The pair turned around and saw the princess approaching them. She had an amused smile on her face as she glanced between the two.
Because Hael had grown accustomed to being able to converse with animals, he'd forgotten that normal mortals couldn't understand animal speech, and so, to outsiders, it looked as though Hael was talking to himself or having a one-sided conversation with a regular bird. It created quite the odd picture.
"Loki is a dear friend of mine. I converse with him like I would any other person. Is that wrong?" he asked.
The princess's smile deepened. "Of course not. I think it's quite refreshing to see a man have so much care for an animal. You don't see that very often here," she replied.
She stood next to Hael, placing her hand on the railing as she briefly turned her attention toward the sky before looking back at him. "He's a beautiful bird. I've never seen one with eyes so green," she said.
Loki lifted his head to look at the princess and felt a burst of pride in himself. Of course, he was a beautiful bird—he was a divine animal, after all. Hael smiled as he noticed the smug look on the bird's face.
"He is," he agreed.
The princess's gaze lingered on Hael for a moment before she spoke once more. "He isn't the only beautiful thing here," she started to say. "You aren't so bad yourself."
Hael's head snapped up as he looked at the princess with wide eyes. He wasn't expecting to be complimented by the young woman, and he didn't know how to handle the attention she was giving him. He was flattered but also felt uncomfortable.
The princess, on the other hand, couldn't take her eyes off him. From the moment Hael had stepped foot in the throne room, she had been completely taken by him—not just his appearance, but the way he carried himself and showed attention and care to the people around him. He had kind eyes, and despite his prowess and handsomeness, he didn't show any traces of hubris or vanity like most men would have, had they been in his place. He held a high position of prestige and yet acted humbly. Hael was everything Emani was looking for in a man, and she wanted him at all costs.
Having reached the age of marriage, the princess was expected to find someone to wed, and though she had the choice to choose whom she wanted to marry, her options were quite limited, given how boorish and childish the men around her were. Just when she had chosen to give up on finding the one for her, Hael showed up in all of his glory, sweeping her off her feet. It was as if this was meant to be.
She gave him a light and coquettish smile, expecting sweet words in return, but unfortunately for her, Hael wasn't interested in her advances.
"Though I appreciate your affections, Princess, I am afraid I am already spoken for," Hael said, his eyes falling on Ceremus, who was still conversing with King Aeson.
The princess followed his line of sight before glancing back at Hael. She saw love and affection oozing from his cerulean eyes, and it was evident, even to her, that Hael only had eyes for Ceremus. She felt her heart break at that moment, sadness flashing across her face before she regained her composure.
"So the King of Trojas is the one you fancy, then," she said with a knowing smile. Hael's eyes widened, surprised by her words.
Emani couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. She found it incredibly endearing. "I see the way you look at him. The blush that paints your cheeks doesn't lie. I never had a chance to begin with," she whispered to herself.
Though her expression looked sad, there was still a smile that tugged at her lips.
"He's lucky to be the object of your affection. God knows how much I long to have someone look at me the way you do him."
Hael smiled as well. "I only hope he shares the same feelings I have for him," he said softly.
I'm sure he does, given the daggers coming my way just by being next to you, she thought but chose not to speak her thoughts out loud.
Ceremus glanced in their direction, his golden eyes darkening with irritation.
~*~
"You look bored. Why do you have a bored expression on your face while you have a gladius piercing a beast in the jugular?" Helena asked Anthanasia while swinging a hundred-pound beast of her own onto her shoulder.
The huntress let out a sigh. "That's what I want to know too," she mumbled.
"Isn't it obvious why she's bored? Her friend, the white-haired giant, isn't here to entertain her," Helia said as she walked out of the woods with two beasts in hand.
Anthanasia shot her a glare, which Helia ignored.
"You know it's true."
"He's only been gone a week now, and you already miss him? I didn't know you two were that close," Helena said.
"I don't know. It all happened so fast, and before I realized it, he'd become someone I care about," she admitted.
The twins glanced at each other before looking back at the huntress. Since they had completed their task, they were on their way back to the city.
"Do your affections towards Sir Hael extend to romantic feelings, or…?" Helena couldn't help but ask, though she couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.
Technically speaking, the three women hadn't sworn a vow of chastity to the goddess Armedes just yet, but they were planning on doing so in the future. None of the women in the guild had any interest in getting married, but they were holding back on making their promise for the moment. It was a big decision to make, one that could alter their lives—one they couldn't take back once the deal was done.
The twins had always thought that Anthanasia would end up making that vow sooner rather than later, but with the appearance of Hael, they weren't so sure anymore. It wasn't common for men and women in this world to have platonic relationships, especially if they didn't work with each other or grow up together. So it wasn't strange for them to suspect Anthanasia might have come to like Hael in a romantic sense.
The huntress could tell what both twins were thinking and let out an annoyed sigh. "We really should start normalizing men and women only being friends. I have no interest in Hael, nor does he have any interest in me," she said.
Helia scoffed at her words. "What makes you say that? No man has ever not liked you before. How is he any different?"
Anthanasia cast the young woman a brief glance before looking away. "Not all men are the same, just like not all women are the same. We hunt, we kill, we work for a living, while most women in our country don't. We are different, and the same could be said for men. Not all of them are interested in women or pursuing women." She shrugged.
"So you think Hael isn't interested in being in a relationship, then?" Helena asked.
Anthanasia stilled as she took in her words. A sudden thought came to mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
"I'm not sure. We've never discussed such matters before. But I'm certain that once he does find the person for him, he'll do everything in his power to be with that person. But that person isn't me."