It was in that moment Nilo knew his life was over. Darius hadn’t just brought him any guard, but her. He would recognize those loose, golden curls anywhere. That, and she was the only woman he had ever seen on the royal guard. He resisted a groan. Out of anyone, you pick the only one who’s seen me look like a homeless peasant who hallucinates or something? He dragged his light blue eyes over to meet her dark ones, a fearful recognition evident in his gaze. His face though, was slack, completely composed. The prince had the air of regality about him, even though his mind was running wild. He took a deep breath, and held her gaze.

Darius introduced her, providing Nilo with the one thing he had really wanted to know, her name. It was unique, very different from others he had seen. But he liked it. He liked the way it felt on his tongue as he mouthed it silently. He had always seen names as some sort statement. And her name was well, just as different as she was. Not typical, or expected at all. The girl before him clearly was no stranger to defiance. If anything, she lived for it.

Eventually, after what felt like ages of rambling, Darius turned to him, formally presenting him his “personal guard”. Oh how he loved that stony, “kill me” expression Gennadius wore when she looked at him. If she could have spat her oath of loyalty at him, Nilo was sure she would’ve. Somehow, some way, that gave him confidence. Fear vanishing, he grinned over at her, his eyes alight with humor at their unfortunate situation. “Oh Gennadius, the pleasure is all mine. Really, I’m ecstatic you’ll be keeping me company!” Nilo told her, well rehearsed excitement dripping from his voice. His father cocked a brow at him, clearly shocked at his sudden change of attitude.

No, Nilo wasn’t happy about having a guard. But at least it was this spunky, feisty woman who was around his age and not some old stoic man. The fun he planned on having. The mischief he planned on getting into. This wasn’t just a game to him. It was full on horse race. And maybe, just maybe, she’d end up loosening up and having fun with him. Nilo glanced at her again. Yeah right, and I’ve seen a horse grow wings.

“Nilo, please show her to her room,” His father spoke, “It’s to the right of yours. It was prepped this morning, so it should be fit for her to reside in. After you do that, feel free to do as you please.” The king gestured to the throne rooms exit with one of his massive hands.

“Of course father!” Nilo agreed fakely, before leading him and his newfound companion out of the throne room, and towards the other end of the castle.

It took ever once of control for her not sneer at the prince's fake tone. It was sickening. Gennadius, however, returned the favor with a fake little smile. Let him just try something.... she dared him with her eyes.

When it came time to follow him, the clanking of the metal only heightened her irritation and sense of dread. In the daylight, he cut a handsome figure with his muscular body and carved face. But through the lenses of anger, he looked like a pompous, pampered, prince. How many woman had he truly taken advantage of? The guards had often joked about going to the taverns and getting a go with one of the 'prince's girls.' It had sickened her.

And a room? Maybe it should have excited her, considering she had just been longing for a warm bed. But this? This was different. Gennadius was to sleep in the room next to the prince, a room tainted by royalty and fine breakable items. All she wanted was a simple small bare room. The last thing she wanted to do was see where she would be forced to sleep from now on...

Her mood darkened with each step as she felt her freedom being torn away. No more gallops on Magistrate. No more sword fights to bet on. No more training the soldiers. No... no she was to follow one bored prince to whatever destination he wished to go. Her silence seemed to be a thick uncomfortable fog. It was ominous. But she would not turn her back on the prince... she had made an oath.

"Just go where you wish Highness. My room is of no importance," she finally spoke. Chances were, she'd have the whole morning the next day to get to know it. Something told her the prince was also a late sleeper.

For a few moments, they weaved through the castle in silence. Gennadius followed begrudgingly, with no words spoken to define her presence, only the irritable clanking of her armor. Nilo could feel her gaze burning into his back, eating up the white fabric of his shirt has she was no doubt tearing him apart in her mind. He rolled his eyes. To be honest, he wasn’t sure why she disliked him so much already. Yes, last night he had kept her out. Nilo had apologized for that. Somehow though, he felt as if her hatred had nothing to do with their moonlit escapade.

Nilo couldn’t help but wonder what she thought about that night. Well, he already knew she had hated every minute of it, but there were definitely other factors. Gennadius clearly had some very, very strong opinions. Did she think he was insane? Ill? Maybe just really weird? He didn’t know, and he definitely didn’t have the guts to ask her opinion.

It was Gennadius who broke the silence, much to his surprise. Nilo continued to walk a few more paces, as if to ignore her, then stopped and turned to face her. He narrowed his eyes as if dissecting her words. Truth be told, he was. The prince was trying to figure out if he was stepping into some trap. Every word that left his mouth seemed to irritate her.

