Free Betrayal by Cyndi Goodgame

-v. ask someone repeatedly and annoyingly for something
     
    Pike tried again at dinner, the range the next day, and at lunch a second time but this time, I didn’t escape.  I had a plan though.
    He brushed against me as I moved to sit at the noon meal in a repeat performance at precisely the same time the guard asked to talk to Ian.  Now I wondered if Pike had planted the guard on a wild goose chase around the court since it happened yesterday and I noticed again this morning on the range.
    I’m not crazy.  You’re the insane, bipolar one.  And I’m not deaf either.  I hear things.
    He acted like he was telling the guard something, but he also told me, So do I.  Besides, I heard once from a good source that I was a Hot Piece of—
    “PIKE!” I yelled in his face.  I was so expecting a different response from him.  I looked around frantic to see if anyone paid us any attention.  It didn’t appear so.
    I mouthed a NO before I could do or verbalize anything.  I clung to his shirt and held on with the intention of forcing his antics to show in front of Ian, but it didn’t come across quite like the ideal plan I had in my head.  He tried to move away from me before Ian saw.  Who knows, maybe he was trying to save me from myself.  And then again, perhaps not.
    You’re not going anywhere buddy.   Panic echoed through his blazing eyes as I balled my fist up tighter.  The guard left n a hurry.
    Stop badgering me.
    Stop making eyes at me.
    Stop trying to make eye contact with me.
    Stop—
    We both looked towards Ian and saw his confusion as to why I held Pike’s shirt to me.  He said something to the guard without looking away and edged up beside Pike.  How did he make me feel ten different emotions at a time and feel bad about it?
    “Something the matter?” Ian asked with no feeling in his voice.  Like he wasn’t angry at all.  Like he wasn’t plotting bad tidings.  My face exemplified how unjust my feelings were to so said MEN!
    Scrupulous Pike splayed both hands in the air and said, “Minding my own business when Grace here grabs me.”  His wicked ways were never ending.
    Ian looked at me for the answers.  His glare wanted to believe or not believe but was too hard to read.  So I went with not .  He actually believed that …that…barbarian.  “Ian, he’s lying.  You would not want to know what he keeps saying to me.”  I hated myself for letting him get me so worked up.
    “What?”  Pike looked at the people around at the table.  Same people as always who never speak and always listen.  “Did I say anything to her?”
    I turned to Pike and said through my teeth very slowly and deliberately, “No matter how you try to rearrange it Pike, a circle can’t be bent to shape a square.”  Insatiable idiot!
    Every last one of them stinking shook their heads like I was the instigator. Supercilious men!  Arg!
    I stood, grunted, and stomped off dragging Ian with me.  Very unbecoming of a queen, I know.  All the while I was willing my mind to tell him the lascivious secrets Pike held, but refrained.  When I told him about the specifics of his “get me alone” techniques, he was livid and willed him. Not to pop a fuse in front of me right now.
    When we were far enough away from what I thought was hearing distance, I told Ian the rest of what Pike said to me while inner mind mingling.  I hated to do it, but I wouldn’t let Pike lie about me.  “Can you not assign him somewhere else?”  I all but begged, heart pounding.  No, I begged .   When I’d just begun to feel comfortable around Pike like things would remain friendly with him, he backtracked on his motives.
    “Grace, you misunderstand his relationship to me.  He follows the current prince, but he walks freely.  He only helps me, because it involves you.”  A sad smile pulled up on the corner of his mouth, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
    Oh! 
    “Otherwise, he would not be here.”
    His twisted, angry face changed