“Alex,” Annie whispered, startled by the irony. She hadn’t expected her soon-to-be-husband to be a friend of hers. She felt her brother nudge her slightly, wanting an explanation. The two kings also held a look of confusion.
“Anastasia, do you know this boy?” King Henry asked, breaking the silence. Annie was taken aback that no words could form on her lips. Instead she stood still, trying to take in Alex. She had missed him in the time that had separated them. His intelligent brown eyes still sparked with interest and she blushed. Everything was working the way she planned.
“Yes, we do actually,” Alex said, breathless. He had never known Annie’s real name was Anastasia. She had kept the names brief and simple and never mentioned that she had a completely different name.
“Excellent! There is no need for acquaintances then!” King John smiled at the two couple.
“No need, sir,” Annie smiled kindly at the king.
Izzy stood there feeling out of place and awkward. She watched sadly as the two kings discussed happily about the wedding plans. Anastasia and Alexander were focused on their own conversation and laughing at an inside joke. Timothy felt Izzy grow stiff and took the time to save her by coughing loudly.
“I’m sorry my king but I think it’s time for Isabelle to get back to training,” Timothy said in a convincing tone. Izzy stood still, waiting for the answer she wanted but it never came.
“My Isabelle! Today’s your free day. Join dinner with us,” King John said happily. Izzy shook her head slightly and gave him a good smile.
“I can’t today. Every day without practice is a day wasted,” she reminded him. The king looked at her with admiration at this small girl with such big words.
“Then you may go,” he smiled, finding the need to let her do as she wished.
“She is not your daughter?” Maliki asked, breaking Izzy’s close escape. All eyes turned to him as if they didn’t know if he could even talk or not. They seemed to ignore his presence which he liked until now when they turned their complete attention on him.
“She is Alexander’s bodyguard,” King John answered.
“A bodyguard? A girl? Are you sure you are okay my friend?” King Henry asked in a surprised gesture.
“She is better than most if not all of my best men,” King John flaunted, feeling an instant pride in Isabelle. He continually told himself that it was all for the best.
Izzy blushed by the compliments she received from the king. It wasn’t every day that the king would hand out such nice things in one day. Timothy grinned proudly and he squeezed her hand tighter to express his positive reaction.
“Isn’t that against the social order?” Maliki asked, pitching into the conversation. His eyes glanced over her again to process how such a young lady could ever be strong to guard a man and a soon-to-be-king at that. Under his observing eyes, Izzy felt self-conscious and nervous.
“Isabelle is special,” King John said, suddenly sounding tired. He didn’t want to reminisce the past when the past was already over. There was no need to remember all over again.
“She looks like she could break any second,” Maliki said again, unbelievingly. Izzy could no longer keep the irritation locked inside. How dare anyone look down on her just because of her gender? Although she knew it was better to compose herself, she couldn’t help the irritation that grew inside her.
“Do you have any problems with women fighting instead of men?” Izzy inquired with manner but her fists clenched so she wouldn’t have the temptation to slap him.
“Izzy!” Timothy hissed, pulling Izzy’s arm but she stood her ground.
“Actually yeah, I do have a problem,” Maliki said, cocking his head to one side. He found it amusing which only fueled Izzy’s frustration.
“If you have a problem, we can take this outside,” Izzy threatened. That was when King John knew it was time to step her back into line.
“Enough Isabelle!” he said harsher than he meant. Izzy flinched and her shoulders finally went slack in defeat. Maliki continued to stare at the green-eyed wonder who had even dared to threaten him. He smiled at himself for the entertainment he caused but caught Alex’s gaze. He seemed to give Maliki a deadly look which quickly erased Maliki’s smile immediately.
“You two can go back to training. The rest of us can go to the dining hall where dinner will be served,” King John smiled, finding order in his court. He then commanded a guard to lead them out. King John left first without giving Izzy any sort of lectures which took Izzy by surprise. He would usually give her a punishment of some sort for her outbursts.
Izzy stayed where she was, next to Timothy as they both watched the party leave towards the dining hall. Before Maliki turned the corner, out of sight, he looked back one more time and caught Izzy’s gaze. He winked and gave her a little wave before his figure disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.
