Elemental Prince by Megan Fall
Chapter 7
Kell
Kell should have thought matters through before picking up the wee warrior and carrying her off through the forest. She was tiny and fit comfortably in his arms. The scent of berries wafted up to surround him, messing with his head. He would have preferred to feel nothing at all for the princess, which would certainly make things easier. Kell was a seasoned warrior who commanded thousands of men, but the thought of her upset over a bloody dress was his undoing. He had placed himself in a predicament and was unprepared. They would be alone, and he did not think that wise.
When Kell peered down, Emmalyn was watching him apprehensively. Her brows were drawn together in uncertainty and she was biting her lip. It made her look young, but also quite delectable. He scowled and looked to the trees once more. Kell knew from experience that the small stream was close. The vegetation was lush, and several animal tracks headed in the same direction. As soon as the ground sloped, he slowed, repositioning the princess to get a better hold on her. It wasn’t too steep, but the ground was getting muddier and his footing would not be as stable.
Kell cleared the trees and the stream came into view. He was pleased to see it was slow moving and not too deep. He could set Emmalyn down and not worry about her losing her footing and getting swept away. There were tiny purple flowers along the bank and several large boulders. He chose one that was flat and gently lowered her beside it.
“Sit,” Kell gruffly commanded, gesturing towards the rock.
She immediately did as requested, which pleased him. Either she wished to satisfy him, or was too exhausted to fight through the injury. He had the uneasy feeling the latter was true.
Kell removed the cloth from his belt and dipped it in the clear, cool water. The tiny rainbow fish swarming close to the bank shot away in fright and captured Emmalyn’s attention. She stared in fascination at the tiny fish, and as Kell studied her, a small smile graced her face.
“We call them rainbow darts,” Kell explained raising her good arm and wiping off the dried blood. He was careful to go slowly and not frighten her. She reminded him of the fish, beautiful, but ready to bolt. “The sun bounces off their tiny bodies and reflects off each scale making their colours more vibrant. They scare easily though,” he advised. Kell dipped his hand in the water once more and the fish scattered away.
Kell took his free hand and gently tilted her face up towards the sun. She trembled in his grasp, but did not pull away. He smiled reassuringly, raising the cloth and wiping more blood from her cheek. He dipped the cloth in the water once more, but this time he handed it to her.
“Your choice of clothes leaves little to the imagination,” Kell scowled as he struggled to keep his eyes off the exposed flesh at her chest and waist. She frowned in bewilderment glancing down.
“My pyjamas?” Emmalyn questioned in obvious confusion. “People wear a lot less than this during the day.”
Kell raised a brow in surprise, but said no more. She was home now and would not be baring that much flesh anymore. Still undecided about what to do with her, Kell certainly did not need his men distracted any further. He would see the clothes destroyed once she changed.
“You have blood on your chest and I do not think you would appreciate me cleaning it off for you,” Kell smirked.
“Definitely not,” Emmalyn agreed as a blush tinged across her cheeks in a pretty pink hue. She swivelled around on the rock before wiping the area. Kell figured he had the patience of a saint as he pushed down the desire to catch her and turn her back.
The cleaning complete, Emmalyn angled back around and passed him the cloth. Again, he dipped it in the water, this time looking intently at the injury. Blood had stained through the makeshift bandage already and the swelling was disconcerting. He knew what came next would be painful, but it had to be done.
“I need to wash around the injury,” Kell explained patiently. “I promise not to get too close. I will leave the wound itself to the healer.”
She nodded as he carefully reached out to take hold of her lower arm. Upon lifting it, she cried out in pain. It disturbed him that such a small move hurt so much. The injury must be worse than he anticipated.
As tenderly as he could, Kell dabbed at the dried blood while keeping the cloth as wet as possible. He knew the water itself would clean the wound, eliminating the need to rub at it. It took a while, but eventually her arm was as clean as he could get it without causing more pain.
He looked up, affected by the tears that glistened in her eyes. He watched as one fell and slid down her cheek. Unable to witness her anguish any more, he brushed away the tear with a rather large thumb and pulled her into his arms. He ignored the stiffness in her frame and inhaled the sweet berry scent.
