Heart Over Sword

A round of applause erupted from the small crowd; Evanna glanced at them and smiled sheepishly before helping Cedric up. As her hand grasped him, her eyes landed on a figure who dispersed the crowd from his mere presence. The prince stood there with his arms crossed, an unimpressed expression on his features.

Evanna's smile dropped, and she nearly let go of Cedric's hand, but Arawn's stony gaze strengthened her resolve and continued to help Cedric to stand. The elven warrior grinned at her, his back still to the prince, unaware of the looming icy presence ready to set loose a snowstorm. 

But her gaze was set on Garrett, who began strolling towards them also. What happened to the men they were after? While her thoughts were entirely consumed by the prince and his right-hand man, Cedric was talking to her, so she refocused on what he was saying.

"That was brilliant! We should train more. I don't ever get the chance to fight a duel wielder, but.." Cedric paused his excited rambling after he caught Evanna's gaze steered behind him. He turned around and immediately bowed at the approaching crown prince, but prince Arawn's gaze was set on Evanna only; she felt his startling blue eyes pierce straight through her, making her hands clasp together in nervousness.

"Cedric." Arawn now stood a step away from Evanna, his gaze unwavering from hers. She stood there with an unsettling feeling tying up knots in her stomach as the wind swept across her face chilling her further from the frostiness shooting across her body.

"Yes, your highness?" Cedric kept his head bowed.

"Do you not have a wife and unborn child to attend to?" Arawn drawled in a low menacing voice.

Cedric peered up at the prince, his brows arched together at his question before he replied, "Your highness, I will see them once my shift is-"

"You are dismissed. See to them and return tomorrow," The prince snapped. The iciness in his voice matched the cold emanating from his being. Arawn's eyes were glued on Evanna the whole time as Cedric bowed again and thanked him for his kindness before stiffly turning to walk away.

"Oh, and Cedric.." The prince called out to him, his voice was still low and deadly, but the warrior heard him, halting mid-step and turning to face Arawn. "Do not touch what is not yours. I do not wish to teach you that lesson also."

Cedric's eyes widened before he bowed and glanced at Evanna with his brow raised, expressing his thoughts from that act alone before turning around and leaving her with the prince. Her gaze went back to Arawn, and she felt a flare of anger burst through her as she clenched her hands into fists by her sides. "I am not an object to be owned!" She snapped.

Arawn's stoic features lit up in amusement with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "No, you are not an object. But you ARE my prisoner," His voice chilled the air around her as he leant towards her, "maybe I should be treating you more as one." Evanna leaned back away from his towering form when her attention suddenly snapped to the side where Cedric was leaving.

Garrett clipped him around the ear, swearing in Muranthian, "* You gave her a weapon! She could have used you as a hostage and escaped!*"

Evanna resisted, her mouth dropping open. Why didn't I think of that!? But after glancing at the prince again, she was sure it would never have worked; he was far too cunning. Ignoring his comment nor showing any signs of fear, she asked him instead, "Why are you not pleased, your highness?"

Arawn tsked, "I leave you for a few hours only to return and see you are sword fighting for fun. So tell me, do you miss the thrill and excitement of fighting?" He tilted his head to the side, keeping his hands behind his back as he looked down at her through his long lashes.

"Cedric wished to train, and I agreed to be his partner," Evanna explained herself calmly, even though she was anything but. The prince was getting too used to invading her personal space, she did not like it nor the feeling of anxiety her heart caused her. At the mention of Cedric's name, a muscle in his jaw ticked.

"I did not realise you and Cedric were on a first name basis," He snapped. Evanna narrowed her eyes slightly at the prince as she tried to determine his words to his facial expression. But as per usual, all she saw was his icy gaze and impassive features. What was wrong with the prince?

The prince stepped back as though he could sense Evanna's burning question on her silent lips. He glanced at Garrett near the steps to the palace giving him a single nod resulting in Garrett turning his back on them and going into the palace. Arawn turned his head back to Evanna, who missed the action as her attention was elsewhere.

