Providence Ch. 15

Part 15

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Koen sighed heavily in the dim light of the setting suns, wondering just what he had been thinking. He watched her walk away and asked himself not for the first time, did he really think it would be easy, swooning the ever-elusive Elizabeth?

His head hung heavily and he kicked at the sand, dejected yet again but still finding some determination within him, the pool of hope not yet dry even after days of depletion and rejection and embarrassment.

His first attempt had been completely heart felt and hopeful, and Liz had left him slack-jawed standing in front of a group when she didn’t even answer him. He wasn’t even sure if she heard his request to go for a walk. She simply acted like he wasn’t there, and then walked away while he was in mid sentence.

His second attempt had turned out no better. When he mentioned joining her sword class her eyes had lit with a fire of rage, and her only reply had been, “Burn in hell.”Big words, he had thought with a secret smile,from such a tiny woman.

Even so, he would not stop. The third time, he had inadvertently found her source of anger. He hadn’t been sure why she was so angry with him. He had barely talked with her and yet she showed hostility and resentment towards him.

He had asked an innocent question one afternoon, genuinely curious, inquiring about her childhood and family. She had turned livid. Her eyes had been wild and her voice low but tight as she responded, “Believe me,Your Highness, you needn't worry about such lowly subjects as my family. Us peasants can care for ourselves. Why don’t you go ask Ben over there to refill your drink? I’m sure it needs refreshing after your hard day of lounging on your throne.” She had stormed off, leaving Koen silent and William furious, who had witnessed the heated exchange.

It had been four days since that encounter, giving Koen plenty of time to contemplate her meaning and convincing William to not say anything to Aron about Elizabeth.

“Koen, how can you ask me to not say anything?! It was completely inappropriate! You ask her a simple question and she blows up in your face. Who is she to-?”

“Will, don’t. I don’t want to cause any problems. Jesus, we just got here and I’m already making enemies.” When he saw Will relent slightly, he continued, “We need Aron. And Aron is very close with Elizabeth. We need to keep as many allies right now as we can.”

And with that explanation, Will had been convinced. Yes, Koen had played on his friend’s natural tendency of protector and warrior, but it had worked. Will was at bay, and Koen was left with the impossible task of convincing the one person who was in every way inconvincible.

He was completely surprised that she assumed he was using his status as a romantic influence. He had never thought for a moment that he was somehow entitled to her or any other because of his title. Whether he was a King or a Prince or a defunct adolescent, he didn’t want special treatment. But he also didn’t want anyone to think they didn’t have a choice when it came to what he wanted. Growing up, he had felt suffocated by his parents’ constant hovering and discipline and demands. The only thing Koen wanted was Elizabeth. He needed her, more than he needed air to breathe. And the stress of her refusal was choking, to say the least.

The only respite he ever found from her steadfast refusal was the distraction that Aron showed him. The past couple of days had been blatantly hectic: introductions, announcements, meetings, training; it seemed to never end.

All of the members of the Aevarian group had thrived in the new environment. Mabyn had found new friends and a sparkle in her eye. Dominic and William were organizing the small army that Aron had formed. Bo and Devlin helped train new and existing recruits every night. Alec offered his intelligence training, attempting to contact Aevarian allies. Rylie had successfully organized the treatment center that had been started. Even Isabel blossomed whom he had been convinced would rather eat mud than wash laundry or prepare meals. But he knew without her telling him, she enjoyed the regularity, the security of routine and habit. It wasn’t necessarily the work she took pleasure in; it was the distraction she enjoyed.

And Koen had established himself as the ‘King’ of Aevar, even despite his protests to formally take the position. Aron had introduced him to the hungry audience in the dining hall that first morning on Cantu and after a brief pause, the awed crowd had cheered and applauded louder than any audience Koen had ever stood before. It was hard for him to believe that anyone would actually want him to be King, considering his past sentiments on the position.

The people of Cantu sent him gifts daily, bowed as he passed them, waited on him hand and foot. It didn’t matter how many times he thanked them for their kindness or requested a moment alone or relinquished them of their duty. Even if he wasn’t a King in his eyes, to them he was. He wastheir King.

