Wicked Hunt

Chapter Two, Part III

There was a sharp knock on her door that made her jump. She cleared her throat and clutched her gown closer to her. "Who... who is it?" she called.

"Your brother," Adrian replied in a clipped tone. "Open the door." Halle rushed to the large oak door. Her brother did not like to be kept waiting.

Adrian barreled into the room as soon as it was open. He was the tallest man she knew with a muscular frame that instantly made the space seem tiny. His sharp azure eyes picked her room apart intently. One look at the simple desk and small bed made his lip curl in disgust.

"This room is barely suited for a servant," he spat, "let alone the king's soon to be wife."

"Adrian" Halle said in exasperation, "their customs are different here."

"There was only one man at your door to guard it," Adrian growled. "One man to guard by little sister, a princess in her own right."

"They have fewer people here," Halle offered weakly as Adrian began pacing like a panther. "Less opportunity to make an attempt on my life."

"Your reasoning is skewed."

"These people don't care about me." She waved her hand about in an arch. "They'll leave me alone. You'll see. I probably won't even need any guards." A thought made her brighten. "Last night, the Commander-"

"Yes, Hector and I spoke with Clive's precious Commander last night," Adrian remarked.

"And?" Halle asked. She lowered herself onto the stiff mattress of her bed and felt her cheeks warm.

"And," Adrian picked a stray hair from his arm, "I don't like him."

Halle's face fell slightly, but she had a placid mask on her face when her brother's eyes turned to her. "Why?" she asked casually.

"He's too..." His tanned face screwed up as he tried to find the right word. "Too... intense."

A snort escaped her lips, and he pinned her with a glare. Halle put a hand over her mouth. "You think Commander Walsh is too intense? Have you seen how you act?"

"That's different." Adrian resumed his pacing. "I have a reason to be. My little sister's up here in this court of ice and rock with no one to trust, no one to turn to, and I'm going to have to leave her up here." His voice was laced with barely concealed anguish. He studied the floor and cleared his throat. "What's his excuse?"

"You don't even know him." Instantly, she regretted these words. Why are you defending the man? Adrian's eyes shot up sharply.

"Neither do you." Slowly, he approached her bed. Halle leaned back, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Won you over already, has he?" he demanded in a mocking tone.

"Adrian, it's not like that-"

"These people aren't like us. They're stoic and they're violent, eagerly waiting for the right time to rip your throat out." Halle glanced up and met his gaze. He looked fearful; an emotion Adrian rarely wore.

"I'm not that naive," she said heatedly as she remembered Thandie's warning before she left. "I know what I'm getting myself into." The princess reached her hand out and squeezed Adrian's corded wrist. "I can take care of myself." She sought the bravery she'd had back in Rodantha, needed it to cover her like a worn quilt. She would not be afraid.

"I don't want them to change you." A sad smile spread across his lips, and her own eyes prickled. "You are such a bright light. I couldn't bear it if they dimmed that here."

The words Bruce had told her last night ran in her ears: This is no place for innocence.

Halle forced a grin. "I'm tougher than you think."

"I know you are." He cupped her chin. "Even so, don't trust anyone up here," Adrian told her seriously, the smile fading away. "Not even yourself."