Myan wondered what she was supposed to do. From the way the princess had acted when she told her to reject the strangest man's marital offer, she knew there had to be more to his normal looking self.
She noticed that his hands were empty and after looking around the dead bear, she found no explanation as to how it was dead without weapons. There were so many questions she had to ask.
Her scrutiny was brought to an end when he interrupted her thoughts. "Who are you?"
Unlike she thought, there was no aggressiveness in his tone. He sounded like every mere man who was curious to get information out of someone.
His voice was deep, nothing like she'd ever heard and she realized she had been too distracted to pay attention to that detail earlier.
Myan had a feeling the golden card wasn't going to work on him , he was superior to the royal family.
"What are you thinking about? Answer me." He spoke a second time, causing her to flinch.
She was afraid but she was definitely not letting him see that. She straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat, bowing her head a little, habitually used to the action. "Thank you for saving me." She acknowledged and continued to walk.
She expected that he wouldn't come after her unless he was a creep but she could feel his eyes on her the whole time as she left. Knowing she had run a straight path all the way here, she kept walking in that direction while he stood still, watching her until she disappeared from sight.
Looking over her shoulder, she realized he could no longer see her and that triggered her movement. She took her heels and ran faster than she ever had. Small twigs pierced into her skin but she was used to the pain.
She was back on trail and this time, she wandered warily. Who knew what other creature could miraculously pop out of nowhere?
She wondered if she should turn back and just go back to the longer route but she shook her head, "I'm here now, there's no point." She inhaled and exhaled with determination and continued her journey.
*
"Sir Achu!" Myan called from where she stood by the root of the mighty tree. It was a deserted tree that was about a hundred years old. It was indestructible and isolated from both worlds. It stood between the borders and no one had traveled from one world to the other in such a long time that nobody ever came to the tree.
There was an old tree house on the same tree and it was inhabited by Achu. He hid from the people of the world of fire while living there and since he was from the world of water, he had to live in hiding.
"Sir Achu!" An impatient Myan called even louder. She shook her head and set for the first branch. Balancing on it, she reached for the next attainable branch and continued upwards until she was at the entrance.
She pounded on what was supposed to represent a door and waited for response.
There was nothing for a while but after a few minutes, the door came open and a huge stick came tossing out. Myan screamed but was fast enough to duck.
Standing back to her full height; huge, liquid hands held her ankles and sucked her into the house, draining her as she kept up with screaming.
She was held, dangling upside down by the ten feet sized monster made from water and Achu aimed his arrow at her.
"Sir Achu, it's me." She waved her arms,feeling herself go dizzy from the dangling.
Achu stood upright and set his arrow and bow away from her, relief washing over his facial features. "The palace slave?"
"Servant." She corrected him. There were no slaves in the world of fire, but there were so many in the world of water so she understood his mentality.
She crashed against the floor when the monster dissolved into normal water that flowed on the floor.
Achu put his bow and arrows aside and crossed his forearms into an X, stretching his pinky fingers. The water from the floor assembled from its droplets and arranged into a huge sized ball and while controlling its movements with his mind, he transported the water into a huge barrel on his left side.
"The fourth princess needs your presence." Myan went straight to the topic.
What?" Be wondered in astonishment.
*
Myan stood outside of the princess' room. The transportation back had been faster than when she had left alone. Achu had an underground tunnel that led straight to the palace.
"I'm so worried now, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do." Kassy was literally sobbing against Achu's chest. Myan had her back against the bedroom window, afraid of what could come if anyone happened to find out about her, or worse, Achu.
"That man is a beast." Achu was hurt, but he tried to stay strong for Kassy. He pulled away from her and held her hands in his. "Let tomorrow come, let's see what happens. I promise you I won't allow anything to happen to you. We were made for each other, it doesn't matter what anyone says. Simply tell him your heart, you aren't giving him what he wants, let's see if he has the power to force you into something you can't do." He spoke like the most confident warrior and it was so easy to pull Kassy into his spell.
"I knew you would make me feel better." She sniffed and sobbed even more. "I don't want you to ever leave me." She cried, "never."
"I'm not leaving, remember?" He cupped her cheeks. "No matter what."
Myan stopped pressing her ears against the window because she knew what was going to follow the emotions and she had been scarred by enough moans in her lifetime.
She had returned the cloak and golden card and knew she was no longer needed and so carefully, crept back to the servants quarters, knowing the princess would fix things her own way.
