Page 29 of The Wild Prince’s Favorite (The Dragon Empire Saga #3)

Kassein didn’t answer, ignoring him, and he only heard a loud sigh as he walked back inside the tent.

In there, Alezya glanced up at him, and then, her eyes went to Tievin.

She frowned slightly, looking wary of the Grand Intendant.

Kassein found that funny, considering Tievin was by far the most inoffensive man of the camp. ..

“Introduce yourself,” Kassein ordered him.

Once again, Tievin made a sound of protest, but after a while, he turned to the woman, back to his usual bored expression.

“My name is Tievin, Servant of the Imperial Family and Grand Intendant of the North Army.”

Kassein wanted to roll his eyes. How was she supposed to get all that? As expected, Alezya was staring at Tievin with a confused expression.

He got her attention and then pointed at him.

“Tievin,” he simply said.

“...I’d actually prefer she call me Grand Intendant,” Tievin mumbled. “She’s not exactly a guest, Commander.”

Kassein glared at him, cutting off any more protest.

“...Tievin.”

They both turned their eyes to Alezya, who’d clearly just tried pronouncing his name. Tievin sighed, but nodded.

“Yes, my lady.”

No matter how much he would protest, Tievin had been well-raised in a family with high standards of education.

As the son of one of the most prestigious Imperial Servant families, he’d been taught to act with politeness, courtesy, and decorum in all circumstances, and wouldn’t get mad at a woman for calling him by his name instead of his title; it was the first rule of etiquette to not make someone else aware of their mistake and thus embarrass them.

Especially considering Alezya couldn’t understand their language, it was better she didn’t believe Grand Intendant was his name, and she would be hearing Kassein call him Tievin too anyway.

Now that this was sorted, Kassein was back to thinking. The bath was on its way there, so were the clothes, but what next? His eyes went back to Tievin. Or, more precisely, to Tievin’s coat.

“...Bring two of those here.”

“W-what?” Tievin blinked several times.

“Your coats. Pick the smallest ones you have.”

“Commander!” Tievin protested again. “Those are my coats!”

“Your coats that I hunted.”

“Still! They’re... They’re part of my compensation!”

Kassein raised an eyebrow as if to ask, “Compensation for what?” but Tievin only seemed even more frustrated.

My compensation for being sent to suffer with you in this stupidly cold country, was the thought Tievin really wanted to say aloud.

Alas, after so many years by the temperamental Prince’s side, he knew better than to retort back.

Instead, he took a deep breath in, and mentally calmed himself.

“...Yes, sir.”

Tievin already didn’t like this woman.

It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, and he’d been forced to cradle a bucket full of her vile, unspeakable…

bowel hell, and hand over two of his prized fur coats like some kind of fool.

For free . He turned to leave in a huff, but not before delivering a long, squinty, thoroughly offended glare in her direction.

To his dismay, she wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Much to Tievin’s horror, she dared to glare right back.

Well. Not one to be out-squinted, Tievin narrowed his eyes even further, lips twitching in tight disapproval, and backed toward the exit with the confidence of a man too proud to admit he had no idea where the door was. He bumped into the tent frame. Stumbled. Recovered.

Then walked out backward, still facing her, stiff as a board, pretending the whole thing had gone exactly as planned... Kassein, who hadn’t missed anything of the scene, suppressed a smile.

“He’s a good friend,” he said simply.

Alezya had turned her eyes back to him, but she obviously couldn’t understand that. Kassein had felt hopeful after she’d easily understood basic words like food and water already, but now, he was wondering how long they’d have to keep guessing each other’s words.

He had never been a very talkative man, and was even less willing to talk after being sent to the north. In fact, he found himself wanting to talk to this woman, even though he barely spoke a word to his men.

He couldn’t explain why. He knew why he didn’t like talking to his men; he hated their gazes, the thoughts he could read on their faces, their stubborn admiration for him when he felt like he deserved none of it.

He hated how they sometimes resented him, sometimes praised him, and none of that ever to his face.

Tievin was the one he’d known forever, and the only one who knew honesty was better, although risky.

All those other men who judged him without knowing him were just pests.

