The inside of the carriage was enveloped with silence. The prince simply remained still, closing his eyes as if he had shut himself down.
The night was getting deeper and Roselle could now feel the fatigue and dizziness from the rollercoaster of emotions from the day that even though she wanted to ponder her situation more, her mind began to float like clouds drifting aimlessly. She had been unable to sleep the few days before her wedding because of thoughts about her wedding and the Werewolf she was going to marry so she felt a little like an Undead Creature. She felt lightheaded and dizzy and she tried to find the right position for her to sleep, but to her dismay, whenever she did manage to nod off, the carriage bounced on the rough patches on the road and she was awakened again. At times, it was so bad that she nearly bumped her head against the wall.
This was the first time she had travelled by night, but Roselle knew she had to endure this. Her wedding was a secret and only the royals and her family knew about it. Common people didn't even know that Werewolves silently set foot in their midst. That was why their wedding happened at midnight. Now they needed to cross the border before daylight to avoid alarming the citizens who might spot the Werewolves who were with her.
So, she couldn't complain. This, too, was part of her duty, a duty she needed to endure.
The carriage rolled on and on, until suddenly, the carriage bounced and Roselle nearly fell on the floor. She was instantly startled and she lifted her face, just to find out that strong large hands held her shoulders, steadying her. Romeo had kept her from tumbling to the floor.
Still, she flinched and stiffened the moment their eyes met. His face darkened and he immediately let go of her. "You're not going to tell me I broke the deal because I touched you without permission, are you?" he asked in a cold but deep and mesmerizing voice. She couldn't believe that even his voice was too perfect. Why did nature bestow all these perfections to a creature like him? It wasn't fair!
Roselle shook her head like a rattle. "No, of course not. You saved me. T-there's no need to ask for permission in such circumstances."
His expression somewhat mellowed as he surveyed her.
"I think we should look for an inn –"
"No!" Roselle cut him off and when she realized how she answered him, she lowered her gaze. "I-t's okay. I… I'm fine. I am used to this. Besides, we need to cross the border before daylight."
The man fell silent but Roselle felt he was staring hard at her.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I would prefer a sleepless night rather than be the cause of a fight breaking out."
She heard his quiet sigh. They again both sat in silence. Roselle couldn't help but peek at him and she noticed the deep lines on his forehead getting deeper the more the carriage bounced. It occurred to her that he must hate riding a carriage. Werewolves, she heard, were faster than any creatures, even faster than birds. They were able to reach their destination many times quicker than humans. She hadn't witnessed any Werewolves in action so curiosity suddenly hit her.
"Is… is this your first time? Riding a carriage?" she asked.
His gaze fell on her and stared at her. "No, but this is the longest I have stayed inside one."
"Oh." She noticed that there seemed to be no one left of the numbers of Werewolves who were with them in the palace. They must have left them long ago. "How many hours would it take you to reach the imperial palace if I wasn't with you?"
"Just a couple of hours."
Roselle's eyes widened. She heard that it would take two days to reach the Werewolf empire. For a moment, her eyes flickered with amazement. She thought that to be able to travel like that would be amazing! She would not need to endure the uncomfortable and tedious carriage rides. Looking at him, she wondered if he was dying with impatience because he was forced to endure travelling at such a slow pace because of her. He would have been in the imperial palace right now, resting.
"You really don't need to accompany me –"
"Do I disgust you so much that you don't even want me inside the same carriage as you?" His eyes narrowed. Though his expression remained calm, Roselle felt chills as soon as she looked into his eyes.
Shaking her head, Roselle spoke. "No. That's not what I meant. I just thought it must be very uncomfortable for you to… stay in a carriage because you're not used to it. And also, I'm wondering how fun it will be to travel in a couple of hours without using carriage. I wish I could travel like that." Roselle quickly poured out her mind.
The displeasure in his eyes was quick to disappear causing Roselle to sigh in relief. Romeo looked so calm and still, literally like a harmless, perfect statue. His appearance, Roselle thought, must be the sole reason why she can speak to him like this without trembling in fear.
