Chained Princess

Chapter 6 - Complicated Misunderstandings Pt. 1

Syran let out a long sigh as he worked through the monotonous documents. His back stiffened and he began to write faster when he felt Sabine's fury pierce through his skull. He dared not look at her. Had he mentioned how absolutely terrifying she was?

He didn't know how much more paperwork he could take. She had already had him confined to his desk all through the night and now they were sharing the morning sunlight with the birds. Syran's head felt heavy as he pushed through his fatigue. Only a few more and he would finally be done. He dared a glance at Sabine. She looked just as miserable as him, but her pride meant she would never let him know it.

The two of them raised their heads to the sound of the door opening. Anzik walked in, his heavy armor loud even on the carpeted floor. His eyes widened as he looked at the two of them.

"Did the both of you stay up all night?" he asked incredulously. Syran gave him a halfhearted smile. Anzik shot a scowl at Sabine.

"You can't keep forcing him to do all-nighters like this, Sabine! He is the king, we need him rested," Anzik said, walking up to the sleep deprived woman. It was not as if she had simply spent the night playing watch dog, Syran thought. She had been helping him the entire time. Nevertheless, Syran felt his heart leaping with joy at the thought of getting some sleep.

Sabine opened her mouth to protest, but Anzik's angry voice cut her off. "And you! Look at you! You look even more pathetic than Syran. Really, Sabine, you have to take care of yourself," he said, his voice softening as he scolded her.

Sabine regarded him with her cold eyes for a moment before sighing and standing up. "Very well, I cannot argue with your logic," she said, casting her scrutiny on Syran. "We will continue in a few hours, my lord. Good day."

With that, the two men watched the weary, but frightening woman leave the room. Syran sighed and finally let the tension in his shoulders go as he sagged into his chair. "I will never cease to be amazed at how you do that," he said, his eyes darting up to his friend.

"Do what, sire?" Anzik inquired, taking the spot Sabine had just occupied.

"How you can control that petrifying lioness simply with a few words," Syran replied, shuddering at the thought of Sabine having razor sharp teeth and claws.

Anzik studied the king for a moment before rolling his eyes. "Go get some rest, Syran. You're going to need it," he said with a faint twinkle in his eye.

~~~~~

Syran groggily made his way back to his room. He could barely keep his eyes open at this point. He mumbled some unkind obscenities under his breath at Sabine, but in his heart he knew his predicament was his own doing. She had been asking him to take care of that paperwork for weeks.

He crankily opened his bedroom door, kicking off his boots as he fumbled in the dark. The thick curtains blocked out the morning light, and for that he was incredibly grateful. Stripping out of his stiff clothes, he plopped down into his soft bed, his mind gone before he even hit the pillow.

Syran woke to a bright light on his face. He let out a loud groan and covered his face with the blanket as heavy footsteps ploughed through his room.

"Sire! Wake up! Please, wake up! The girl, she has escaped!" a frantic voice said over him. He recognized that voice. It was Ellion. Syran furrowed his brow and squinted as he slowly pulled back the covers. He did not have the energy for this right now.

He blinked furiously as his eyes began to accommodate to the mid-morning sun now shining through the open curtains.

"If you do not close those curtains right now, I will hang the lot of you," he threatened grumpily as he covered his face again.