With a sigh, he shrugged, his tense body loosening. “Well, I don’t really have anywhere to go. I used to be busy with stuff for my father, but since mom fell ill, he stopped giving me assignments.” Nilo explained, running a hand through his hair, “Is there anywhere you’d like to go? You seemed really close to that stallion, maybe we could go for a ride or something? Doesn’t matter to me.” The prince offered, eyeing her cautiously. Would she snap back at him? Or had he finally made the right move? Nilo was hoping that they could maybe turn this into a somewhat pleasant experience, or at least make the best of a situation. That was better than being at each other's throats all the time.

Gennadius stopped as the prince faced her, her own body tensing as he seemed to be searching for something. Her grip tightened around her helmet as she stood up straighter, awaiting whatever reprimand the prince had ready for her. Needless to say, she was surprised when he relaxed and offered to do what she wanted to do. But why? Was it some sort of test or play? A game? Her gaze went stony as did her face.

The female guard debated how to handle the situation. After a moment, she decided his tone had held no malice or trickery. Perhaps the man truly didn't know what to do. It was tragic in so many ways. How was it that a royal who had the world at his fingertips had less purpose in his life than a guard? "If that would please your highness, who am I to object?" was her civil reply, though her voice was not laced with as much bitterness.

Resuming their walk, her steps were quieter, though her armor still clanked obnoxiously. Had she had her way, she would have left the armor but Darius had insisted she wear it to make a good impression. "If it would not be inconvenient, I would request we stop at guardhouse for me to retrieve my riding boots." She would not ride Magistrate otherwise. The horse did not react well to loud noises and her iron boots made him skittish. Besides, she planned on leaving her armor there.

Had the prince ever actually been in the guardhouse? It was sort of like a mini barracks for those on duty. It was crowded, dark, and smelled of sweat. But that was where most of her stuff was, at least what little she owned. It was also where she kept her riding boots and a few books she had managed to buy and gamble for.

Her demeanor seemed to soften as her shoulders relaxed and her face gentled. A ride would be lovely and she knew the prince did not mind giving the horses rein. A smile flitted across her lips as she felt as though the wind was already whipping through her hair. It was freedom. The instant her mind went there, her eyes darkened. Sure, she would get her ride. But then what?

Gennadius knew exactly what. They would return for the prince to eat a lavish dinner while she was forced to stand against the wall. Then she would tail him wherever he wished to go again and when he finally decided to retire for the night, a meal would be brought to her. She knew how it worked... she had talked many nights with some of the retired royal guards.

“I did not ask you if it pleased me, but rather, does it please you?” Nilo inquired, this time following behind Gennadius as they moved to exit the castle. “I know that golden-topped head of yours has opinions. As long as we aren’t in the presence of my father, just be yourself, make this situation easier for both of us.” He pointed out, a smile dancing on his pink lips. She couldn’t see him, but he was sure she could hear the grin in his warm voice.

“And sure, I’d love to accompany you to guardhouse.” Nilo had noticed she had somewhat relaxed, and the air was no longer as tension thick as it had been. Not that he was planning to take advantage of the standoffish girl’s slight friendliness, but he definitely was not going to just sit there and shut up. As previously mentioned, Nilo hated silence.

Silence had ruled the castle after his brother had died. It wasn’t the nice kind of quiet either, it was loaded. It was laced with tension, it was like a dam with a crack at its base. There was no conversation. All guards except those absolutely necessary had been dismissed. The staff knew better than to wander, as the kings was easy enraged. Then Nilo’s mother had fallen ill. It was then the silence became unbearable, deafening. It was a monster that reared its ugly head in the castle of Lavarre. Even now, the castle was quiet, but the staff had since returned to their original manner, and guards had been brought back in. Nilo had never been more relieved. Infinite silence meant he was left to his own thoughts. Those were self-destructive. He didn’t like them.

His guards, even though he wasn’t a fan of always being watched, were a source of relief. Nilo would chat with them, and when they weren’t around, he often went into town, finding interactions among the people as he pretended to be one of them. Nilo was charming, he could socialize with a rock in a ditch and make it like him. Part of him wished his father would allow him to help conduct foreign affairs. Maybe he’d be so busy helping and meeting with the courts of other kingdoms, he wouldn’t have to seek socialization within peasant towns.

Her tension had increased with her loosening thoughts. Gennadius forced the feelings back down as they neared the guardhouse. Men were laughing throwing crude insults at one another, sharing drinks and making vets. It wasn't the best place but it was what she knew.