“What were you thinking, picking a fight with a girl?” his sister asked him. He made a conclusion that he liked the silly bodyguard girl and would find more about her.
“I don’t know but she seems interesting, sister,” Maliki said thoughtfully and smiled secretly, instantly in a better mood. “I think I like her.”
~~~
“I don’t like him at all,” Izzy complained, punching the bag of rice harder this time. She felt free now that she was out of the dress. She swore it was more like a death trap than a fashion wear.
“Izzy, focus. Don’t let your anger be the center of your energy,” Timothy advised. He was still in his stiff in his new tunic but he still grasped two swords in his hands skillfully, taking a few stabs at the air.
“I’m not angry,” Izzy said, punching the bag again. This time the bag ripped, letting little grains of rice tumble to the ground. Timothy raised an eyebrow as if to prove his point which only made Izzy groan louder. “He’s so obnoxious. It’s like Alexander times a hundred.”
“You shouldn’t talk to the king’s son that way,” Timothy scolded. Timothy quickly threw the sword lightly towards Izzy and she caught it with ease.
As soon as her hand touched the sword, Timothy snapped into action. Timothy gave Izzy a beckoning look and Izzy gladly accepted it. Their swords swiftly danced in the air as the metal clanged around the night air. They fought, both receiving a few blows but deflecting came naturally.
“A woman can have her opinions, can she?” Izzy challenged. She swung her sword but it met Timothy’s sword again. Izzy frowned and she pulled back, taking careful steps back to recover.
“You know I didn’t mean that,” Timothy frowned. “I’m not sexist.”
“Maliki is the sexist one,” Izzy growled, letting her anger control her movements. Timothy observed it silently and used it to his advantage. He side-stepped Izzy in a flash and had his sword to her throat before she could defend herself.
“I told you not to use your anger,” Timothy said, gritting his teeth. Izzy stood there, her head casted downwards so the tip of the blade wouldn’t pierce her throat. Annoyed at Izzy’s ignorance, Timothy pushed her away from his sword, letting her fall to the ground. “What’s with you these days? You never let these things disrupt your emotions.”
“Irene taught me the emotions have to do with becoming a woman so deal with it,” Izzy glared, frazzled by Timothy’s coldness but helped herself up.
“Women and their problems,” Timothy sighed, shaking his head. “You’re special though, Izzy. You have to put that aside and be a silent mime. When you’re out in the field, you’ll be trailing behind Alex all day, not screaming at him for everything he does. Mistake or not.”
“Fine. Let’s just start again,” Izzy mumbled. She tried to pick up her sword that fell but Timothy stepped on it with his boots.
“What will you not do again?” he asked, studying her.
Izzy scowled but answered, “I won’t let my anger get the best of me.”
Timothy picked his right foot off the sword and smiled. “Good.”
Izzy and Timothy fell back in sync, continuing their training. This time Izzy allowed her anger to cool and her head to focus on Timothy’s moves. She learned that with her clear head, it was easier to control her movements and analyze what kind of attacks Timothy planned.
What Izzy didn’t know was the figure behind the columns of the palace. He excused himself during diner, saying that he had his usual headaches but no had cared so he hid there, watching her with admiration. His head thumped and he felt slightly feverish but he had been used to it since his childhood. Instead he focused back on Isabelle, the girl with the sword.
He had been wrong when he thought she couldn’t possibly be a bodyguard and wanted to get to know this green-eyed wonder. The graceful movement of her body made him want to catch her if she ever fell and take her into his arms.
He shook his head slightly and laughed. That would never happen. Even if he was a higher class than her, she could do better because all he ever was and will be is the princess’ brother, always second in everything.
~~~
Izzy sighed as she took in the warmth that she created in her bed. She had a picture book she had borrowed from the library. It was one of her favorites and she kept it tucked under her pillow every night. While pursuing through the familiar book, a knock intruded her ‘reading.’
“Yes?” Izzy asked, putting the book in her secret spot and then ran up to open the door. She expected it to be Timothy reminding her to sleep but it was one of the maids.
“Isabelle, King John wants to see you,” the maid said, holding a candle by the silver handle it was placed in.
“It’s evening. He never asks for me in the evening,” Izzy said, confused but she remembered back to her outburst. “I’ll be right out.”
