Free Princess Ahira by K.M. Shea

away from him. He angrily eyed me. I could tell he never thought I’d refuse him. “Don’t you want to see your brother?” he coaxed. I paused for a moment, caught completely off guard.
                  He took this second to pounce on me , grabbing me by the waist before slinging me over his shoulder.
                  “Put me down!” I frantically screamed as I kicked and punched his armor-covered body. He ignored me and mounted his horse.
                  “Azmaveth!” I yelled, hoping that by some miracle he would come soaring down from the sky. He didn’t. 
                  The prince snickered and placed me in front of his him on his mount, wheeled his horse around, and cued the horse down the drive way. To our surprise a nother dark shape stood between us and the end of the driveway. 
                  He wasn’t close enough to the torches for me to see him, but I could tell that he was wearing sky blue robes. 
                  “Stand aside!” t he p rince snarled as I tried to climb off his horse while he was distracted. He caught me by the waist and hauled me back onto the saddle, my back painfully scraping against his armor. 
                  “The l ad y asked for you to put her down,” t he shape respectfully said .
                  “The p rincess is in her wrong mind. Now move o r I will run you over,” t he p rince confidently scoffed as his charger snorted and pawed at the ground. 
                  I squeaked and the shape made no movements. “Have it your way,” t he p rince said, kicking his horse which shot forward. 
                  The man in the middle of the road muttered and his hands glowed with blue lights. There was a blinding light and the horse reared, se nding the prince and I flying. I screamed and cringed as I prepared myself for the hard landing, but to my surprise I was cradle d in the arms of the stranger. I looked up and the light, which hadn’t disappeared, illuminated hi m . 
                  “You’re the stalker m age from yesterday afternoon!” I blu rted out as I recognized his brown hair and sky blue eyes.
    He cringed at my word choice.
    “Thanks,” I added , intending to soften the blow. I blushed when he didn’t release me. His eyes were fastened on the prince who was slowly standing up.
                  “Arrogant wizard!” the prince said, glaring as he unsheathed his sword and rushed at us. 
                  The mage blinked and a huge f ireball shot towards the prince. He dodged it but got the ends of his golden hair singed. The prince, more furious tha n ever , leaped at us again . 
                  This time a riv er that appeared out of nowhere r ushed forth and surrounded the prince and his horse. “Leave and never return to this hallow,” th e mage yelled most impressively over the roar of the waters. The river surged and carried the prince and his mount away.
                  “They’ll be fine, right? Would you put me down? Why are you here anyway?” I asked, unable to stop the babble of questions that burst from my mouth.
                  “Yes, the prince and his steed will survive , ” t he mage s oothed as he set me on my feet. “The river will drop them off at the house of a particularly dumb prin cess. T hey will be a perfect match,” he predicted. “That’s what I would like to think anyway. Who knows what will happen to him?”
                  My forehead wrinkled. This boy seemed odd. “Thank you for saving me,” I said with sincerity. The mage blushed, his light magic still lighting u p the driveway for us. “Erm,” I said. It was only right that I invite him in for a cup of tea. But after that prince experience I wasn’t exactly cheering for male company at the moment .
                  In the end my good breeding