Rise of Heroes

Chapter 29 - Guard Down

Jaden wrapped his hand around the handle, his hesitation growing. He had left the room to scout around for any danger and check for anything for their wounds and managed to find several salves in one of the intact cupboards. He couldn’t find any food though — he had no trouble going without it for a few days, but he was concerned about how a frail princess like her would be able to last until morning.

The destruction inside the inn was worse than he remembered — part of the second floor had crumbled since the last time he saw it, and now the room they were staying in was the only one relatively intact. If a demon came back, they would have nowhere to run, although he could never tell her that. But staying close to the basement was not an option either.

He didn’t dare to go too far, either. On one side, he was afraid a demon might come by and he might not be quick enough to return. On the other, he really didn’t want to be away from her. He couldn’t explain what that pull was — he wasn’t born yesterday and knew his body extremely well, but he barely knew this girl. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, and he had never felt such a strong urge to simply be in someone’s presence.

Could it be magic? It wasn’t like the repulsive presence he felt when he was close to demons and it was entirely different from the sensation that ran through him when that woman visited him in his dream. But he didn’t have magic or anything of the sort apart from the ability to sense demons, so he couldn’t be sure she possessed any either. It definitely didn’t look like she did, or she would have defended herself when she was that close to getting herself killed by that demon.

Then what was it? It was driving him insane. And why did it have to be her?

Jaden gritted his teeth and turned the handle, opening the door slowly. It was dead quiet, so the squeak of the boards beneath his feet sounded extremely loud. He looked around as he closed the door, but didn’t see her anywhere, which sent a jolt of panic through his body. Then his eyes landed on the bed where she had huddled in the corner. She was sitting with her back against the headboard, her thin arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees. Her lavish hair — now hanging in complete disarray — fell over her like a red blanket, reaching all the way to the bed.

Jaden strode to the only window of the room, looking outside. The sun was minutes away from hiding behind the horizon, which meant they’d had to stay the night there. He hoped Tamara wouldn’t be reckless enough to take their men out after dark and just send help first thing in the morning.

Jaden left his findings on the table by the window, wincing as a sharp pain pierced his side. He had almost forgotten that the damn demon’s nails had got him good. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been if he wasn’t wearing the chest armor, but he probably should attend to it sooner rather than later.

He glanced again toward the girl, then slipped his cloak off and strode to the bed. He stared down at her pale, relaxed face, then slipped the cloak over her shoulders. As he walked back to the window, he loosened the binds of his chest armor, pulling it over his head. He dropped it as quietly as possible on the floor, gritting his teeth to stop his groan. The shirt underneath had stuck to his body, sleek with his blood, so he peeled it off with a loud, squishing sound, then slipped it over his head as well.

He twisted around to look at his side, grimacing as he saw three long, deep claw marks running almost from the middle of his back to the middle of his front. It wasn’t serious enough to kill him, but if he left it unattended until tomorrow, he doubted he could avoid infection.

“It will scar.”

Jaden froze, barely stopping himself from jumping. His head snapped toward the bed, where he noticed the girl still in the same position, but her eyes were locked on him. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she slid the cloak off her shoulders and got up, stretching her hands above her head. Her skirts twirled around her legs, the slit that had appeared when he tore the cloth to set her free was running all the way to her waist, displaying a great portion of her slender leg every time she moved.

Jaden tried to keep his eyes on her face, watching her curiously as she stepped toward him. She stopped by the table, reaching out and taking one of the cloths that he had brought, then dipping it into the water he had poured into a deep bowl he saved from the remains of the kitchen.

“I apologize for waking you, princess,” he said stiffly as he watched her turn the cloth over so it can get wet from all sides. Her face and neck were covered with dirt and traces of demon blood, her pale green dress had turned almost black around the low crop of her top, but she didn’t look all that concerned. In fact, her uncanny composure was what most worried him. “You should get some rest. We’re probably going to spend the night here and somebody will come for us in the morning.”

“It’s fine. I shouldn’t be sleeping anyway,” she murmured. She looked so weak and frail in comparison with most women he knew, yet she exuded such calm and confidence even in this situation like she had been through it a thousand times. Jaden couldn’t help but wonder if she really was a witch.

“Why? Are you afraid to let your guard down because I might do something?” he said, trying to lighten up the mood with a joke. He realized how it probably sounded to her — a sheltered princess from a kingdom that still treated their women like tools to attend power. She had to be a virgin to get married well and she probably had to guard her chastity with her life.

Having that in mind, his joke probably wasn’t going to be received well even though there were no ill intentions behind it. He immediately regretted opening his mouth.

She froze, staring at the cloth in her hands before finally looking up at him.

Her clear blue eyes made his heart beat faster than the sight of the scariest demon he had met before, and her pretty face begged him to reach out and touch it. But he didn’t, stopped by her harsh gaze.

“There is nothing I can do if His Highness decides to lay his hands on me,” she said quietly, but despite the timid tone, it didn’t sound like she would just roll over and let it happen. “But if His Highness decides to do so, he probably would have considered that by laying his hands on me, he’d be dissolving his engagement with my sister and making both Anamir and Keldar his enemy. And if that happens, I hope he would be ready to face the consequences.”