But she had also heard that Werewolves could become savage when angered so she was being very careful not to anger him. She didn't want to see this man with his eyes red and his fangs bared. Roselle didn't know if she would still be able to speak calmly to him like this once she saw him in that state.
"Are you saying you're used to this?" he asked. "You don't look any less comfortable, Rosella. I would rather carry you and get this trip over and done with, but I doubt you could withstand the cold outside this vehicle."
"C-carry me?"
"Yes. The others must have reached the capital by now if they travelled at full speed. I'd have to go slower if I was carrying you but even so, we would probably get there before daylight, but…" he surveyed her. "It's way too risky for you," he concluded.
Silence reigned between them once more because Roselle's eyes began to become heavy again. The rain that Roselle was dreading had also come. It was already cold as it was and now it was raining too! She drew her cloak closer against her chest as she began to feel the dropping temperature when...
"Come here," the Werewolf prince said suddenly, causing Roselle's head to whip towards him. "Lean on me and sleep."
Roselle blinked. She didn't expect his offer at all. And her shocked expression sold her out.
Romeo's face became a few shades darker again at the sight of her reaction and she saw his jaw clench slightly. "What's with that look?" He narrowed his eyes but in the next moment, he leaned in so close to her that Evie almost gasped. "Even if you think Werewolves are cold-blooded monsters, I am not just some werewolf to you now. Let me remind you once again," his voice hardened, "that I am also your husband. So stop expecting me to treat you like you're my enemy. Are we clear? Rosella?"
His words made her swallow and her heart pounded, but she eventually nodded, and he moved away and ran his fingers through his hair.
He looked at her again and spoke. This time, his voice was gentler and there was a welcoming expression in his eyes. "Come, wife. Don't worry, I don't have any plans to eat you."
"No one's allowed to hurt you, not even me. You have nothing to be scared about," he added gently and before Roselle realized it, as though he had cast a bewitching spell on her, she obeyed.He shifted and made room for her and then she found herself half lying on him with her back to his chest and his arm wrapped around her, holding her, keeping her tucked against him as the carriage lurched forward. It seemed her fatigue and dizziness had given her away because of how little resistance she had against his irresistible offer of comfort. The back of her head settled on his solid and hard chest, which suddenly felt like a cushion, as she relaxed comfortably.This was the first time she had experienced anything like this. She had never let any man hold her this way before. She found it overwhelming because, even in her lightheaded state, her body reacted in a strange way as he held her. And the most surprising thing was she didn't hate it. She had thought she would despise any physical
The sight of her surroundings made her swallow and goosebumps crawled on her skin. It wasn't just because of the biting cold, it was mostly because the valley felt absolutely eerie. In fact, eerie might still be an understatement to describe the place. All the countless trees were coal black and leafless as if they were all scorched to death. Black ravens were settled on the tree branches and they all looked like they were staring straight at them. Roselle couldn't see any plant that seemed to still be alive.A thick layer of snow had iced the ground. The fog was also thick that even though it was still morning, it already felt like twilight. It felt like the darkness would soon settle in and she imagined those notorious beasts suddenly appearing from the thick mist surrounding them."I- I think we should go on," she stammered.Romeo's head whipped around to face her."But you're clearly –""I'm fine.""You're not."Roselle met his gaze and was surprised at what she saw in his moon-li
Bone-chilling growls filled Roselle's ears as soon as the carriage door was closed. Her eyes were still wide and her hand was left hanging in midair in a failed attempt to stop her husband from leaving. She knew by the monstrous sounds alone that the beasts had come. Why? It was not even nighttime yet!Roselle's throat ran dry. Her face became even paler as she noticed the sounds becoming louder and louder. The beasts were approaching closer and it seemed that there weren't just two or three of them. It sounded like a whole tribe had come for them. Her hands flew to her heart as the fear spread throughout her entire body. What was going to happen? Was she going to die here?Dull sounds of what seemed like a sword slashing into flesh filled the air and the growls became more violent. She felt the earth-shaking thuds which caused the carriage to shake. She wanted to hear Romeo's voice but all she could hear was the overwhelming sounds of battle that she never wanted to hear. "Please, do
