Honey : The Empire's Treasure 133 Once, Twice...Third Time The Charm

Saavi glanced to where Jonas ran off to then where Kaze walked off to and shook her head.

"Both of them have their panties in a bunch."

Picking up the map, Saavi looked over the Vlacca clan's estate praying that Mika is okay.

____

"Braeden!" Ailwin stormed into Braeden's tent and threw a wristband at his head.

"You had it...? I thought I lost it in the city." Braeden said, putting the band back on his wrist.

"Lost it?...*sigh* Braeden, did you make a bet with that girl?" Feeling a raging headache coming on, Ailwin took a seat and pour himself a cup of tea.

"En."

"En!?"

"Yes, but it was only a small bet, you can't can it seriously," Braeden said taking off his filthy armor and clothes.

"Oh...? I can't take it seriously. Then why is she telling me that you belong to her now!" Ailwin slammed the cup down and pointed to the door of the tent, where Mika just happens to walk in.

"Am I interrupting?" Mika looked at Ailwin then at Braeden who stood s.h.i.+rtless, pantless, and shoeless.

"Mmm...not bad, not bad." Mika nodded her head, giving Braeden a thumbs up after checking out his physique.

Braeden stood there astounded by Mika's unexpected entry into his tent and also by her att.i.tude at seeing his body.

"Are you not going to put on some clothes!?" Ailwin yelled as he ran to Mika's side, s.h.i.+elding her eyes from Braeden's body.

Startled by Ailwin's yell, Braeden hastily found some clothes to put on.

"Why is she in here!?" And why are you yelling at me!? This is my tent! Braeden thought as he looked at Ailwin covering Mika's eyes, begrudgingly.

"Just cover yourself! We'll ask questions afterward..." Ailwin didn't know what to think of what is going on right now. When he saw Mika looking at Braeden's body, his impulsively ran to block her eyesight.

By the time he realized what he was doing, the words had already left his mouth, and Mika was in his embrace.

What the h.e.l.l!? Ailwin thought as he looked down at the top of Mika's head.

Why did I get so angry at Braeden?

"I'm done." Braeden stood in front of Ailwin fully dressed.

Ailwin was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't see him nor hear him.

"Ailwin! I said I'm done." Braeden tapped Ailwin's shoulder.

"Uh? Oh...yea..okay." Releasing Mika from his arms, Ailwin took a couple steps back.

After blinking away the spots in her vision, Mika looked at Braeden and smiled.

"General Ginwenys, whatever you are doing is working, keep up the good work!"

Mika's praise made both Ailwin and Braeden irritated for different reasons.

"Enough!... How dare you enter my tent!"

"What wrong with a master entering her servant's tent?"

"M-Master!?....Who?...You?"

"Yes."

"Since when are you my master?"

"Since you lost the bet."

"Bet? What be-...Oh, you got to be kidding me!"

"Why?" Mika seems confused as she looked at Braeden.

"Shouldn't a general keep his word." Turning to Ailwin, she pointed at Braeden, "Is this the kind of honorable general you were talking about?"

Bring Braeden's honor into question cause him to blow to top.

"You stinking little brat, you know d.a.m.n well that bet was just a harmless joke!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

Ailwin couldn't believe how low his friend has fallen.

"Enough! Both of you!" Walking back to his chair, Ailwin sat down and drank a whole cup of tea before looking at his friend.

"Did you make a bet with her?"

"Ailwin!"

"Just answer the question."

"Yes."

"Did you say you will become hers if she wins?"

"Yes."

"....did she win?"

"....yes."

Ailwin threw the cup at Braeden's head. "Idiot!"

Mika couldn't stop her giggles and laughed freely at Braeden's pain.

"Ailwin, it's not that serious. Besides, no one else was there when we made the bet except for our people, she can't do anything," Braeden said while rubbing the knot on his forehead.

"My family knows." Mika washed away Braeden's hopes of hiding this.

"What?... How could your family know?" Braeden didn't believe one word this girl said. She had already played how many tricks on him, he wouldn't fall any more.

"Check your wristband... I sent the recording to my family."

"Check." Braeden didn't want to entertain the girl, but he had to follow Ailwin's orders.

A few moments later, Braeden looks up at Ailwin and wanted to cry. When Ailwin saw Braeden's expression, he knew what Mika said was true.

*Sigh*

"Braeden, you stay here. Mikaela, you come with me." Ailwin escorted Mika out of the tent, but before he could leave Braeden pulled him back.

"Don't let her take me...I won't survive!" Remembering Mika's wicked ways, Braeden trembled.

"Scared to lose, but not afraid to bet...*sigh* See to the men, I'll handle this." With that, Ailwin left the quivering Braeden behind.

Leading Mika into his tent, Ailwin showed her a seat and gave her food to eat and drink.

"You sent the recording to your family so they would come looking for General Ginwenys if something happened to you, did you?" Ailwin had been confused about why Mika wasn't scared when coming across his men in the city. For a young miss, she should have had some reservations.

"Yes. How else am I supposed to protect myself?" Mika smiled as she ate a cookie from the plate him put between them.

"I understand...but I can't give you my general."

"Why?... You have plenty of others."

"He's special." Ailwin grabbed a cookie off of the plate and ate it.

"Oooh...he's a dunce..."Mika said as she grabbed another cookie from the plate.

*Cough!* *Cough!*

"No! No, not that kind of special. I mean, he's my friend." Ailwin almost choked to death. If Braeden knew what this little girl thought of him, he would probably beat his chest in agony.

"What if we make a trade?"

"A trade?... Okay, what do you have in mind?" Mika took another cookie from the plate. She only been eating the food at the Vlacca and didn't have much of a breakfast. These plates of snacks were all she needed to get her appet.i.te going.

"How about we see you safely back to your family?" Ailwin took another cookie off of the plate.

"Weren't you going to do that already?" Mika grabbed another cookie.

"How about a royal recommendation to the school of your choice?" Since she's thirteen, she should be starting school soon, Ailwin thought and pick up another cookie.

"No. I can get in on my own, thank you very much." If I were to receive a royal recommendation, do you know how much-unwanted attention I would get, no thank you!

Mika grabbed the last cookie from the plate when suddenly Ailwin seized her wrist.

"What are you doing!?"

"What are you doing, that's my cookie!"

"What!?"

"You've had four cookies already, that last one is mine."

"You've been counting the cookies?" Mika smirked.

"Yes. We should be fair, now give it." Ailwin held out his hand. He didn't care that Mika was laughing at him, these were his favorite cookies. If it weren't for Breaden's blunder, he wouldn't even care to share them!

"You want it?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Mika licked the surface of the cookie and held it out for Ailwin to take.

Ailwin watched in a trance as Mika licked the last cookie and presented to him. Thinking back when a similar situation had happened to him before, Ailwin's mind subconsciously overlapped the Mika who was sitting across from him right now, with the Mika at the eatery.

Realizing they were the same person, Ailwin couldn't contain his outcry.

*Gasp!*

"You...!"

"En, me." And Mika threw the last cookie into her mouth.