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@irishcelticredflowercrown

Liorah will probably go nuts with joy when she realises Lorcan has a little CRUSH!!!

She’s either going to ship them so hard and play matchmaker in the most incomptent way or she’s going to look Yila dead in the eye and say “Don’t settle for that, you know you can do better.” And then stare Lorcan down until she’s positive she can see him squirm and then just leave and never mention it again.

There is no inbetween XD

Liorah

“That is some scene.” Lorcan tried to control his laughter but wasn’t managing it and eventually just gave up.

Now Quin was blushing too. Lorcan was right, unfortunately. This was quite a scene.

I glared at Lorcan, trying to smother his laughter with sheer rage.

“It’s ok-okay-I-I’m-not-laughing at you– stars and planets thats just so funny haHAHA!”

“Then what are you laughing at, pray tell,” I said. I had never seen Lorcan laugh this much and something about the absurdity of it made me smother a giggle, more out of nervous embarrassment than anything else.

“I’m not laughing at you boy. Its just I’m not used to seeing – this princess here actually get treated like a princess. Jeepers, this cracks me up.”

“Well, it’s rather a shock for me too,” I said, dryly. I shot him another glare but he just grinned at me.

“I’ve known royalty you know,” he said seriously, still smiling. “Smug seaweed brains the lot of them. They expect the golden treatment just because of their special bloodline. So the fact that you don’t want to be treated like one – I can respect that.” He nodded at me sightly to emphasise his point. “Who knows. Maybe I judged you too harshly human.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“If you’re going to respect me just because I have basic human decency the bar is lower than I thought,” I said, sarcastically. “I don’t want or need your validation.”

I was so sick of people judging me, finding me inferior, second-best, invisible. I didn’t want to have to earn his respect or his admiration. That meant I would lose it soon enough. I didn’t need it. I was used to this.

I had met royalty of that kind too, others who saw their position as leader as being elevated above everyone else instead of being a servant to everyone. I didn’t want anything to do with them.

I knew better. I was expected to give my entire life, my health, everything I had ever loved, my future, and my sanity to the tribe. It wasn’t just expected of me, it was demanded of me.

Every scar I’d ever recieved was because of my royalty, every heartbreak and every nightmare.

The only payment I would ever get for it was being judged perpetually, constantly found not good enough. If I could have drained the gold from my blood and thrown it in the gutter for someone else to be burdened with I would have in a heartbeat.

But it was my duty. If I didn’t do it, who would? If there were no heirs left, the tribe would dissolve into civil war, and more lives would be lost. We wouldn’t let that happen ever again.

Someone cleared their throat behind me and I turned.

It was a man with dark hair, not Quin’s brother, the other one. I looked him up and down unabashedly. He looked confident, probably ready for a fight. I eyed the bow on his back with some misgivings.

If it came down to a fight I could probably win, but it wasn’t going to be easy. He was probably trained as well as I was, or better, and he was definitely stronger.

I looked him straight in the eye, with a look that wasn’t hostile yet but could become so quickly. I only needed an excuse to make another enemy. He didn’t scare me.

“I’m Niarok,” he said. His voice lacked the harshness I’d expected, but had all of the confidence. “Pleased to meet you.”

At least someone had manners.

I shook his hand, noting the callouses on his hands. Yes, he could absolutely fight and had probably done so often.

“Liorah. Pleased to meet you too,” I said, unable to keep the slightest hint of irony out of my voice. It was hard to be pleased to meet anyone here.

He smiled and I had a sudden conviction that I could learn to like him. He wasn’t anywhere near as obnoxious as Lorcan. I grinned back.

As I pulled my hand away I noticed him looking at it, curiously. Right, he would have noticed the smooth burn scars that spread over my palms and wrists.

I didn’t try to hide them but watched him with a tilt to my chin that could be interpreted as a challenge. Go ahead. Ask. I dare you.