Sword and Shield (GxG)

Chapter Twenty-Seven : The Waking Hour : Rikhata-Nia

She bit me.

She actually bit me.

Evangaline bit me.

Is it so wrong that I not only enjoyed it, but was only barely able to resist turning back to her and taking full advantage of her new Northern élan vital. The only barrier had been my exhaustion, in all honesty. Searching a castle this size for someone as fast and stealthy as I knew Lilian to be took its toll on my body, regardless of the insecurity it instituted. But that almost made my cravings worse.

I was brought out of deep sleep when something made a faint noise, despite how quiet it was, I nearly jumped off the bed. Startled, I frantically searched the room for the noise, and with a sigh of relief, realized it was just a sleeping Evangaline trying to slip under my arm. I lifted it and she happily cuddled into my side, nuzzling my neck even while she was fast asleep.

I relaxed beside her and just watched her sleeping form. The ghosts of last night were still floating around my memory, the lavender of her eyes; once innocent, now polluted with darkness and lust. But not anymore. Now she was just a helpless creature curled up, clinging to my side, with such a beautiful innocence just as there had always been. But when is there ever such a perfect statement? Though that didn't stop me from believing she was still the sweet East woman I'd grown to see her as.

Evangaline moved in her slumber; hardly an outstanding action, but a motion nonetheless. It was her way of protesting my laughter. I found the whole situation rather amusing. She'd been the irritating brat infesting my life in a time not far behind us. The cycle was too fast, too conditioned towards the current standing. Fate, once again, is a strange creature.

"Hmm...." again she stirred, humming while she tried to get closer. "Are you awake?" her voice was faint and sleepy, and extremely adorable.

"Mhm" was my response, coupled with an absentminded kiss on her forehead.

"What happens now?" she distracted herself by playing with my hair. I can't say I blame her, I hardly wanted to know how this war would begin.

"I suppose they're going to try to understand how a Witch operates... The North were never keen on sharing anything about Witches" I wanted to continue on to tell her that all I knew was that her kind had the power to destroy the North, but I was afraid of how she'd take that, for both her sake and mine.

"What about you?" her cold nose made me shiver when it touched the back of my neck. She must have found that very funny, since she started giggling in spite of the heavy atmosphere.

"I will be pestered by the Guardians to prepare myself for whatever is coming" I barely tried to make my teasing tone apparent, since it was the truth.

"I'm hungry" Evangaline sighed on my neck.

"What would you like me to do about that, Princess?" I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her on top of me. She made a little chirp of surprise, but let me proceed with my actions.

"I don't know" she giggled, resting her hands on my shoulders. "Its warm here, and its cold where the food is, so I don't want to get up" her hands traced my arms, moving towards my hands in perfect unison to eventually link with them.

"Do you have any idea how adorable you are?" I couldn't resist giving her a kiss. In an instant her aura shifted, and to my astonishment, I felt her biting me... Again. "Evangaline..." I almost made it sound like the warning I'd intended it to be. A low chuckle rumbled in her throat; the sound both unnerving and, I suppose inviting too; in its own baleful ways. The sensation was foreign, and instantly recognizable. The North.

"You should see your face" my eyes -which I don't remember closing- opened to shards of gold embedded in what had been only pastel lavender.

"Evangaline..." I was unsure if I meant that as a question or a statement. Either way I had already given up trying to understand all the different reactions that I was trying to express.

"If you still remember my name, you probably aren't as dumbfounded as you look" she stated casually. Her eyes were drifting, and the look of her expression made it blatantly obvious what she was thinking. It did not, however, explain why her eyes were now a pure gold.

"E-" I barely had a chance to start before the girl slid one hand up to my neck, twirling the fabric of my shirt around her finger with unnerving interest. Her other hand moved to my waist. When I stiffened, she looked up at me, confused.

"Are you okay?" The gold was tinted with a lighter color. "Do you not like me touching you?" Now the gold was visibly fading into purple. "Did I do something wrong?" And now her eyes were afraid and their natural color.

"You just surprised me. I-I'm sorry, I'm just not ready for..." what was wrong with me? I'd never hesitated saying it before. Why did it seem so much worse to say it to Evangaline? It felt corrupting to say something like that to the girl. The same one who was the start of this... "It feels wrong... To do anything while everything else is going on..." I mumbled, still questioning the reason I couldn't say it-or think the word, for God's sake-in the presence of the Witch.

"You're afraid of me... Aren't you?" Evangaline looked away, at the same time trying not to draw attention to the slight motions she made that put distance between us.

"I can't pretend seeing you like that isn't off-putting. But I am only afraid that I will not control myself. You are blind to what the world may yeild, and that is a treasure I will not steal under any circumstance. In this war patience is vital. I will wait for the right time" I pulled her back, gently, even cautiously. "You, I will keep safe"

"..." She looked at me like she was going to respond, but couldn't find the words. Eventually she gave up and just nestled into my embrace. It is an indescribable feeling to hold something as precious and dangerous as Evangaline was. "You're a lot better than you give yourself credit for..." she whispered. Her breath was felt throughout my body. "How did you know you were the Wildling?" She asked suddenly.

"I guess I didn't. I just trust what your mother and the Guardian told me. I fit the description" I told her absent mindedly. "What does it feel like to be the Witch?" I joked a little to sustain the light atmosphere. My efforts were wasted as the mood darkened.

"It's the most terrifying thing there ever was. I might as well have been stripped of my name and my past. Even of you. You who would not be here if not for a pampered Eastern girl who never existed" at her teary voice my hold on her tightened. I lay a gentle kiss on her neck.

"If doesn't mean anything. If doesn't matter. Right now we're at the only place we will ever be at this moment" I assured her.

"Once again, you are a lot more than you think. Can I kiss you?" She turned to face me. I smiled and let my hands fall to her hips.

"If you have to ask, the answer will be yes..." I brushed my lips against hers, letting her initiate. She did kiss me, and she did uphold her Eastern self... Unfortunately someone decided that now was the time to wake up.

"Evangaline! Breakfast! Dress yourself!" Someone banged on the door. Evangaline squealed and jumped off me. I stifled a laugh. "Princess?! Are you alright?!" I chuckled at the ignorant guard.

"Fine!" She squeaked.

"I hear someone else in there with you, are you sure you're okay?! Your mother wanted you to remain a maiden until marriage"

"It's fine. It's just me" I finally chuckled. "She will be ready soon"

"My apologies for the assumption, Princess and Wildling" the guard then left us alone.

"Your mother-" I started, smirking at Evangaline.

"Help me get dressed!" She chirped, blushing fiercely and closing the topic. I hummed again. Then helped her into the ridiculous clothes she was supposed to wear.

**Y'all have been waiting for an update for a long time, this one was almost done a while ago, and I hope you enjoyed it :/