The Witty Princess & Her Knight

Part 6 - Faces

- A few minutes before the race

When Rama help Carissa on to her horse and kiss her palm lightly, Dale watched Manuel's response. Judging by his clenched fist rather than his expression, she could pretty much guess what's going on in his mind. She had doubts when she heard Manuel only sees Carissa as a sister. During the past week, Dale observe the two. Knowing them both for years, it was clear now that they are attracted to one another. That's why when she saw Rama putting on the Princess's helmet, she quickly went back to them.

Eight long years she desperately tried to forget this foreign man. His hair had grown longer, there were thin lines forming on the corner of his eyes. He's about the same height but looks bigger with the muscles surrounding his built. She met Rama when she was 18 and he was 20. Orion had just celebrated his 21st birthday when Rama and his father came to Myhtica. They were all young.

Other riders went out to the arena while she stared at the brown haired man in front of her. From the sides, she could see him smiling as he waved goodbye to the Princess. Unwanted feelings rise up from her stomach, something that she loathe and buried deep inside her heart. When Carissa and Manuel was out of sight, Rama's arm went down to his side. He turned around to face Dale but she looks down to their boots and refused to look at him. Instead,  she turns around and said "Come with me"

In the stall, at the sight of her rider, Jamie, her horse, stomp in excitement, she must have been very excited to run today. Dale went inside the stall with Rama following behind her. She waited until there were no other sound besides Jamie's huff inside the stable, making sure there's no one around. But before she can turn around, Rama bent over to her ears and whisper. 

"Did you see the look on Manuel's face?" His breath grazed the side of her neck and she could hear the grin in his voice. She turns around fast and replace the shudders with anger.

"Stop approaching the Princess" she said.

Rama step back and raised both his hand in the air, signalling defeat "Weren't you on leave?"

"I came back as soon as I saw your boat" 

"What an honor. Why? Did you miss me?" showing his smile and puppy eyes.

"Cut the act. I know you"

That smile slowly goes away and his lips form a straight line, he put his hands inside his pocket pants and shrug. There's no hint of warmth in his eyes. Something that she knew for far too well.

"I don't mind if you love her but I know you don't , you're just using her for your own gain" she said, pretty sure Rama's just using Carissa to have an heir for were humans.

"What's wrong with that? We're using each other" Rama smirks though his eyes does not.

"That doesn't give you the right to hurt others as you please. You knew how Manuel felt about Carissa"

"So?" he replied with no remorse.

"I heard about that night in the garden. You did that on purpose didn't you? You knew she was there yet you manipulated Manuel anyway"

"How would I know she was there?"

Dale squints her eyes and raised her chin "Don't play coy with me Rama. We both know you're a were human. If she could hear you then you must know she was there"

"Fair enough, I did know she was there. Her heart was beating like crazy" he paused to look at her chest "Like yours"

Taking a deep breath to calm her rapid heartbeat, Dale opens her mouth to speak. "This is not about me"