“You are a very brave girl,” Kell soothed. “I do not know many that would pick up a knife and engage one warrior, let alone several. You risked your life to help Mathias, and did not even think twice about it. Although foolhardy and reckless, it showed a rare courage.”
Emmalyn pulled back and looked up at him. “I’m not going back home, am I?” she whispered with obvious sadness.
“You are home,” Kell replied with a force that surprised even him. “You need to adapt and move forward. There is no use in thinking about the past. That part of your life is over, and from what I have witnessed so far, you will do just fine here.”
She nodded, but Kell wasn’t sure she fully agreed. Emmalyn was a determined little thing, a strong quality that would serve her well here in Terrasen. Reaching down, he picked up the bundle and untied the string holding it together. The cloth fell apart and revealed a simple blue dress and flats. Since they were travelling, the dress was not overly embellished. It fit the circumstances for now and he vowed to outfit her with a proper wardrobe later on.
“Can you strip and get into this without assistance?” Kell questioned. “I can help with the flats afterwards.
He watched as Emmalyn picked up the dress and studied it. It had short, capped sleeves, a full skirt and an empire waist. She reluctantly gave a small nod and set it on her lap.
“When I was younger, I fell out of a tree and broke my wrist,” Emmalyn admitted. Kell’s teeth clench in fury. She did not notice the reaction and continued. “Mathias did what he could to help, but I had to dress myself. I was awkward and slow, but I managed. This one doesn’t have any buttons or a zipper, so I’ll be fine.”
Kell rose and turned his back. “With the attempt on your life you must understand I cannot leave you. But I promise to give you the privacy you deserve.”
“Right,” Emmalyn huffed in annoyance, and Kell had to bite back a snort. He much preferred the attitude to the tears.
He stood completely still after that and listened as she slowly shed the dreadful clothes she wore and donned the new ones. Not hearing anything else, and waiting an extra minute, he eventually turned and cast his eyes upon her. She was breathtaking. The dress fit her like a glove and the soft material hung from her slim frame like it had been custom made. The blue colour suited Emmalyn, and even though she was alarmingly pale, he could not help but admire her. It wasn’t until she started to sway that Kell broke his gaze and rushed to catch her just as she was about to collapse.
“That wound needs to be addressed. We need to head back to the others and see if the healer has arrived yet. If not, Torin will have to see if there is anything he can do. He is handy with wounds and has a gentle touch,” Kell growled. He was concerned for Emmalyn, and as much as he did not wish to have such feelings, he could not seem to help himself.
Kell helped her sit back down on the rock, hastily placed the tiny flats on her feet and swept her up once more. With quick strides he powered through the trees and made it back to camp in mere minutes. Knowing the best place for Emmalyn was at Mathias’ side, Kell deposited her there. Immediately, Mathias pulled her close. Kell was immensely pleased the princess had developed such a strong bond with Mathias. Most guardians would have taken the job of protecting her seriously, but would not have shown that level of affection. The King and Queen did well in choosing Mathias to accompany her.
Fifteen long minutes later, after checking on the horses and making sure his men had set up camp to his satisfaction, Kell heard the unmistakable sound of horse hooves. Moving to the break in the forest, Kell waited for the healer to arrive. A short minute later two horses broke through the trees.
“The wagon is not far behind,” his warrior advised. “I did not think it wise to wait for it.”
Kell nodded. “You chose well,” he complimented, as the warrior jumped down and tethered his horse to a tree. Kell watched as the warrior proceeded to the healer’s side and helped her dismount. Once she had steady feet, the warrior turned and removed the large pack that was tied to the back of her horse.
“I questioned many of the villagers,” the warrior stated as he worked. “This healer is well respected and skilled at her craft. Her name is Beatrice.”
Kell nodded before he turned to address her. “If you will follow me Beatrice, I will take you to the two individuals who need your help.”
Beatrice nodded and stepped in behind him and Kell finally breathed a sigh of relief.