Alezya, however, was completely different.

Not just because she was foreign, and a woman.

She was wary around him. She knew nothing of his past, and only judged him by his actions, by what she could witness herself.

They were meant to be enemies, yet that woman seemed to be willing to let him show his true character.

Kassein didn’t care that she was scared or wary of him; those reactions were legitimate.

He’d taken her away from the one home she’d always known after something traumatic had visibly happened to her. Wariness seemed fair.

“Commander, we brought the bath!”

They had been quick.

Alezya, alerted by more male voices, had already retreated back in the bed and under the blanket, her eyes riveted on the entrance.

He’d noticed it before, but she seemed to be afraid of men, not just because they were foreign. There was something in her gaze that made it clear she didn’t trust any of them, as if to say she knew their kind and had no trust in males.

Kassein couldn’t even explain how he knew it was a gender issue more than one based on their homelands; he could just feel it.

She’d reacted more surprised than she should have any time he’d acted kindly to her.

Her dumbfounded and embarrassed expression when he’d washed her feet came to mind.

She’d never had someone do that for her, and she couldn’t believe he had.

She despised males and she wouldn’t let her guard down in their presence.

Was it related to the ones who’d attacked her?

Kassein went out himself to get the bath, which was really just a large bucket filled with hot water, and carried it inside.

It was extremely heavy, hence Alezya watched him bring that inside with big round eyes.

He didn’t sweat over it and just handed the towels to her.

She quickly understood who that bath was for because soon, her eyes were riveted on that steam with envy.

Kassein let out a faint smile and pointed at the water.

“Bath,” he said.

She frowned, and this time, didn’t try to repeat it.

He could tell she really wanted to clean herself as her eyes kept going to the hot water, and he couldn’t blame her.

He’d known one of his sisters to bathe twice a day, and though she probably wouldn’t be so needy, Alezya had spent a long time stuck in bed, probably sweating out the light fever she’d had too.

He went toward the end of his tent. He’d received some luxurious items he seldom used, sent from the palace or given by the locals as thanks for chasing the barbarians away. Some were soaps with smells that he didn’t like, too sweet and floral for a grown man.

He grabbed a handful and brought them for Alezya to use. He showed it to her, said “soap,” and put it on the bedside table where she could easily grab them.

When that was done, he wondered if he should help her get in the water or undo her bandages. She could already move a lot better now. While he hesitated, he stood there, watching her. Alezya’s eyes were still riveted on the hot water, and she faintly glanced up at him, looking unsure.

“Take a bath,” Kassein finally said. “I’ll be right outside.”

She knew his name, she could always call him if she needed help.

Kassein gave her one last glance before he walked out and, as he’d said, stood right outside his tent. As it saw him appear, his dragon immediately reacted, growling.

“Shut up,” Kassein growled back.

Kein wasn’t having it, and growled some more, showing its fangs to its owner, its claws digging into the snow under it.

The few soldiers who’d been posted nearby all jumped back or quickly ran away, undoubtedly scared there would be another fight between the two of them out of the blue. It wouldn’t be the case though.

Kein and Kassein glared fiercely at one another, but the dragon didn’t get up, and Kassein didn’t touch his sword either.

The animosity was palpable, but they stood in this strange stand-off, neither refusing to stop glaring at the other.

It lasted a while before Kein reduced its growling, and Kassein finally stopped glaring, his eyes going to the mountain behind their tent.

The corner of his eye had caught something moving.

His dragon also turned its head the same way, alarmed, and stood up, flicking its huge tail with annoyance.

They’d never seen movement from this side of the mountains, but it didn’t mean there was nothing.

It was hard to see anything because the snow covered every surface, creating a blanket of pure white.

While he kept inspecting the area, Kein jumped first. The dragon effortlessly began climbing the mountain, in search of whatever it had spotted, its large body causing another substantial ruckus as its claws dug deeply into the stone.

Kein was, as usual, oblivious to its enormous size, and didn’t realize that massive rocks were being detached from the mountain under its climbing, loudly hitting the ground.

Kassein glanced at the landslide his dragon was provoking.