Chapter 233: Hunting

[ Osian ]

All week his brother seemed off, and Osian couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something. Not only was Selvin acting smitten with Loraven, but she was also acting nicer to the pair of them. That was when there was no other company.

Now they were on a hunt in the snow. It was tradition, and yet so different to their own hunt, whereby there were no dogs or horses to help them travel long distances. Instead of hunting for a day and returning to a campsite or the palace grounds for rest and food, they stayed in the wilderness. It was currently their third day, and Osian was close to returning to the palace.

The cold was too much, even with the clothing gifted to them by the Lyvarians for the brutal weather. Osian had yet to catch anything, whereas the Lyvarians, aware of their surroundings and the best spots to find these great white elk, among other creatures, caught a lot. On the first day, Loraven pulled her own catches back on a sledge and placed it in the area servants would then retrieve their prizes to return to the palace.

The princess was now currently with them covered in furs like the rest of them, belted at the waist, weapons resting on her hip and bow and arrows at her back. The daylight was gradually decreasing, and with it, it grew colder. Selvin caught four hares by luck, Osian believed.

"Osh, there should be some hares up ahead. If you cannot shoot, then set a trap. I will not tell the others," Loraven winked with a giggle before turning away and leaning against one of the pine trees, crossing her arms nonchalantly.

The princess most likely caught enough game that she probably won the competition, or like how her personality came across, she didn’t care.

Osian nodded with a grimace as he pulled his mask higher to cover his nose. He stalked forwards, his feet quiet along the snow as he held onto the bow and arrow, pointing down whilst searching the snowy landscape for these white hares. It was quite impossible. It also looked like the wind was picking up with more flurries of snow.

Yet, while Osian was trying to focus on the task at hand, his thoughts returned to the Lyvarian princess.

Somehow in these moments, his nickname, Osh, had begun to leave her lips. Osian had to admit it sounded much nicer coming from a stunning she-elf, such as herself than his brother. Though, he was still wary of her.

Loraven acted kind and friendly towards them away from others but returned to the ice princess among her own kind. It was discomforting, as though she was trying to gain their trust. Since Selvin told him to be wary and not to sleep with any elf, he did exactly as his brother asked.

He stopped and processed stuff more before acting. Okay, maybe a week was too early to tell he’d made real progress in that area, but he noticed how much stuff he hadn’t been messing up with.

The only minor thing he had yet to give up, though, was his elven handmaiden, who assisted him in the bath, dressing and removing his clothes. Like how Selvin was besotted by Loraven like a puppy dog, Osian had become a little too obsessed with Kavrala, or Kav as he’d started to call her in heated, passionate embraces.

But how could he not? Her figure was made for him, and there was nothing for her to report to the king and queen.

Unless they wanted to know all the positions he put her in? Not once had he spoken about anything of importance with her, and she did not probe or question further.

Any other servants who came into his chambers were swiftly sent away, revealing only Kav to be his ’favourite’. The others were just as beautiful, but he did take his brother’s advice to some extent and remained vigilant.

Focusing on the hunt now and not on the beauty that would be awaiting him in his chambers, Osian pressed forwards. He calmed his breathing and crouched when he finally noticed the outline of a white hare. Pulling back the bowstring, he aimed and released the arrow.

Like it knew he was there all along, the hare dodged it and hopped away speedily.

"They have to be enchanted or something," Osian grumbled to himself, narrowing his eyes at the spot where the hare had been. There was no way it would see his arrow coming and dodge it in that split second.

"Are they enchanted?" He called over his shoulder, but nobody answered him. Looking behind him, Osian realised his brother and Loraven were not with him. "Bastards." He glanced to the sky and cursed again.

Osian never believed his brother would ever leave him in this foreign elven land or be foolish enough to follow Loraven like a lost puppy. He will have words with Selvin when he returns to the small camp they made next to a cave.

Hunting trips were places where accidents took place, lives could sometimes be lost, and in these snowy peaks and enchanted lands, Osian knew they were both easy prey to both animals, magical creatures and elves. He surveyed the area some more, but the winds were picking up more snow, and although he had never grown up to such winters, the prince now knew when a blizzard was afoot.

Loraven taught them the signs one morning when they broke their fast in the tense hall among the king and queen and their courtiers.

"Blast it all," he muttered as the wind made a shiver run down his spine, and he clutched the hood of his cloak around his face, eyes narrowing slightly to the iciness in the air. His vision blurred from tears as he shuffled his way back to their cave, not seeing the tread marks in the snow because of the blizzard.

If the prince did, he would have seen the human footprints running away from large clawed footprints four times the size of them. These led away from the area where Loraven and Selvin split from Osian. The pair ran the moment the creature’s eyes landed on them and their heavy-footed steps in the snow.

Loraven was surprised and happy to see that the wild beast of an ’umzki’ was not aware of Osian, who would have been easier prey. Luckily this beast that was cross between a white-furred boar with tusks and lion claws and tail, and was also four times the size of a normal lion, was also blind. They relied heavily on sound and the vibrations in the snow.

The younger princeling had been so focused on hunting and remaining quiet that it kept such a predator away from him. That meant Loraven and Selvin led the beast away and ended up stuck in a cave from the blizzard. Unlike the prince, Loraven had been laughing and gleeful at being chased.

It kept the beast chasing after them until they were far away from Osian, and they could sneak off. It was all very thrilling, and Loraven couldn’t help but smile up at Selvin, whose hand she clutched onto as she led them away.

To Loraven, it was a thrill she sought daily for a fix from her court life, but to him, it was certainly more exciting than what he was used to. The princess couldn’t help but smirk at him as she scanned the cave, making sure there were no more predators to be wary of. After a final check and nod of her head, Selvin leaned into her from behind, his hands going over her waist.

"We are finally alone," he whispered into her ear. It made her shiver as desire pooled into her core from his light touch and his husky voice right beside such a sensitive area of her body.

Loraven chuckled lightly. "You do not care for your brother?" She knew Selvin did but could not help but poke at him a little.

Selvin dropped his face into her neck, his right hand going under her breeches. "Of course I do. But it means I cannot be with you like this." Loraven leaned her head back at his tender touch, inciting a shocked gasp from her throat.

Loraven could not trust herself around this prince. His words had been growing with more and more affection. Something she was not used to and solely relied on his touch and kisses. He was too sweet, and she loved and loathed him for it.

Loathed because once he was gone, she would crave his touch, his kisses and this closeness. To keep herself from completely falling over the edge for him and stopping herself from saying something she shouldn’t, Loraven turned her head and slid her lips against his as her gasps turned to moans and clothes were swiftly removed.

On the other end of the cave, Osian was wrapped up in his furs, half asleep beside a small fire, worrying about Selvin and Loraven. He believed they’d returned to camp, but he was a little unsettled now that they weren’t there and some strange quiet noises were coming from the cave. That night, he barely slept even when the noise lessened.

Did something bad happen to them?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read