But his heart wasn’t in it. It just didn’t feel right, not yet anyway. He didn’t want to be King until he could rule his planet on his planet, until he took it back and had Cyrus’s head. And if he allowed himself to be completely honest, he didn’t want to rule alone either.

Liz disappeared into the cave entrance, and Koen was left contemplating his next move. This time she had not only refused his proposal of a private dinner outright, she had insisted quite vulgarly to ‘leave her the hell alone and mind his own fucking business.’

Hmmm, Koen thought. It was obviously going to take some deep persuasion. It didn’t matter how many times she said no, or how gracelessly she said it, he wasn’t giving up. Not on her … never would he give up on Liz.

But his persistence didn’t lessen his hurt each time she did say no. Each day he would build his courage, psyching himself up with mental pep talks, convincing himself that they belonged together and it was only a matter of time until she realized it. That this time she would accept an invitation to gaze at the stars or spend the day watching after the children or sit with him in the dining hall for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner … or dessert. He would feel the brief spark of hope deep inside him and his chest would constrict with its intensity. It was the same feeling he felt when he and Liz first met the week before. In those moments, the task of persuasion didn’t seem so daunting. She had convinced him with just a look, and now it was his turn to convince her.

But how he was going to convince her was something he just couldn’t figure out. He rubbed his hand over his tired face. Convincing Elizabeth was the most exhausting mission he had ever attempted. Hopefully he wouldn’t loose too much sleep tonight contemplating his next move. If and when he finally cracked her steely resolve, he wanted all of his strength to bask in the glow of success.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A new day brought yet another routine of chores, duties, and missions.

Despite her initial hesitance at domestic work, Isabel had gotten quite good at her kitchen duties. She had asked Aron to put her to work, and the only position available besides indolent monarch was cook. She couldn’t sit idly for another day; it only allowed her mind to wander. Isabel needed a distraction and no matter what it was, even scrubbing pans and sweeping floors, she did it wholeheartedly.

She had excelled quickly. So quickly that she was getting bored while she worked. So bored that her mind would wander and she would think of things that she preferred not to think about.

So instead, she decided to accompany Rylie to the treatment center, learning how to clean wounds, set a broken bone, and give CPR. Needless to say, it had been a tad daunting at first. Rylie was confident and sure, and Isabel’s had shook with her nervousness.

“Now, you want to make sure that you close the nostrils and breathe quickly into their mouth, sealing your lips to theirs.”

Isabel faltered at the statement and gave Rylie an incredulous look. Seal your lips? What the fu-?

“Don’t worry, Isabel. You’ll be fine.” Rylie could tell that the young woman wanted to learn. But she could also tell that she wasn’t comfortable yet. Not by a long shot. Isabel just needed to relax and take a baby step into the world of medicine and health care. The best medical doctors on Aevar had trained Rylie. Isabel had just learned how to take someone’s temperature.Patience, she told herself not for the first time.Patience.

Isabel shook her head. “No. No, I … I don’t think so. I am so not cut out for this.” She took a look around her. Scalpels, syringes, white hospital cots, and several recuperating victims gazing intently at the beautiful Princess. This was not good. “No, I think I’m just going to go back to the kitchen where I won’t make a complete fool out of myself and possibly kill someone.”

A worried look passed between two young men lying next to each other on their cots. She wasn’t going to treat them, was she?

She turned to leave as quickly as possible, when Rylie’s voice stopped her.

“Isabel, wait!”

Isabel slowed at the entrance, wanting so much to stay but needing to leave just the same. She thought she could do it. She thought that she could help someone besides cooking potatoes or washing their sheets. She wanted to know how toreally help someone. She wanted to know that, if she ever had to, she could save someone … like she wished she could have at the Festival.

But this … this was so much more than she thought it would be. So much harder than anything she was ready for.

“Isabel, look. I know it’s a lot. But, we’ll take it slow. You’ve already learned a lot today. Tomorrow you can come back, and we’ll try something new. I’ll teach you how to take a blood pressure. But we’ll take it one step at a time. Okay?”

She saw Isabel consider her proposal. She knew Isabel wanted to learn. She was just scared.And rightfully so, Rylie thought. Who wouldn’t be intimidated after witnessing her parents’ death?

