Queen Of Monsters

Ru Naya was so deep in thought at the unfairness of the situation that she didn't notice a small tendril curl around her ankle. Unaware, she tripped when she took a step forward.

"Shit!" She swore out loudly as she stumbled forwards.

She would have fallen flat on her face had prince Jun Liyun not moved quickly. Instead of the hard ground meeting her face, she collided against a firm and muscular c.h.e.s.t. The prince instinctively encircled his arms around her waist to protect her from falling and instead pressed her harder against himself.

Ru Naya felt like she had been frozen in shock, yet her body felt like it had been jolted over a thousand times wherever the prince's body came into contact with her own. Her heartbeat thundered as she was aware of every little physical touch: from his strong c.h.e.s.t against her head, his cool hands around her waist, his calmer heartbeat compared to hers. It was enough to take her breath away. She kept herself still despite every inch of her body screaming to hug him back tightly.

She wouldn't have been able to recall the memories and thoughts that had raced through her mind at that moment because of her emotions that had gone berserk, but embracing the prince made her feel like she was right where she should have been. Like it was her rightful position, her favourite place in the world.

Her home.

And it only lasted for a few seconds. The prince pulled back and Ru Naya blushed. She didn't dare to meet his eyes.

"Pesky vine trap," prince Jun Liyun mused, unfettered by what had just transpired between them, and instead, he gracefully leaned forward to slash the offending tendril from where it was wrapped around a branch of the tree. The vine uncurled and harmlessly fell on the ground.

Ru Naya stared at the fallen vine in dismay. However, it wasn't the vine she was disappointed in.

Why was she so bothered that the prince hadn't showed any reaction to her? it was good if he didn't think it was a big deal. So what if he didn't feel the connection she did? He was the crown prince and she was just some common peasant girl. It would have been more shocking had he felt something in the first place.

"I didn't realize that there were traps here," Ru Naya said hoarsely as she willed her mind to forget about what had just happened.

"Hm," prince Jun Liyun replied calmly, "We're deep in the jungle, the stray witches tend to lay traps around."

Ru Naya shuddered to think of what would have happened had she come across one of these when the witch had been actively chasing her.

To distract herself from her morbid thoughts, she decided to study the ankle the vine had been wrapped around. As she studied her injured foot she noticed small splotches of blood on the bandages that had been encased around her leg by doctor Li. The vines probably had thorns that had pierced her skin once the tendril had tightened around her ankle. An idea struck her and she bent down to untie the bloody bandages and bunched them up in her fist.

She could feel the prince's curious gaze on her because of her actions as she stood up. However, she didn't say anything and neither he did he ask for an explanation. Ru Naya walked past him slowly, and then gently laid a used bandage on the tree.

"Well birdy, let's see if you will fall for the same trick the second time around," She muttered.

They continued walking after that with Ru Naya carefully studying her surrounds to evade any further traps. Ever so often she would spot a tree or a bush that looked out of place and she made sure to stay away from there. It was tiring to be on the lookout all the time, whereas prince Jun Liyun glided through the forest as if nothing was there to hinder him.

They passed by another tree with a huge symbol engraved on it, and Ru Naya stopped and rubbed another bloody bandage on the bark; she was running out of the dressings so she hoped that the familiar scent would lure the bird out quickly.

"Miss Ru, can I ask you a question?" The prince asked suddenly, causing Ru Naya to jump in shock.

"Of-ofcourse your highness," She stuttered. The prince didn't need to ask for her permission as he could simply command her to answer his inquiries, yet he did and Ru Naya's opinion of him went up.

"Why were you out hunting?"

She thought about her answer carefully, "Hunting makes me feel happy. It also pisses off my parents because it is a very unladylike activity, and it is my way of distancing myself from their reputation obsessed world."

She continued quietly, "I guess it makes me seem like a wild unmannered woman but it is who I am. I maybe wild but I am free because I don't have to deal with any political games played by the aristocrats."

"How lucky," The prince murmured thoughtfully.

Ru Naya studied the prince and realized just how burdened he was with all the rules and expectations just because he was a royalty. At least she could get away with her behaviour while the prince couldn't, no matter how much he wanted to.

So she gazed at him deeply and told him resolutely, "Prince, it doesn't matter whether in the forest or the city, you are allowed to be yourself when you are with me. I will never judge your highness for being just a normal man rather than a lofty prince."

Ru Naya shook her head vehemently and rambled in her defence, "No no no! you are a normal being just like anyone else but I don't mean normal in the sense of being just an ordinary man cause after all you are the most powerful person on the mainland. I meant normal like you're a human just like anyone else. Damn it, the conclusion to my incoherent speech is that you are allowed to not follow the royal etiquette and all that stuff when you're with me. You can treat me like a friend."

She looked at him meekly, "Sorry, I tend to ramble when I am nervous. However, I do mean it when I said that I want to be friends with you."

Ru Naya finally stopped talking and realized what she had just asked of prince Jun Liyun. Had she lost her mind? because there was no other explanation for why she had asked the prince to become friends with her. She had known him for less than a day and he had almost let her die! Ru Naya had to be an actual idiot for asking such a dangerous man to be friends with her.

