The King And His Goddess Of War

Chapter 14: Don't Mess With Me

We rode far. Apparently Toothy had wings I didn't know about. They were feathered like Mighty's and black like his fur. His glowing yellow eyes grew brighter in the night that neared as we flew over the ocean. I decided to eat some strawberries that I brought with me for the trip back. Zuka wanted some, but giving them to him would be too easy, wouldn't it?

I shrugged and popped another strawberry in my mouth, grinning like an i***t when Zuka got mad. He sent over a metal plate and told him to fill it with food, but I refused and threw the metal plate like it was a frisbee with my strength, throwing it too far for him to control anymore. He groaned in frustration at me and I laughed at him.

Then I felt guilty so I threw him a sandwich.

I thought about the tattoos he had on his body forever because of me. Because I left the castle to avoid getting more hurt than I already was. Why was I so easy to get back from Africa? I was fine there fighting off monsters and helping my comrades in arms. Why didn't I think about it for a day more? Is it because I was influenced by Zuka? Whatever, it doesn't really matter now anyway. I lay down on the resting area that I set up like last time, my pillow and favorite blanket already set up for me. Zuka had something similar on Toothy, but it looked like he wouldn't touch it for a while. He was too busy staring forward, or at the stars. 

I pat Mighty's back once before curling up with my pillow and blanket and snoozed.

"Wake the hell up!"

I jolted upwards and found Zuka sitting next to me on Mighty, crossing his arms in frustration. "Did you really have to do that?" I ask, rubbing my eyes to adjust to the light. "You could have done something more subtle and be nicer."

"I thought you would rather not sleep in the castle stable," Zuka shrugged.

Instead of listening to him, my brain told me to sleep, so I closed my heavy eyes and fell asleep again, Zuka's arms circling around me to be the last thing I saw.

"Wake the hell up!" Seriously? Again?

I jolted up again, letting out a sigh of frustration, but then sprung out of the blankets when I found where I was. This wasn't my room. 

It was Zuka's room. 

I was in Zuka's bed.

I stood and found I was only wearing one of Zuka's shirts. He was next to the bathroom door, watching me with amusement. He was shirtless, showing off his abdomen and his biceps perfectly. The tattoo was in plain sight- a beautiful piece of art on his shoulder. He was leaning against the doorframe, smirking at me. "Kleine Rose, no need to be shocked. I promise nothing happened."

I glared. "Why didn't you just take me to my room?"

"Because that was too far away from the stables for me to carry you when I was dead tired and you were knocked out cold," he explained. "So, my shirt fits you fine and you just slept next to me." 

"Where are the rest of my clothes that I took?" I ask, crossing my arms.

He didn't answer. 

"Did you get them from Mighty?"

He didn't answer.

"And where are the clothes I came in?"

"The maids came by and took them to wash."

"So they know I was here?"

"Of course, and I'm sure they'll tell my parents or something."

"Zuka, you have to go get my clothes from Mighty," I demanded, pointing towards the door. "I will not walk around in my underwear and your shirt."

"But I rather like when you wear my clothes," he whined, pouting his lip. 

"In front of other soldiers?" I swayed. I gestured to my bare legs. The shirt only covered the top of my knee. "At any moment it could fly up, or.. maybe someone would try and touch me. Or maybe some soldiers would think perverted thoughts? Or your brother-"

Zuka's eyes darkened at the mention of his brother. He rushed to me and backed me to the wall like he used to, pinning me with his arms. His lips were centimeters away from mine and his eyes were staring into mine, making my heart pound against my ribcage. "No one but me will have you, Arianna. That's a promise. Especially not my brother," he growled. He backed away and I could finally breathe properly. "I'll go get you some pants." He pulled on a shirt and left.

