The King's Warning

Naria stood still, taking in the breathtaking view before her. The running river, the flowers in full bloom, and the natural surroundings looked almost magical to her. She couldn't help but feel a weird and exciting sensation in her stomach as she admired the beauty around her.

"This place is amazing!" she exclaimed, turning to Raiver with a natural smile on her face. The feeling of being surrounded by nature made her feel different, as if she belonged there rather than to the walls of civilization.

As Naria took in the beauty of the hall filled with flowers, Raiver surprised her by grabbing her waist and pulling her down to the ground with him.

"What are you…?!"

She widened her eyes in surprise but quickly realized that this was an opportunity to appreciate the surroundings in a new way.

With Raiver's arms around her, Naria felt a sense of warmth and comfort as she gazed up at the hall's ceiling. The flowers looked even more ethereal from this perspective, and the sound of the river seemed like music to her ears. In this moment, she felt like she was living in a fairy tale.

"This is amazing," Naria whispered in wonder. "Thank you for bringing me here, Prince Raiver. I feel like I'm meant to be here, surrounded by all this beauty."

Raiver smiled at her, his eyes reflecting the same sense of wonder and amazement that Naria was feeling. "I'm happy you like it," he said softly. "I wanted to show you that there's more to life than the walls that surround us. Sometimes, we need to escape to nature to find ourselves."

Naria nodded in agreement, still gazing up at the ceiling.

Naria's eyes widened as she noticed the intricate details on the ceiling, including a faded golden dragon that caught her attention. "Prince Raiver, what is that?" she stuttered, pointing towards the dragon.

Raiver took a deep sigh and spoke softly, "It's the Goddess of Life and the dragons…" He paused, "She sent them down to Earth to fight her lover and then banished them from entering heaven." Naria could sense the hint of sadness in Raiver's voice and realized that he didn't like to talk about the history.

Trying to lighten the mood, Naria chuckled and said, "The golden color looks nice, but the black is better." She got up from the grass and placed her hand on Raiver's heart, repeating, "I think the black is more beautiful than gold."

Raiver slowly lifted his hand and gently started to touch Naria's blonde hair and said, "Golden is more beautiful here, more unique." He slightly brushed his fingers through her hair, and Naria immediately froze as she had a flashback to the night when Ace had done the same thing.

Her mouth slightly opened, and she tried to shake off the memory, focusing on the present moment.

She smiled at Raiver, trying to forget the past, and said, "You're right. Golden is beautiful here." She leaned in closer and whispered, "But black still holds a special place in my heart."

Raiver's eyes met hers, and Naria could see the understanding there. They both had their own pasts to deal with, but in that moment, they were together, surrounded by the beauty of nature. It was a moment that Naria knew she would never forget.

Raiver's voice broke Naria's train of thought, "It's time to go." Naria took one last look at hall filled with nature, feeling a mix of emotions. As they walked out into the daylight, Naria couldn't help but feel nervous about what tomorrow would bring. She would be getting married to Raiver, someone she didn't know well.

An hour later, Naria was back in the castle, still lost in her thoughts. As she sat in Raiver's chambers, he spoke up, "Tomorrow you will be mine." Raiver then left, leaving Naria to her thoughts. The realization hit her that she didn't know Raiver well, but every time she was with him, it felt like they were connected and had known each other for a long time.

Naria couldn't help but feel conflicted in her feelings. She wanted to say good things to Raiver and praise him, but when she was alone, those feelings were absent. It almost felt like she had hypnotized herself to love him when she was next to him. Her leg began to shake with the thought of the upcoming wedding.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, interrupting Naria's thoughts. She stood up to answer it, feeling a sense of apprehension. Who could it be at this time?

"I hope it's no one important…" She sighed and opened the door.

Her eyes widened, stepping back as the king approached her, escorted by five guards. His short black hair was neatly combed, and his piercing red eyes were fixed on her. She felt a shiver run down her spine as he stared down at her, his voice oozing with arrogance.

"You will obey every rule I tell you to, and will not say a single word to my son," the king ordered, his tone cold and commanding.

Naria nodded, too afraid to speak. The king's guards watched her closely, their hands resting on their swords.

"I had to go this low to allow that bastard marry a peasant like you," the king sneered, his face twisted in a scowl. "You might become useful to me in the future."

Naria felt her face flush with anger, but she bit her tongue. She knew better than to speak out of turn in the presence of royalty.

The king frowned at her, his eyes narrowing. "Do you understand me, girl?" he demanded.

Naria nodded again, her heart racing. The king's words made her feel like a pawn in his game, and she wondered what he had in store for her.

"Good," the king said, turning to leave. "Remember, I will be watching you closely. And if you step out of line, there will be consequences." He walked away.

Naria closed the door behind the king and sank to the ground, her breaths coming in short gasps. She couldn't believe what had just happened, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just made a grave mistake. "What did I just get myself into?" she whispered to herself, as the weight of the king's words settled heavily on her shoulders.