The Ivory Knight

Chapter 22

Two days after their disastrous incidents at the first inn, Adeleina, Rowan and Damien were still not on comfortable speaking terms. Adeleina was angry at Rowan for getting drunk and letting her do something so stupid and at Damien for-- well, Adeleina knew that he technically hadn't done anything wrong, but she was angry at him all the same. She was also angry at herself; how could she have let herself behave so loosely, when her kingdom was in danger? Damien was angry at both Adeleina and Rowan for a reason Adeleina could not fathom, and Rowan was, as always, stony and silent. 

Here, the people were beginning to recognize Damien more and more often. In a kingdom as large as Dale, one could hardly expect the people on the outer edges near the borders to recognize their prince, especially when he was dressed in ragged hunterman's clothing. Now, however, Damien could barely ride two feet through a village or town without some fat merchant or passing lord trying to talk to him. Adeleina understood why he did not flaunt his status; really, she'd done the exact same thing in Corandell.

Nevertheless, travelling with the kingdom's prince gave both Adeleina (who was hardly ever recognized, to her relief) and Rowan (who often was on the recieving end of some terrified looks) some privileges they, without Damien, would not have been able to enjoy. On the third night of being on the road, the three found themselves in pleasant inn run by an affable, wealthy man whom Damien was on friendly terms with. 

"The meals here are top-notch," Damien told Adeleina and Rowan monotonously as they were ushered in by the extremely excited innkeeper. "You two can dine together. I have matters to discuss with Trevin." With that, Damien swept away behind a door with the jolly old innkeeper without a backwards glance.

That left Adeleina and Rowan standing alone and extremely uncomfortable. 

"Er," Adeleina said hesitantly when Rowan stayed silent. "I suppose we should sit down, then."

They meandered through the crowded room silently in search of empty seats. Adeleina was relieved to find that the people here looked quite ordinary and did not pay her nor Rowan any attention at all.

They found a table meant for one person tucked away in a corner. Rowan shrugged sullenly, and, to Adeleina's surprise, did not leave to sit somewhere else. Instead, he pulled an unused chair from another table and sat with Adeleina at the tiny corner.

Adeleina squirmed in her seat, ill at ease as they waited for a serving girl to bring food. She knew quite well by now that Rowan was neither talktative nor very friendly, but that didn't mean she enjoyed the silence that seemed as thick as fog around them.

"Why did you do it?" Rowan suddenly asked. He looked Adeleina in the eye for the first time in two days. 

"Why did I do what?" Adeleina was thoroughly confused and rather surprised at Rowan's question. 

"Kiss me," Rowan said curtly. He said it with such arrogance and outright bluntness that at first, Adeleina he meant it as a command.

"Wh-- oh," she said, hoping her embarassment didn't show through as unwanted images made their way into her mind. "I was drunk, of course."

"Is that it?" Rowan lifted a snarky eyebrow, almost as if he didn't care. Almost. Adeleina was, by now, good at reading people, however well-disguised they thought their emotions were. She caught the wolfish, hungry look that lurked behind Rowan's stony mask. It sent shivers rolling through her entire being-- whether they were shivers of fear, or something else, Adeleina didn't know.

"Of course that's it," Adeleina said reproachfully. "Why else would I? You should know by now that you're a despicable man and that no woman would ever kiss you willingly."