9 Not Anyone Like Her

(From Leandro's Perspective)

She looked surprised to see the bathroom. It was well decorated. I had made this whole place inside a cave two years ago. I had anticipated that my family would do something to depose me from the throne. And I was right. Almost six months later, they betrayed me.

"Don't mess this place up," I warned her.

"Don't turn into your beast form and eat me," she hissed back.

She entered the bathroom and shut the door in my face. She was brave. No one, not a single person, ever ventured to speak to me in that manner, even when I was in my human form. They were afraid of me. It was undeniably due to the way I appeared. Father claimed I had a diabolical look on my face, particularly my eyes. He said it with obvious contempt for me, but he was right. I was a devil. But I did not hate myself for that. I had embraced my devil, but sometimes it was hard to control my beast, very hard. Especially the times when I was very angry. But, for some reason, I felt like I was losing myself while this girl was around. I did not want to kill her. But I wanted to do something, something to her.

She eventually made a deal with me. She was walking right into the path of the monsters. She had no idea how cruel this world was. A part of me did not want to send her there. But another part of me wanted to take my power back. And I would go any length for that. It was her who wanted to make the deal in the first place. Besides, I did not even know her. Why would I care for her? Why would I care if something happened to her?

I sat down in my chair and took a page and a pencil. I started drawing and writing about the castle's secret passageways. There were five secret ways inside the castle. She did not know anything about the castle or this world. I wrote about every route she needed to know to get to the castle. She said she was going to manage to get inside the castle as a servant. But I did not know how. However, I had a feeling that she would manage somehow. Besides, she managed to pursue me to tell her about my desire, my true identity and made me make a deal with her. I had never told anyone about my beast side the way I told her. I felt comfortable talking to her. And I met her only a few hours ago.

I drew the five secret passageways and wrote about them. It took me almost two hours. I still needed to draw the route to the castle and out of this forest.

I heard the bathroom door open. Despite my desire, I did not look up. "Hey, do you mind getting my backpack?" she asked.

"I'm working. Get that yourself," I muttered, without looking at her.

"I'm completely naked. Please," she said and I felt the urge to look at her even more. I sighed and got up. She was talking from behind the bathroom door, peering out through the gap.

I got her backpack and held it out towards her. She looked fresh after taking the bath. Her brown hair was damp and I noticed that it was long, reaching her waist. I could not see her body as she was behind the door. She took the backpack and closed the door again.

My senses were overwhelmed with her invigorating scent. I had never felt any attraction towards anyone. I had fucked women, but that was just to fill my need. It was just that. I had never met the women again. I did not let them on my bed. They would have to leave the moment I was done. I did not even kiss anyone. And these two years, I did not even touch anyone.

She got out of the bathroom. She was wearing a black t-shirt and very short pants. I noticed how slender she was. It was as if she never ate properly. But she was... attractive. She dressed strangely. No one here wore anything like that.

"What?" she asked, noticing me observing her.

"What are you wearing?" I asked.

"T-shirt and shorts," she replied, rolling her eyes as if it was the dumbest question anyone had ever asked her.

"Are you planning on going to the castle wearing this kind of clothes?"

"What's wrong with them? I'm not naked, right?" she asked looking down at her.

"No one here wears anything like that," I pointed out.

"So, what do the girls wear here?"

I let out a sigh. "I'll give them to you tomorrow. I'm not sure if they'll fit you, but you have to manage," I said.

"Are you drawing?" she asked, coming past me and over to the table, peering at the papers. "What are those? It looks like the insides of a house... no, a castle. Is it the castle you have told me about? Are those secret passageways? Cool, you know. Are you drawing those for me? Are you sure that they are right?"

"I've lived there all my life. Of course, I'm sure about them," I said.

"Your drawings are really cool, you know," she said sighing. "I can't draw. If you tell me to draw a tree, I'll draw a tree, but the fact is that it will look more like a goat."

She was adorable. I had the urge to kiss her which was the first time I felt like this. I wanted to take those little heart-shaped lips into my mouth. I took a deep breath to get a grip on myself. I could not afford to lose myself for a girl, and more importantly, she was just a human.

"I'll lead you out of the forest, but you have to come back on your own and make sure that no one sees you entering the forest. And you have to find a way to get inside the castle."

"I told you I will," she said, still examining my drawings.

"How?"

"I don't know, but I will. Don't worry about that. All you have to do this show me the way out of the forest. Then I'll manage everything."

She sounded very confident. I had no idea how a human girl like her was going to do all these on her own.

"Um... well, I was wondering... Your father is still alive. Then, according to the rules, or at least the rules of royal families, you're meant to inherit the throne after your father dies, right? But you said you already had the throne, and now your brother has it. But how is this even possible? Is there a different regulation here?"

"No, the rule is the same. But father is ill. So he was forced to hand down the throne to his elder son, me."

"How old are you?" she asked.

"That's none of..."

"I know that's none of my business. But I still want to know. You can at least talk to me. We are going to get bored if you keep quiet all the time. You need to..."

"22."

"Wow! You are quite young to be a king. Wait! Your brother is younger than you, right? How old is he then? 15?"

"He is 21."

"Oh, ok," she said, deep in thought.

I went and sat down in the chair. I began working on the route out of the forest. "What's your brother's name again?" she asked, leaning on the table with her elbows.

"Nicklaus Gregor," I replied sketching the route.

"Nicklaus?" she said and started laughing. The sound of her sweet addictive laughter filled the room. She looked adorable.

"What's so funny?" I asked, surprised.

"I knew I heard this name somewhere. Well, there is a character. I mean, it's a fictional character. He appeared in TV shows as well. His name is Nicklaus as well. They call him Klaus. Klaus Mikaelson. He is a villain as well. I haven't watched the show, but I know about him. Zoe is a big fan. Have I told you about Zoe? She is my friend. The friend I told you about before. She said that he is hot. Handsome, you know. Not as much as you, but he is," she said casually in her usual fast tone.

I looked at her to make sure she was not joking. But she was serious. She did not care what others thought, she just said what she thought was true. I had never met anyone like her and I was sure that I would never meet anyone like her as well.

"I'm feeling sleepy. Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked.

"No. I need to work," I said.

"Alright then. I don't like to sleep at night as well. But I'm feeling exhausted today. I better go to sleep. Goodnight then."

I just nodded. "I said goodnight. Say it back," she urged.

"Goodnight," I muttered, pursing my lips.

She smiled. "Goodnight, Leandro."