May Death Do Us Part

250 Chapter 250 : I need to talk to you

After breakfast, the red head swapped her flowy dress for a pair of leather pants, a shirt, some boots and a substantial amount of armor. She wondered why women couldn’t dress like this everyday, it was so comfortable and refreshing. Eira had been slacking lately when it came to training and she knew her uncle would not let it slide so easily, she needed to pacify him somehow.

The princess walked out to the training grounds where she saw Zhelimir in his armor as well, already swinging his sword around. Next to him was Zander, who was giving his son instructions and helping him with his grip on the blade and with his posture every once in a while, as if Zhel was not already one of the best knights in the kingdom.

When the two blonde men saw the princess walking their way, they paused their training and turned to her. Eira could already see the disappointed look on Zander’s face and the indifferent look of Zhelimir’s. She was going to get an earful from them, she just knew it.

“Well well well,” Zander spoke, his eyes never leaving Eira’s and his arms crossed over his chest like a father who was about to scold his ten year old child. “Look who decided to finally join us. Welcome your grace, how can we be of service to you this fine morning?”

The sarcasm in her uncle’s voice made Eira half roll her eyes. “I know uncle, I know,” she muttered just as she stopped by her cousin’s side. “I’m really sorry I’ve been skipping out on training lately, I don’t even have a proper excuse for it. So as a gesture of good will..” Eira pulled out a bottle of wine from behind her back and offered it to her uncle. “.. I come baring gifts.”

Zander looked down at the bottle and then back to the princess, Eira was a little scared he would reject it until a smile tugged his lips as he asked, “is that Greenhill wine?”

“The very same, ferried here from my grandfather himself” Eira responded with a smile. If there was anything that could get her uncle to let this whole thing slide, it was a bottle of her father’s finest wine. Odds are she would get in trouble for taking it without her father’s permission, but she could always lie and say she accidentally dropped it or gifted it to someone.

“How old is it?”

“Started aging before I was in the womb..”

.....

Zander took the bottle of wine and pointed at his sly little niece, “I’ll let this slide this time, only because I love some good wine, but if this happens again Eira I’m pinning you to duel against your uncle Ozias.”

Eira gulped. Ozias was another one of her father’s long time friends who she referred to as her uncle. He was freakishly strong and humongous in build, pinning her against him would be like telling her to duel with a brick wall. He was impenetrable.

“Your cousin should be here in a few minutes to catch you up on what you missed when you were busy playing hooky. I doubt he will be swayed by a bottle of wine though, so brace yourself.”

Zhelimir and Eira watched Zander walk away, the smile on his face clearly showing that he was going to crack open the bottle of wine and spend the rest of the day drinking.

The blond hybrid elf tossed his cousin a sword that Eira caught effortlessly. “Care to have a friendly little duel? It would be wise to warm up before Damien gets here.”

Eira unsheathed the blade and took a step forward simultaneously with her cousin. Their blades crossed as they moved in circles steadily.

“It’s only been a few days...” Eira jumped back and swung her sword towards Zhelimir. The blonde vanished from the spot and reappeared a few meters away. “I’m not the type to get rusty so easily. Besides..” Eira lifted her sword into the air and blocked Zhelimir’s attack from above.

“... I need to talk to you.” The two spoke in unison.

The blonde fell back and arched a brow at his cousin. Eira did the same before both speaking in unison again. “You go first..”

Zhelimir drew in a quick breath before charging towards Eira, inches away from her he teleported to her back and attacked. But just like she always did, Eira anticipated his move and leapt up into the air. She spun around and began to descend toward the blonde. Their swords clashed with a loud cling that was almost deafening.

“Why did you leave without me yesterday?” Zhelimir pushed his cousin away with a kick and prepared to attack. “I understand you have some sort of magical or mystical connection with this man, but that was a dangerous move. Do you trust him so much?”

Eira moved her left leg back, she crouched slightly so she could be ready for both defense and offense. “I actually regret going to see him without you honestly, I’m sorry.”

Zhelimir appeared right in front of Eira and plunged his sword towards her face. “What happened? Did he touch you inappropriately?!”

Eira held her sword with both her hands vertically to divert the thrust of Zhelimir’s attack. “What?!” With her blade she pushed his away and jumped back. Her face was flushed and her eyebrows knitted together in both embarrassment and irritation. “He did no such thing!” Eira looked down at her left hand that was bleeding from holding the bare blade and waited for the wound to close up before grabbing her hilt with both hands.

“The redness of your face tells me that he did,” Zhelimir spoke before holding his sword up and blocking his cousin’s head on attack.

“I would never let an arrogant prick like him touch me in any way! Ever!” Eira pulled back slightly and swung her sword again.

Zhelimir blocked the attack and arched his eyebrows, “arrogant prick? Did the two of you have some sort of disagreement?” He pushed Eira back and threw his blade into the air. The blonde chanted some words that brought the sword in front of him, hovering it around with his magic.

“Hardly,” Eira responded while wiping away her blood from the blade. “He’s just so smug and annoying. I can’t have a proper conversation with him in the slightest, because he’s just so..!” She zipped forward and clashed swords with her cousin, a little too aggressively at that.

“Arrogant?” Zhelimir responded sarcastically, before teleporting backwards and flinging his sword towards Eira.

“Exactly!” Eira moved to the side and the hurdling blade missed her by a hair. She straightened her posture and jumped out of the way when Zhelimir called back his sword to his side. “No fair, when did you learn telekinesis?”

“Don’t try and change the topic.” Zhelimir swayed his fingers forward and his blade heeded to the movement. This time instead of dodging, Eira used all her strength to swing her blade and hit Zhelimir’s sword away.

“So what you’re trying to say is he fancies you?”

Eira’s face was as red as a tomato, she tightened her hold on the hilt of her sword and hurled it towards her smirking cousin. Zhelimir used his sword to fling Eira’s sword away before breaking into a chuckle.

“Shut up!” Eira yelled before teleporting to where her weapon had landed.

“If he is annoying you Eira, it’s enough evidence that he fancies you.” Zhelimir swung his blade around in readiness to block an erratic attack from his now frustrated cousin. “Us men are simple creatures, when we like a woman, we either annoy the crap out of her or fear her presence like the plague.”

Eira huffed and walked slowly towards her cousin who was also in stride towards where she was standing.

“I would rather stick needles into my eyeballs than be with that.. that..” Eira leaped ahead, her blade forward and her feelings all over the place.

The move was reckless so Zhelimir was able to block it with ease. “I said nothing about being with him Eira, but you did.. just now.”

The princess kicked her cousin making him stamble backwards a little. “You know what, you’re a prick too!”

Zhelimir laughed heartily as he watched Eira plunge her sword into the ground and fall back onto the grass. He walked to her and settled down right near her feet.

“Now I really have to meet this guy,” Zhelimir chuckled, “if he’s got you so whirled up, it means he has a significant influence on your feelings. Maybe if you really ponder over it you’ll find you fancy him as well.”

“Oh piss off Zhel..”

“Alright.. alright..I’ll leave it here for now,” the blonde muttered. “You said before that you wanted to talk to me as well? What did you want to talk about?”

Eira pursed her lips. She took a deep breath and looked up at the blonde sitting in front of her. “It’s about Jacob...”

“What about him?”

Eira averted Zhelimir’s gaze and began to nibble nervously on the inside of her lip.

“Eira?” Zhelimir narrowed his eyes and glared at the redhead. “What about Jacob?”

“He asked to court me...”