The Hunter's Princess

Chapter 25

The rose fell neatly onto Serah's book.

She smiled and looked up, finding Xander grinning at her.

"Good morning, princess," he said. The hunter sat beside her on the log and threw his arm around her. She leaned into the warmth of him, content.

"Good morning, insufferable arse," she replied. Xander chuckled and nuzzled her gently. "Please tell me that you caught us breakfast."

"We have rations."

"Bread that's gone stale and dried beef. It doesn't compare with what you used to catch us," Serah teased.

"I am not going to shoot enough squirrels for your whole family, you tyrant," Xander joked.

"Just for me, then?"

"I just got back, let me rest my feet," he groaned dramatically. Serah lifted the rose and sniffed it delicately. "How many more days are we on the road?"

"One or two," she replied. "This is lovely, thank you."

Xander lifted a hand to the back of his neck and smiled. He peered over her shoulder at the book in her lap. He raised an eyebrow.

"Care to enlighten me on what you're reading?" The hunter asked. Serah let her fingers skim across the page before she rested her arm down.

"It's my mother's memoir. Actually, it was my grandfather's before it was hers..." she admitted shyly. "I thought it might be good to read up on the family history."

Xander gently took it from her, being careful that he didn't lose her spot as he turned to the front page.

"Alex Carters, hm?" He pointed out. "What kind of insufferable noble was he? Not to offend," Xander added quickly at the end, realizing that he had indirectly insulted her ancestor. Serah laughed softly and held her knees to her chest.

"He was a farm boy before my grandmother... well..." she trailed off, quickly growing pale. "Perhaps you should give that back to me."

"Why? What don't you want me to know?" The hunter asked. Serah avoided his gaze and twirled the flower between her fingertips. "You've been reading the entire trip. What were you really trying to find out?"

"Our family has sat on the throne for two generations, but only because of your father," Serah whispered. "I truly don't want to be the one to tell you why."

Xander sighed and handed the book back to her.

"He was a raping, murdering, monster," he pointed out. "That's all anyone says about him. He was an awful person. There's nothing you can tell me that will upset me at this point."

Serah hesitated before saying quietly, "He took my grandmother as his pet against her will. She later managed to take his throne... and so begins the cursed Carters legacy."

Xander lifted his gaze to the treetops. The green was fading from them, instead glowing with oranges and yellows and reds.

"I'm sorry," Serah whispered.

"I've accepted it."

They sat together, feeling the crisp air that sang of the coming autumn. It was rare that they were alone. Seth, despite approving of Xander as a match for his sister, was determined to keep him separated from her. All other times, either Erik or Flynn were demanding their attention. Jason had remained behind, apologizing that he had other things to arrange, but promising that he would follow as soon as he could.

"What's that cloth that you were working on while Seth was making me chop firewood with him?" Xander asked, breaking the tension. Serah smiled warmly and poked his cheek.