Chapter Six: Strains:

Back on Mykondra, Galen stared at the back of this farmer. Except for her big breasts, she looked rather boyish. That alone couldn’t even begin to cover how many questions that he had for her.

“You do this for a living?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered. Galen narrowed his eyes at her back.

“Why?”

She turned, giving him a funny look. “Why?”

Galen nodded so sincere. “Yeah.”

The farm girl sighed, placing her hand to her forehead. “You really don’t know, do you?” Galen frowned, furrowing his brow.

“I don’t think I like your tone,” he said. The farmer frowning, shaking her head.

“I don’t have time for this,” she muttered under her breath.

“Excuse me?”

The farmer waved him off and picked up her hoe. Galen watched her get straight to work. He wasn’t a stranger to seeing farmers working in their fields on his own and other islands. However, they were all strong, grown men. She was different because of her appearance, gender, and age. Galen tilted his head.

“How old are you?” he asked. The farmer looked up at him.

“Why?” she asked. Galen shrugged his shoulders.

“You look too young to be a farmer,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Galen waved his hand back and forth, jumping. “I don’t mean to come off sounding rude. It’s just I don’t see people my age working in the fields.”

“Then how do you eat?”

“The men do all of the farming.”

“Men?”

“Yeah.”

The farmer furrowed her brows. “Strange…”

Galen tilted his head. “Why is that?”

She leaned on her hoe. “Everyone on this island works for their food. If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”

The prince thought about that philosophy. “It does make sense in practice. It wouldn’t be fair to sponge off of someone else’s hard work.” The farmer picked up her hoe and went back to work.

“Seventeen,” she answered. Galen looked up.

“Sorry?” he asked. The farmer glanced over in his direction.

“I’m seventeen,” she repeated. The prince gave her a curious look. She’s the same age as me, he thought. Galen clapped his hands together.

“Teach me how to farm!” he said. She nearly dropped the hoe at her feet.

“Are you serious?” she asked.

“Yes!”

She rolled back her shoulders, sighing. “You are weird.” Still, he probably wouldn’t go away until he got what he wanted. She also had to get her chores done for the day.

“Fine,” the farmer said. “Watch closely. I will not repeat myself.” Galen walked over to her side as she picked up her hoe. Meanwhile in the bushes, a pair of eyes watched the pair try to work in the field. As the prince struggled to learn the ropes, the owner of the eyes began planning their futures after this mission.

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