"Lord Hunter." Ella asked during the hunt the next day, disguised as Rose. "Forgive me if I'm too forward..."
"You should call me by my name." The prince interrupted. She gasped quietly. That wasn't the protocol between a supposed servant and a noble. Even if she was the princess right now, she would have to call him with honorifics. "Is it not allowed?"
"Oh— um. It's not really in accordance with protocol?"
"We already hunted together. That makes us equals." He sighed. "But if you don't feel comfortable..."
"No, I do! I definitely do. It's just that— um. I'm not sure how to pronounce it."
"It's Kave'le'aha." He said. There were a lot of growling sounds and weird pronounciations. Ella felt like she was about to humiliate herself again.
"Kaveleaha?"
The corners of his mouth twitched up as he was fighting with himself not to laugh.
"Kave'le'aha." He repeated, chuckling.
"Kave'leaha." She said to his amusement. She blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't know how!"
"Oh, I'm messing with you. Nobody really uses those long names in Great Tundra. These are the official names with honorifics, we always use shortened versions. Nobody told your Brivish nobles because it's hilarious seeing them struggle."
Ella laughed. She hadn't expected that.
"You can call me Kava." The prince said softly. It had the emphasis on the second syllable.
"Kava." Ella repeated to herself. It sounded right. "Kavele'aha."
He chuckled again.
"Close. Feel free to call me Kava."
It felt intimate. Ella looked down at the grass.
"You wanted to ask me about something?" Kava said, ripping her out of her thoughts.
"Right." The blush refused to leave her face, and she couldn't quite look him in the eyes. She was on a first name basis with the prince while posing as a servant. "I don't mean to sound rude, but... I've heard that you don't talk during the official events in the place. Some people even think you're mute or you don't know our language. But here it's clear you're comfortable talking. Is there a reason for it?"
Kava looked aside, stepping quietly among twigs and branches.
"I am not allowed." He finally said. "You can clearly see that I struggle with most Brivish customs, so my father made me promise I won't be speaking, especially when king is nearby so that I don't accidentally offend anyone important."
"That's harsh. I just thought... I thought that maybe it's a way of rebelling because you don't want to get married."
"I'm aware this union is important. that's why I'm silent. If I mess it up, my father will be furious."
"But... you have to speak to the princess, don't you? How else do you court her?"
"I'm hoping she's not offended by my silence. I have to try to speak as little as possible, at least before the wedding comes. I can't be the one to destroy everything."
"I'm sure the princess wouldn't sell you out if you missed a custom." You have already done that plenty of times, you just don't know. "You should talk to her. She might be more interesting than you think."
"I'm sure she is. She seems lovely. She also deserves a better wedding than the one of duty."
"Don't you?"
He shook his head with a sad smile
"No." He simply said. "I'll try to be a good partner, but I want to give her as much freedom as possible. All of this after the wedding, of course."
"Really, I think she'd understand."
"Thank you, Rose, but I'll stay silent. I hope your princess won't be too offput by that."
"You really should speak to her."
Perhaps if he spoke to her while she was a princess, they'd get along just as fine.
***
"Lord Hunter requests your presence at tomorrow's hunt." Vasil announced while she was eating supper with her parents. Her eyes widened. "I explained to the tundrians that women don't go on hunts, but it's a great tradition in their country, so I said you'd come."
"I think it could be fun." She said safely. She didn't want to show too much enthusiasm in case her father changed her mind.
"I doubt you'd like it, but we'll try to make it short."
"Oh, so you're coming with?"
"Obviously. I won't leave you alone with those savages. Me and king... whatever his name is, we'll be riding with. And our hunters, of course, and servants."
Ella sighed.
"I don't think Kave'le'aha will enjoy that very much..."
"What?"
"Nothing. I shall be ready for the hunt early in the morning."
***
Ella took her gifted bow with her, riding up with her father to the hunting party. As she had expected, Kava looked incredibly unhappy about the amount of people involved, but he fixed his face up to neutral expression when they approached. He nodded in a greeting, putting his hand on his heart. She bowed shallowly in return.
"You're finally here." The wild king said. "The dawn has been an hour ago."
"We had to get ready." Vasil explained. "We can go ahead. Let's let the youth ride side by side."
Kava directed his horse to ride alongside Ella. He wasn't looking at her as they entered the forest on their horses. The kings were conversing about something ahead, and there was a wave of servants behind them. It was hardly a date.