*
The next day, Myan had reported to the king's courtyard with the princess. They were waiting on the lord's arrival and Kassy was determined to maintain her ground.
The three queens were in the courtyard waiting for the decision to be made. The same stools were present and the king was in his official robe, a plain white one.
"The lord has arrived!" The first queen's servant, Isha, came to report to the king. She bowed her head and lifted her gown to show her respect before adding, "your majesty."
Myan had never been so nervous in her entire life. Kassy displayed confidence and the king was worried about what her response would be.
Kassy gracefully sat still, dressed in one of her best silk gowns, black with white petals littering it. One would think she was enthusiastic for the whole thing and was actually dressed for it.
"Are you okay?" Myan thought to ask her. Looking at them both, one would think Myan was the one getting married and not Kassy.
"Never felt better." Kassy smirked.
The courtyard was silent, as was everyone present there, ranging from the royal family to their servants.
The lord walked in, accompanied by nobody. His shiny hair appeared wavy than curly this time and looked as if it added even more volume overnight. It was the type of hair that looked so tempting to touch.
"King Ron of the flame kingdom. My faithful subject, how has the leadership been?" The lord spoke to the king, although his eyes were set on Kassy the entire time.
"Very fine lord Ash." King Ron greeted him, standing to his feet.
So that was his name...Ash. Myan thought.
"As you already know, I'm here for your daughter, no need to beat around the bush." Ash went straight to the point, staring at his future bride to be with lust filled eyes.
"Y..yes my lord." The nervous king swallowed. "I was informed by the second queen and the fourth princess."
"Very good." The lord smirked, walking towards Kassy where she sat. Myan had her head bowed the whole time, afraid that he would recognize her from the night before. She knew he would sense her presence if he wanted to but no one had the time for some lowly servant.
He extended his hand towards her and waited for her to receive it.
Kassy tried to keep up the happy face, received his hand and stared blankly at him.
The enthusiastic lord blew out a puff of smoke from between his lips and the smoke formed a ring of fire around Kassy's waist, disappearing after a few seconds had passed.
"Beautiful." He was lost of words. "My bride to be.'"
"About that," Kassy frowned and withdrew her hand from his. "I am not consenting to this marriage."
Ash's face transformed in a second and he looked like he had just been slapped in the face.
Myan looked up just in time to catch the wrinkles that had littered his forehead. "What did you just say?" He asked her.
Kassy's confidence had been replaced with fear and she swallowed, not so sure of her rendered words anymore. "I'm n..not con.. senting..."
He didn't allow her to finish talking. Myan watched in utmost surprise as his tank top ripped off him. She gasped and stood beside her princess, pulling her backwards when she noticed the man was growing in size.
The servants around shrieked in fear and attempted to exit the courtyard but one by one, they were falling to their knees, choking on air.
Kassy's heart raced in her cage as she looked up at the beast he had transformed into. He had grown twice in size and all twelve feet of him and his skin had become a bright red colour.
Myan felt the air leave her at the size of the beast. Alice had run to stand beside her daughter in case the angry lord tried to strike her.
"How dare you go against the lord's consent?!" Ash roared in his beast form. His feet were the size of a big dog and his clenched fists had green veins popping out of them. His voice sounded like a hundred men had been put together to say the same words over and on repeat.
Kassy shivered in fear and automatically began to cry. This was a lot worse than she had thought.
Ash threw a ball of fire from his clenched fist at the roof of the nearest palace building. "For that reason, you have three days to prepare for a wedding, else, it will be the end of the world as you know it. All of you!" He roared.
Myan sobbed with Kassy, afraid of what she would do.
"Do I make myself clear?" He emphasized every syllable accordingly.
"Yes my lord!" The king bowed before Ash's giant feet, "yes my lord."
Ash turned to look at the crying princess and Myan's eyes grew wide. His eyes were completely orange in appearance and that freaked her out even more than she already was.
His aggressiveness calmed when he realized Kassy's tears and in no time, was shrunken to his normal size of six feet.l and the burning roof was restored to its original state, the fire going out.
Ash moved closer to Kassy, snatching her from his hands. Although he was back to his normal form, his skin still looked like it was a faded shade of red.
"There's no need to cry, I'm not a scary man." He lied. "If this wedding doesn't happen in three days, this whole palace is coming down in fire." He said to the king, "the lord's fire." He made sure to add a smirk to his sentence. "I'll be back in three days, get the preparations ready." He said and turned to leave. He stopped walking and looked over his shoulder to add, "long live the king."