After getting dressed into something more approachable, Izzy followed the maid quickly down to the corridor where Michael was already waiting for their arrival. Michael announced their presence and the king beckoned only Izzy at this point.
“Good luck Isabelle,” the maid whispered encouragingly and went about her own way.
Izzy stepped into the king’s presence and a soft, chilly breeze flew through the room. The first thing that processed in her head was the king and then a tall figure next to the king. Maliki. Izzy stopped walking as soon as her eyes caught Maliki’s figure and she began to build up her protective wall.
“Isabelle, come on here, my dear,” the king said without a hint of anger. She slowly and nervously made her way towards the king and he looked down at her with a satisfied smile.
“Maliki, here, is giving you another chance,” King John said happily.
“A chance, sir?”
“A chance to redeem yourself,” King John said. He looked at the confused Isabelle and cleared his throat. “You’ll be serving him for the time that he is here. He took this punishment very lightly compared to what your punishment would have been. Also this gives an excellent chance to practice guarding someone.”
Izzy looked at King John meekly and then to Maliki who looked down at her with his sea-clear eyes. His posture and his facial expression hadn’t changed during the time she entered but she knew he had some sort of satisfaction in him. He had finally gotten Izzy back for her outburst but Izzy knew she didn’t have the power to make any changes so instead, she shook her head regrettably.
“Good! How wonderful,” the king smiled, clapping his hand. “Of course you’ll still have your regular practices but they’ll be cut short so you can serve Prince Maliki the rest of the day.”
No time for books or free time in the library. Izzy growled on the inside but took Timothy’s advice about hiding her true emotions. It would only cause her more problems if she did.
“Yes sir,” Izzy curtly replied. Prince Maliki stood there astonished at Izzy’s self-control. He could tell she wanted to go against the king’s order but she stayed put, only heightening his curiosity in her.
“Prince Maliki, you can leave now with Isabelle,” the king said and Maliki bowed.
“Thank you sir,” he said and began to walk out. Izzy trailed gloomily behind him, wondering what she had gotten herself into. PMS she blamed but no one would buy her excuse. It was now only up to her whether she can put up with Prince Maliki or not.
“What do you want with me? Do you hate me so much that you want to have revenge upon me?” Izzy asked as soon as they reached the exterior of the palace.
Prince Maliki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked frustrated and confused but continued to walk the pathway to the second part of the palace where his bedroom was located. He had asked for a room outside the main palace building while his sister was in the room next to Alexander. He liked the small garden in front of his part of the palace and the quietness it projected. He thought to himself that it would be a place of refuge when his headache came upon him.
“Please be quiet,” he asked kindly. The killer headache pounded harshly at the back of his head but he tried to ignore it. It had been there throughout the afternoon and the evening but he chose to ignore it like he had always had. He didn’t want to cause any trouble because of a headache so he had always kept it to himself.
“Don’t you dare tell me to be quiet. You still haven’t answered my question,” Izzy demanded. She knew she was stepping on thin ice but she somehow felt the need to blast everything in his face.
Silently, Maliki made his way into his room. Izzy trudged behind him until Maliki opened the wooden door to his part of the bedroom. It was a decent size and complete with a fireplace and a huge bed but it still lacked the homey feeling. Bare walls faced him and a single wooden desk was placed near the bed.
“This is your room?” Izzy asked, surprised at how ordinary it looked.
“I asked for it,” Maliki said, pleased with her change of topic.
“Why would you want something so plain when there are beautiful rooms in the main palace?” Izzy was confused at Maliki’s choice. It came naturally to her that the biggest was the best.
“Have you seen the garden out in the front? Sometimes little things are better, more beautiful than lavishing things that look expensive on the outside.” Izzy took it into consideration but didn’t understand what Maliki meant.
“I still don’t know what you want to do with me,” Izzy grumbled, crossing her arms. She didn’t want to fall into the ‘nice’ guy act. Alex was suddenly acting nice and now Maliki too? She knew Alex only wanted her as his collection of girls he conquered but Izzy didn’t know what Maliki wanted. “What do you want?”
Maliki smiled sadly at her and allowed to treat himself by looking into her beautiful green eyes again. His smile brightened but there was still a small twinge of sadness in them.
“I just want company.”