Chapter 25

chapter Twenty-five

Volencia could barely believe her father was letting her go. "Well, our parents were the best of friends once. I'm pretty sure he knows you have nothing to worry about." He said, shoving a few pairs of pants and shirts into his bag. Everything he put in there was perfectly folded and he seemed to have a place for everything.

Not unlike his room. Everything had its place. "It probably helps that you have no interest in me." Volencia mused, grabbing the books they had been reading through together from a shelf in his room. He only grunted in response, refusing to be bated. "How long is the travel?"

"We're taking horses. So, a day and a half at most. If we leave early enough, and ride hard, we may even make it by tomorrow night. But that's not really my goal. It would be taxing on everyone, and the forest isn't always the safest of places. If we don't have to change course too much from the way I came, which we might since I was on foot, we'll make it to a safe little camping area about two thirds of the way there. We'll stop early, make camp, then continue on."

"We could try to make it in a day riding is my one skill." She went to the door. "When you're finished, do you mind coming to check to make sure I haven't forgotten anything?"

"I'll join you now. I'm mostly ready."

"You're barely bringing anything," Volencia eyed his half-packed satchel, remembering there wasn't much more in the day they met.

"We're headed to my home. Most of what we need is already there." He held out his hand and took her pack. He grabbed the handle of the door but didn't open it. "You don't truly believe you have no skill, do you?"

Volencia blushed, regretting the comment. "Come on, Damion, it's getting late." He hadn't reached out to touch her this tenderly since the night they met. His hand pushed a lock of black hair behind her ear, cupping her face in his hands.

"Your magic, your courage, even your ability to gain people's loyalty. You have many skills. Don't count yourself short."

"Compared to you, everyone is short." He groaned, and she curled her fingers around his wrist, feeling his steady heart thrum under her fingers. "I can't use my magic, I don't know-"

"I'll teach you."

"I'm just always afraid. Every day, for years, I've felt nothing but fear. My attempts to learn my magic haven't always worked. Bad things happen. Same reason you can't consider me courageous either." His hand on her cheek prevented her from looking away as he held her fast.

"And yet, you still were willing to give yourself up for your folk, despite that fear. You knew what they were like already. I do remember that much. The worry was etched over your face that morning."

She pulled his hand away, looking down. "I had already tried everything else. I was in a corner. Besides, my kingdom is only loyal because of my parents. I have not earned their loyalty." She turned away from him, wrapping her arms around her chest. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. My failings. You are seeing something that's not here."

"Then, this is something else I must teach you." His hand came down warmly on her shoulder. She looked at it, saying nothing. "Have you not realized it yet, Volencia?" She inhaled deeply. He never used her name. His breath was warm on her neck and ear when next he spoke. "You've already convinced me to follow you to the ends of Ephira. I would do anything for you." For a moment she could only stand there, unable to breath, feeling his heat behind her.

Then his hand was gone and the warmth with it. She heard a click behind her. It took time for her head to clear, and she looked around the room. Everything had its place. Organized. Neat. Tidy. He was someone who always had to have control of every situation. Volencia wondered what it cost for him to let that go. To lose himself in the few moments they shared. Or if he treated her with orderly precision, like his things. Did he plan when and where he would say such things? Did he plan out the way they would make her feel?

She followed him out finally. He stood at her door, still in the hall, leaning against the wall pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes were shut tight. As soon as he realized she was there, his demeanor changed. The mask came back, and she realized the answers to those questions. He didn't plan it. That it happened without planning was costing him. She couldn't figure out if that was a good thing or not "Damion?"

He sighed, smiling slowly. A cautious smile. Not the easy going one that she's grown to love so much. "Sorry, you caught me off guard." Her hands touched his arm, trying to bring back whatever warmth he'd shown her before. "I didn't know"

"Look." His hands fell to his side uselessly. "I was out of line. It is getting late. We should finish up and get off to sleep. I'd have gone in to pack your things myself, but it didn't seem appropriate for me to go riffling through your personals." Reaching behind him he popped the door open.

She took the bag from him and slipped past him into her room. She fiddled with it as he joined her in the room, clicking the door closed behind them. He was her protector now. This was fine. It was appropriate. "I'm going to go pack, but first you should know, I'm not the only one whose gained loyalty you know. So far, everyone in my kingdom you've had contact with has grown to trust you. Myself more than anyone. That's a pretty big deal, not just to me. I would do anything for you too. I just wanted to make sure you saw that also."

Embarrassed she flew to her closet, wanting to avoid any come back he might fling at her. Already pawing through her things, she focused on trying to find anything that would make sense for travel to a small village and continued to come up lacking. There was only one pair of riding pants she owned, and she didn't exactly own a regular tunic. She pulled down a dark purple cloak and set it aside for the morning with the pants. As she searched for a shirt, she felt his eyes on her.

"I'm sorry I can get a little clumsy with my words. Sometimes I can't quite control myself around you, and I'm not really used to feeling that way. It happens more often with you than anyone." Volencia put a pair of black slippers in her bag before standing. Damion held out his hand. "Why don't we make sure you have what you need?" His lips quirked into an almost smile, but at least it was genuine.

"You'll want a brush and maybe some ribbon for your hair. Not that we won't have that at home, but probably not as much as you are used to. I'm the only one in town with any hair." He chuckled, and she went and grabbed what he told her to. He tucked each item into a small space either in the front or side of the pack. Depending on size. He'd packed the smaller pockets first when he'd done his own too. "And enough under garments for five days? Just in case?" She did not. So, she went and grabbed them. "Here, in the front space."

He looked around, "A night gown?"

Her lips pressed together, and she shook her head again. Shuffling through those hanging closest to the door. A light pink one caught her eye. Knowing she shouldn't, she pulled it down and held it up to her frame. It was all but see through. "As we'll be sharing sleeping quarters, do you have any preferences?" She joked.