You are human

Hazel looked at the hand that was holding her and did not know what to do. She couldn't push it away and risk offending her savior because his words had the final say. He could decide that they go ahead and kill her or keep her alive, and the latter was what she wanted and could not afford to provoke him.

"Your grace, is she....."  The centaur trailed off, unable to finish his sentence after meeting the king's warning gaze. "Pardon me,  my king," he said with a slight bow.

The elf stood by the side and watched as the king possessively held onto her despite knowing how much she wanted him to let her go with a raised brow and an amused smirk playing on his lips. She was lucky to have been to king's mate else she would be singing with the angels at the moment.

He then stepped forward along with the dryad and bowed to the king before asking,  "Your grace, should this be announced to the kingdom?"

The king turned and glanced at Hazel who looked so petite in his arms and shook his head. "Not yet. Call the council elders for a meeting, only they are to know about her."

"Yes, Your Grace," they said together.  The elf smiled at Hazel while the dryad gave a scrutinizing gaze before turning around and walking away.

"My king!" The centaur called.  "What about these people here, what do we do with them?" He asked.

"Dismiss them all." The king said and took Hazel's hand. He led her to the carriage that he came in. Hazel just followed without knowing where he was leading her. She had no other choice because she was afraid that if she refused,  she would be tied up again and she would become a burnt offering once again.

He made her enter the carriage before himself. He sat opposite her and stared intensely at her face. It looked as if he was trying to figure out what she was. While Hazel kept her gaze anywhere but his face. She took in the inside of the carriage and it looked larger on the inside than the outside, it looked like a small room. It was decorated with velvety materials red and white colors beautifully mixed and a delicate touch of black.

He stared at his mate, her face round and small and looked delicate, her hair was disheveled from all the adventures that she had had before he met her. Her frame was petite but all together, she was beautiful. A small smile curved at the corners of his lips as he took in his mate's appearance.

Feeling his gaze on her for so long,  her eyes strayed towards him, her eyes meeting his. Quickly, she withdrew her gaze and looked at her palms which were sweaty from the nervousness that she felt.

"You are human." He stated breaking the silence that had filled the carriage.

Hazel's head snapped up to look at him with surprise and a thousand and one questions in her eyes. "Y... Yes,  I am." She stuttered in her reply.

"How did you get here?" He asked because there hasn't been a human crossing the gate for more than one million years. Most of the people of Arcadia had forgotten that they were such a race in the other realms.  In the past, The human realm and the Realm of Arcadia were closely related and used similar magic but after the division, and the death of the mages and Shamans the gates closed and no humans were seen again.

"A portal appeared in my home," Hazel said in a low voice that was almost a whisper trying hard not to stutter.

"And you just walked in?" He asked with a light chuckle at the end of his question. His chuckle was so soothing and Hazel looked at him seeming lost in a trance until she registered his question and looked away in embarrassment.

"Anywhere would be better than there." She said in a whisper but he could hear her.

"You walked through the portal without knowing what awaits you on the other side, weren't you afraid that something might happen to you?"

"It was a risk that I was willing to take, your..." She trailed off not knowing how to address him. She had wanted to call his name but she did not know what his name was. Should she address him as her king? He was not her king, so should she address him as her master? The idea of being a slave to him did not settle well with her.

"A risk you were willing to take." He reiterated her words. He wondered what her life must have been like to have been willing to take such a risk. The thought of his mate suffering somewhere else hurt him badly. But...  "Even if it brought you to a place where you would have been killed even before a day is passed?"  He asked.

Hazel was quiet and said nothing even after some minutes had passed. His words made her think that she was not safe yet because she did not know the temperament of the man who was sitting in the space with her or his motive for saving her.

"I won't hurt you." He said to her after seeing the look of fear in her eyes and expression. "You are safe with me." He assured her. " I am glad you walked in, taking the risk. I am sorry I didn't come earlier."

Hazel looked into his lilac orbs in disbelief at his words. She stared deeply at him trying to find any lies underneath his sincere-looking face but she got nothing and it was even more unbelievable that she could not find any or maybe he was good at concealing his lies with innocence.

"Why did you save me?" She asked and prayed he would not change his mind and throw her out of the carriage to her demise.

"I will tell you when we arrive at our destination." He said and looked fondly at her.  "Rest, we will be there soon."

Hazel realized that he had not taken his eyes off her the whole time that they were together and wondered why. She started to wonder if he was some pervert who had taken her to serve as his bed warmer. The thought sent cold down her spine. Looking at his face, he did not look like such a person who would use people for his gains, and besides, his gaze was not lustful.

The carriage landed shortly and a guard announced to the king who then translated it for her. "We have arrived." He stepped out before her and then held out his hand to her to help her down.

Hazel looked at the hand and hesitated but after meeting his gaze she hurriedly gave her hand to him to take. Stepping out of the carriage, Hazel's jaws drooped at the view before her.