His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 26: Green Eyed

Her palace is cold and unforgiving, much like these barren lands. It is no place for a Princess, Northern or not.

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Dressed again in the same clothes before after soaking in soothing salts and oils, I emerged from the water closet, my hair tied up high in a ponytail with a black ribbon. Theo wore fresh clothes a little looser than his previous ones, so they must be Soren’s. He sniffed them and scowled. Yep, Soren’s.

The bed sheets have been changed and remade. Margarette has yet to arrive, so Theo must have made it. He didn’t need to, and I feel awful that he did.

Before I can comment about it, though, I look past him, and my heart almost leapt from my chest at the sight of my knight. My footsteps stop as our eyes lock. Soren is in his armour again, arms behind his back, back straight, in position like normal.

He observes me, and his molten gaze leaves goosebumps along my skin as though he is visualising from memory what I look like beneath my attire. Those dark hazel eyes travel back up to my face again. Slowly, the hard wall slides up his eyes, diminishing any emotions portrayed on his features. He is impenetrable, the soldier, the guard, my knight on duty once more.

It was like last night, and this morning hadn’t happened. I would have gladly accepted that from the Alpha Prince, yet I was uncertain how to react. I didn’t know Eryx, but I knew Soren—and that made everything more difficult.

I shouldn’t expect anything from him, especially after his earlier outburst. Theo said Soren was confused, so I should allow him some space if that is what he wishes. Maybe that will help me, too. This heat cannot keep controlling me like this.

My chest still pinches, though, even as I tilt my chin higher, a mask of indifference sliding into place. I was so tired of doing it. I’d hoped to keep my palace as a place where I could act like myself and not worry, but my curse had ruined that.

"I see you still walk around with wet hair," Theo comments, his voice slightly scolding and completely distracting me from the crestfallen emotion within me from Soren’s lack of communication. "That is how you will get ill."

Theo enters my field of vision, and instead of the stern brick wall that was my knight, I see Theo’s beautiful face. His eyes are narrowed slightly, and his lips pouty; I can’t help but look at them and allow myself to get distracted.

"I’ve been surviving these winters so far this way." A shrug follows my words. Nonchalant even though my ire starts to crawl into my veins instead about the situation between me and Soren.

Theo rolls his eyes and sighs, pointing to the chaise. With a frown, I wordlessly followed his silent order and sat at the end of the bed while he went into the water closet and returned with a towel. Theo leans forward and tugs on the ribbon, allowing my hair to fall down. He hands me the ribbon before his fingers slide along my scalp.

My eyes widen and close at the massage with a slight hum. My head goes slightly limp, giving Theo my complete trust. "That’s so nice," I whisper, leaning more into his touch.

Theo chuckles and lowers to my left ear, his lips closed. "Keep it up. It looks like Soren is a little green-eyed."

"Green-eyed?" I murmur softly.

Well, he had some green and gold specks in his hazel eyes. What does he mean? I glance at Soren’s scowl. "He’s jealous." Theo handles my scalp, so my head turns, and my eyes look at Theo’s pretty features instead of my knight’s. "And so he should be," he whispers, lips grazing against mine.

I inhale sharply, but Theo doesn’t press further or make any moves. He chuckles, glancing at Soren and leans back, fingers moving against my head; like magic, I calm again and forget about my worries with the knight who is shooting daggers in our direction.

"You said she will get a cold," Soren snaps after a few more minutes of listening to my quiet moans.

Honestly, I couldn’t help it. I don’t know where Theo learned to do this or if he is naturally gifted, but I don’t think I can go anywhere without him. He needs to be massaging my scalp daily. I haven’t told him this yet. I plan to so I can get the most out of our moments together before we escape this wretched place.

"Is that enough, Ida? Or do you want more?" Theo ignores Soren. His tone is light and playful. I know exactly what he is doing, and it makes me smile, reminding me of the mischievous boy I’d grown up with.

