Chapter 99
The following week drew on slower than any other week I had ever witnessed, and I had no idea if it was because of the heat or the fact that nothing exciting happened to me, much to my relief and annoyance.
Sure, I had been keeping tabs on Ilas and Silon, but for the most part, both of them had been behaving and staying out of trouble, much to my surprise and relief.
Training with Shilan was still happening every night, and the bond between us kept growing stronger and stronger with each passing day.
Caspian could only make it to two of the other training sessions that he had at the pub, but I had this feeling that he was training in secret with Lexus as his teacher.
The days that he wasn't at the Pub seemed to drag on more than usual leaving me feeling grumpy and annoyed at everyone and everything, much to the amusement of the people around me.
And it didn't help that today was also a day that Caspian was not at the Pub, and my patience for everything was wearing thin, especially with Shilan.
"Would you stop?" I all but snapped at my dragon, and my dragon stopped doing what he was supposed to be doing and turned to look at me with wide eyes. I scowled and narrowed my eyes. "You aren't focusing."
"Are you ok?" Shilan asked and slowly blinked. "You just said that I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing when I am clearly doing what I need to do."
I huffed and rolled my eyes before I rubbed the bridge of my nose when a headache appeared out of nowhere. "You keep grumbling about everything that you have to do, and it is driving me insane."
Shilan sniffed and looked away from me. "Well, maybe you should not pay attention to what I am saying and focus on whatever it is that you need to do."
"I can't help but focus on what you are saying because everyone can hear what it is that you are saying."
"My comment still stands."
I groaned and rubbed the bridge of my nose, pursing my lips in annoyance. "Arden," I said, hoping that I could get some relief from him.
"Go ahead, and take a break," Arden said and cleared his throat to hide a chuckle. "Are you ok?"
"Peachy," I said sarcastically while I walked over to my water pouch so that I could get some water from it. "I am just so peachy."
"Is it because Prince Caspian isn't here?" Jonah asked from where he was sitting, watching everything. "Or is this because of something else?"
"It is just too hot," I said and wiped my arm across my forehead, leaving a trail of dirt in its path. "I need to get out."
I needed to go out into the woods and escape this heat for a little while...
Jonah and Arden hesitated and looked at each other before they looked at me. They didn't say a word while they did that, and I had a feeling that they were debating on whether or not they should appease my request and let me leave.
"She does need to find a place for Shilan to sleep," Jonah said and shrugged, biting back a small grimace. "He is getting too big for this area."
"That's not my fault," Shilan said and flicked his ears to the back of his head. "I am growing older with each passing second, and when you grow older, you grow larger." He looked at me when he said that before he looked at Jonah and Arden. "Or that is the case for me."
Arden sighed and nodded before he moved a hand through his hair and across his face. "Ok," he said. "You can leave tomorrow."
I breathed a small sigh of relief, grateful that I was going to be able to leave tomorrow and spend some time outside before I made my way back into the heat of the castle grounds. "Does it matter when?" I asked.
"Make sure that all of your chores are done before you leave," Jonah said. "Collect some more rabbits and then herbs for Maron. I will make sure that she has a list for you to pick up, so you are going to have to stop by here before you leave."
I nodded, biting back another small sigh of relief. "If Rupor comes here, can you let him know that I am sorry but that I had to step out for the evening?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Are you missing him?" Jonah asked and raised an eyebrow in question. Amusement flashed through his eyes, and I looked away from him and shrugged while my cheeks turned red, earning an amused chuckle from Jonah. "I take that as a yes."
"I do not know why I am missing him, but I am missing him." I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I thought I would be fine without him being here, but I am not."
"It's the bond between the two of you," Arden said, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in question while I looked at him. "It's starting to get stronger and will continue to grow stronger the more time you both know each other and are around each other."
"Is it going to affect us in a negative way?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "I mean, will I have to be around him all of the time because that is not possible in our current living situation?"
Jonah and Arden looked at each other without saying a word, and I had a feeling that they were talking with each other silently about my question.
I sighed and rolled my eyes, pursing my lips in annoyance. "Well?" I asked again. "Is it?"
"It could," Jonah said before he cleared his throat. "It wouldn't be as bad as it would be with the bond between your dragon and you, but it could still affect both of you."
"How?"
"By becoming irritable about everyone or everything," Arden said. "You will start to feel as if you have gone mad or are going mad without them near."
"Well, that sucks," I said and pursed my lips in annoyance before I rubbed the bridge of my nose when a headache appeared out of nowhere. "Is there a way that we can fix this so that it is not affecting me as much?"
"The only way to do that is for you to see each other every day, and unfortunately, that can not happen with you being a commoner and him being a prince," Arden said.
Oh, for the love of the Great...