The poor little bunny moved and peeked at him through her silver-blond locks but the moment their eyes met, she flinched and buried her face again. Romeo's eyebrows twitched from the realization that the bunny was scared of him, not at the dead beasts that were scattered around him. He shut his eyes and when he opened them again, his eyes were no longer golden-red. It had became a silver coloured eye He ran his fingers through his hair and patiently, he tried to coax the bunny once more. Slowly, he climbed inside the carriage, moving very carefully as he approached and squatted before her. "The beasts are dead. You're safe now. No one can hurt you," he said, but the girl still didn't move. Romeo knew that there was no way it would be easy for this little terrified bunny to crawl back to him again after what she saw. However, he could see that she was on the verge of freezing herself to death. Glancing at the crumpled blanket on the carriage floor, Romeo picked it up. "At least take
The men creased their brows, with heads cocked to one side. However, despite the confusion which were visibly portrayed on their faces, everyone immediately obeyed and took off their cloaks."Give them to me," Romeo ordered and once again, the men glanced at each other, except David who had kept his eyes set on the Werewolf prince.One by one, the men approached the carriage, single file and handed their cloaks which they had flicked off earlier to remove any dust and dirt and all neatly folded, to their prince. The Werewolf prince's face was so serious that no one dared question what he was about to do. The men could only wait to see what he intended to do with all those cloaks. And then, they watched him carefully and slowly wrapped the human girl with their cloaks.Their eyes widened in shocked surprise, mouths hanging open speechlessly. Their prince was moving so damned slowly that to them, a turtle might be moving faster than him. Werewolves move quick and it was no difference fo
Roselle frantically surveyed herself. There seemed to be nothing unusual with her body. The Werewolf prince didn't seem to have done anything to her while she was asleep, she just somehow knew it.She looked at his sleeping face again and her shoulders relaxed. A long sigh escaped her lips before she looked around the room. It was vast and the windows were covered with thick maroon curtains. The ceiling was also very high. It was a little dark but Roselle could tell it was daylight. How long did she sleep? Was she in the village across the Dark Valley?But judging from the size of this room, it somehow seemed to be a master room of a huge castle. Was there a huge castle in the very first village across the border? Or could it be that this wasn't the village anymore?The thought that she was finally in the foreign land, the land she and all her friends used to imagine as a place as good as hell, made her subconsciously hug herself. She didn't tremble in fear but there was a peculiar ch
Roselle felt her throat dry up. But before she could even form any verbal or physical response, her stomach suddenly growled. Her face turned red, and she immediately looked down in embarrassment while Romeo blinked and pressed his lips together as his eyes travelled down her stomach.After a moment of silence, Roselle's stomach growled again. Roselle couldn't see his expression, but she finally felt him pull away and heard him calling for the maids.Romeo grabbed a robe and was putting it on when the door opened. When Roselle raised her head towards the door, surprise colored her face at the sight of two women dressed in black and white maid outfits."H-humans?" she muttered as she looked at Romeo with wide eyes."Don't tell me you can't recognize your fellow human?" Romeo looked at her with a quizzical look. The displeasure on his face was gone."O-of course I can. It's just that… I just…" Roselle was so shocked. She didn't know what to say. Everything… the opposites of her expectat
Finally, Roselle snapped out from the strange but pleasure-filled induced haze the delicious steak had trapped her in for that duration of time she was savouring it. Every. Single. Bite. She couldn't believe she allowed something so basic like food, to take her on a flight into the clouds and made her forget about everything else. However, she comforted herself in the knowledge that though food was basic, but in no means was that piece of steak plain. It was far from plain! Also she couldn't believe she had allowed herself to be fed like she was a child. And even allowed a prince to… heavens, Roselle! Stunned, Roselle sat there, unmoving, while Romeo's hand was stranded mid-air in his attempt to feed Roselle another piece of steak. He moved the steak closer to her lips, causing Roselle to flinch – again. After which, she winced and quickly shut her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering how her newly minted husband had made that statement about not wanting his wife flinching away