With that, he was gone, leaving behind a trail of smoke.
Kassy intensified her tears, their plan hadn't worked. She fell to her knees and Myan took the same action. She hugged Kassy to her chest, sobbing loudly, disregarding their statuses.
Kassy wrapped her hands around Myan's arms and wailed, "father, please, help me."
That night at the palace was the saddest, most silent one ever to be experienced. Myan didn’t have to bother with going to fetch Achu like the last time. He had come on his own accord at a time he knew was going to be free for him to wander without questioning. Kassy refused to eat nor talk to any member of the palace. She was strong headed and had placed a stric
Myan knew that crying was pointless but she couldn't help herself, although it was especially uncomfortable to see through glossy eyes and being unable to wipe her tears, she let it fall down her cheeks.The royal entourage were dressed in a fancy attire and even though they couldn't see her face through the beaded facial fence, she could easily read the discomfort in their eyes, seeing through those fake smiles and pretense.As was tradition, four guards bowed beside each corner of a mat that was sewn onto a square shaped wood. It resembled a carriage, except it had no roof, they referred to it as a Typh.Her servants helped her on to it. Myan wasn't used to having things done for her and found it extremely foreign. The guards lifted the carriage onto their shoulders and began to move to the event while drummers and dancers escorted them to the courtyard. There was so much merriment and it accompanied di
Myan remained still while Ash stepped forward. She was already crossing too many lines.Ash noticed that she wasn't moving with him and furrowed his eyebrows at her, "why aren't you moving?"Myan kept shaking her head in response. Ash was growing furious by the minute. He had no time for nonsense like this and was a man of time."Answer me, why aren't you saying anything?" He snapped at her for the umpteenth time.The king stood to his feet and hurried to intervene while murmurs filled the courtyard from every angle. "My lord, the fourth princess is not used to such an activity and she is only nervous." He walked up to Myan and placed his hands on her shoulder, "my dear, I know you're anxious but it will only last a minute." He tried to co
Ash began to pant heavily, moving closer to a terrified Myan. The scared servant took fearful steps backwards, sobbing hard and using her arms as a facial shield.He tossed the melted crown to the floor and repeated his words, "you are not the fourth princess!" He stamped his words with an angry roar.
Myan shook her head and went on her knees. "My lord!"For a second, he was startled by the unexpected move and stared blankly at her."I..I can't." She shook her head, deciding that she was not going to hold back anymore. She wasnt going to allow him have his way especially when she was only a virgin.Ash did not care about her words, leaned closer and pulled her up by the wrist, "what are you talking about?" He asked her in a low voice, wondering if her shyness was the reason behind her sudden act."I've never had a man down there, you look like your member would be damaging, I'm weak enough as it is." She had no idea how she was finding the grace to talk without fearing any possible consequences, but she was doing it anyway."Hm." He let go of her, staring at her scornfully. Why did he even want to have his way with a servant anyways?He turned around to leave the room, his hands be
Ash dug his face into her neck and sniffed delicately. His grip around her waist tightened and his breathing was slow and exaggerated. He wanted to have her so bad but he was respecting her opinion and dismissing his cravings.His dumb concubines would be back in a few weeks anyway. He had sent them off to show respect to his supposed new wife, but here his fake wife was, denying him access.His concubines never rejected him, they would beg and cry to have a taste of the long pole below his belt. "Tear me master!" They would cry. Pathetic."Never been touched before." He repeated her words from earlier and craned her head backwards giving his head more space.Myan unconsciously wrapped her arms around his wet back in reaction to his nose that was trailing up the skin of her neck. She had never felt so attached to someone in this manner before and she was having goosebumps invade her skin. Was this because
“What are you doing?” Ash was caught off guard by her reaction and scanned her for possible injuries. “Why did you scream?” He was panting heavily and she was starting feel scared.“S..scream?” She was dumfounded, unsure of what he was talking about at first when she realized that he was referring to her reaction to the presence of the butterfly. “I saw a butterfly.” She muttered under her breath, feeling a little embarrassed by the situation.Ash let go of her, allowing her to drop to the floor, almost losing her balance.
The servants looked at each other in confusion, they had never seen a princess look so thin and dry. Was the lord imagining things?Ash knew that he owed no one an explanation and it was only a matter o time before they found out what was going on from people around. “You had all the grace to enjoy your time outside the mountains, don’t come back in here and forget your place, I will slay anyone who chooses to go against my orders.“Yes, lord Ash, we had no idea who this woman was to you