The Prince and The Prowess

Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

                Dorian pulled me out of my thoughts.

                “Well, Az?” he asked. He was looking at me, and had stopped brushing Rona.

                “What?” I said, a little too loudly. “Sorry, did you say something?”

                He returned back to brushing his mare. “Yeah, but doesn’t matter. What were you thinking about?”

                I thought about the answer. You. Me. Us. But that wouldn’t have really sounded appropriate, so I just shrugged.

                “Nothing really.”

                “Didn’t look like nothing to me. You eyebrows were bunched up in that weird way – the way that makes you look like a man.”

                I gaped at him. “No they weren’t - bastard!” I kicked his shins and grinned mischievously, waiting for another retort.

                He laughed. “There it is.”

                “There’s what?” I crossed my arms, annoyed.

                “That smile.” He finished brushing Rona and hung the brush back up. Without looking back at me, he turned and walked out of the stable, leaving me just a little confused.

                I hurried out of the stable to follow Dorian. I kept his pace but stayed a couple strides behind him as he walked back towards to the house. I watched as his shoulders took turns bulging as he walked. His torso was large with muscle but his waist thin. He would have been quite a sight if he ate as much as a man should.

                “Dorian? Dorian! Where are you?” I heard a woman call and at once recognized it as his mother. Sure enough, she came around the house, carrying Nessie in her arms. The girl was seven, but acted like a bratty four year old. I couldn’t stand her, and she me, but she and Dorian were magnets.

                “Dory!” she called, squirming out of her mother’s grasp.

                “Yes, mother?” Dorian asked as he picked the girl up onto his shoulders.

                “Please, take her out of my hands for a while. I want to take the other girls to town to get dresses and I can’t possibly watch her.”

                Nessie turned to face me and stuck her tongue out. I was tempted to rip her off of Dorian’s shoulders and shake her, but I kept still.

                “Of course.” He said, looking up at his youngest sister. “But don’t Laurette and Rosalind have school?”

                “The school flooded from the rains two nights ago and is still being repaired. This may be my only chance.”

                “Alright, mother. She’s in good hands.” Dorian said. Mrs. Kendrick turned to me and gave me a steady glare. She knew I wasn’t well acquainted with her youngest daughter.

                “Let’s keep it that way, shall we?”

                “Agreed.” I said, putting my hands up in mock defeat. I wanted nothing to do with the little devil.

                When we were out of earshot of Dorian and Nessie’s mother, the little girl said: “I want to go to the woods, Dory!”