At Soren’s low growl, I decide not to make his mood worse. "No, that is enough," I quietly respond and look back at him with a soft smile, hand placed on one of his. "But I expect you to do that daily from now on."

Theo grins back at my wicked one, and it brightens his features, revealing both dimples. "As you wish."

I register a slight grumble from the other side of the room, but when I look, Soren is as still as a statue, his eyes expressionless.

Theo starts drying my hair with the towel, although it is half dry from the fire by this point. Fond memories of the past tug my lips into a small smile as my eyes close to Theo’s soft touch. If my mother wasn’t scolding me about my hair, then Theo would chase after me and towel dry it.

Back then, he wasn’t nearly as careful. I was sure I complained to him about pulling a few locks out at one point. Still, besides my mother, he was the only one I allowed to dry my hair. I acted more like a princess back then, certainly spoilt for choice.

Glancing at Soren and noting his focus across the room to the windows and the gentle snowfall outside, I tap one of Theo’s hands with my finger to get his attention. Theo lowers the opposite side again, away from my knight. "So, I went into Ulfstad last night." I don’t know why I am whispering about this; Soren already knew I hadn’t been in the palace.

Theo slows his movements, but his chin leans on my shoulder so I can continue speaking to him without Soren overhearing. "I found a map," I continue when his hands are still for a moment. "The ports are closer than I believed. The Vargrfjell Fjord is to the east..."

"Is something wrong?" He whispers and dabs at the bottom of my strands that fall to my stomach, glancing at Soren, who is now watching us like a hawk. Or perhaps he is watching Theo’s hand placement?

I try not to focus on him or the feel of Theo so close to my face. We used to be close, so maybe he is becoming familiar with me again like winters past. "I couldn’t bring it back with me," I sigh. "Because Alpha Prince Eryx caught me outside the palace and in the Huntsman."

"The Huntsman?" Theo looks at me sternly. "Ida, you shouldn’t have gone in there by yourself-"

"Oh, believe me, I was fine." My thoughts turned to the bartender, then Sverre, and finally, the man who’d interrupted my time away from the palace and marched me back. The man was frustrating even if I turned possessed in his arms.

"Sverre said he would send it to my home, but I never gave him my address." I continue. "I will return tonight so we can go through it together."

Theo’s brows rose at that. "Are you sure you want to show me?"

"Should I not?" I turn to look at him directly. "Is there a reason I should not trust you, Theo?"

Immediately, his eyes circle, and he shakes his head. "No! I was just surprised... Many winters have passed since our childhood... You have not changed."

Oh, but I have, Theo. You just haven’t seen it. I do not voice my thoughts.

"I worry you might be a little too innocent. It only gives me more reason to train and make sure I can protect you when we do leave," Theo adds quickly when I frown at his comment about my innocence. He means naïve.

"I’m sure you didn’t think me innocent last night," I grumbled quietly.

"No," Theo swallows. "You certainly weren’t."

I shift a little. I didn’t mean for my slave to hear it. That’s a lie, I did. Peeking at him, I notice him observing me. "Anyway," he clears his throat. "I will accompany you if you do go tonight."

"There is no need-"

"Ida, you can’t go by yourself."

"I won’t," I sigh and flick my eyes in Soren’s direction. "He’s known about my trips every time and will most likely protect me from afar as usual."

Theo frowned at that. Soren’s loud footsteps approached and lifted a strand of my hair, fingers rubbing against it. "Her Highness’s hair is dry," my knight comments dryly, looking between us suspiciously. "You should continue with your other chores before Margarette assumes there is more between you."

Theo arched his brow and looked like he wanted to comment about what happened between me and my knight. My imploring look halts him, though, and he scoffs, moving away from me. "I follow Ida’s command, not yours," he mutters, walking away.

Soren doesn’t say anything but glares at his back and then, without looking at me, returns to his post. The tension is palpable, and I want to bury myself in the snow outside. Whether ice sickness or asphyxiation gets to me first, I do not care at this point. I’d rather focus on a looming death than Soren’s frustratingly quiet and stoic presence.