The Forgotten Promise

Ezrahl.

He quietly looked at her for one long moment, as she stared back with moist eyes on the verge of more tears. It was too hard to explain herself, and so, Aesther refused to say anything.

"You should return…" was all he said.

But Aesther was already overwhelmed. Her heart was unsteady and vulnerable. His indifferent words alone left her feeling more agitation.

She folded her hands and turned away to avoid meeting his gaze. She refused to speak with him, knowing that he will take her back to the dorms as he was supposed to. Her wishes won't matter.

They weren't supposed to.

But Ezrahl did none of that.

He simply went back to his manor.

A few moments later, he returned with a lamp and some sweet buns. They were carefully wrapped in a crumbled paper.

Her heart quivered with that small gesture, a sob escaped her lips but Aesther did not cry any more. She simply remained in the garden, not looking at him, not saying anything.

They spoke no words but though silently, Ezrahl remained there as if to watch over her in the darkness of night.

Aesther was too embarrassed after her emotions calmed down.

Ever since she was small, Aesther was taught about how it was very unseemingly for a Luna to be driven by her emotions and lose control, she had to be dignified and proper.

But now Ezrahl had seen her at her in such a condition.

Aesther was not sure how to feel.

However, her stomach was very well aware of itself and it made sure that both Aesther and Ezrahl know how empty it's feeling.

Her face burned from embarrassment, as Ezrahl offered the buns once again and Aesther quietly accepted them.

Inside, she wanted to do nothing more than bury a hole and hide.

Aesther silently ate the buns, avoiding Ezrahl's eyes no matter what. But more often than not, she would find herself looking at him. He looked at the scars on her hand.

But they exchanged no words.

Pretending everything was alright.

The second and last time they met before the inauguration was when Aesther was confined and punished for being seen in the pleasure house. She was in the bed for two days and when her body regained the strength to walk, she decided to finally run away.

Aesther swore to herself that this time, she would definitely leave and never return.

She despised everything, the Alpha, the laws, and above all, she despised the life she was given. Her heart and soul were burdened under the weight of life, slowly suffocating and drowning under their burdens that refused to ease.

Inez was too busy with her duties.

And Aesther liked Ahzure too much to share this ugly side of her life with him. What was she supposed to say? That she was so pathetically weak that now everything became miserable for her?

Her body was not healed enough when she tried to run away. The wounds burned against her soon, making Aesther out of breath as she entered the Misty Woods.

She collapsed somewhere deeper inside

When her eyes opened, Aesther found herself in those abandoned rose gardens again. But now she was resting over a stone benches. Her wrist was gently held by Ezrahl.

His eyes were unreadable but darker than ever.

But seeing her awake, that darkness eased a little.

"Let's go inside, the night is cold."

Aesther's mind was still hazy, and she found his touch to be too warm, too soft over her skin. There was something in the way he silently watched her, soemthing that caused butterfles in her stomach.

However, whether that feeling of unease was from fear or hope, she never truly understood.

"No." Aesther whispered, taking her hand back as she sat up, "I… I like this garden."

"You're hurt…" he said.

"I am fine now."

She couldn't look into his eyes again and her voice was low, almost weak as she tried to hold back her tears.

And just like the last time, a silence easily settled between them. He remained, she didn't leave. Somehow, this felt oddly comforting.

Peaceful.

Like the last time, the two quiet people were silent. Though it oddly felt warm.

The night winds were gentle and soothing, her mind distracted and scattered in all the places yet fixed on one.

"As long you're with me," Ezrahl said after a while, "I will protect you from every harm."

Aesther was startled by those words but before she could say how he doesn't have to go that far, Ezrahl sincerely added.

"I have taken the oath."

Her words disappeared.

She could not move her eyes from his.

Ezrahl looked back with his dark unreadable gaze.

The oath was not official but he was required to swear himself to her after Aesther chose Ezrahl to be her knight. She never thought he took that unceremonial oath seriously.

No one normally would.

"But…" he continued, looking away, "You need to become stronger. The knights can not always be around you."

Aesther laughed a little at that.

His words appeared to be way too absurd. A wolf that can't shift was like a bird without feathers. All those years, she was constantly reminded of her weaknesses, her crippling disability.

How can she just become strong?

"You will."

Ezrahl said, as if it was not just a word of assurance, but truth.

Aesther glanced at him.

He gazed at the moon.

It was full again, like the last time they met. But now as the silver reflections fell over his dark mysterious gaze, Ezrahl appeared more ethereal than before.

There was something oddly alluring, heart-wrenching about his eyes.

Aesther could never really read them, but they mesmerized her nevertheless. He was different from everyone.

That night, she trusted him despite the young nature of their relationship and shared some brief details about her troubles. She didn't bring up the Alpha, but she did inform him about the pleasure house.

If only to see how he will react, whether he would still appear so sincere after learning such a scandalous thing.

He did.

And thus the night became longer than it should have.

Aesther couldn't bring herself to run away, to escape from all her worries when Ezrahl made her feel like there was a possibility. Deep down, she was also very attached to the castle.

It was unkind, yes, but some of the only friends she made were also within Alkazar.

Aesther ended up telling Ezrahl about what happened, and then about Nigel. He was silent and attentive, not once judging her for her mistakes.

As Aesther thought back to those naive moments, as she remembered the words Ezrahl had promised, she wanted to go back and ask him a question.

'Who will protect me from you?'