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Noora

She could not believe he brought Lulva into the royal training room. She was a child and even worse, with someone like Kekoa in such close proximity. She knew that Sosye were more aggressive towards witches but people from the southern kingdom weren’t very welcome here either. Noora did not want to get into a real fight with the witch hunter. She would if she needed to, though.

After dropping Lulva back to the ground, she took her hand in hers and left the room.

The guard who had escorted her before was right behind her, not even a second later.

“I can’t believe you are allowed to stay in the palace and dine here and sleep. Did you get any princess gowns? Or maybe colour for your cheeks and lips?” Lulva did not even breathe in between her questions. Although Noora was exhausted from hours of training, with no satisfying results, she still felt the familiar warmth spread inside her.

With Lulva beside her, she felt like she was home again.

The guard followed them outside into the palace garden, Lulva swinging their intertwined hands and Noora answered her every question.

Approaching footsteps made her turn her head, to see the prince elegantly descending the stone stairs, leading to their pathway through the winter-blooming bushes.

“Well, a thank you would be appropriate, don’t you think?” he called as he approached them.

His hair was slightly ruffled, his cheeks turning rosy at the cold air. If Noora weren’t so happy to see Lulva, she would’ve taken ajacket outside, with the sweat clinging to her skin and the biting cold she was doomed to turn ill.

“You’re right. How could I forget.” Noora said before turning to the hazel-eyed guard, who was standing beside them. his hand at the hilt of his sword, strapped to his hip.

“Thank you, for bringing Lulva safely to the palace.”

She could swear she saw his lips twitch before he bowed lightly. “It was my pleasure. Lulva is a delightful travelling partner.”

“Of course I am.” Lulva grinned at him.

Nikolai’s gaze narrowed at them, making Noora arch a brow. “It is me who you should thank,” he said, sounding offended.

Noora let go of Lulva’s hand and took a step towards him, tilting her head up.

“And why would that be, Your Majesty?” Satisfaction spread through her when his jaw ticked at her mocking usage of the royal term.

“She is here on my orders,” he insisted.

She nodded. “Yes, she is.”

She did not elaborate and watched his left hand twitch beside him. Today his hands were covered in emerald green gloves, silver stitching running around his wrists like bracelets. Or shackles.

“And?” His voice dropped a few octaves. A strange wave of goosebumps covered her skin but she still stood her ground, the next words leaving her lips in a whisper to avoid Raphael and Lulva from overhearing.

“As far as I know we struck a deal, Your Majesty—”

“Nikolai.” He interrupted her.

“What?” she asked perplexed, and he sighed. “You may call me Nikolai. The proper term may be unnecessary if your only purpose in using it is to mock me.”

Was he offering her to use his first name, after he so crudely demanded her thanks?

She blinked at him, before focusing back on the important matter.

“I do not owe you thanks because I told you I would participate in your fun little games if you brought Lulva here. And don’t act like it was a generous task where you had to go out of your way to retrieve her. We both know the truth.”

“The truth?” he asked, his chin raised in defiance.

“You may act like you have troubles but you are the luckiest man in this kingdom. You have everything you need, you never had to starve for multiple days or tend to wounds undeserved to yourself. You will never have to watch someone significant to you get hurt.”

He scoffed but remained untouched. The only thing revealing his feelings were his eyes. And what she saw in them was terrifying.