Heart Over Sword
Chapter 176: The Distance Between Us

Chapter 176: The Distance Between Us

Evanna’s question was swiftly answered, and her stance relaxed slightly after seeing Conrad saunter towards her; the trees behind him were bent out of shape to fit his size. Her brows furrowed in annoyance, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Her attention moved back to the figure in the woods, and her eyes narrowed at its retreating form.

If it was really Scarecrow, he’d probably stay and put on a show or something. Or maybe he backed away because Conrad was something to fear. The creature did vanish once she fell through the cave where Killian had been.. residing. Even that creature knew its limits.

"What have you seen?" Conrad asked as he unsheathed his large black sword and stepped in front of her protectively, looking in the same direction she had been watching.

Evanna continued to watch without answering, then sheathed her swords into the scabbards with a bit of force. The chilled feeling had nearly dissolved, but she wasn’t sure if the other being had left or if her sixth sense was still alert because of Conrad. She’d never really felt this around the Prince, but maybe it was because she didn’t fully trust him anymore, along with the fact that if he was her enemy, he would be someone to fear.

"It seems your unsightly appearance chased it away," Evanna muttered, crossing her arms defensively, her left hand now resting on the top of her dagger at her hip.

Conrad smirked at her, turned his back to the woods, and tilted his head to the side, leaving strands of his dark golden locks across his annoyingly handsome face. "I thought you found my looks charming?"

Evanna scoffed and looked away. The last ten minutes had flown by in a blur, and she was yet to catch up to her thoughts and feelings and found herself unable to defend herself right now with a witty comment. "Why did you come?" She asked instead and started to walk back towards the cliff’s edge. "I said I wished to be alone, and yet here you are."

"You know, it doesn’t hurt to say thanks, Princess," Conrad snapped back, and Evanna whipped her head to look at him. Her irritated answer seemed to have hurt his feelings, and it made her chuckle below her breath and shake her head, knowing well he could hear her. But he was already looking back at the trees before sheathing his own sword behind his back.

"I saved your life, and you may have saved mine now. We are even." Evanna found herself replying in an even and chilling manner. But her voice seemed to sound so far away, as though she was far away from her current situation. The past was creeping back at her the longer she was near Conrad, and it really grated at her. His sudden appearance was ruining her plans.

The Princess was anxious to hear back from Killian and to learn more about her mother’s health. There was the matter of running away from Arawn and the high possibility that he and his fearsome warriors were searching for her. The faceless were wreaking havoc, and she could only assume for now they were only in Direwood forest, but now she had to deal with Conrad and this new proposal and her men in Direwood.

"Evanna.. We really need to talk. This.. I do not like this distance between us." Conrad began walking towards her, and her grip tightened on the dagger. She wouldn’t stab him, though even if she attempted it, the probability of unsheathing the dagger before taking any further action was low. The last time was dumb luck, and neither of them expected her to actually use it on him.

"This distance is here because of your actions," Evanna snapped back, and Conrad flinched like she’d whipped him with her words, and so she continued to put out any hope he may have been holding until now. "You had your chance. Now leave."

Conrad took another step towards her, then stopped after Evanna glared at his boots. "Evanna.. Our marriage will be going ahead this time. So, can we at least start again? - Like when you were eight and I twelve? -" He spoke the last bit in Hythen, making the words sound sweet on his tongue.

A glitter of amusement flicked across her gaze as a thought occurred to her. "I would very much delight greeting you by punching you in the face..." Conrad shook his head with a charming smile that once would have worked its magic into her heart, pressing her into accepting what he was asking. But not anymore. That ship had long sailed.

Evanna had also now seen another’s smile that literally took her breath away and caused her to stop any manner of speech. With an internal shake of her head, she added. "Or did you forget how much we disliked each other then? Though.. not much has changed now. We have inadvertently gone back to that now."

"That is not true. I do not dislike you, and you know that I like-"

"Do I? Oh.. I thought you found me entertaining. A bastard child begging-"

"Enough, Evanna!" Conrad growled and marched closer to her. Evanna held her ground, tilting her chin back to glare back at the Prince. She was only repeating his cruel words. "I can never hate you and you.. if it is hate you feel .. there is a fine line between hate and love. If you are still feeling hurt, then that counts towards something. You still care. Whether you will admit it or not, the evidence is clear."

Evanna bit her tongue as she seethed in anger, looking up at the Demon Prince. After counting to ten, she released her breath and walked around him, only to stop after his large hand wrapped around her upper arm, stopping her from walking away. She was not going to leave but instead did not wish to look at Conrad’s face.

The Princess shrugged him off but did not move as her eyes flicked back to the dark trees across from her. Her stomach was growing cold, and she didn’t know if her eyes were messing with her or if she could really see a figure in the darkness.

"Evanna, I will make it up to you!"

Conrad’s annoying comment, however, brought her attention away from the imaginary shadow and back to the arrogant Prince beside her.