22. Adira and Prince Damon
While Adira was observing the appearance of the place where the competition would take place, she just folded her arms and frowned.
Her eyes looked at the princes one by one. “Is this really what it means to be a prince? They have looked; almost all the princes I see have different appearances and body postures,” she said in her mind.
The clothes of the princes are different. Some are simple, some are fancy, and some are even ordinary, but the appearance of the fabric makes them look expensive.
She looked at Dylan and her eyes traveled from head to toe. He didn’t notice her because he was looking in another direction. “Wait!” she faced the prince because only her head was facing him. “I noticed something, Dylan.”
He turned around and frowned. “What?”
“Why does it look like our clothes have the same design but yours is a different color?”
He looked at what he was wearing and at her. “There is.”
Her forehead is slowly frowning. “Why?”
“What, why?”
“Why are we wearing the same type of clothes?” Her head is getting hotter again because of him. He fixed his clothes and didn’t care, and he didn’t even answer. “Do you intend to answer my question?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong? You’re the one who thought that I was wearing this kind of dress and then it’s like what we’re wearing is for a couple.”
The prince was stunned. “Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s how it is, especially if it’s in our country. It’s suspicious to wear something like this. ”
“You’re not in your country, so that’s okay.”
She just bit the inside of her cheek in annoyance because she didn’t notice earlier that they were wearing the same clothes but the color was different from his. Her attention was more focused on the clothes she was wearing earlier before they left the palace and didn’t notice that they have the same design clothes.
“Young lady!”
She frowned and turned around. “Prince Franco?”
Prince Franco smiled. “Yes, I am. We met again, even though the last time was yesterday.”
“Are you participating in the competition?”
“No.”
His eyes are full of wonder. “All princes are joined, aren’t they, and you are a prince. Why aren’t you joining?”
He sighed and faced where the tournament would happen. “Because I don’t know how to use a bow and arrow.”
She just stared at him and thought, “Why is Dylan so courageous that he still joins even though he was embarrassed before, why didn’t Prince Franco even try?”
Prince Franco turned to her. “Your clothes are different today. It suits you. ” And he smiled so beautifully.
She kept asking herself, “Why does it stop me when Prince Franco smiles like that, is he handsome, or does it just suit him?” Suddenly, someone fake coughed behind her, and she knew who it was.
Not long after the arrival of Prince Franco, another prince greeted Adira.
“Good morning, young lady!”
She frowned at the prince who greeted her today. “There’s nothing good in the morning if the one I saw, is you,” she whispered. But Prince Franco seemed to hear it, so he smiled a little, and she saw it.
“Why are you looking like that young lad? Aren’t you glad to see me again?” The prince who had just arrived was Prince Damon.
She fakes a smile. “If I said no, would you believe me?”
Prince Damon seemed surprised. “No.”
“Well, don’t ask me anymore because you know my answer to your question,” she said seriously.
Prince Damon’s earlier friendly greeting was replaced by a serious face. “I’m trying to make friends, young lady.”
She didn’t answer. But Prince Franco spoke. “Prince Damon, we met again. It’s been a few years.”
“It’s you, Prince Franco. I’ve forgotten your face because the last time I saw you was a long time ago.”
Prince Franco smiled a little. “I can’t blame you either because I don’t attend all the occasions of every palace either.”
Prince Damon just nodded and turned his gaze to Prince Dylan, who had been silent for a while.
“Good morning to you, Prince Dylan.”
“Good morning,” Prince Dylan simply replied.
Prince Damon walked up to Prince Dylan. Adira pulled back, so she was even closer to Prince Franco.
“Maybe you know something now,” said Prince Damon while staring into Prince Dylan’s eyes.
“He already knew something,” she replied on behalf of the prince.
Prince Damon frowned. “Young lady, I’m not talking to you. Why are you answering for Prince Dylan?”
“I just want to. Why?”
She saw him smirking, but it disappeared immediately. “Don’t you know that a person shouldn’t answer if they are not the person they are talking to? You did not have any respect, young lady, and I did not like that attitude of yours.”
