*LET'S MAKE A DEAL*
"She died right?." Her eyes begged him to have a better answer. A more logical one but his look told her there was nothing more than that.
"Sir Edmond?." Another man interrupted their conversation and Aria noticed that there were several more strangers that were in her village, all wearing similar clothes like Edmond.
There was definitely something going on here than just a normal death.
"I'll be back Aria." He excused himself and Aria had the leisure to look around.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
"If this happens then anyone of us might be a witch!." A man suddenly shouted and all attention shifted to him.
"We have to be prepared at all times!." Another person joined him and they carried fire torches as the rest armed themselves in pitchforks.
"Seems familiar doesn't it?." She could feel his lips move against her ears and she froze. His deep sensual voice ringing in her head.
Everything came back in a second.
"You liar!." She raged, her fist shaking out of sheer anger.
"You should dispose of your anger and worry more about what is going to happen in the next few minutes." He's voice was calm as always but that didn't reduce the fact that she wanted to punch the hell out of him.
"This place. Everything looks the same as what happened in my dream. Why?." She swallowed her anger, and asked the most important thing right now.
She didn't want to repeat that experience. The feeling of the fire burning her skin slowly, was one thing she could never forget.
"Well, I made you experience what was to come and now that's it here, you are prepared-."
"You said that you'll save me!." Furrowing her eyebrows, she clenched her jaw.
"Listen sweetheart." He lifted her chin and aria Aria was surprised to see a dark shadow looming in front of her.
"I can save you from your dreams because I control them, but here in real life, what is meant to happen will happen." His voice was firm and Aria felt her hopes crushed into nothing.
"I don't want to die." Her shoulders dropped as though giving up and she looked at the ground.
She had a life to live. She had her mother to take care of. She wanted to get married. Yet, he wanted to end it here.
There was silence.
"Let's make a deal."
Aria lifted her head up to see the shadow still there, standing almost stiffly.
"I'll save you but you have to do something for me in return." There was tension in his voice and Aria knew that he had given a lot of thought into this.
"What?." She didn't know why her voice shook but she soon got the answer.
"You see that man." He lifted his hand to point at Edmond who was talking to some of the villagers with a soft smile.
"Edmond?." Her heart shook.
"He's father is the king of this kingdom and he is one of the three princes." He explained and Aria nodded slowly, unsure of what he was trying to say.
"I want you to take the throne."
Aria would have laughed if it was someone else that said that but he didn't sound like he was joking.
"You want me, a commoner, to go to the royal palace, and steal the throne?." She asked to confirm and he nodded.
"No way." She shook her head and turned around to leave but instead her own hand grabbed her neck and a force pushed her to the ground roughly.
"What the hell!?." She struggled to speak as her own hands tightened around her neck.
"You seem to forget who you're dealing with." His voice was low, dangerously low.
"You made a deal in your dream to accept me and going against my word is the same as instant death." There was a hidden threat in his tone and Aria's eyes widened in realisation.
"You tricked me!." She fumed at the thought. Breathing was starting to get a lot harder by the second.
"If that's how you put it."
She could have sworn she saw him shrug.
"What is going on with her?."
"Is she trying to kill herself?."
People were starting to give her side eyes and she knew that she had limited time.
It was either she killed herself or these people will burn her to death.
"You are asking something impossible of me." She pleaded, her face turning a deep shade of red because of the choking grip.
"And you have a choice."
He was right. She had to choose between death and power.
"She's acting strange."
"Do you think she's really a witch?."
The people were starting to gather and Aria could feel her time ticking.
"Think carefully, after they get you, who next will they go for?." He hinted and Aria gritted her teeth.
Her mother. This was not only about herself but her mother. She was doing this only because of her mother and nothing else.
"I accep..t" Her words were dying down and she fell flat on the bare ground.
"You made a good choice sweetheart." He touched her cheeks lightly and Aria not having the strength to say anything, only groaned in annoyance and he chuckled.
"Aria!?." Edmond ran to her and gently but quickly helped her up.
"Are you alright? What happened?." He questioned hurriedly, his eyes holding emense worry.
Aria didn't know what to say.
"I-i slipped." She managed to come up with an excuse and relief washed over his face.
"Thank goodness, I thought you had fainted for sure." He was still holding her hands and a blush creeped into her cheeks.
"Come." He led her to a small eatery and they took their respective seats quietly.
"What do you want to have?." He asked when the waitress arrived.
"Water will do." She forced a smile and he ordered for the same thing.
The eatery they were in gave her a clear view of outside and Aria noticed that everyone was beginning to go back to their normal routine.
"Is there something you want to say?." She could feel Edmond's gaze on her the whole time and he sighed deeply.
"I'm sure you noticed that the story was cut short." He started and she tilted her head.
"What do mean?."
"The witch that escaped didn't escape alone as we noticed more than three different footprints on the scene." He confessed and Aria's eyes widened in suprise.
More than one witch?.
"They had torn the woman apart looking for something and not only to take her organs for their rituals."
The more he talked, the more confused she got.
"I think they are looking for a particular person."