Ella wanted to talk to Kava finally with this persona, but it would be difficult.
For now she settled for riding in silence, breathing in the fresh air. The prince was looking straight ahead, holding his reins. She wondered how it would be if he knew she was Rose. Perhaps this hunt would be more pleasant.
A pheasant rose to flight nearby.
Kava was immediately in motion, taking out his bow and drawing it. Right before his arrow could reach the bird another one came from a different angle, making the bird fall.
Both Ella and Kava looked back at one of the Brivish hunters who paled a bit, realising what he had done. Kava gritted his teeth, holstering his bow again.
"It should have been your kill." Ella said before she could think. Kava glanced at her curiously. "I— I mean— because you proposed the hunt, right? It would make sense."
"Don't be ridiculous, Ella." Vasil said to her, riding closer. "It's just a bird. Lord Hunter has killed hundreds of them. What difference does one make?"
"I just—"
"Behave." He hissed before riding forward again.
Kave'le'aha seemed slightly confused about her reaction, but somehow pleased at the same time. Perhaps it was her time to breach the gap. As they started riding again she decided to pick up the chat, since they probably won't be able to hunt anything more.
"Lord Hunter." Kava, she wanted to say. The man looked at her nevertheless. She felt a shiver of pleasure. "You have a wonderful horse. Does it have a name?"
The Highland Highstack he was riding was an enormous horse, making him sit a good half a meter above her, which was ridiculous since he was already much taller. It was black as night with fringes down its legs.
"Rex." Kava responded, and then hesitated. "Does yours?"
He asked her a question. That was already more of a conversation than they had previously. She indicated for him to bend down to her, as if she was about to tell him a secret.
"It's Swiss Cheese. I called her that because she got shot once, all the way though." She said quietly. The wolf hide was tickling her nose when he was close like that. "But don't tell my father. I keep telling him her name is North, but she won't even respond to that name."
Kava looked at her puzzled, but there was a twitch to his lip. She knew it. They could get along even like this.
"I see." He responded.
She thought it would be the end, but to her surprise Kava spoke up again.
"Do you know how to shoot a bow?"
A conversation. It was already so much.
"I manage."
He kicked her tight gently, making her look up at him. He bowed his head towards the top of a tall tree right next to them. She strained her eyes. There was a wild dove perched on a high branch. Kava indicated the bird with a tilt of his head again. Ella pointed at herself questioningly, and he nodded. She looked around. Nobody was paying attention to them.
She took out the bow Kava had gifted her, drawing it. It was light, but felt powerful. It was the best weapon she had ever held.
Ella inhaled and held her breath. She looked down the sights at the bird. She exhaled and shot at the same moment.
The arrow stuck itself in the dove and it fell soundlessly.
Kava nodded, as if she had passed some invisible test. Unfortunately he wasn't the only one watching her attempt. Vasil rode closer immediately, a frown deep on his face.
"Ella! This is unacceptable!" He rode closer, and she kept the bow close to her chest. He would take it, she knew it. "You will hand it over immediately."
An enormous black horse divided Ella and her father. Kave'le'aha straightened in his saddle, towering over her father.
Oh.
Oh.
The servants moved uneasily when the king stopped his horse a few meters away. He was clearly unsure how to proceed. On one hand he wanted to punish Ella for hunting, but on the other hand he didn't want to go against the foreign prince, who was clearly unwilling to move. Sav'kaie'm rode closer as well, shaking his head at his son. The prince only raised his head higher.
"It's a hunt, King Vasil." The wild king finally said. "In our culture it's for everyone, and Kave'le'aha is passionate about it. Forgive them. They are both young, and it could help them bond."
"Fine. I shall allow it." Vasil finally said. "Weird are your customs, to allow women to hunt."
Kave'le'aha huffed in contempt when the kings rode ahead again. He moved his horse to be next to her again.
"Thank you, Kave'le'aha."bShe said. The man looked at her, once again bewildered.
"It was nothing. My fault to begin with." He commented. "And... It was a surprisingly good pronunciation of my name, princess."
She had been practicing since he had told her.
"It's only respectful that I know how to say your name."
Now would be a great time for him to offer her the shortened version of his name. He did nothing of sorts. He just nodded thoughtfully.
"Of course."
The kings gave a sign to finish the hunt early.