AN:

Hello.

Don't forget to share your thoughts on the latest update! Happy Reading! :D

W

*  *  *

We were still within the forest, the moonlight filtering through the trees and the warmth of the bonfire creating a soft glow around us. As it got darker, we couldn’t keep going, so the jerk found a safe spot for us to stop and rest for the night. I was leaning against a tree, while His Majesty sat on a log across from me.

After we left the elfins, he had grown increasingly quiet. The only time he spoke to me was when he informed me we were going to camp here tonight.

That’s all.

After that, he never spoke to me again. Even when he handed me half of his bread, he just did it in silence.

I couldn’t help but keep my gaze fixed on him while he seemed focused watching the fire. With no one of us talking, it became eerily quiet. The only sounds you could hear around us were the crackling of the fire and the distant chirping of crickets.

The silence started to feel heavy, like there was something invisible pressing on me. When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I broke the quiet.

“Who are you?” I blurted out, my voice slicing through the stillness of the night.

He lifted his head slowly, his dark gaze meeting mine with a curious look. “Who are you?” he asked back, enunciating the last word.

Here we go again. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him.

“I already told you my name back in the cave. My name is Sarani,” I said, sounding a little frustrated. I got why he was a little suspicious of me, but, duh, why would I even lie to him?

“Where are you from?” he asked, not letting up.

I shrugged, feeling unsure. “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything about my past.”

He looked at me closely, like he was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. “You want me to believe that?”

A snort escaped me. “I couldn’t care less whether you believe me or not, but that’s the truth. I woke up in a dark cell one day, with no memory of who I am or where I came from.”

He tipped his head to the side, his caramel eyes studying me. “You mentioned you were running from someone.” I nodded. “Is the person pursuing you the same one who imprisoned you?”

Before I could escape, I promised myself not to trust anyone. But for some unknown reason, I couldn’t stop myself from trusting this jerk. He made me feel at ease and yet, at the same time, he managed to get on my nerves.

The conflicting emotions he stirred within me confused me, like there was a sense of familiarity between us. Like I had met him before, but if I really did, then why didn't he know me? Every time he gazed at me, he looked at me as if I were a stranger.

Setting aside these confusing thoughts, for now, I refocused on him. “Yes.”

“Why?” he pressed.

I raised one shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe I was sold to her, or perhaps I crossed her in some way.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “Her?”

I nodded, my gaze darting to the fire. “Yes. Medea kept me locked up for months. The only time I could get out of my cell was to clean her house, make her food, and wash her clothes. Then, after I completed all my tasks, she would bring me back to my cell.”

The fire crackled in the background as we exchanged words.

“How did you manage to escape?”

With a deep sigh, I met his gaze. “Medea and her right-hand man, Humbert, went to town, leaving me with some of her henchmen. One of them was Scar.” A bitter taste filled my mouth as I thought of that motherer. “Scar had always been a threat to me, making lewd advances and groping me whenever he got the chance. Humbert had intervened once, hitting Scar when he saw him forcing himself onto me. Medea ordered Scar to stay away from me, but I knew he was biding his time.” I paused, my anger and resentment surfacing. “Scar saw his chance when Medea and Humbert left. He entered my cell, intending to violate me. But he underestimated me. After he attempted to force himself on me that day, I had hidden a kitchen knife under my pillow. I let him come close to me, kissing me, and then I stabbed him in the neck. That’s when I escaped.”

The crackling fire cast dancing shadows across his features as his gaze remained locked onto mine, his expression unreadable.

“You’ve been through quite the ordeal,” he finally said, his voice holding a tinge of empathy that caught me off guard.

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Yes, it was... a nightmare.”

I’d never cried when I woke up in a dark cell with no memories. I’d never cried whenever Medea whipped my back every time I tried to escape, only for me to fail. But this time, in the presence of this stranger who managed to get on my nerves, I wanted to let the tears fall.

I wanted to cry for what I endured in the hands of Medea, for my lost memories, and for my uncertain future.

But before I could do that, YM (short for Your Majesty, since I couldn’t call him an , or a jerk, the whole time I was with him, right?) spoke again.

“Why did you trust me?”

I shrugged. “I shouldn’t, but it felt like I could trust you. Despite your jerkish facade, something in me told me you’re different from Scar, Humbert, and all the people who wanted to hurt me,” I replied, mustering a friendly smile.

His assessing eyes bore into mine, but he said nothing. As the weight of his gaze grew, I shifted uncomfortably. Finally, after a short while, he spoke.

“You should not do that,” he returned, a tinge of warning in his voice.

My brows creased, confused. “I shouldn’t what?”

His gaze held a certain weight as he met my eyes. “Trust me or anyone,” he advised cryptically.

I looked at him for a moment, my eyes encircling his face. He didn’t look that old for him to be so cynical unless he had experienced something painful in life. My curiosity got the better of me, so I let out the question that had been bugging me ever since I woke up in the cave with his sword pressing against my throat.

“Who hurt you, Your Majesty?”

At that moment, a myriad of emotions swept across his features, something akin to remorse, grief, and sadness, but they were gone as quickly as they had come, replaced by a somber one.

“Get some rest. We will be leaving early in the morning,” he declared, his tone final as he shifted, settling down on the ground to sleep.

*  *  *

After several hours of riding, we reached the outskirts of the first village we came across after leaving the forest. The village was called Braemar, according to YM. As we approached the village, a smile spread across my face as I took in the breathtaking surroundings. Braemar looked like a whimsical village, with its wooden houses and colorful lanterns.

Not wanting to impose on YM any longer, I decided it was time to part ways.

“You can drop me off there, and you can continue on your way,” I told him, pointing at an enormous fountain in the middle of the square.

YM took the reins, guiding Blaze to the fountain. Once there, he helped me down from Blaze’s back.

“Are you certain you will be safe here?” he asked, his expression blank, but I could detect some concern and hesitation in his voice.

I nodded, my gaze sweeping over the quaint village. “Yes, I think so. There’s something about this place that makes me feel at ease. Perhaps I’ve been here before. I’ll take a walk around and maybe someone will recognize me.”

YM regarded me for a moment, his gaze searching mine. My smile grew wider to assure him and ease any guilt he might be feeling for leaving me alone.

“Don’t worry. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself. You should go on ahead,” I said. “Thank you so much for all your help.”

He didn’t respond immediately, a moment of silence