Chapter 10: Searching For Emal

EMAL'S POV

I have never enjoyed a day like I'm enjoying this day. Thanks to Little Lilly. She took me to the cottage and cleaned my wounds, dressing them up neatly. I am a bit scared of the outcome of our friendship, but I want to give it a try like she said.

After cleaning my wounds, I ask her why she wears a hoodie every time despite that the weather isn't so cold. She smiles at me and says that it's just a way of her keeping a low profile when she's out of her home.

"Isn't it bad that we're skipping school?" I ask, nervous of what might happen. This day would be my first day skipping school for a complete day, but somehow, I like it.

"Hey dude, we've got to clean this place since it's going to be our little hideout" Lilly pours water into a bowl with a piece of old and tattered fabric in her hand. It's like she has this all planned out before.

'Who is she?" I begin to wonder but dismiss the thought of her being someone to spy on me. For once, I feel the need to have someone to talk to and I'm grateful for having her around even if it's not long since we know each other.

"How did you find this place? It doesn't seem like you're new here." I begin to assist her, changing the dirty water for a clean one as there are still places that needs to be cleaned.

"Well, it was a coincidence." her reply is simple and short.

"Perhaps, are you a runaway...?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

"Hey!" she screams and I flinch. Her tiny voice produces a sharp ear screeching noise as the hut's environment is silent. "What? I'm just asking a question." I turn to look at her and she glares at me.

"Why would you ask if I'm a runaway? Why would I runaway in the first place? I have no reason to run away unlike..." she says all in a rush and pauses with an eye roll.

"Whatever, I'm not a coward." she huffs.

"Fine! I've heard you." she stands up with a stomp of her foot on the ground and walks away to dispose of the unclean water she cleaned with.

Her arm hits the wooden door frame sending her slipping off her foot. Thankfully, my eyes were on her and I rush to her side, holding her arm strongly to prevent her from falling. Her hair clasp falls off her head dropping on the floor with a light tick sound. Her smooth shiny silky black hair falls out on her shoulders and my arm with an appealing scent. Strangely, her hair is extremely long and I see a flash of blue and green color in her eyes at that moment.

She glares at me again while regaining her footing and pinches my cheek, an action I don't have an idea about as I am staring at her gracious beauty and only realize it later. I don't like to say this, but she's beautiful than my sister with her hair loosened in strands. How can a human be so alluring? She intensifies her pinch on my cheek and I yelp in pain.

Her eyes are back to the normal sky-blue color now, making me ask myself if what I saw earlier was a dream. Though I doubt it. It was too real to be a dream or fantasy. Seeing the look on my face, she bends on the floor to pick her hair clasp, fixing it back in her hair. Absurdly, it gets shorter than it was when it loosened. Or is it my imagination? I can't tell.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" she asks when I don't take my eyes off her.

"Nothing, I..." I stutter and she laughs loudly kind of mocking me.

"What's funny?"

"You need to see how you look when you stutter, just like a doll." she teases me.

"What? A doll? How can you compare a prince with a doll? Isn't that insane?"

"Alright, you don't want to be compared to a doll but a prince?"

"Yes, that's it. I'm a prince and not some lifeless toy."

"Then, that makes you a prince doll. Or should it be doll prince?" she sticks her tongue out at me, running into the woods and I chase after her.

She stops at a point and I wrap my hand across her neck, tickling her wrist. She laughs like a child and I can't help but laugh as well. We stare into each other's eyes as we get lost in the moment. Her eyes are no doubt captivating.

The sound of rustling leaves in the woods captures my attention from Lily's. My ears reach out into the woods and I immediately know that they are the royal soldiers. The sound of their steps differs from other regular steps. From my calculation, they are still far into the woods, about a kilometer away from the hut. They are probably tracing my scent to know my whereabout. Shit! Father would be the one who sent them. I should have seen Matilda in the morning to prevent it, but it didn't even cross my mind one bit. For them to come to the school area, the school principal probably reported to my father already that I'm nowhere to be found. I strain my ear to listen to how many creatures are there, but couldn't get it due to distraction.

"Is everything alright? Doll prince?" Lily waves her hand across my face.

"I said don't call me doll prince" I fire at her while she scoffs at me. She's such a handful but I've begun to like her.

"We have to get out of here." I hold her hand heading for the hut to pack our things. She jerks her hand away from mine with her brows creased up in confusion.

"Why the sudden change? Don't tell me you're going back to school after sneaking out, are you so dumb? You're going to get punished." she says quickly like she is eating something very hot.

"Calm down Lily, it's not that. The royal guards are around here. I think they are looking for me, and to know my whereabout, they'll trace my scent and it'll lead them here if we don't move out now." I explain to her, but it is obvious that she doesn't understand all I said.

"Let's go, I'll explain on the way." I hold her hand, picking up her backpack, while she waited to lock the cottage. We run through the opposite side, far away from the woods till we reach an open space. We stop there to catch our breath and Lily says she can't walk any longer. I strain my ear to check the situation and I agree with her to relax there. We are very far away from the school area and I know they'll give up soon.

It's almost evening and they have to report back to the palace if it isn't a code red order. A code red order is an order given by the Alpha king or his Beta which is always a do or die mission.

Lily brings out a snack from her bag and she shares it with me. I refuse at first but she insists. The setting sun feels warm, and we lay on the sand bed looking at the sky. Soon after, Lily seems lost in thought.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing, I was thinking about our friendship. You know, I've never had a friend before."

"But you have me now, right?" I smile at her. She pinches my cheek playfully and I tap her forehead. She's so free and jovial with me and for the first time, I don't feel strange."

She looks at me for a while and says, "You don't have to be a coward anymore, you've got to show them what you are, okay?"

"That's going to be difficult. I....."

"Shh, you don't have to doubt it. It's all about belief and intellect." she states.