Chapter 82
Caspian bit back a small gulp while he bowed his head.
"It's nice to meet you both as well, Arden and Jonah," he said.
He looked at me before he looked at them, and a look of nervousness and worry filled his eyes.
"I am called Caspian as you all are aware of it.
" He placed his hands behind his back and clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking, even though all of us could tell that he was nervous.
"Yes," Arden said with a small chuckle in his voice while he slowly nodded.
"We are aware of it, and we are aware that you have been given the title of both "Rupor" and "Your Highness" by Marini.
" He gestured toward me, and Caspian looked at me before he looked at Arden with a blank look on his face.
"Can I ask how?" he asked and cocked his head to the side while he studied the other male. "Or is that something that I am not able to know about?"
Arden smiled and shook his head. "You are able to be aware of it, Your Highness," he said and bit back a small chuckle.
"We are in a safe place, so you are able to ask whatever questions you want, especially since I am sure that you have some questions for the two of us, yes?
" He raised an eyebrow in question while he studied him, glancing at me from the corner of his eye before he looked fully at the young prince.
"Yes, Sir," Caspian said and nodded. He hesitated and licked his lips before he moved closer to me. "Do you think that it would be safe for me to take off my hood?" he asked, looking at me before he looked at the two of them.
"Yes," Arden said and nodded in confirmation, and a small smile appeared on his face.
"You may go ahead and take your hood off of your head, Your Highness.
" He looked at me, and worry flashed through his eyes because he was worried about the bond between me and my dragon.
"Marini, go ahead and come over here. Let's go ahead and take care of the bond between you and your dragon so that you can hear him again.
"Do you know what had caused you to lose it in the first place?
" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
I hesitated and glanced at Caspian, who had removed his hood from his head before I looked at Arden, making sure that my face was blank and my features schooled.
"I do not know if it will be safe for us to discuss due to certain company that is with us, N?ran," I said, switching to the Elvish tongue.
Arden looked at Caspian before he looked at me. "Oh?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, switching over to the same language as me, and I nodded in confirmation and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Why?" he asked.
I hesitated some more and licked my lips before I shifted my basket from one side to the other, trying but failing to keep my emotions off of my face. "It has to deal with his family," I said, hesitating ever so slightly, and Lexus shifted on his feet while he looked between the two of us.
Caspian frowned and looked at Lexus when he felt the other Elf shift uncomfortably away from him. "What?" he asked and furrowed his brows, biting back a small frown. "What is it? What's wrong, Lexus? Why did you shift on your feet like that?"
Lexus shook his head. "I will let you know later, Your Highness," he said and bowed his head, submitting ever so slightly, and Caspian rolled his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Please, forgive me."
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me "Your Highness" when we are in a safe spot?" he asked and looked between those that were gathered before he looked at him. "We are in a safe spot, right?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he stared at the other male.
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word and walked over to where I could put down my basket, waiting for the response that Lexus would give him as to why he had called the prince "Your Highness."
Lexus watched me put down my basket before he looked at Caspian. "Yes," he said and nodded in confirmation. "We are in a safe spot, but that is your title; is it not?" He raised an eyebrow in question.
Caspian bit back an annoyed sigh and pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn't say a word and looked at me, and I had a feeling that he was silently begging me not to start calling him by his title.
I bit back a small smirk and shook my head.
"That look isn't going to work on me, Your Highness," I said, earning a small groan of annoyance from Caspian.
I walked over to my dragon, Jonah, and Arden, who were watching us amused.
I turned to look at him, and I flashed him a small smirk and a wink before I turned to look toward the way I was going.
Arden looked at Caspian before he looked at me.
"I am sure that it will be fine," he said in the common tongue, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl, not liking the fact that he had spoken in the common tongue and not his.
"Please, tell us what had happened and why you do not have your bond with your dragon before we set it up again. "
"And what if it isn't safe?" I asked while I continued to talk in the Elvish tongue, much to their annoyance.
"What if he doesn't believe me or gets mad at the family member that had done this to me?
Is that a risk you are willing to take?" I raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him, and Arden only smiled sadly without saying a word.
"There is a reason as to why he is under the N?ran's protection and why I am with him, living as a human and not as an Elf, Marini," Lexus said in the same language as me while he bowed his head, and I turned to look at him with a blank look on my face.
He smiled and bowed his head lower. "I will make sure that he stays safe and out of harm's way, especially when he learns about this. "
"N?ran," Caspian said and furrowed his brows before I could say something else to Lexus, and we all looked at him without saying a word. "That means "king," right?" He looked at Arden when he asked that, silently waiting for his approval.
"Yes," Arden said and nodded in confirmation, biting back a small chuckle. "Silan is the "Elf" part of the saying Silan N?ran. I am pleased that you were able to say it correctly, Your Highness. Not a lot of people besides Elves say it correctly the first time they use that phrase."
I bit back a small snort and rolled my eyes, and Arden looked at me with a warm smile on his face as if he already knew what I was about to say.
"You make it sound like it is as difficult as Jonah's language," I said and gestured toward the male that I was talking about.
"It isn't, and I do not know why you are acting as if it is. "
Jonah bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded, silently agreeing with me that it wasn't as difficult as his tongue. He didn't say a word, and a look of pain and sadness flashed through his eyes, but he didn't say a word about what he was feeling or thinking.
I glanced at Jonah from the corner of my eye and frowned, worried about the man that I had called my protector before I looked at Arden, letting him see the nervousness and hesitation that I tried to hide.
"Are you sure that I should say this out loud, N?ran?
" I asked, switching to his tongue again.
"I am worried about him and how he is going to take it. "
The N?ran smiled and slowly nodded, silently telling me that it would be fine for Caspian to know.
"We will make sure that he stays safe," he promised and bowed his head.
"We will also make sure that whatever threat is out there does not know that he knows everything that may be hidden from him like we have done before. "
I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh before I slowly nodded, praying to the Great that whatever he said was true because I did not want Caspian to get hurt at all or for him to be mad at me.
"The king, Nicolas, did this," I said, ignoring the gasp of shock that Caspian did behind me.
"He is the reason as to why I look like a mess and look so unkempt.
He attacked me, but he didn't attack me alone. "
Arden and Jonah looked at each other before they looked at me with a grave look on their faces. "Who else helped?" Arden asked, searching my face for answers before I could say anything.
"An Elf," I said and placed my hands behind my back, trying but failing to keep them from shaking. "He had help from an Elf, and I do not know why."
And with that, I told them everything that had happened, not looking at Caspian but having my heart ache with pain and sadness because I was scared that Caspian would think I was lying to get back at him for whatever reason.
Oh for the love of the Great, please let him know that I am not lying, I thought, silently praying to the Great. Please, because I have no idea what I will do if he does think that after I finish my tale as to what had happened to me, and I do not like it at all...