He left before I could complain that I wanted one of my shirts. Honestly I liked his shirt. Way more comfy than the ones I own. It was an army green but the fabric was soft and thin. I could tie it and pull it off easily. Zuka came back quickly and threw some jeans shorts at me. I pulled them on and took the hair tie from my wrist and tied the shirt so it hung loosely around my waist instead of around my knees. 

"This'll be good enough for breakfast," I sigh, pulling on my combat boots and running my hands through my hair a few times before opening the door and walking out, Zuka trailing me. But he didn't stay that way. He came up and wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his side as we walked. Eventually when we got close to the soldier's quarters he switched to slinging his arm across my shoulders.

Right now, I was just hungry for something more than the hunters could hunt on the field.

We entered and there was Tyson, getting breakfast, but now staring at me, his eyes wide. His cast was removed to a brace and he didn't need the crutches anymore. He dropped the serving spoon back into the fruit bowl and ran to me, pushing Zuka out of the way and hugging me tightly, nearly suffocating me. Colby stood from across the room where the beanbags were and came, making this a group hug, everyone feeling the love. Zuka probably didn't like that Colby was hugging me.

How do I know? His menacing glare towards his brother, his outburst when I mentioned Colby, his resentment towards him and a lack of speech to each other recently. 

We broke away from each other and I got a plate of food this time, getting some muffins, fruit, my regular smoothie, and some oatmeal, dumping some sugar on top to make the oats sweeter. I plopped myself down into my beanbag, thankful to have it back. I ate like crazy, filling myself up until I let out a huge burp. No one could blame me, though. I was in Africa without any crops or designated food companies to do anything for us. Just us and the wild beasts that the Africans sent. 

Tyson laughed at me when I tossed my plastic plate down when it was completely empty. I leaned back, so full that I felt I might burst. But there was no time for that. A screech sounded through the soldier's quarters. I jumped in shock as two women stepped into the quarters, one complaining and completely red in the face and the other the Queen, steadily walking with grace and poise, beautiful as always. 

"Get out," she barked at the surrounding soldiers. "Zuka, Arianna, you two better stay."

Tyson and Colby left, but I was so sure that they were outside, ready to listen to the conversation the four of us were about to have. "Mother, what do you want now?"

The Queen sucked in a breath. "I came to say that Arianna will no longer be staying in the castle. She will be going home and will be contacted when she is needed for her Guardian duties." 

It struck me like a bullet. I just got back! "Mother, she is staying if you like it or not," Zuka said back. "Just leave her the f**k alone and everything will be fine."

"Nothing is fine, Prince Zuka," the other woman said, her eyes wild. "You are betrothed to me and yet, you are in love with another woman." She scanned me with narrowed eyes, judgement crossing her gaze. "What can she give you that I can't? I can give you more riches, a healthy heir, another kingdom, more land, whatever you need."

"Maybe she has something going on," I muttered, looking up at Zuka beside me. "Zuka, I'm sorry, but I can't give you STDs like she can. Apparently that makes her better than me."

Zuka laughed. Actually laughed. But the woman- who I assume is Princess Jasmine -looked even more red in the face. She looked like she was about to tackle me. "But what status does she have? A peasant?" She scanned my clothing. "A housemaid?"

"Oh let's take this outside and I'll show her how this peasant defends herself," I snap, glaring at her. "Unlike you, playing pretty pretty princess when you turn ten, some of us actually have to do some hard labor."

She snarled. "You have some nerve to talk to me like that, Kleine Rose."

"Nobody calls me that. Ever. Only Zuka."

"Ohh, feisty, are you?" she grinned. "Go ahead, punch me! My father will come after you and make sure you die, you peasant!"

"Oh please, who's his claimed? Lyra?" I laughed. 

She seemed to get even more angry. "It's not like you can do any better, Kleine Rose."

"I am Arianna Heather, claimed by Serria, Guardian of America," I said, cleaning my fists. Zuka looked alarmed at my action and placed a hand on my shoulder. I unclenched my fists. "Don't mess with me, bitch."