11 X. Oh that silly child?

She crossed her legs like the men, making sure the front of her dress sat in between her legs in order to cover her thighs.

The trio sat in silence, admiring the beauty of the garden, finding nothing to talk about. Getting tired of the silence, Rapha spoke. "Milady, what brings you here."

Nä-ræl blushed under the dim moonlight and snuck a glance at him to see if he was watching her, and to her dismay he was. She turned away quickly and hoped he didn't sight the blush which stained her flawless cheeks.

"Oh that silly child?" The captain asked.

"I'm not silly," Nä-ræl muttered, angry that he was calling her that in front of Rapha.

"She tried sneaking out of the palace to go to the Northwest of the kingdom so I brought her here since she did not want to go back to the palace yet."

Rapha nodded solemnly and watched as she pressed her mouth in a thin from line.

"Silly don't you agree?"

Rapha just hummed in agreement. He didn't want to utter a statement that would offend the princess.

"This place is getting quite boring, I wish I could watch a duel or better still a war between two kingdom's."

Rapha agreed internally. It had been long since he had done sword practice by himself with his old and rusty sword - ƴr̃aa.

"If you were a knight I'd challenge you to a duel," the captain said and Nä-ræl's ear perked up with interest as she watched the two converse.

The two soon began talking about swords, spears and wars and one could not believe that Rapha was an ordinary servant.

"I find it hard to believe that you're just a servant. Who are your parents?"

"I don't have parents, or rather I never met them. I lived in the cottage in the other side of this garden with a man and woman who took me as their own before the died." Rapha said and Nä-ræl's heart broke for him. She knew it was hard not to have a father and mother to care and love for him. She was grateful that she had parents to live and care for her.

"Before they passed away?" The captain asked. "Who is your supposed father?"

"Sir Redmonë," rapha replied feeling sad as he reminisced over past memories of him playing duels with his father.

"Ah, he was a great knight. The very best at that time."

"Pray tell me, why you're called captain and not Sir?" Rapha asked him politely.

"Ah, before I became the commander of the army, I was an ordinary captain named Œrlan." He paused and looked round him. "Back in the day, there was a powerful warrior named Lepalhë. He fought thousands of wars and never lost, no one can lift up his sword except someone with his blood."

"When I joined the army after a year of being a squire, I challenged a knight after being insulted by him and I won the duel making myself favoured before the king's eye.Later on I became a captain. Then when the annual sword lift came, I participated and I was the only one able to lift it after hundreds of years. I myself was very surprised because I cannot trace my lineage to Lepalhë. Oh and the captain title stuck. I couldn't get rid of it. I don't like the Sir title. It does not even sound nice with my name."

"That's nice," Rapha muttered.

"A duel? By dawn? Fünnfæ hill?" The captain asked Rapha. "I'm sure your father would have trained you a bit."

"He did, I'll try my best to come. I might have work to do at the palace."

"I'll tell someone to fill in for you." Nä-ræl said as she badly wanted to watch Rapha fight, even though she didn't want to see him get hurt by the captain.

"How kind of you, milady."

Nä-ræl smiled.

"Also I want to thank you for intervening earlier when..."

"It's nothing," she muttered trying not to think about the kiss.

"Child, we leave now." Captain Œrlan stated firmly. "It's very late already. Also thanks for entertaining us." He said to Rapha who nodded.

"I'm no child." Nä-ræl grumbled standing up and dusting the back of her dress.

The trio walked towards the gate of the garden in silence. Rapha only followed because he needed to lock the gates behind them.

As captain Œrlan and the princess exited the gates, Rapha waved them goodbye and began to feel about for the padlock to lock the gates.

"Can you wait here for me?" Nä-ræl asked her very good friend Captain Œrlan after a little while.

"Why?"

"I just... I need to go back. Alone," she looked up pleadingly at him putting on a look that would make him sympathise with her. "Please."

The captain nodded and stood in the dark watching the dark and boring night as she ran the little way back to the garden.

On getting to the garden gates, Nä-ræl saw his figure turning away from the gates.

"Rapha!" She shouted, her heart beating fast against her chest. She had no idea what she was going to say to him but she needed to talk to him.

Upon hearing his name, Rapha spun round in the direction of the voice that called. "Milady?"

"Yes it is me, open up please."

"Certainly milady," he said as he walked forward with the keys jiggling about as they swung to and fro from their position on the waist band if his trousers.

Unhooking the keys from his trousers, he opened the gate making it to swing open and allowing Nä-ræl to come in.

Nä-ræl stood in front of Rapha a little way from the garden gate and tucked a tendril of her brunette hair that had gone loose from her low bun. She wanted to talk to him but she didn't know the right words to say and even if she did, she didn't know how to say it.

Rapha stared at her waiting for her to state the purpose of her coming back. Seeing that she was still thinking of what to say or perhaps how to say it. He spoke, "Milady, I... I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier, I can swear that I did not mean it to happen."

"It's okay," she muttered.

They stared at each other for a while, being grateful that the dim light from the moon covered their blushing cheeks.

This is ridiculous! She's the princess! Rapha told himself millions of times but he couldn't stop his heart from beating for her.

Nä-ræl on the other hand was sad at the thought of him being a servant. She hoped he would be a really good fighter so she could ask her dad to let him join the army. At the same time, she didn't want him to join the army because fear of losing him during war times are her up.

Seeing as there was nothing to say or do at the time. Nä-ræl stretched forth her right hand and Rapha kissed the back of her delicate and beautiful hand in delight.

"I shall see you tomorrow," She said withdrawing her hand from his reluctantly. She so much missed the warm feeling of his lips on her hand or better still her own lips.

She decided to see him as often as she could so that she would at least have the warmth of his lips on the back of her hand.

"By nä-bouɠh's grace Milady." He said with a small bow.