Isabel turned to Rylie, both hesitant and hopeful at the same time. She looked into Rylie’s blue-gray eyes uncertainly. “Do you really think I can do it? I just … I don’t want to embarrass myself. I don’t want to waste your time. I don’t want to screw up or …”hurt someone, she finished silently. She shuttered at the thought.

“You’ll be fine. I promise, we won’t do any invasive surgery techniques until you’ve mastered nosebleeds.”

The attempt at a joke brought a brief smile to Isabel’s face, and she nodded her assent. “Tomorrow?” she asked.

“Tomorrow.” Rylie watched her exit the large room, and let out a deep breath.Patience.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cora carelessly dropped her gun on the table and wiped her sweaty brow with the back of her hand. Damn it was hot out there. Both suns had risen by the time she and Payton returned from guard duty. After returning, her partner had left to bathe and get a few hours sleep. Cora had gone to the large public commons area, intent on winding down before returning to her room. She wasn’t much for solitude.

She reached for her bag to retrieve her notebook, when a shadow loomed overhead.

She sighed without looking up and asked, “What do you want?”

A low chuckle was heard, “What? No hello?”

“William, I really don’t have time or patience for your rudimentary attempt at conversation. Tell me what you want, or leave.” She opened her notebook, and went about searching for a pencil in her tattered bag.

Will watched from his standing position as she ignored him.Thank God, he thought. He internally sighed, thankful that she still hadn’t caught on yet. He wasn’t trying to annoy her with his daily intrusions, constantly making his presence known, though it was a side benefit. And if she didn’t know, he sure as hell wasn’t going to offer the information. That would be way too embarrassing.

He pulled an apple from his pocket and took a bite, roughly sitting next to her on the small table. Will drew a pen from his coat, waving it in front of her face.

She looked up at his sudden presence next to her fully intent on telling him to fuck off, when she saw the pen. Cora gave him an obstinate look, and took the pen, allowing him to reside in his seat until he pissed her off again. It was only a matter of time.

Without a thank you, she began making notes, writing any activity she or Payton had seen on their duty. Will gazed over her shoulder at the notebook and chewed on the fruit loudly.

She looked at him quickly, and he averted his gaze, taking another bite of the apple.

When she returned her focus to her notes, Will began to read over her shoulder again, with a small smile on his face. He was pissing her off pretty easily. Not that it ever took any great effort.

“What?!” she asked, already annoyed and finally fed up with his childish games.Didn’t take long, he thought.Not like it ever did. “What? What do you want?”

“Wha’s dat?” he asked, as he chewed on his apple. The words were muffled by his full mouth.

“A notebook.”

“Oh,” he responded absentmindedly, returning to his attention to his snack. He heard her sigh loudly, clearly annoyed.

Just when she was sure he had lost interest, “Whatcha writin’?”

She looked up and saw her gun just within arm’s reach. It was very tempting, but she summoned her control to not kill the bastard. Just because he was annoying as hell didn’t mean he deserved to die.Yet.

“Notes. I’m writing notes.”

He nodded.

“Why?”

His chewing seemed to echo in her ears. Was he chewing that loud on purpose? “Every mission or rotation I make notes of what I saw.”

“Why?”

“Its procedure.” He stared at her and she knew he would only keep up the continued line of questioning. So she offered an explanation. “It gives me an idea of what to expect. A study guide of their habits, their movements. I don’t want to be surprised.”

He nodded, genuinely impressed and she caught his surprise. He hadn’t expected her to go the extra mile, which only angered her more. If there was anything she gave more than 100% at it was her job. Being a soldier was the only way she could think of to avenge her father’s death. Cora wanted to know everything she could when the time came to kill the bastard that murdered her father.

“Why?”

She was pulled out of her reverie at his question. “Why what?”

“Why are you so eager to kill someone?”

Her eyes grew large. Had he been reading her mind? There was an oddly comfortable silence, both of them reading the other. All pretense fell away at his observation. For once, they weren’t judging each other and the usual hostility evaporated. She asked herself if there was more to Will than met the eye. He asked himself how much longer he could lie to himself. He was in deeper than he wanted to admit.

