The Butterfly Crown

Carved Out Of Gold - Avala

Avala

I truly hoped to be awakened after the bliss of long enduring morning slumber, but it were two particularly loud birds near my window who seemed to be having a discussion in the early minutes of dawn. My numb brain still forced me to wonder whether birds were having feuds or were engaging in some kind of courtship display and why they had chosen my window in particular to do it there.

My bones felt so heavy , as if someone had tossed cement on my limbs. I figured that I was probably hung over. The memories of the night before were blurry - maybe not that blurry, I just tried to shut them out somehow.

I recall Edan dragging me home and forcing me to drink three glasses of water, which at that time had seemed like an incredible amount. In my general dislike of being told what to do, I had threatened to urinate over his clothes, because he coerced my bladder to explode. There are not many things I'm proud of, but judging by the look on his face it definitely had been worth it.

I opened my eyes and shockingly had to realize that I was not alone. I had assumed that Edan just had left, but there he was. Sitting in my armchair, a couple feet away. His head resting in his hand, his eyes shut. Judging by his deep breathing and relaxed features, he was sleeping.

There we go. Adalsteinn's training meant nothing. Edan was supposed to be on duty all around the hour, his sleep should be as light as a feather. He was expected to be on the verge of dipping into consciousness all the time, he had to be ready to protect and kill. But Edan was not on any edge to lash out. He was just looking like a simple boy who had fallen asleep after a night out.

His face was soft and his amber eyes were hidden behind his eyelids. For a moment I caught myself finding the plain boy attractive and I immediately had to shake my head. The only attractiveness there was, was his masculinity and I resented finding someone attractive just because they are male.

My natural response to this scenario would have been a bombing of pillows, but somehow I didn't bring myself to do it.

I looked at him more properly, his half opened mouth, messy brown hair, wearing the same clothes as yesterday. He could have just laid down beside me. It's not like he was being courteous to me. We had overstepped the princess knight realtionship many times. Actually he had when he had decided to wake her in the middle of night when Keeva had disappeared. He had overstepped the line of formality, and I was unsure why now that was irrelevant. That armchair looked mad uncomfortable.

It was Keeva in general that bound is together. Are we friends? No, it was more a companionship of fate. Keeva had betrayed both of us. I was being at the mercy of the royal council and Edan had lost his significant other. And that is why sleeping Edan, was being Edan and not Edan Duncan, and that was also why I didn't bombard him with pillows.

"Edan", I said loudly.

It took him a few seconds to be fully awake. "Yes", his voice was hoarse.

"Are we late to anything?", I asked him.

He looked at me sleepily and slowly moved up. "Not that I would know of, but I wanted to practice a bit, in case Captain Adalsteinn, makes the decision to train you alone again"

"No", I shook my head with determination. "I am not doing any physical exercise today. "You can question me a bit about our history, if you want"

I deeply hoped he would accept my suggestion. My body felt maltreated, as if it would carry an out of order sign, and I reckoned his did too. Probably less than mine, because he seemed to have went on similar adventures frequently with Keeva.