Deal Secured (ii)

[Sera's Point of View]

"Alright, let's do it," she said, feeling an immediate burden settling on her shoulders.

His entire plan sounded excessively overwhelming. Far too risky for her to stake her life on. Yet, on the other hand, she had nothing more to lose.

Even after agreeing to seal the deal, she continued to ponder her thoughts.

The sole reason she was venturing out to marry Genghis was to ensure the safety of her family and the village. Beyond that, she had no other motivation to say yes to a man who viewed her as nothing more than a vessel for producing offspring.

But Damian's desire was to wait for the right moment to reveal their impending marriage and claim the throne. That way, he could secure the throne for whatever reasons he harbored, while ensuring the long-term safety of her entire village.

"He himself mentioned on the first day they despised humans for a reason. So, can this plan even work?" she questioned herself, looking at Damian, who now sported a smile.

"Is he bipolar? Nah, that can't be," she pondered once more, questioning herself.

"Well, princess. I'll take you to your little palace and come to pick you up when the time is right," he said.

She hesitated to give a response, her mind already swirling with numerous questions. But she knew she needed answers, or else sleep would evade her completely.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat. "L-Lord Damian, can I ask you something?"

Damian's eyebrows furrowed.

"You already asked a question. Wouldn't that count as your question?"

"Your humor hurts, really," Sera replied with a deadpan tone.

"What is the question?"

She took a deep breath before proceeding, "Well, you made it clear that they despise humans. Will they even allow our arrangement? Because, honestly, it doesn't seem very promising."

Damian nodded, his eyes revealing that he had pondered this before.

"That's where the acting comes in," he replied.

Sera couldn't grasp his meaning. She furrowed her brow, looking at him intently.

The man before her glanced at her and rolled his eyes. Crossing one leg over the other, he responded, "My dear child," he sighed. "They are of royal blood. They value and uphold their dignity above all else. And when I say 'all else,' I mean it. So, if we can somehow spread rumors about how I... Prince Damian, next in line to the throne, had a dalliance with a delicate human-"

She gasped as the realization hit her. He was willing to play dirty.

"Don't worry, as the younger child, I believe this will be enough to keep them silent. Being associated with humans is seen as disgraceful, so they will go to great lengths to cover it up," he said, oozing pride and confidence.

And Sera found herself believing his words.

With that final statement, Sera plunged back into her thoughts.

"But there's also a high possibility that they might end up killing me, isn't there?" she questioned.

Her calculating mind once again formulated the most realistic outcome, which seemed more plausible than the entire kingdom accepting Prince Damian's marriage to Seraphina without hesitation.

"Oh, believe me, they would. They'll try to kill you, and if they can, your whole village," he said with a grim tone.

Sera's mouth gaped open in shock. For a brief moment, she forgot how to blink as she realized the gravity of her future actions.

Damian quickly noticed that she was already considering the possibility of escape.

"But-" he interrupted her thoughts. "But I won't allow any of that to happen. Not to you or anyone you care about."

"You do sound convincing, Lord Damian," she replied, looking back up at him.

"We have ourselves a suitable deal. Now, let's go. I don't want anyone waking up and finding me with a human."

She nodded and followed him, retracing their steps back the way they had come.

They walked hand in hand in silence. Although his touch provided a sense of security, she couldn't believe that he was actually holding her, seemingly unaffected by the emotions stirring within her.

"I've been alone for far too long, and this is what happens," she thought to herself as they passed the guards facing the kingdom.

"He doesn't believe in love," she silently affirmed again, as the tingling sensations intensified.

"Focus on something else, Sera. The sky is turning blue... It's morning... I hope I reach the palace grounds before Fiona wakes up," she reminded herself, trying to divert her thoughts.

"L-Lord Damian," Sera whispered, her voice barely audible. They were drawing nearer to the edge of the treeline, and she dreaded the possibility of getting caught.

They stood closely together, her back almost pressed against his, their hands intertwined.

"Prince Damian," a deep, masculine voice called out. Seraphine froze on the spot. In one fluid motion, Damian guided Sera behind a large tree, obscuring them from view. They descended from the trees to the ground, ensuring no one could see beyond their hiding spot.

She was confident that Damian's tall, broad figure provided perfect cover for her.

"Yes?" Damian smoothly turned around, his eyes meeting the gaze of the other guard.

The remainder of their conversation was exchanged in hushed whispers between the two men. Though Sera yearned to listen in, she couldn't make out their words.

She longed to know more about Damian. Was he truly the man described in the book? In this world, however, Damian was not a Darkling. What did that mean?

The questions swirled in her mind as she observed him engaged in conversation with the knight.

Soon after, he ventured into the dark woods, while Sera remained lost in her thoughts.

"Let's keep moving," he said as soon as he spotted her.

She nodded, focusing on the thought of reaching the palace soon as she began walking. With each step, she resisted the urge to look back and continued along the path. She passed several trees, following the musky scent of the woods. Her gaze fixed on the road ahead, intentionally avoiding any wandering thoughts.

Sera couldn't help but notice how the surroundings grew darker with every stride she took.

"I would be so relieved if I could just make it home before- Wait," her thoughts abruptly halted as she came across a fork in the path, separated by a massive tree.

The tree itself looked eerie, but what frightened her the most was the clear memory that there hadn't been a fork on her way there.

Her initial instinct was to glance back and search for Damian.

But she found herself alone. Moments passed, one after another, in complete silence. "I have no choice but to choose one of these paths. Left or right, Jane? Left or right?" she questioned herself.

As a test of luck, she decided to look back once more, hoping Damian was hiding nearby. However, luck seemed to be against her as she only heard the chirping of crickets.

"Right it is," she resolved within herself, now convinced that she was on her own against the wilderness.

"A little lost, princess?" Damian's voice echoed, causing Sera to startle on her feet.

Her body tensed, and she crossed her arms, her heart skipping a beat as it took a moment for her to realize it was Damian and nothing else.

"L-Lord Damian, you scared me," she finally managed to say once she regained her composure.

With her statement, she caught a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. The rays of sunshine that pierced through the trees illuminated his face, making his expressions clear to her.

He was undoubtedly finding it amusing.

In an instant, his expressions shifted.

"Well, princess, if you want to reach the palace quickly, you shouldn't be wandering aimlessly," he said, his tone returning to normal.

Sera was once again left feeling perplexed. "I didn't know how to find my way back, and I thought you had disappeared," she whispered.

"Follow me," he instructed, turning around and going the opposite way that she was headed to.

'Clearly, this isn't the right path,' she thought to herself, and began following him.

-

"You have to promise me something, Sera," Damian said, his gaze fixed on her.

They now stood in front of the somber palace. There was no one in sight, and Damian positioned himself behind a tree while Sera stood a few feet away.

"And this will be the last time I ask," he added, his tone serious.

Sera let out a sigh. Damian had done so much to help her escape her forced marriage, and she knew what he was about to request.

Though she didn't fully comprehend the reason behind his insistence on this matter, she decided to comply.

"Alright, I promise I won't venture into the forest again, Lord Damian," she replied.

Damian nodded in acknowledgment.

"Until we meet again," Sera said.

"Indeed, I hope so," Damian responded with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.