Take Off Your Clothes-

"Can we go a little faster, princess? We're not even halfway there," Damian's voice cut through the heavy moisture that clung to Seraphina's hair. She was completely drenched from the rain.

She turned her head and glared at Damian.

For the past thirty minutes, all they had been doing was walking. Although Sera wanted to escape her potentially tragic future, she hadn't anticipated that this much walking could be so exhausting. Especially with the life-sized dress clinging to her body.

The rain only made it worse. Each step they took soaked into the muddy ground one after another. Sera's damp hair covered her face and ears, but she couldn't even spare a moment to brush it aside, as she was too busy holding her dress up as high as possible.

Damian, on the other hand, was struggling with the weight of the trunk. His back slightly bent, and he let out a grunt with each step. It was safe to say that neither of them found any comfort in their journey.

"I do realize that we almost got lost twice because of this rain," she said and blew away the water that had reached her mouth.

She was seething with anger. Her lips pursed into a thin line as the water continued to trickle down her face.

"How much farther do we have to go?" she asked again, this time with a calmer tone.

Damian carefully dropped the trunk on the ground and surveyed their surroundings. He let out a sigh as he realized they were nowhere near the kingdom.

"Your expression says it all. Come on, let's keep going," Sera said, gripping her dress tightly. Damian's gaze shifted back to her. He could see how she was struggling. "The last time we walked, it wasn't this difficult," she remarked, wiping away the water that kept trickling down.

"We need to reach the kingdom as quickly as possible. The later it gets, the more dangerous it will become, that goes without saying," Damian's voice was serious.

"What do you suggest?"

"Take off your clothes-"

"What?" Sera exclaimed loudly, clearly shocked by what she had just heard. She clutched her dress even tighter.

Damian frowned at her reaction.

"You have spare clothes with you, right? Change into them. You can help me carry your trunk, and we can move faster that way," Damian explained, looking at Sera.

She glanced around and then back at him, clearly reevaluating her life decisions in a short span of time. First, she had to flee from her own wedding, and now she was being asked to undress in front of a stranger. Yes, he had seen a certain portion of her body once, but she didn't want to take any chances for a second time.

He stood there uncomfortably as she weighed her options. After all, he was a man, and he understood the reservations she might have.

"I will not look-"

"But-"

"I'm not... interested, Sera. Looking at your body would be the last thing on my mind. We need to hurry, or else dying here would only prove our worthlessness," Damian said sternly.

Damian's words lingered in Sera's ears, leaving a peculiar taste in her mouth. It felt strange to hear his lack of interest in her. Though she knew she shouldn't take it to heart, she couldn't help but feel something.

"He has no interest. Good... It will make this arrangement even easier," Sera thought to herself.

"So? Will you help me, princess?" Damian asked.

His use of the nickname made her feel the opposite of what she had been feeling. A loud roar of thunder brought her back to reality.

There was no time to dwell on anything else.

"Alright, turn around. But before that, help me open the trunk," she said, stepping closer.

They both opened the trunk and searched for the lightest gown they could find. Sera carefully touched each gown until she found a light pink one that would be easier to walk in.

"This one..." she said, attempting to pull it out from among the others. With a single tug, a book fell out of the trunk. Sera swiftly picked it up and checked if the pages were wet. "Thank God!"

"What's that?"

"Nothing. Just close the trunk," she quickly replied, standing up with the gown in her hand. Damian securely closed the trunk and looked at Sera.

"Turn around, 'prince'," Sera emphasized the nickname he had given her.

He turned around without showing any emotion. Sera let out a loud sigh. 'Changing in the wilderness, how amusing,' she thought to herself, finding the largest tree nearby. She walked around it and concealed herself behind it.

Her straps fell off one by one, and she found herself struggling with the knot at the back. She arched her back, attempting to reach the knot, but it proved to be challenging. 'I don't need to ask for help in this state,' she reminded herself.

"Mhm..." She grunted in frustration as she tried to untangle the knot.

"Ugh... Please..."

She gasped as she felt the dress tear from one end. "I'm still strong," she whispered with a smile, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. Her smile widened, and she momentarily forgot about being practically half-dressed.

She removed the dress from over her head, freeing herself from the heavy gown.

"You were quite something," she complimented the dress before letting it fall to the ground.

Looking down at her current attire, she adjusted her frock.

"I'm ready. Let's go," she declared and stepped outside.

Damian turned to look at her and nodded in approval. His face remained devoid of emotions as he kept his focus on the task at hand: reaching the kingdom as quickly as possible.

"Wait," he paused.

She frowned deeply. 'Wait for what?' Her gaze followed his, and she noticed that his eyes were fixated on her hands.

"Is that blood?" His voice came out coarse. He walked closer and raised her hand to get a better look.

She remembered how she had fallen earlier, and the bruise had worsened when she removed the dress.

"It's bleeding, nothing serious," she replied, rolling her eyes.

In her past life, she had witnessed bloodshed and death countless times, perhaps more than a woman should. But all those experiences had only made her stronger. She was a warrior, a queen, and above all, a survivor.

The horror on Damian's face contrasted with her own reaction.

"L-Lord Damian, it's okay," Sera reassured him, placing her hand on top of his. He quickly withdrew his hand.

"If it makes you feel any better, I can cover it up," she offered, observing how his eyes had shown vulnerability at the sight of blood.

'Maybe he has seen terrible things,' she thought to herself as she walked away to retrieve the same gown she had discarded earlier.

As Sera walked away, Damian remained lost in his thoughts.

Despite the gown being soaked in mud, she noticed that certain parts of it were still dry. She swiftly approached the gown and tore off a section using her bare hands.

It stung a little, but the pain subsided quickly. She was still bleeding. 'I need to wrap this up soon,' she thought as she attempted to cover her hand. The continuous downpour provided no respite.

"D-Do you need help?" a masculine voice startled Sera, almost causing her to stumble.

"You're scared of b-"

"Let me," Damian interrupted her, immediately crouching down and using the fabric scrap to wrap her bruises.

As he wrapped her hand, she observed his intense concentration. His eyes, adorned with long eyelashes, remained unwavering as he focused on the task.

"There. Done. Now, come," he said, pulling her back up.

Together, they made their way to where the trunk lay in the mud. With swift coordination, they lifted it and resumed their journey. Damian walked with a slanted shoulder, while Sera effortlessly carried her end of the trunk, as if it weighed nothing at all.

-

Helping each other had aided their progress. They reached the kingdom sooner than Damian had anticipated. Sera's dress facilitated her faster movement, and Damian didn't have to slow down because of her.

They found themselves standing before the kingdom, exactly where they had stopped on their previous visit.

"How do we gain entry? There are so many guards, Lord Damian," Sera voiced her concern, her gaze fixed on the imposing figures of the tall, intimidating sentinels.

"You may call me Damian," he replied, his eyes focused on the petite woman by his side.

Sera furrowed her brow, sensing his lack of concentration. He swiftly wiped his mouth and turned his attention back to the guards.

"I may have some assistance."

-

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