"Well, well, well, Gennadius wouldnt let us get our hands on her but seems she's open for the prince," one snorted, shoving the others. Her eyes narrowed as she began to pass by. Like a whip, her arm shot out, dropping her helmet and grabbing the man by the throat. Throwing her weight against him, she flattened him against the wall, her sword out and hovering in line with his bellybutton. "Say it again and this time I'll make you lose more than your pride," she hissed in his ear.

Releasing him, Gennadius stepped back and shoved her way into the guard house. The men drew back, knowing full well what the blaze in her eyes met. The woman cared little whether the prince was behind her or not. The man had stolen her freedom, taken her pride, and destroyed her reputation all in one fell swoop.

Making her way over to a spare cot, she flopped down and yanked off the metal boots, retrieving her leather ones from beneath. Throwing the rest of her armor off with a loud crash, she pulled the boots on and tied the laces. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail, she finally stood, a scowl painted across her features.

(This is way shorter than intended. My apologies)

Gennadius dark blue eyes only flashed slightly at the man. Had he been one of the guards, she would have made a bet she could beat him in a sword fight, destroyed his pride, and then left him to kick his wounds and never talk to her again. However, this was not the way of things for her. Weaving her way back out, she stayed close to him, mainly for his own safety. "We will ride as planned than go about the rest of the day. I am no longer a welcome member of the guard," she bit out, despite her attempt to tame her tone.

The looks of wariness turned to ones of loathing. Because of her, a measly woman, one of their friends had been kicked from his position. To them, Gennadius had turned her back to them and discarded her loyalty to the soldiers. That stung worse than anything else had the entire day. Everything she had worked for... gone. If the prince knew the half of it, he'd probably fire every one of his guards. That had been one of the lighter comments against him.

Magistrate was a welcome sight to her. The black stallion was throwing his head in the air and pawing restlessly at the ground. Advancing, she moved her hand from his rump, across his back, and up his neck. The horse let oit a soft snort, bumping against her. In response, she stroked his velvet muzzle, softly speaking.

After a few moments, she entered the stables to collect the necessary tack. For her steed, that was simply a saddle and harness. Magistrate had never taken a bit nor did she plan on forcing him to. "The white dappled seemed to work well with you last night. It would be my suggestion you take her again." Gennadius' gaze stopped on the beautiful mare. The horse was a strong and sleek build, clearly of good breeding. Casting a glance outside to Magistrate, she narrowed her eyes. Perhaps in another life or if things had been different, she would have given breeding them a go.

Horses were the one constant thing Gennadius had ever had in her life. And even now, that was slowly being taken away. Leaving the prince to tack up his horse, the guard placed the saddle and it's pad on her stallion's back, earning her an unhappy tips of the neck. "Oh deal with it you big baby," she muttered before unhooking his holding harness and sliding on the new one. Carefully, she attached the reins and then leaned up against his warm neck. The steed responded by lowering his neck and giving a soft whinny.

Gennadius did not miss the fact that the prince didn't use a saddle. With ease, she swung up onto the horse's back and brought him around to be beside the prince. Where to lead him? Her head suddenly whipped up at his smooth words of admiration. Had he dared just....

Relaxing, Gennad realized he had simply been talking to the horse. Her dark gaze looked over him as he talked softly to the horse, a lopsided and oddly enough, attractive grin. With a grumble, she led Magistrate away towards the woods. "Not far from here there is an open plain. We can give the horses' free rein there."

The air seemed somewhat stale to her, but than again, everything was tainted through a dark lense. The fluid motion of her horse was not soothing. She could feel the stallion's tension and she knew he could feel hers. His steps were skittish as he practically pranced with each step. He wanted to be free... He wanted to fly. "Easy Magistrate... easy now," she tried to soothe, though she sounded as wound up as the horse looked.

Seeing the open field, Gennadius dropped the reins and entwined her fingers with his mane. Magistrate did not hesitate in taking off into a gallop. The wind whipped past her face, causing her ponytail to swing wildly. Her dark eyes glowed with excitement, the feeling of power and freedom coursing through her.

Forgetting the prince was with her Gennadius let out a whoop, clutching the saddle tightly with her thighs. Releasing her grip from Magistrate's mane, she lifted her arms into the air. This is what she lived for, what she adored. Freedom, pure freedom. Casting her gaze around, it landed on the prince, riding up close. Her eyes narrowed and she tensed up. The man was a plague...