Chapter 3: I lost my way

His eyes scanned her body as if looking for something and it landed on her chest. His gaze turned deep when he saw the blood bleeding from her cut.

He leaned over and she crawled back with her butt in fright. Her heart raced in her chest and she could hear the sound in her ear. Why could he look so alluring and dangerous at the same time? She thought to herself as he straightened himself.

He turned his back on her slowly, that was when her eyes traveled to the lifeless body of Prince Jack on the ground. His tongue stuck out of his mouth and blood oozed out of his neck which was slit open.

Fear gripped her as she adverted her gaze to the man's hands. They were clean. Not even a stain of blood was in them and it made her heart race. What had he killed the prince with and who was he? Why did he help her kill Prince Jack?

" Who are you?" She found her voice trembling. She had expected her voice to sound louder but it sounded more like a whisper and it made her wonder if he even heard her.

She pushed herself up and placed her hand on her chest to stop the bleeding.

" You're the man in my dream, " She blurted out and steadied her feet on the ground. The stench of blood was making her stomach churn.

" I see you don't have any crescent shell," He said in disgust but his voice sounded melodiously to her hearing. He turned his back to her and her heart leaped into her chest.

A crescent shell? That was the shell he had been asking of her in her dreams. Valerie thought to herself and held his gaze. His silver eyes looked lifeless and dangerous but she couldn't look away from them. She was hypnotized by them that her inner body tremble at his scrutiny.

" I don't have any crescent shell" she found herself saying. She felt like if she didn't say anything, his eyes were going to drain her soul out of her body.

A black horse came galloping towards them and Valerie's eyes darted to it. It was a midnight black horse. It stopped next to the silver-eyed man and he mounted it.

They complimented each other. He flipped his hair back and his face structure came into view. Without any word, he rode away into the woods before she could have a glimpse of his full face.

Valerie watched him disappear Into the woods before regaining herself. She looked around and saw that she was the only person standing. Her men were all dead, as well as the Baldish armies.

Fear gripped her tightly.

' vultures! Vultures!' was all her mind screamed. It won't take long before the vultures arrive and what about the wild animals? What if they attack her?

I mounted the only horse I saw around and rode as fast as I could. The breeze blew on my face and I could feel my eyes watering. I needed to get out of there, the sight of the dead bodies was horrifying and I knew it was going to haunt me for a very long time.

I needed to get back to the castle. What matters was that I won the war and all thanks to that mysterious dangerous silver-eyed man.

I rode for hours but ended up in the woods. I had lost my way. I couldn't find my way back to Brocrest. What do you expect from a princess who doesn't leave the wall of the castle?

A princess who doesn't know what the cities of Brocrest looked like.

What could be more crazy than this? I'd just win a war and I can't even find my way back home to celebrate my victory.

I looked around to see if there was anyone around but there was nobody. The wild animals are surely going to feed on me for the night.

The sun was setting slowly and night was fast approaching. I was starting to lose hope already when I heard the sound of a horse galloping in my direction.

At this juncture, I didn't know what to do. Hide or wait to see who it was.

Wait, I told myself and waved my hands in the air. Whoever this person was, he or she could only kill me or save me.

I stopped waving when I saw the rider. He had a black cloak on and before I could move out of the way, the horse sleighed. Its two legs left the ground and it adverted to the other direction.

Good Lord, a horse had almost run over me.

" You dumb woman!" I heard an icy voice curse and I felt chills on my skin. It was him, why was he everywhere?

Could it be that, he always stalk me or he was the woods monster?

" You won the war, shouldn't you go home?" I sensed the irritation in his voice and I forced myself up to my feet. Why was he mad and how could I go home when I'd lost my way? I'd been riding through the woods for hours and I don't get anywhere. My men who were supposed to guide me back home were all dead.

" I lost my way," I blurted out. At this juncture, I wasn't going to look at his eyes because they take the words in my mouth away. I needed my sanity intact and there wasn't enough time to waste ogling at him and wondering who he was. I could think about that when I get home. I told myself.

I could feel his gaze on me and I was tempted to look at his eyes. His hair was still covering half of his face but I could tell that he had a smirk on his face. He was sinfully too beautiful to be a man, judging from his half-facial profile.

" I don't expect more from a princess who never leaves the castle." He sneered and mounted his horse again, ready to ride away.

Wait, was he going to leave me here alone in the woods? Where are his manners as a gentleman?

" All you know how to do is haunt me in my dreams and now you want to leave me here alone in the woods after helping me win the war?" I yelled angrily at him and he stopped the horse.

Did I just annoy him? Was he going to leave me now or help me? I couldn't help but worry. Maybe I could have talked to him nicely and not yelled at him.