“Is this the kind of man the princess thinks I am?” Jaden scoffed, cursing himself. He didn’t want to sound like a complete bastard from the very start, but somehow, he found it really hard to show her his good sides.

She continued staring for another few seconds, then a breathtaking smile appeared on her lips, making it hard for him to look at her.

“Of course not. I was just answering His Highness’s hypothetical question,” she replied, picking up the wet cloth. “The reason I can’t sleep is because, apparently, demons exist and until we are safely behind the walls of the city, even a moment of inattention may get us killed.” She took a step back, circling him. Without warning, she pressed the cloth to his wound and Jaden flinched, barely holding back his groan.

“You don’t need to do that,” he said through gritted teeth while the cloth softly pressed over the torn area. She was definitely gentler than Glen and Tamara when they bandaged him up, but he doubted she had any experience nursing wounds.

“Don’t read too much into it, Your Highness. You tended to my hand, I’m just returning the favor,” she replied from behind him. Jaden closed his eyes, trying to keep calm while one of her hands was pressing against his back and the other was still cleaning the wound. The strange, invigorating feeling of her touch was clouding his mind and making his skin tingle. He wanted to ask her if she felt the same thing, but he didn’t want to creep her out in case she didn’t. But if she did…

“You can call me Jaden,” he said, trying to keep his focus on the conversation.

“I’d rather not.”

“Why?” He frowned.

She stepped back to the table, dropping the red cloth in the bowl and washing it. The water quickly turned red under her fingers. She didn’t reply until she was done and the cloth was back in her hands. She looked at him again, giving him the same smile that was now etched into his mind.

“Because I am your betrothed’s sister. I do not wish to be on more familiar terms with His Highness than his own future wife.” She reached out and caught his arm, forcing him to bend it in front of him so she had access to the wound on his stomach. He could see her work on it now — she moved with care and confidence, making sure to clear the wound itself as well as the surrounding area.

When she was ready with that, she left the red cloth in the water, rummaging through the salves he had found downstairs and sniffing a couple of them before choosing. Jaden watched her curiously.

“Where did you learn to treat wounds?” he asked as she used her long, delicate fingers to spread the creamy substance over the raw skin. The medicine burned unpleasantly, but her touch brought back the pleasant sensation, so it was almost bearable.

“My Guardian and I sometimes volunteer at shelters,” she said, shooting him a glance. “Under disguise, of course.”

“Interesting.” Jade smiled, studying her face. Her expression was just as blank as before and her eyes were focused entirely on his abdomen, but as he looked closer, he noticed that a slight blush had spread over her cheeks and neck. It did make him feel a little better — no matter how good she was at hiding it, she was still a young girl that was not used to seeing men naked. A part of him was pleased with that.

“There is nothing interesting about it,” she replied, pulling him out of his thoughts. “The easiest way to determine the state of your people and identify their needs and struggles is to start at the bottom. If you ask most nobles, everything is fine in the world as long as they live comfortably. If you ask the middle class — things are not as bad as everybody says, people are just complaining because they have it bad. So you go to those who everybody relies on, the peasants. Ignoring the largest group of citizens is the same as inviting rebellion.”

Jaden stared at her face, wondering how old she really was. She didn’t look more than twenty and judging by the fact she wasn’t yet married, even that was too high of an estimate. Yet her way of thinking didn’t belong to such a young person, especially a noble lady. As if fueled by his growing curiosity, the sensation from her touch was getting stronger and stronger.

Luckily, she finished soon after and stepped away from him, wiping her hands on her skirts. She reached to take the bandages he brought, but he was faster. Snatching them from the table, he met her surprised eyes.

“I can do that,” he said hastily. He really wasn’t sure if he would be able to stay still if she kept touching him or had her hands wrapped around him at this moment. He would much rather do it himself and keep her impression on him from plummeting.

“As you wish, Your Highness.” She nodded, stepping away and standing next to the window. She peeked outside, although he doubted she could see anything in the darkness. The light inside of the room had diminished as well, making him realize how hard it must have been for her to see what she was doing.

When Jaden finished tying the bandage, he looked at where she was standing with her hands crossed. He had no idea why he had dreamed of her that day and even less of an inkling of what was happening to his body every time she touched him, but his intuition was telling him that meeting her wasn’t a coincidence and whatever was waiting in their future, she was somehow tied to him.

“I’ve decided something,” Jaden said, and she glanced at him over her shoulder. The pale moonlight coming from outside was dancing on her beautiful face, making her look even more enchanting, almost as if there was a faint glow around her. Whatever tied her to him, Jaden hoped it wouldn’t be just the bond of relatives-in-law. “I’ve decided I’ll call you by your name from now on.” Her eyes widened in surprise and her small mouth opened, ready to voice her objection. Jaden continued, “Titles here don’t matter much and it’s awkward for me to use one. So calling you by your name feels more comfortable.”

“Not for me!” she said in a tense voice.

“Well, I hope you don’t take it too much to heart. I’m older than you and my title outranks yours, so I have the right to address you as I please… Isabelle,” he said with a smile. “Please call me Jaden.”

She stared at him with pursed lips, then turned her back on him again, sighing in defeat.