Yes, Teacher

‘Kael’s Point Of View’

I had been patrolling the camp as a way to clear my head, but it wasn’t helping.

Evadne.

That was who clouded my thoughts.

The camp was a small secluded field, a mile away from the kingdom gates, making operations more effective.

It had rows of tents, a stable for horses, carriage house, and at the far end, a wooden structure set apart for me.

I hadn’t gone to monitor the gates in a while, but there was no report of an attack since that night.

I just hoped she was okay and yesterday didn’t cause any trouble for her.

Maybe I should go see her.

Or maybe not.

I’ll be out of her hair. At least for now, I had troubled her enough.

I had some things to attend to at the palace, so I mounted my horse, a white mare belonging to my late mother, and started my journey.

But somehow I ended up at the clinic.

I knocked on the closed door.

No answer.

I tried the handle.

Locked.

I was a little worried, I’m sure she’s usually always here but she wasn’t today.

Where could she be?

I didn’t know this woman’s day to day life or actual schedule so should I really be asking that? 

I stood there in thought for a while, got on my horse then left.

Somehow I ended up at a rather tall wooden house.

A villager had actually directed me here, it wasn’t too far off from the clinic.

I anxiously knocked on the closed door.

Again, no answer.

The curtains were closed and they looked very thick, which was odd because villagers usually used light ones. Almost like she was hiding something.

“Evadne!” I called out.

Immediately after, a loud thud filled the area, followed by a woman’s whine.

I recognized that voice.

“Evadne!” I called out again.

Silence.

Then another thud rang out. 

Something was wrong.

I rattled the handle but it was locked. I was left with no choice but to forcefully open it.

It only took one kick for the door to fling open. I halted before taking a step in. Should I really be doing this?

Too late for second thoughts.

I stopped upon seeing the sight that greeted me.

Old Ivory Sheets.

Draped from the ceiling. It had something caught between the ends.

A leg.

I looked down to the person stuck there, half of her body on the ground, the other half suspended in the air. 

Part of her slightly loose gown had also caught in the sheets, her auburn hair spread across the floor like the sun.

She glared at me, face pale, like she’d just seen a ghost.

I looked back at the sheets.

Then her.

Then the sheets again.

I had so many questions.

“Evadn—?”

“WHY ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?!”

She winced as she tried to move, knocking over a wooden stand. That must have been where one of the thuds came from.

The tip of her ears had turned pink. She slammed her palms onto her face.

“Please help me,” she muffled softly.

Was she… embarrassed?

I moved to free her leg which had begun turning blue. She twitched as my hand touched her skin, I carefully removed it then placed it down.

She remained on the ground, head bowed between her arms.

“Are you ok—“

“I’m fine.” She cut me off softly, still not getting up.

“I apologize. I knocked and there was no answer so when I heard noises, I thought there was some kind of danger.”

Her voice began to rise. “I fell because I suddenly heard my name and it threw me off balance. The only danger here was actually you!”

“Ouch.”

“Ouch?!” She finally raised her head and got on her knees, her ears had turned an alarming red. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little.

“You find this funny? And shouldn’t I be the one saying ouch?” She raised her bruised wrist.

That wiped the smile off my face.

“Let me help you,” I said, taking a step closer.

“It’s fine, don’t come any closer.”

I took another step, making her eyes widen.

She shuffled away a bit.

“I said it’s okay!”

I moved closer again, I enjoyed teasing her far too much.

“I’ll end you, Prince Kael.”

I laughed.

“I’d like to see you try, Evadne.”

A look flashed through her eyes. It wasn’t exactly anger, maybe the reality of the truth.

I moved again and this time she didn’t protest.

******

“Evadne’s Point Of View’

Crazy prince.

Stupid prince.

I had a lot of things I wanted to say, but I just couldn’t.

This wasn’t right and he knew it. What was the prince doing in a woman’s home? I blame myself, I was too caught up in what I was doing to even have heard him knock.

“Can you stand?” He offered me a hand but I just stared at it.

I gasped loudly when he suddenly picked me up by the waist, propping me on my feet like some doll.

I scoffed. This man must have gone mad.

I staggered as he let me go, making him grip my arm. My leg had gone numb and I knew it. That was the only reason why we were still having this conversation.

I snatched my arm from his grip and limped on one leg, then sat on my bed.

“Do you have any ointment around here?” he asked, looking around.

“What for?” I asked dryly.

“Your bruise.”

“This isn’t right.”

“I’m just helping a civilian that got herself injured.”

“BECAUSE OF YOU!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I sighed. “Over there.”

I pointed to one of the sealed containers I had knocked down.

He picked it up, opened it, then walked towards me.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“Don’t worry, I learnt from the best.”

“I didn’t know they taught princes that.”

He smiled. “I’m talking about you.”

He took some of the ointment and placed my hand between his palms, they were much larger than mine. Then gently he began massaging it in the same pattern I had used on Mira, the other day.

“After yesterday I was worried I had caused you trouble so I came to see if you were alright,” he said, not shifting his gaze from what he was doing.

“And you ended up here?”

“I had actually checked the clinic at first.”

“How did you find out I stayed here?”

He smirked. “I have my ways.”

My attention fell back to what he was doing.

“You’re a fast learner.” I said, trying to hide my smile.

He finished up and placed my hand down gently.

He was taken aback when I took his own hands, assessing them.

“Your knuckles…”

“It’s nothing.”

“The bruising hasn’t gone down, it’s meant to be almost clear by now. That’s not nothing. Be more careful.”

“Yes, teacher.”

I just rolled my eyes.

I took the ointment and began rubbing it on his hands. 

I couldn’t look at him because I could feel his gaze lingering on me.

I hurriedly did the second knuckle then put it down. “All done.”

“Thank you.”

He walked over to the things I had knocked over and began arranging them.

“No, no, no. I’ll do it when I can, you’ve helped me enough.”

But he didn’t listen, he just kept going knowing I couldn’t really do anything.

The place was cleared in an instant. Then his attention shifted to the dangling sheets.

“I can expla—“

“No.” He cut me off. “I invaded your privacy, so really you don’t owe me one.

I knew he was curious, I’d be too. But does a prince who lives in the royal palace really not know what’s going on?

“Really?”

“Yes, you can tell me when the time is right.”

“And when is that?”

He turned to look at me.

“You’ll see.”