“Why don’t you start with you first? After all, you also have that attitude,” she seriously said.
The two princes were silent. Prince Dylan seemed to want to wean Adira, but no words came out of his mouth, but Prince Franco was just calmly looking at Adira and Prince Damon.
Adira and Prince Damon face each other now.
“If Prince Dylan is giving you courage because he is a prince, you are making a mistake because, with just a flick of my hand, the scattered soldiers might take you.”
“I don’t care,” she said emphatically and looked into his eyes.
Prince Dylan is already worried about the conversation between the two.
Prince Damon smiled sarcastically. “Why so brave? Your courage can’t do anything here, especially since you’re just a weak young lady, ” Prince Dylan noticed Adira’s blank expression.
Prince Dylan was about to pull Adira, but Prince Franco got ahead of him because he pulled Adira’s shoulder away from Prince Damon. Prince Dylan’s hand that was about to hold Adira’s hand slowly came down and clenched it.
“Prince Damon, your words are too heavy for the young lady,” Prince Franco said calmly, but there was also a little threat that could be heard in his words.
Prince Damon stepped back slightly. “You know she didn’t answer when she wasn’t the one I was talking about, Prince Franco.”
“Even so, you should be the only one who understands. Remember that you are a prince and others here will have a bad view of you.” Prince Damon didn’t answer, and a few seconds later, he left.
“I’m disgusted with that prince. If only I could show if-”
“Adira!”
She immediately turned to Prince Dylan and saw him shaking his head. She simply stayed away from Prince Franco. What Dylan did make her realize how annoyed she was. It’s a good thing she didn’t say the word gangster, especially since King Stephen and her had an agreement that no one should know because someone might discover that she’s also Dylan’s bodyguard against the mysterious enemy.
“Are you calm?” asked Prince Franco.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. Prince Damon has a temper sometimes, but is it surprising that he showed such a temper to a young lady that he hadn’t done before?”
She frowned. “Why do you seem to know something about Prince Damon’s behavior?”
“That I only observed when there was an occasion before, but now I don’t attend, so I was just surprised by his behavior today.”
“Maybe it’s just natural for that prince.”
Prince Franco just shrugged and suddenly there was a noise coming from the rocky area. The competition is about to begin.
“The show is about to start. I just went over there. I’ll just find a good place to watch it. ” Prince Franco bowed slightly and left.
Dylan suddenly squeezed both of her cheeks when Prince Franco completely left. “It h-hurts,” she said with difficulty.
“You get hot-tempered so much, so you need to be punished with this. You’re talking too much, and your sharp words to Prince Damon are hurtful.”
He let go of her cheek and she was almost drooling because of how he stretched her cheeks. “He started it.”
“Even so, remember that life here is different from your life in another country. There is a rule here that you might do something you don’t know, so you better not fight, especially with Prince Damon.”
“I’m not sure and if that happens, I’m ready to face the consequences.”
Prince Dylan sighed. “You’re stubborn, young lady, but come on, I might be the only one not there.”
She looked at Dylan badly. “Do your best so that my headache won’t be wasted today.”
He suddenly turned around. “How come it’s up to me what you did today?”
“It must be because you started it, so if you want me to be happy for you, go ahead. Even if you don’t get the biggest prize, as long as you line up with the best, I’m okay with that.”
The prince frowned. “I thought you wanted me to get the highest.”
She smiled a little. “I did say that, but don’t think too much about it just because I said it. As long as you can do it, it’s okay. That’s a big thing for you. ”
He just stared at her and suddenly turned away. “No, Adira. I’m going to pour everything into this competition, even if I’m embarrassed. I’m not going to waste your tiredness just to teach me. ” He was the first to walk, leaving her standing. She just shook her head and followed him.
While Adira was walking, Prince Damon was watching her, and there was no emotion on his face. Prince Damon left where he was standing with a bow and arrows in a pouch hanging behind his back.