He was a prisoner. A hostage.Ever since that ‘incident’ in the desert, he told himself. Ever since then, Cora had gotten underneath his skin, irritating the hell out of him. He felt the urge to protect her that rivaled, and even overwhelmed his need to protect Koen and Isabel. For some reason he felt the irrepressible need to keep her safe, which was nearly impossible considering she went on scouting missions every other day and took guard duty as often as possible.

Will had kept an eye on her and a mental note of her schedule. When she returned from a mission he would check in, making his presence known and reassuring himself that she was all right. He had prayed that she wouldn’t find out and call him on it. He wasn’t sure what he would do if she ever did. He was sure his incredibly large, masculine ego couldn’t live through that embarrassment.

“I’m not,” Cora answered softly.

“No?”

She shook her head softly never loosing eye contact with him. Unconsciously, their faces drew closer together, their voices dropping to a low hum.

“No. I just want revenge.”

He studied her for a moment. “For your father,” he offered, already knowing her answer.

She nodded and dropped her gaze to her hands.

Will wasn’t sure where he was going with this, or if he was going anywhere. When he was around Cora, nothing was certain. And for once, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“What will you do after that?”

She shrugged, and played with her sleeve. “I don’t know.”

“Will you stay on Cantu?”

She thought for a moment before she answered. “I’ll stay with Aron … until the war’s over. After that, I’m not sure. You?”

He grinned. “Same.”

She laughed quietly and blushed when she noticed he seemingly couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“How about that. We actually agree on something.”

“Yeah.”

She met his eyes again, and fell into them. For once he wasn’t arrogant or annoying or argumentative. He was just Will. The façade he usually wore crumbled. His dark brown eyes searched hers; her green eyes searched his. For once, she liked what she saw.

Something red came into view, and he successfully broke the mood as he took a large bite of his apple.

He grinned with a full mouth of apple. “Good to know.”

He stood from the bench and left a bewildered Cora in his wake. Will didn’t look back too afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. He ran an unsteady hand through his sandy brown hair. That had been close. More than five minutes in Cora’s presence was too much. He couldn’t let himself get that far gone again. It wasn’t safe.

He turned a corner and ran into a hard body. “Whoa.”

“Sorry,” the voice said. “Will.”

Will looked up to see his good friend. “Koen. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” he absently said as he searched the faces of the crowd in the commons. When he didn’t see Liz anywhere, he asked, “Have you seen Nic? I was supposed to meet with him five minutes ago.”

“Uh, yeah. I saw him over on the west side,” he said and pointed in the direction for good measure.

“Thanks.”

Koen stealthily walked through the crowd, ignoring the intense gazes he received. He searched but he couldn’t find Dominic anywhere. He had looked at his room, had checked with Isabel, and now, he wasn't in the commons either. Nothing was going right today, and his shoulders sagged for not the first time that day.

The commons was loud with activity, but over the noise he heard a sniffle. It caught his attention, and he waited to hear it again. He turned to his right following the noise, and found Mabyn sitting against a far wall alone.

Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her head was bowed low. Her hair hid most of her face and the low light in the corner obscured her form a bit. But there was no mistaking it was Mabyn. As he neared her he saw tear tracks on her cheeks.

“Mabyn?” Koen stooped to kneel in front of her.

She looked up, startled than anyone had noticed her. She didn’t want to be noticed. She wanted to disappear.

When she didn’t respond, he continued, “Mabyn, what’s wrong?”

She looked down, not answering his question and tugged at her necklace that Isabel had made for her. The white shells and stones contrasted nicely to her dark skin. She felt more than saw Koen sit next to her on her left. Why was he here? Why wouldn’t he just leave?

Mabyn seemed so alone, and somehow hurt. Koen wasn’t sure how to comfort her. She obviously didn’t want him here … she wanted to be alone. Nic and Liz and everything else faded away as he focused on Mabyn and what she needed. He was trying desperately to keep that promise he made to himself so many nights ago. No matter what he had on his plate, Koen would always make time for the little girl that effortlessly stole the hearts of the Aevarians.

He tentatively put his arm around her shoulder, and then let it drift down to rub her back. She liked back rubs, he knew. Isabel had told him it always seemed to calm her. It worked now as he watched her shoulders relax and her breathing even. She closed her eyes and welcomed the comfort.