow as the arrow indented itself into the target. The wood splitting. Evelynn clenched her face and dropped her gaze, pulling a face. He had taken some of the girls on trips. Away. Evelynn shuddered to jump to conclusions about the relationship he has with the others. Marcus chuckled at her, as he withdrew his bow again he focused, in a reassuring tone Marcus spoke, his eyes locked on the target across the room. "When you kissed him, what did he do?"

Evelynn laughed pulling out her bow and placing an arrow in it. "I don't know, like...." Evelynn pulled the string back, thinking of the incident a few weeks ago. The feather fletching dusting across her face. She steadied her gaze, looking directly at the target. The arrowhead in the vision of her left eye. Evelynn let go of the string. Sending the arrow towards the target. Landing in its dark yellow centre. "Well," Evelynn drawled on as she pulled another arrow out of her holder, strapped across her back. Marcus placed another arrow in his bow. "I don't remember much, just like he wouldn't let me go?" Marcus' arrow landed an inch away from the outside of the target, off course. Marcus shot her a look, his eyes blinking and brows furring.

"No, not like that," Evelynn took back her words. She pressed her eyebrows together in hope of remembering. "I can't remember what it felt like weeks ago, I can barely remember what he and I talked about last." Evelynn moaned in an annoying tone. All of the conversations after had been banter. Nothing physical. Evelynn forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

Evelynn wouldn't find the right words. Letting out a low groan she cursed herself. "It was like he wanted me. The kiss was like an introduction. It was gentle and soft, but nothing overly aggressive," Evelynn inhaled drawing her bow back again. All she could remember was drawing the dagger out over him. Not the kiss itself.

"Well," Marcus said pulling out a cloth from his left pant pocket. Wiping the belly of the bow.

Evelynn licked her lips as she took her arrow holder off her shoulder. Looking at Marcus. His mustard yellow hair was tied back in a palm tree at the back of his head. The beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Evelynn pouted in her lips and lifted her eyebrows at him. His teeth appeared, "He obviously likes you, very much. Have you seen him observe you and your facial reactions to his moves?"

Evelynn chuckled, "Yes he likes staring at me,"

"He does that cause he wants to make sure your comfortable," Marcus placed his arrows on the ground. "By watching your reactions, he knows how far you want to go,"

"I mean I am an open book to him," Evelynn mumbled under her breath. Chuckling low at the inside joke. The flow of his hand up and down her exposed upper back.

Marcus smiled at Evelynn, "He likes you." Evelynn pressed her lips together then puffed them out making a 'pfft' sound. "Really. He talks about you when we train together,"

"He trains? Like a warrior?" Evelynn shook her head with disbelief. "When?" Thinking of the man that she had met on the throne, his green dragon eyes and how they change. How light fills them when he looks at her.

"He trains often late or early as you do," Marcus paused pulling at his amour "He's good," Marcus added. Taking his armour off. The shoulder pads clanging on the floor. "Like monster slayer good,"

Evelynn laughed so hard she could barely breathe. "No," She said clouded in laughs. "I could take him on, easy," Evelynn laughed clutching her stomach.

Marcus shook his head and smirked. "I don't know who would win. But I would pay to see it,"

"I'd win," Evelynn stood up straight puffing her shoulders back.

                                             ~

Entering the dining hall Evelynn sat next to Lisandra.

"Have fun?" Evelynn asked walking in seeing Lisandra with her head in her hands. She smiled grabbing Lisandra's chin jerking it up. So see Lisandra's swollen lips. Lisandra pulled away, sharply turning away from Evelynn. Evelynn leaned over her, furring her eyebrows.

Lisandra's hazel eyes refused to meet her stare. "Come on Lisandra what is wrong?" An ache grew in her heart. A burn in her chest. Lisandra swallowed facing Evelynn.

"He," Lisandra paused as she stared at Evelynn as her blue eyes drifted across her face. "He kissed me,"

"Azrael?" Evelynn questioned as she sat down, placing her hands in her lap.

"No,"

Evelynn sensed something was off. A pungent smell filled the air. Like rotten corpses, and apple cores. Evelynn looked at Lisandra her eyes widening for an answer.

"The Baron,"

Evelynn grasped onto Lisandra's hands. Her hazel eyes spoke a thousand words. Her pupils dilated, and her eyes glazed over with tears. Evelynn knew, "Did you want him too?"

Her throat bobbled, her red hair falling over her face, looking down at her hands in Evelynn's. Lisandra mouthed, "No,"

"I'm gonna kill him,"

"No!" Lisandra yelled in the empty dining room, "He kissed me when I arrived back here."

Evelynn stood up throwing her cape back. "Evelynn listen," Lisandra's voice echoed, breaking mid-sentence. Evelynn looked at her friend. Lisandra shuddered to wrap her arms around herself. Evelynn clenched her fists and turned red. "Evelynn please,"

Evelynn bit the inside of her cheeks and closed her eyes.

"When I arrived back here after my holiday with Azrael, he had to immediately attend to his mother. The Baron insisted to walk me inside. He backed me against the wall and-"

"-Kissed you," Evelynn hissed. "Anything else?" Her eyes flickered open.

"I pushed him away and he came back onto me, so I kicked him, and punched him, " Lisandra blankly stared at Evelynn.

"Did it hurt?"

"My knuckles yes," Lisandra chuckled as she rubbed her red knuckles on her left hand. "He fell to the ground the brittle old man stayed there too,"

"You okay?" Evelynn crouched down to reach eye level with Lisandra. She nodded.

"I will be,"

Evelynn squinted her eyes, "I'm still going to kill him,"

Lisandra grabbed her, "Say it with me, I will not kill him,"

"Not yet," Evelynn snapped back.

"Evelynn," Lisandra's voice was stern.

"Fine," She groaned "I will not kill him,"

Evelynn glanced at the sundial. Evelynn threaded her arm through Lisandra's and Evelynn lifted her to her feet.

"Not yet anyway," Evelynn chuckled. She lied to Lisandra about how serious she was about it.

                                                ~