She watched as the guard from earlier retrieved the swords she stuck in the ground behind her. The guard subtly smiled at her, his honey coloured eyes matching his short hair; he too was handsome in a cute boyish way. However, he stopped smiling as soon as his gaze landed on the prince who caught him smiling at her. He gulped and fell back in line.

"You," The prince clicked his fingers and pointed at the man. Evanna looked at Arawn wide-eyed. What was he going to do now!? She seriously couldn't figure him out. Was he going to send this guard home too like he did to Cedric, or was he going to do something more.. torturous?

The guard stepped forwards again and bowed. The prince moved his gaze away from the guard and to Evanna, analysing her face intently as one side of his lips twitched ever so slightly. She pursed her lips as her stomach twisted in knots in anticipation of what the prince would do.

"What is your name?" He asked nonchalantly though his face was anything but as his blue gem-like eyes were glued to Evanna's reactions.

"Anwel, Sire." The guard with honey-coloured hair replied with his back bowed forwards still, his gaze at the floor.

"Hmm, please. There is no need to bow," Anwel straightened as Arawn approached him slowly. Evanna held her breath as she glanced between the prince and guard.

"So, Anwel.." He drawled as he began to circle around him, scrutinising the guard. "You were the one to give our Lady Evanna here weapons?"

Unlike the nobles and servants in the palace, their guards were the only ones aware that Evanna was a prisoner. Usually, secrets never stayed a secret very long, especially in a large group and palace. However, the prince's reputation for cutting out people's tongues made sure to keep their staff and guards in line.

So, if the prince were to leave days at a time, he was confident in leaving his prisoner, knowing well that it was near impossible to escape, especially with every guard keeping a close eye on her. Only a few remembered Evanna and the skill she possesses with a blade; however, it seemed that Anwel was not one of them. Although Cedric was also aware, the prince seemed to favour him more, after Garrett.

Anwel gulped at the prince's question, but he kept his gaze ahead of him as the prince stood behind him, his gaze never leaving Evanna's, whose eyes were wide. "Yes, your highness," Anwel responded.

"I am not pleased with this, Anwel. And you know what happens when I am not pleased.." Anwel inhaled sharply and clenched his eyes shut before the prince finished. "100 lashes and 3 days without food or water." He gestured for the guards to take him away. The prince rounded them as they grabbed Anwel by the arms.

"Wait!"

Arawn smiled before he spun around to face Evanna, his sharp eyes already on her features.

"Please, your highness. It was a small mistake!" Evanna blurted out as she approached prince Arawn cautiously.

"There is no room for mistakes under my rule," Arawn replied, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

"The punishment is a little severe, your highness," Evanna pleaded with her eyes as she stared into the prince's frosty blue orbs.

Arawn searched her eyes before replying in a dangerously low voice, "Do not tell me how to run this kingdom."

Without realising what she was doing, Evanna reached her hand out to his, clasping it in both of hers as she stared intently at him, "Please, Arawn. This is too much.." Evanna could see her words were not affecting him, or if they were, he was not showing it on that cool façade, possibly masking his anger at her plea. "If.. if it is punishment and order you seek.. then I will take his place," She continued.

Arawn leaned back slightly, aghast by her comment. But, once again, his mask of composure filtered back on. "Release him!" His voice made Evanna jump. It was then she realised his hand was inside of hers. She snatched her hands back abruptly and bit her lip, both from the warm feeling of his soft hand in hers and for accepting a punishment that was cruel for such a minor mistake.

Was it minuscule, though? She started to wonder. If the roles were reversed, and she was in Arawn's shoes, would she ask for blood by the whip? No, she would only go to that course of punishment if the prisoner actually harmed people and escaped. She did not. Therefore, the sentence was far too severe.

Arawn leaned forwards, "Do not fret, Evanna. I would not allow another man to disfigure your back." Evanna let out a breath she did not realise she was holding. Though, her relief was brief. "But I will collect my payment for such a request."

"How would I repay you?" Evanna whispered as she watched Arawn smile wickedly and his eyes gleaming mischievously.