Because You Force Me to Eat

"You're the King????!!!"

Hayden nods his head. Seeing their face, he knows he will need to do a lot of explanation later.

"Huh?"

"Yuina! Yuina! You're the one who supposed to get engage with Hayden. And guess what? Hayden is supposed to be this kingdom King! Oh my god! I couldn't believe this!" Kyra shakes Yuina's shoulder.

"What?" Yuina's mind is still blank.

"Kyra," Hayden touch her shoulder making her stop from shaking Yuina.

She looks up at Hayden with questioning face. "Hm?"

"I need to talk to her. Alone. Privately. So.." He took Yuina's hand and look at Zane and Farrell.

"Oh no, no..you should go. Settle this thing between you two and come back to us." Zane wink at him.

Farrell nods his head in agreement.

Kyra pouts a bit but then she still releases Yuina to be taken by Hayden.

"Come on, princess. We talk in my room." He said and pull Yuina's hand gently.

Yuina stood up and follow behind him back inside the manor and went to his room.

…

Click!

Hayden closed the door behind him and look at the girl who is now facing the balcony of his room.

"Princess-"

"Is it true? My father tried to get us engaged?" Yuina interjects his word and turning her body facing him

Lowered his gaze to the floor, he said "Yes."

A little fragment of her memories starts to play back when she remembers that her dad did say the one who is her supposed to be fiance is someone that he trusts and the one who will protect her with his own life.

'Of course, you dummy! The only one who always said that to me is him! He keeps giving me a hint! Why can't I see it?' She chuckles slowly.

"About..about you telling us earlier..your feeling..is it true?" She asks again. Wanting to hear it once again.

"Yes. I mean it. Every single word." He walks to her and wrapped his hand around her waist and buried his face on her shoulder.

Yuina closes her eyes. The sensation from his touch makes her body feels a bit hot and her heartbeat start to race a bit. "Si..since when?"

"Remember the day when we met? At the castle." He said with a husky voice.

Yuina gulps a bit. Try to find the memory that he mentioned just now. If she remembers correctly, that time...

She was just five years old. Hayden was eleven years old. Same ages as Prince Hans. He follows Lord Mathias to the main castle because the four general had a meeting at the main castle for three days.

That is the first time, she met with Hayden. He was an aloof kid. He did not show any expression or smile on his face at all. While her father was in the meeting along with the general from other tribes, their children including important officers normally will be put on the same hall, for safety purpose. To play around or should she say they usually just want to boast about themselves or kill time inside the close hall.

Because he was so quiet and aloof, Yuina took a chance to sit beside him at the lunchtime.

"Hey..aren't you eating?" She asks when she notices he did not eat at all what has been provided by the servant.

He just looks at her and stares her eyes for such a period time until Yuina feel uncomfortable and she took the spoon on his tray and feed him with the meals.

"There. Don't look at me. If you can't eat, just told me. I can feed you." She said with a smile on her face.

Chomp.

Hayden was a bit surprised. But then he plays along with her feeding him lunch.

"Oh, I have an apple. Do you want it? We can cut it half." She took her apple from her tray and look around her to see if she can find something to cut.

Hayden did not move at all as he took the apple and bite it before he returns it back to Yuina.

"Oh? You right. This is the easiest way." She looks at her apple which has been bitten by Hayden. Feeling a bit sad. But she held her tears. She doesn't like to eat someone's leftover.

Hayden lifts up his eyebrow and narrows his eyes to the apple on her hand. Making a cue for her to eat it too.

Slowly, she sniffles her mucous from the nose and bit the apple.

Her face that time..make Hayden suddenly curled up his lips a little.

"You bite my apple and make me take a bit too." Yuina chuckles when she remembers that incident.

"That because you force me to eat." Hayden kiss on her nape.

"Hayden.."

"Hm?"

"About this feeling of yours...I appreciate it, but-"

"Shh.." Hayden put his finger on her lips making Yuina stop talking.

"I understand. Your heart still with him. I didn't blame you as I also did not tell my feeling to you earlier." He straightens up and lifts her chin to look at him.

"My original plan is..to wait until you get your throne back and you can decide with whom you want to be with. But, because of this misunderstanding, I don't want to put you in the dark any longer. Yes, your father chooses me. But, you always can have your own choice. Whoever you choose, I will respect it. You don't need to answer me straight away. Just enough if you alert with my feeling toward you." He cupped her face and make her look at his eyes.

"Thank you, Hayden." She smiles staring at his attractive eyes.

"Now, can my princess not sulk to me anymore? Don't push me away again. I do what I want to do. And I'll stick to you-"

"Annoyingly close?" Yuina finishes his sentence.

Both of them chuckles. "Yeah. Annoyingly close."

"Oh, I actually..have another one doubt." Yuina suddenly remembers something. Her moods are a bit cheerful after the confessing.

"Mhm? What is it, princess?"

"When we're in Emerald city..did you... Uhm, really going to the brothel house?" She looks away when she asks him this question. It makes her embarrassing to ask this private question.

Hayden chuckle. "Yeah. But not to find woman, if that what you have in your mind."

"Oh?"

"I went to find Zane. He actually is..erm, living there?"

"Living there?"

"He had Harem, you know. Even your father who is King also did not have like him-"

"Ow!" Hayden rubs his cheek when Yuina pinches it.

"You…" She still pinching his both side cheek with both of her hand.

"Sowwy.."

…

They leave the manor the next day.

With supplies which are enough until they arrive at the new city. Aquamarine province. Also, known as the Water Tribe.

All along the way to the new city, Zane still continues to teach Yuina to use her bow and arrow. While Hayden took this opportunity to teach all of them how to handle a sword. Including Yuina.

He had to broke his promise to the late king for allowing Yuina to handle a weapon. She was super stubborn about learning how to protect herself. At first, he was a bit reluctant, but he know..he can't continue to act like this or she will hate him later.

So he agrees to teach her with one condition. She will only rise her sword if she really needs to. If not, all she needs to do is to save other people and take cover. He will do the rest.

Clop! Clop!

Four horse stop at the high cliff looking at the teal blue ocean with the sun almost set down.

"Aquamarine City."

Yuina takes off her hood and tilts her head a little, to look up at the man behind her.

"We've arrived." Hayden looks down at Yuina with a smile on his face.