Red

Footsteps hurried behind me as MK let out a displeased growl. That alone told me who was currently running to catch up to me.

"So where are we off to now?" The towering male asked with a grin on his face.

I completely ignored him in hopes of him leaving. Although I understand the temptation of a challenge, I couldn't imagine that this male truly wanted to hang out with me.

Perhaps I should give him a taste of who I am.

"You know I think it is endearing that you ignore me," Niles chuckled.

I managed to avoid scoffing and instead just rolled my eyes at the male and his unfaltering annoyance. I almost felt inclined to believe that the male was feeling suicidal with how close he was standing next to me and the frequent 'accidental' bumping of our shoulders.

The prince continued to follow me, even after we left the castle. I knew that leading him back to the manor wouldn't be the best idea, so instead, I set my sights on the royal stable.

The stables lied beyond the gardens, something I always disliked as I had to walk pretty far just to visit the horses. However, the gardens were pretty and always were perfectly maintained. Flowers somehow bloomed here year-round, even though we had long and cold winters. It was because of that, that I believed the castle gardener was a magic wielder.

The giant wooden and stone stable came into sight and I felt almost giddy at the sight of it.

Ingrid had mentioned earlier that she no longer rode, but I was still interested to visit the horses there. Mostly to see if I remembered any of them.

The male next to me followed quietly and although I found his behavior strange, I couldn't find the energy to question him or even care. If he wanted to waste his time following me around like a lost puppy then that was his choice.

Niles walked close enough to me that I was able to smell his nearly intoxicating sweet scent. The smell that coated him reminded me of a plant that was often found in greenhouses. The plant was harvested and often made into a chewy substance, creams, or even the paste that some used to clean their teeth. The prince smelt fresh, sharp, and minty. It was a refreshing smell that nearly made me lean into him.

My strange thoughts suddenly disappeared as the flapping of wings was heard. I looked up just in time as a giant white owl came flying towards me. I made to duck but realized that the bird wasn't flying to me, but rather the male to my left.

Niles held out his hand and the bird hovered before landing on his forearm. I nearly cringed as I saw the claws dig into his arm, however, the male didn't seem to notice the pain as he reached up and lightly stroked a finger down the owl's head.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Niles asked and the bird made a whistling noise in response. The sound made the prince chuckle. "I wasn't talking to you," He told the bird before turning to me, a bright smile beamed across his face.

If the prince wasn't attractive before, he was fucking hot now.

His straight black hair fell to his chest. While I peered at his hair, I couldn't help but notice that - at some point - he had unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt, which managed to expose a sliver of his dark skin. His chest was muscled, but still carried the toned look that the rest of his body flexed. But it was his skin that I couldn't help but focus on.

He was not tanned nor carried the complexion of many southern continents, however, his skin was dark and almost carried a blue tint to it, much like his hair. His hair was black, but under certain lighting almost appeared as a dark blue color.

It was a common trait of elves to have strange coloring, however, the darker coloring on this male told me enough about his ancestor. He was a dark elf.

Dark elves were distant cousins of the Fae, something I was glad about as I wasn't particularly fond of the Fae. Whereas the near cousins of elves, like wood elves and light elves, were nearly siblings of the Fae. It was a confusing ancestral tree, but I was glad that I had been forced to learn it during my assassin training as it surprisingly has come in handy.

The male looked at me expectantly still awaiting some sort of response, so I just gave him a simple nod. Though I was secretly hoping he hadn't noticed that I had been admiring him and his beautiful body.

The owl on his arm chirped at me, her wide eyes studying me.

I was inclined to ask him her name but was luckily saved when he spoke again.

"Her name is Vale, and although I often wish to call her my companion, she does well to consistently remind me that she belongs to no one," Niles admitted on a chuckle, but there was a sad tone that carried in his voice.

His silver eyes glanced down to my companion. "She would be humiliated if I kept her by my side all day."

There was a jab to his words, but it was almost as if he was jealous about what MK and I had. Though I wasn't particularly sure what MK and I had, as I had just met him last night. That was something I didn't think I should mention to the Prince as that would only make him feel worse.

The owl's eyes traveled to my companion and she cocked her head curiously. A little hoot left her beak as she looked back to Niles.

"Until later," Niles told her as he swung his arm up and Vale took flight. Her powerful wings beat into the air and she flew off into the distance.

When I looked back to the Prince I found him watching me, a small smile gracing his face.

"Back to it?" he asked with a small sweep of his arm in the direction of the royal stable. I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. This time Niles noticed and grinned at the action.

"I'm already warming up to you," He felt the need to point out. "It won't be long until you're chatting up a storm with me. I look forward to hearing your voice again," Niles confessed and I raised my eyebrows in question.

"I heard you talking with Ingrid. You have a husky yet sweet voice," He informed me. "Maybe someday I will get that same voice to moan my name," He whispered thoughtfully as if he was thinking out loud.

I couldn't help but feel a warm feeling flood my cheeks at the change of pace in conversation.

His earlier grin turned into a smug one as his silver eyes drilled into me. I suddenly was feeling exposed under his gaze and for the first time in my life, shifted uncomfortably.

The charms that gifted the male by my side were almost too much to handle. I wasn't used to male attention besides Ezekiel and Fenris, but after so many years of it, I managed to learn to enjoy their antics. It was strange when those same antics were coming from someone who I barely knew.

"So you aren't unaffected by me," The prince grinned in self-satisfaction as he reached out to grab my hand in his. All the while ignoring the growling coming from my companion.

I allowed him to grasp my hand, his fingers folded through mine while his other hand came up and pushed my chin up so that I was forced to face him.

"You are so beautiful," He said while his thumb lightly brushed over a scar on my chin.

The action was benign and tender, causing my heart rate to increase and an emotion tried to escape. It was then that I managed to snap out of my trance.

I couldn't allow myself to be charmed by the Prince. Or any male for that matter. Never Again. I asserted.

I carefully slid my free hand into a hidden pocket inside my cloak and grabbed the handle of the weapon inside. While doing this, I also took a step forward which closed the distance between our bodies.

It was when his silver eyes softened and flicked down to my lips that I suddenly drove my dagger into him.

A gasp of breath left him, his eyes widened, and his hands dropped from me as he slowly processed what I had done.

My dagger stuck out of his left side. I knew from experience that it wasn't hitting any major organs or blood routes, so there was a good chance he would survive.

He stayed on his feet but hunched over as blood started to leak from his wound. It was a good sign that there was no spurting blood.

I waited until his silver eyes held my gaze as I grabbed hold of the dagger again and slowly twisted it. He made a gasping sound, but to his credit didn't scream.

"Don't touch me ever again," I told the male before leaving. I made a quick exit as I was sure he was to call for the guards soon. However, my choice to leave the dagger in him was purposeful. A reminder of sorts.

It was a good thing that it wasn't my favorite dagger that I had impaled the prince with, as I would've been inclined to take it with me which would have left the male bleeding in the gardens with no one else around.

As I got farther and farther from the castle a strange feeling settled over me. One I hadn't felt in a long time, especially when it came to my murderous activities. Guilt.

I was feeling guilty for stabbing the prince. Though I was sure he would live. As long as he got treated fast and the wound didn't get infected that was. But other than that he would be fine. It was all in his hands now.

In fact, he should be grateful. It wasn't often I went for a non-lethal shot. I could've easily driven that dagger through his heart and that would've been the end of it.

Still, a creeping feeling of guilt settled over me as MK and I walked back to the manor.

Fuck, I hope that charming son of a bitch lives.

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Thank you for reading Chapter 14! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love to know what you guys think so far and what your favorite parts/characters are. I hope y'all have a great week!