Avander the Shadow Guard

“He’s the Crown Prince’s shadow twin.” Someone whispered in the hallways, and Avander, his face an expressionless mask did not turn. Instead he leaned against the wall and he watched the crown prince deal with the public people.

“I hear he killed three men protecting the prince from assassins.” Someone argued, and someone laughed.

“No, I heard it was seven.” Someone else interrupted.

“It’s thirteen. My cousin’s wife’s brother in law was there.” Someone said,.

Avander could hear everything. It was not that his hearing was exceptional, it was just that the room was an average sized one, and the other body guards occupied the other wall. While they were whispering, and while it would have been hard to figure out the words had you not been listening, listening was what Avander was good at. He listened partly because he was always supposed to be aware of everything his crown prince did, but also because he did actually grow bored, being by himself. He didn’t mind the rumors. In fact, often times it was those he had started in the first place. He, Glory and the crown prince would often laugh over a meal of rice wine for them, water for him and some meat buns at the twist the tales would take. But he still grew bored, and as he watched the crown prince deal with the foreign affairs, he counted down the minutes until they could go away, and he could relax this act. It was fun, but it was just an act.

“Avander, I wonder what they would do if you actually walked into a room, smiled and laughed at someones joke?” Glory, his exact replica but more prettier asked this with a grave face, frowning as she did so and munching on a ripe fruit.

Avander paused, actually considering the question and the crown prince snorted.

“They would think he had gone even more crazy, that it is a gigantic conspiracy of sorts and somehow make him appear to be the cold warrior whose only putting on a face for what ever outlandish reason.” He waved his hands as he spoke and grinned.

Avander grunted in response. “All this cold act is actually tiring.” He complained lightly, and Glory, snorting at his words threw a towel at him in response.

“I bet. At least you have the freedom to move around and kill things.” There was jealousy in her tone, and Avander arched a brow in surprise.

“I thought you liked being fawned over.” He teased, and had another towel thrown at him. “I wonder what the public would say if they saw you like this,” he shot back.

“That you deserved it and that any well behaved woman would flip.” She retorted.

The crown prince snickered. “Any well behaved woman would flip … onto her back for him.” There was a slight gleam in his eyes. “You really have to do something about those fans of yours… I think some women have this thing for tall cold men.”

‘Ooh.” Glory purred. “Didn’t you know?” she was teasing, but Avander was still uncomfortable about it because he didn’t know how to deal with women.

The Crown Prince snorted. “You don’t like men anyways, glory.” He pointed this out casually. “Why are you saying anything?”

Glory stuck her tongue out at him in response.

Avander had this habit of blending in with his surroundings. No,  it was not that really. It was just that somehow, although everyone noticed him, they did not. It was what had assassins die by his sword easily, what had men and women both think they had fooled him into some trap only to be surprised by the swiftness of his actions. Had someone known him, and had someone known the dragons of Dragon Tears they would not have been surprised to see that he was standing at Eikan Forest, for a camoflauge dragon.

But he was still stunned.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” He muttered.

“Believe it.” The dam of the clutch shot back. “And stop muttering to yourself like a moody child.”

Avander was about to retort back to this, say something about moody dragons except he paused, because he realized that the dragon was right. He was acting like a child.