The Prince And The Pagan

Chapter 3: An Old Hatred

-Raven-

“Come, this way.”

“Not so fast!” I said.

Micha just smiled at me over his shoulder, as he led me further away from the village.

“The elders will see us! You know they are very specific about not going too far away!” I said.

“Are you afraid?” he teased me. “Did you not sneak away on the last hunt because you were convinced you could catch dinner on your own?”

“I did catch dinner on my own,” I said proudly.

“You also spent that dinner being scolded and forced to stay home on the next three hunts,” he said.

I just rolled my eyes and did not comment. I had taken down a 370-pound deer all on my own! They might think they needed to teach me a lesson, but I was the best hunter in our entire village. I was better than the older hunters! I was better than any of the men! Not that they would ever admit it.

“I still caught our dinner,” I said.

Micha just shook his head and laughed.

“Yeah, and with that attitude, how do you expect to find yourself a husband?” he asked.

“I thought you would marry me,” I gave back.

He just smiled at me before stopping and turning us around. He pressed me up against a tree before smiling sweetly at me and pushing some of my red hair behind my ear. His sweet brown eyes locked with mine, before he leaned closer and pressed his lips against mine. They were so warm and soft against mine, and I slowly started to move my own against his.

“So, that is why you wanted me out here,” I said in between the kisses.

“As if you didn’t already know, Raven Lockhart,” Micha said. “I cannot keep my hands off you.”

I just smiled as he pressed his lips against mine again. He slowly started to kiss his way down my neck, and my body slowly started to heat up from it, yet as his hands started to move down to my ass and squeezed it, I felt this was going a little too far.

“Micha, the fishermen’s posts are just over there,” I said and gestured to the big stream just behind us with a head nod even though he couldn’t see it.

“They won’t see us,” he said against my neck. “The trees cover us.”

“What trees? There are barely any?”

“Don’t be so scared,” he said. “I heard there was a meeting happening. They will be there.”

I pushed Micha back, looking at him confused.

“A meeting?”

“You didn’t hear?” he asked.

I shook my head before I pressed my teeth hard together. Of course, he would keep this from me!

“I cannot believe my father kept this a secret,” I sneered.

“So what? You have me all to yourself,” he said.

“This could be about the other villages,” I said. “Maybe they have been attacked or need help, or maybe the king has decided to hunt us again, like the old one did.”

“King William does not care about us.”

“The late king did.”

“King William is not the late king.”

“I don’t think we should take our chances,” I said.

“Raven,” he sighed. “Let us forget about the meetings, okay?”

“Why should I? My father is council leader, and I am supposed to be his successor. How am I to lead this village if he keeps me in the dark?”

Micha sighed again, shaking his head a little.

“Your father clearly trusts you,” I said, annoyed.

Micha’s father was on the council as well, and he had clearly told his son what was going on, yet there was a big difference between us. While I wanted to be a part of the council after my father died, Micha didn’t. He couldn’t care less about the council.

“Let us forget our stupid fathers!” he said. “I didn’t come out here to talk about them.”

“But-“

He leaned down, pressing his lips against mine again to shut me up, and while I leaned into it at first, I didn’t like it when his hands started to roam.

“Micha, I am not doing this out in the open,” I told him.

But for some reason he didn’t listen to me. What had gotten into him? He was never like this.

“Micha!”

But he still didn’t listen, and his lips just moved further down, and when he was about to open my coat, I grabbed the knife I had in a holster on my hip and moved back before pressing the blade against his throat.

“I said no,” I said darkly.

He just sighed, annoyed and almost looked bored.

“Really? A knife?”

“Are you deaf?” I asked.

“Where is the fun Raven?” he asked. “When did you get all boring?”

“Screw you! I don’t even know what is going on with you. Does it have anything to do with the meeting? Do you know what is going on?” I asked.

He just looked at me for a little while before he just took another step back. I let my hand stay in the air as I watched him, but he just shook his head and then started to walk away.

“Micha!” I called.

He didn’t listen and I just stood there confused with the knife in the air. What had just happened? It made no sense to me. I sighed and lowered my arm, putting the knife away, as I leaned back against the tree. I couldn’t believe I had been kept in the dark like this. I might not be his biological daughter, but he said that never mattered. Now I feared it did …

“Dammit,” I sneered lowly.

I picked up a stone on the ground and threw it away. It hit a tree nearby, and I walked over to pick it up, yet as I bent down and was about to pick up the stone, I saw something between the trees. Something … blue? Yes, it looked like blue fabric. I slowly got up from the ground and started to walk towards the stream where all the fishing rods stood securely planted in the ground and all the fishing traps were placed in the water.

I continued to walk closer and closer, seeing the blue become bigger and bigger, until I saw it … it was a cape. It had gotten stuck to a stone not far from shore, and I slowly walked into the cold water. Winter was coming, so it was like ice, yet I was fascinated by the blue color. I picked it up and took a step back, going almost back onto shore, as I held up the fabric.

It was then I saw it. The big roaring lion made out of silver thread on its back. I gasped at the sight before lowering it and looking around. This cape didn’t come out of nowhere … My eyes scanned the quiet forest, as I listened for any sounds that might indicate there were spies lurking and our village had been found, but then I noticed something reflecting the sun’s rays, and I walked along the stony shore, reaching into the water and picking up a …

That was a sword! And it had a roaring lion at the end of the handle as well. It was really perfectly balanced, I noticed. It had to be a very skilled blacksmith that made this one. I moved it a little around in the air, when suddenly I noticed something odd about the water. It was red.

I followed the trace of red all the way over to a … I gasped as I finally saw what was locked between some of the bigger rocks. It was a man! I quickly ran through the water and over to him. His arm was lying on one of the rocks, while his face was turned halfway into the water. I threw the cape and sword onto land, as I grabbed his arm and tried my best to turn him around. Sh!t, he was heavy!

I kept trying and trying until I was finally able to bring his head above water. Then I swung his arm around my shoulder and carried him back to land. As soon as we were no longer in water, I let us both fall to the ground. I was breathing a little heavily. He had not been easy to move, and I could barely bring him here.

I turned to look at him, his face was turned away from me, and I moved a little closer. He had a big wound in his stomach, I could conclude, but if he had any other injuries, I couldn’t see them. I placed my hands on his face and turned it … I gasped and moved back. That was the prince! I couldn’t believe this! I moved closer again, leaning my ear down to his mouth. I had to hold my own breath, as I listened for his … there it was … so slow … so very slow.

I leaned back on my heels, and then looked towards the village. I couldn’t hear anyone. That meant … we were alone. I felt that old hatred flaring up, as I slowly reached for my knife again. The young prince was just lying there, ready for the taking and there was no one to stop me, I thought, as I raised my knife above him.

I had waited years … years! I could do this … I could do this! I raised the knife higher and …