Heart Over Sword

Evanna was led through the hallways; she was quick to remove her hand from his and clasp them together in front of her. There was no haste in their stroll, which seemed to cause more attention to the pair; the prince had been stopped a few times about matters of the palace. Evanna noticed the hesitant glances and curious stares in her direction, but this was not unusual behaviour for her. 

If she was found wandering the halls in her palace with a man, servant, knight or nobleman, there would be a fair share of nobles gawking at her, watching, and waiting for any minor detail that could be turned into nonsensical gossip. If she were to wander the halls by herself, her every move had their attention, and if she were to slip up, then somehow there would be gossip. She was, after all, the king's mistress' daughter, princess or not; she did not have the same respect from the nobles as her sister. 

Blinking her eyes, she refocused on the conversation between prince Arawn and another elf. All of it, of course, was spoken in Muranthian, to which Arawn spoke more freely, unaware of Evanna's capability of understanding the language. As this was a well-kept secret, one she had hidden all her life, it was easy for Evanna to look lost and stare off in boredom. 

However, this was not the case; even though it was particularly dull, which helped with her façade, she knew any small information given up about the palace could very well help her in escaping. Maybe there was a shortage of guards (unlikely) or some magnificent event occurred that caused the prince and his men to leave, the perfect time for her to sneak off. Evanna sighed as she spaced out at the possibilities. 

"Shall we proceed?" The prince interrupted her dreams of escape. She glanced back at him to see the other men were gone; nodding her head, they continued their stroll. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Arawn watching her, but she ignored his staring, it was a little unnerving, but it was nothing she hadn't dealt with before. 

Evanna wondered why he was staring, though. Was there something on her face or in her hair? She did not fret; it would look weak if she showed signs of nervousness by him. She internally rolled her eyes; he could see right through her, already he had been making her nervous, and she couldn't do anything but blush and stare. 

With that thought, she came to another conclusion. Was Arawn scheming evil plans in that head of his? She narrowed her eyes at him, causing the prince to grin brightly at her, completely taking her by surprise, and from what she could tell of the other females in the halls, servant and noble, they too were surprised. They stopped what they were doing and stared at him.

His eyes flickered to the side, and immediately his face fell. The iciness frosted over his features like a mask, and once again, he looked unapproachable. Servants scattered out of his way as his footsteps quickened. Evanna did not mind the change in pace; it kept her from overthinking about his smile. However, one thought did slip out, making her blush. He looked otherworldly with that smile.

They approached some clear double doors that had gold plated leaves flourishing the edges. The guards by the doors opened them, and the pair walked through. They descended the white patio steps onto a path that led them through the gardens. With her back to the palace and overlooking hedges, bushes and beautiful plants she had never seen before, she found her shoulders relaxing. Her breathing became long as she closed her eyes and stopped for a moment to fully appreciate the sounds of nature and the sun kissing her skin. 

From the rushing flow of the river below them to the birds singing their daytime tunes, it was magic to her ears. In that brief moment, her worries swept away with the light breeze. She opened her eyes and almost jumped back after seeing Arawn standing in front of her. His head was slightly tilted to the side as he observed her with what appeared to be curiosity. 

Evanna sighed. The moment was gone as she felt the uneasiness of her imprisonment caging around her once more.

"We have barely stepped foot in my garden, and yet you already seem bored! So bored as to nap standing up!" Arawn said aghast before turning on his heel. "Come. Maybe the rest of the gardens would be more to your liking," He continued, his deep voice laced with an iciness she couldn't quite understand. But, she did not question him; he was a man she had yet to figure out.

No, he was not. That meant spending more time with him and getting to know him. This was not a vacation but imprisonment, and Evanna needed to escape. She needed to flee and get back to her mother. 

With her mind reset, she quickened her steps to catch up to the prince and his long strides. His hands held his elbows behind his back as he walked, showcasing his broad chest and straightening his posture further, making him taller than he normally is. She glanced at his profile and was once again reminded of how powerful he truly is. Not that it slipped her mind for a second.

But as she looked at his choice of clothing, his usual attire in black, she was reminded of the prince he is. 

"For someone who calls themselves a Lady, you do tend to stare a lot. Were you never told it is rude?" Prince Arawn drawled. His voice snapped her from her daze, and she felt her cheeks become heated as she looked away. 

"I apologise, your highness. It was not my intent to be rude, nor make you feel uneasy," Evanna replied politely and focused on some flowers ahead of her. 

The prince chuckled before sighing, "Oh, Evanna." He turned in one smooth motion, plucking a yellow and red flower by his side, and placing it behind her ear, his face near hers as the corner of his lips pulled up into a small smile, his eyes lit with amusement as he brushed his hand just below her ear. "You do not make me feel uneasy." He whispered, "But, it is MY intent to make you feel so."

Evanna's breath hitched by his touch and stayed as still as a statue. Her eyes were wide while she stared into the blue shards of his eyes. Wetting her lips after feeling her mouth become dry, an action he immediately caught onto as his gaze lowered to them, she replied in a surprisingly calm tone, "It seems.. you are the rude one now, prince Arawn. It should never be your intent to make a Lady feel uneasy."

Arawn's smile grew on his lips with a humorous twinkle in his eyes, "But it makes me happy." He tilted his head to the side and plastered fake concern on his features, "Do you not wish for your prince to be happy?"

Evanna's mouth gaped at his words. She did not know what to think of them. She pursed her lips together and parted them once more to speak the first thing that came to her mind, "You are not my prince." 

Arawn's face darkened immediately, and the hand behind her ear suddenly became cold. Evanna widened her eyes from the iciness she felt forming and shivered. "I mean.. you are not my prince…" His eyes narrowed at her statement again, and she watched as the iciness began to frost over his eyes, making them lighter. So she quickly added, "What I mean to say.. Is I am not from this kingdom. Therefore, you are not my prince."

A muscle in his jaw ticked, but he pulled back abruptly, letting his hand drop to his side and turn around to continue walking on the path. Evanna sagged slightly, relieved that he didn't do anything.. drastic? But she was unsure as to why she had to explain herself. Surely, the prince knew what she meant? Shaking her head, she hastened her steps to match his.

They were nearing the end of one side of the garden, where the white wall stood at chest height and dropped down towards the rock the palace was built on and joined the river. Prince Arawn stopped and placed his hands on the wall's surface, and looked ahead into the distance. The wind swept through his straight white hair flow back gently until it fell back into a perfect line once more. 

Evanna took a step to stand by his side, her hands clasped together in front of her and her shoulders set back as she watched the beautiful view before them. Trees stood tall on either side of the wide flowing river, with the sun glistening on the surface, lighting the hues of the world around them. Evanna refrained from sighing at such a sight. The brooding figure by her side emitted an icy and dark energy that stilled her, inciting fear within her that if she did or said one wrong thing, he would snap.

Yet, she still stood there. Where else would she go?

"You know what WOULD make me very happy, Evanna?" His deep voice took on a tone that sent a shiver down her spine. She did not bother answering; it was a rhetorical question. "If you told me why you took my gem and how I could acquire it back."