34- Acting lessons

The stares and scowls on the look of everyone prince Nicholas passed by was worrisome. Were they still thinking he was a prisoner? Their commander had release him so why were they all staring daggers at him. It was in the dead of the night, having only few kayaans around and they all looked like they wanted to beat him up.
He walked into the palace expecting to see the commander but she wasn't in her throne room. He turned to one of the guards. "Where's the commander?"
The guard had a scowls plastered to his face like he had seen his worst enemy. He ignored the princi walking out so prince Nicholas reach out to the guard standing by the entrance of the palace. "Where's the commander?"
This guards gave a frown, eyeing him like he was a piece of thrash. Reluctantly, he answered, "she's training." He wanted to ask for where she was training but decided against that as the frown etched on the guard's face deepened.
The prince started to make his way around the palace trying to figure out where she was training. He walked around opening all the doors and his ears alert for fight sounds. While trying to find her, he got lost and he noticed he found his way to some parts of the palace twice.
A maid making her way quickened her steps when he she spotted the vampire prince. Her heart had started to bang in her chest as she got closer to the vampire prince. They had warned all kayaans about the vampires. They had always told them to stay away from all the Vampires because they were dangerous and it had remainined that way but what she didn't understand was why the new commander was indulging the vampire prince despite all the tales they had heard from the elders about vampires and knowing they weren't allowed into the palace.
"Hey." Prince Nicholas stopped her.
She bowed her head scared to look into the vampire's eyes. "Hello." She said faintly but it was just enough for the prince' ears to pick on.
"I need to see the commander."
Her body was shivering in fear but she managed to point at the door to the training room. When the prince looked away, the maid scrambled away and he shook his head moving to the door the maid pointed at.
He sigh of relieve went past him when he opened the door and saw the commander hitting a heavily built kayaan. A side of his lips curved upwards as he watched her throwing blows at someone. He was impressed.
The commander threw more punches but her opponent grabbed her by the wrist and threw her over his head. She groaned and jolted up almost immediately. Her hands went to her back and she pulled out a sword. Her opponent came before her with his sword and they started to strike hard trying to but each other. Her opponent tried to strike her with his sword but she swerved down pshed his leg causing him to fall. Just before she could turn him arot to twist his arm, her opponent was ok his feet again ready to strike her with his sword but her leg went to his hand and gave a powerful kick fling his sword from his hands.
She threw her sword to the ground and they began to combat without weapons. He threw a push at her face causing her to groan and she returned it with a kick to his thigh causing him to get on his knees.
The prince had a smirk watching the commander throw blows at someone twice her size. He was in awe of her strength and thought there had to be more to her source of strength. The way she calculated and gave each strike had him thinking she was out of this world. Gaston was a very good fighter even better than he, the heir to the throne was but he doubt Gaston could win in a duel with the commander.
Finally, a kick to the chest had her opponent falling flat on the floor, signalling her win. She jumped for victory . Of all the times she had wrestled with Amezi, this was the second time she had won. Amezi was one of the strongest kayaan in the kingdom and it took much strength and tactics to come out victorious in a duel against him.
The prince gave her an applause causing her the turn around to see him. She rolled her eyes. "Nice one, commander." He stopped clapping. "I might have to learn a thing or two from you."
Amezi dragged his tired body from the floor and left the training room just before the commander would stop him to insist on another round of battle. She was relentless when it came to training and he knew that.
Lily rolled her eyes again. "What are you doing here, prince Nicholas?"
He gave a grin walking towards her. "I have come to see my best friend. Aren't you excited to see me?"
"You're begging to spend the night in the dungeon."
He faked a gasp, putting a hand over his heart. "Oh, not the dungeon."
"You should take acting lessons. You're a terrible actor."
"I would take them if you would teach me." Prince Nicholas said and stopped before her. "You look like a good actress."
She shrugged then asked again, "why are you here, Nico?"
Prince Nicholas's face contorted to make a wide grin. "What did you call me?"
She frowned. " Nicholas."
He shook his head, "before that."
"Why are you here?" She pulled a confused face.
"Not that!" He stomped hislegs on the ground like a kid denied of sweets.
Lily arched an eyebrow. "Nico?"
Prince Nicholas smiled right away. "I love the name. You can call me that if you want anything from me. It's your secret password to get anything from me." He ended with a wink.
The commander chuckled. "Nico, why are you here really?" Her voice was serious.
