Reign of Ice (Forever Fae #4)(27)
I scoffed and twirled the sword in my hand. “No, I don’t have to cheat. I just want you to stop messing around and fight harder. I’m getting bored.”
The crowd snickered, getting the rise out of Brayden that I needed. He snarled and lunged again, this time using the moves Kamden taught me. I dodged every single blow and he dodged mine, except I did manage to knick his arm with my blade. The blood dripped down his skin in rivulets, but he didn’t seem to mind it. The opening I was waiting for finally came. However, I didn’t expect him to deviate from his usual technique.
The crowd cheered as the fight came to a close, but it wasn’t the sort of ending I was hoping for. Brayden and I faced each other with his blade at my neck and mine at his. It was a standoff, anyone’s match. Breathing heavily, all it would take was one simple move and his sword would bite into my neck and the same for him. He gazed at me like he’d never seen me before, with awe and surprise, but most of all fascination. I didn’t think he realized what he was up against when he took me on, just like I didn’t realize he had an inner self that no one had seen other than me. He let his guard down with me and it was my turn to do the same.
“Do you want to know why I’ve hidden my thoughts from you?” I asked silently. Our blades were still at each other’s throats, holding us captive. However, I wasn’t ready to tell him everything, but I had to tell him how I felt. I owed him that much.
“Yes,” he answered, “Tell me.” His eyes had lost the fire and grew soft. In that moment, none of the people around us existed except him and me.
“It’s because I’m scared,” I admitted honestly. “If you want to know how I feel, then I’ll show you.” Closing my eyes, I let every single meeting with him play through my mind like he did with me. The first day I met him about six years ago and how I thought he was mysterious but moody. The next time was in the Winter Court when I saw him staring at me and I deliberately wanted to make him jealous by dancing with another Winter Fae.
“I wanted you to notice me,” I confessed.
“And I did.”
Then I let things get a little more in depth. I let him feel the worry and angst I felt when I saw him ride up wounded after the battle to save Sorcha’s friend and her guardian, and how I wanted to be the one to take care of him, but I couldn’t. Then came the vision of him leaving me. I made him feel the anguish and rejection I felt as I watched him turn his back on me and also when he did the same thing during our time in the Summer Court. Lastly, I let him see the tears I cried while I was alone and no one was around. Tears for him, tears for our land, and most importantly tears for a love lost.
“Now you know,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
I gradually lowered my sword and he did the same thing. Backing up slowly, I bowed my head to him before sheathing my blade. I turned on my heel and gave him one last glance before I took off through the crowd. Several of the Winter Fae congratulated me on besting Brayden while others just stared at me curiously, trying to figure out what was going on between me and their prince. Not everyone knew that Brayden was my guardian, but I was sure an announcement would be made at some point. Right now they were all kept in the dark with what happened between us, which was a good thing.
“Ariella, wait!” Brayden shouted in my mind.
As I came across the backside of the palace, I could feel Brayden’s presence behind me, following me. I ducked into an alcove and concentrated hard on changing my appearance. I pictured one of the warriors in my mind with his long, brown hair and midnight blue eyes along with the black and silver armor of Winter. It was the first time in a while I had changed appearances, but I could feel it working as I imagined myself being one of the warriors I knew to be called Cyrus.
I smiled as I gazed down at my new body. Brayden charged around the corner, and when he saw me I froze. “Cyrus, did you see Princess Ariella pass by this way?” he asked quickly.
I shook my head and cleared my throat, hoping my voice would sound the same as Cyrus’. “I did, Your Highness. She ran up to the back entrance to the palace and went in that way,” I lied, pointing in the direction I spoke of.
Brayden nodded and ran up the path to the back entrance. Leaning my head against the wall, I breathed a sigh of relief and closed my eyes. I wasn’t ready to talk to Brayden, not after him being a douche bag and me breaking down and spilling my secrets. I needed to make him sweat a little bit more. Walking back into the crowd of people who were slowly dispersing, I couldn’t help stopping the moment I heard my name come up. There was a group of warriors with a couple of fae women talking about the fight.
Slowly, I casually came in behind the group, trying to blend in, so I could hear what they were talking about. One of the warriors I fought was in the group and he was the one Brayden didn’t like getting close to me. He was handsome with his curly, light brown hair and dark blue eyes, and you could tell he loved the women. There were three of them hanging all over him when he spoke, “There was definitely some tension there between the princess and Prince Brayden, wasn’t there? Did all of you feel that?”
The group nodded in agreement with murmurs here and there. “Yes, there was,” one of the fae women, who was holding onto his arm, said. She had long, wavy black hair and was very beautiful. By the dress she was wearing I would say she didn’t come from the noble families. “I wonder what’s going on with them,” she uttered curiously.