However stupid or not, it was the least she could offer after knowing how prince Jun Liyun couldn't be himself in Bon Sicini because of the rigid expectations the court and its people had of him. Even if he was a vicious and icy person in real life, at least he could be authentic with her.

"Friends." Prince Jun Liyun enunciated the word slowly. It was obvious that he wasn't used to the word and Ru Naya felt horrible because of the implication that he had to grow up alone without any. Her heart ached for him, knowing that he probably couldn't make many friends because he was busy dealing with the issues of the courts. She could almost imagine a small boy staring at other children of his age from a distance, unable to play or socialize with them despite desperately wanting to. The terrible realization made her resolve of becoming his friend grow stronger.

"We can be friends if you want. This way you would have someone who you can be yourself with." She responded to him earnestly.

He smiled at her statement and Ru Naya was almost blinded by the beautiful sight. The soft crooked smile had barely changed his stoic face yet the slant of his lovely lips had Ru Naya's heart fluttering. His every little move affected her so much that it was worrying. Had she not known better then she would have thought that she was developing a crush on him.

But she hadn't cause she was already in love with someone else ,and besides, even if she were to like the prince that way there was no point. It's not like he, who had every woman in this world at his disposal, would like her back. So maybe she could admire him from afar..

She shook her head to get rid of the stupid thoughts. She wanted to be his friend and that was it. However a small part of her mind was still lost in the dangerous fantasies as they continued to walk forwards.

Ru Naya, Ru Naya. Ru. Naya.

He had just said her name.

Those words were like stars falling from his exquisite lips. She didn't think her name had ever sounded this amazing or lovely before. Ru Naya blushed furiously as the way he said her name echoed in her mind.

That is when the prince stopped abruptly. Ru Naya frowned at him, confused by his sudden actions, but he merely pointed towards an innocuous looking set of bushes that she would have walked right past had he not stopped walking. Ru Naya tiptoed as crept towards the bushes, and when she finally parted the leaves, she saw a huge lyren bird pecking at the water. It was alone as it drank the water quietly, unaware of the fact that it was being watched by two hunters.

There were no discernible noises or sounds to give away its position, yet the prince had pointed out the bird's location accurately. Just how amazing were prince Jun Liyun's instincts? no wonder he didn't have any problem traipsing around the forest like he was taking a stroll in his own imperial gardens.

However, she refocused on the bird. Though it looked innocent, the claws and the beak were a telltale sign that the bird wouldn't be the one to spare them if it attacked. Ru Naya gritted her teeth and took out her borrowed sword as quietly as she could. Though it would be hard to for her to handle something other than a hunting knife, she would regardless kill the bird no matter how many clumsy swings it took.

She turned to the prince crouching beside her, and she noticed how his enthralling eyes were keenly staring at their prey.

"My lord, can I be the one to kill it?" She asked for permission softly.

"You want to kill both of them?" He inquired as he glanced at her.

The confusion was obvious on Ru Naya's face and prince Jun Liyun pointed towards the bird's back. This time Ru Naya studied it carefully and noticed that there was a small tuft of fur raised on the top of its back. She wondered what she was looking at when the clump of hair suddenly flapped its tiny wings.

A baby lyren, Ru Naya realized as she stared at the bird as it picked up some water in its beak and turned around to give it to the baby bird on its back. The young bird chirped excitedly as it pecked inside the a.d.u.l.t bird's open beak.

"It is not the same bird that had chased you. Mother lyren birds don't leave their young alone even while hunting," His voice was low as he informed her.

Ru Naya stared at the pair of lyren birds who were going about their life, unaware of how close they were to their deaths. Since the baby was too small to fight back, Ru Naya could kill it in one swing. She knew prince Jun Liyun could keep the mother bird occupied before Ru Naya focused her attention back on her. However, Ru Naya hesitated and she bit her lip in indecision. She wanted to kill the bird that had chased her, and these lyren birds were her not her target and she wasn't the one to kill out of spite.

She turned to look at the prince and she realized that he was studying her carefully. She tried to discern what those eyes had examined about her, but all she was greeted by was two frozen green pools that were apathetic.

"I know I asked for you to go hunting with me but I cannot kill these birds. I am sorry, but we should head back to the imperial campground now." She apologized to him.

"Interesting," He commented cooly, "You don't want to hunt anymore. Don't you need to earn gold by selling the carcasses of these birds?"

"Hm?" Ru Naya was surprised, "No, I usually give the bodies to my boyfriend Yan Lin, so that he can have meat for his family and earn gold from selling the hides in the market. I don't keep anything."

Was it Ru Naya's imagination or did those enticing cold eyes turn even more frigid?

Ru Naya had never seen the lyren birds scared before, however she didn't ponder over it. Instead wondered why the prince suddenly reverted back to his cold personality again. Was he mad because she had stopped the hunt? She wanted to apologize but the prince turned around and marched back towards the camp. Ru Naya felt her heart sink as she followed him silently.