The seriousness in the question made prince Nicholas realize he didn't know why he was here. He had found his mind drifting to her and made his way down to the palace to see her and he felt fulfilled seeing her.
It was hard to concentrate thses days. His mind was always wandering towards the masked lady. His eyes always lit up when ever he saw her and his brain wouldn't stop replying all those conversations in the past. Prince Nicholas just couldn't get over her.
"I only just wanted to see the person who whooped my ass. " He narrowed his eyes. "I'm here for a rematch."
The commander laughed loudly. "You really like to get you ass whooped, isn't it?"
"I have taken my time to train and I can say for fact now that I will win you in a duel right now."
She scoffed. "You're joking right?"
"Wanna test me?"
She put her hands on her waist. "You really want to get beaten again?"
He walked close to her, his tall figure towering over the Commander's. He looked into her her eyes and she peered from her mask returning prince Nicholas's gaze. They both held unto the gaze both of them not wanting to be the weaker one by breaking it.
"Commander Lil-" Mama Sarandi stopped half way when she saw how close the commander and the vampire prince were to one another. She had gotten from the guards that the vampire prince was in the palace and she wanted to get the commander to kick him out but here she was looking cozy with the vampire prince.
The commander moved faetger from the vampire prince. His eyes were mesmerizing hence her getting lost in them. She loved how his orbs peered softly at her while still having a dangerous look.There was something in her that was itching for her to get closer that she was when they were standing close to each other and she wished he had slipped his hands to her waist pulling her closer than she was.
"You seem busy." Sarandi asked from the door.
The commander gulped nervously seeing that the elder had seen her in such a position with the vampire prince. "Ye..yes." She managed to croak out.
Sarandi nodded and exited the training room leaving the two alone.
"You should leave now." The commander announced.
His face fell. "We haven't had that duel."
The prince was just so arrogant. He was the only person she found hard to control and it was annoying but she enjoyed his presence. "It's late now. I have other matters to attend to."
The prince scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're just scared I'll beat you this time."
One thing the commander found fascinating about the prince was the fact that he thought so highly of himself. His pride was just a mix of annoying and funny. "I. Will. Whoop. Your. Ass." She slept every word out.
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging on his lips. "How about a bet?" The perplexed look on Lily's face prompted him to speak further, "if I win, I get a tour of the kingom from you and if you win, I stop coming to see you.
Lily wanted to disagree with the terms of the bet but she didn't want the prince knowing she enjoyed his company and couldn't do without seeing him. And so she just jumped on him,the fight commencing immediately.
*******
The frown on the Commander's face wouldn't wipe out as the elders complained about having vampires in the kingdom. They each expressed their fear of having to see outsiders in their kingom and having to live with fear in their own territory.
Some of them had even called the commander weak. They had said this because it could only be the reason she was still indulging them and letting them roam around freely in the kingdom.
"The kayaans are tired of having to live with fear in their own kingdom. We want them out just like the bear shifters were out. We can't continue to risk our lives and kingdom all because you want to pursue a ro-" Using her eye, she begged mama Sarandi to stop her from speaking further. Thankfully, the elder understood and ended saying, "all because you want to pursue an alliance with the vampire kingdom."
Every since mama Sarandi saw the commander and the prince standing so close to each other many days ago, she had concluded in her head that they were in a romantic relationship. All attempts by the commander to convince the elder that her thoughts about she and prince Nicholas's friendship was proved abortive. The elder still insisted there was a romantic relationship brewing between the two leaders. She had been alive long enough to know when she saw young love.
"Your people come before any alliance, commander. You should know that." Baba Achio reminded her.
If baba Mbari was here,he would have proferred solutions to the situation and not cast blames on her. She let out a sigh. "The vampires are not here to hurt anyone."
"Why do you defend them?" Baba Damien asked. "Some days ago you had defeated them and now you defend them like they're your family?"
"The vampires will be out of the kingom before sundown today." The commander blurted out.
The elders mumrmed in agreement appreciating that goodnews was coming from their meeting. What they didn't know was that the commander had blurted it out without thinking and she wasn't ready to have the vampires out of her kingdom.
She enjoyed seeing the vampire prince every night. They had made some sort of informal agreement to always see at midnight and she always looked forward to it. She cared about her people but she was sure the vampires wouldn't hurt them. She had decided to be selfish this time and put herself over the kingom. The people would have to deal with seeing the vampires around for a long while because she was already getting fond of them.