Light In His Amber Eyes

Lazarus was so beautiful under the glowing silver moon, glittering. He smiled at Scarlett before he walked to Colt and fed him a piece of meat. Scarlett noticed something about his eyes. They were glowing an iridescent amber, nothing like anything she had ever seen. However, there seemed to be a darkness and sadness underneath that bright glow.

"Can you tell me why my father sent me here?" she asked.

"Like I said, you were the price I wanted for helping the Lumor Empire."

His reply startled her. Why did he ask for her? No matter how hard and long she thought about it, she just couldn't understand at all.

"May I know why you wanted me?" she asked nervously.

"Because you were the only one in your kingdom who caught my eye."

"I don't understand what you mean."

Lazarus stepped closer to her. The distance between them was making her heart race. There was something about him that was luring her. And she was willing to give herself, even if she was falling into a pit of darkness. Scarlett immediately shook her head, hoping to brush that thought away when she suddenly felt his arm embracing her waist. Although he was a stranger, who was also a bit scary, she still felt her heart throb under his touch.

Gazing deep into her eyes, Lazarus slowly lowered his head and kissed her soft lips. Scarlett immediately felt a spark in her heart but at the same time she also felt a miserable sensation in her gut. She could not understand how a man she had never met before could make her feel that way. Was she nervous? She probably was. But why? She did not know. She was strangely attracted to him. While she was lost in thought, he pulled away. That's when she noticed it...

His eyes... His eyes were bright red.

Taken aback, she stepped away from him, worried if he might hurt her. But she did not get that kind of a vibe from him at all. Something did not seem right to her. She suddenly recalled the glass of blood that he was sipping on at the dinner table. Could he... Could he be a monster?

"What are you?" she stammered.

"I knew I would have to tell you this at some point, but I just was not expecting you to ask me this so soon," Lazarus replied.

"Tell me," she urged.

"Are you sure you're ready to hear the truth? If you are, then I'll tell you, but if you're even slightly hesitant, then you should wait until you're ready."

Anxiety filled her heart like a cloud of smoke, slowly suffocating her and making her feel breathless. The overwhelming feeling was choking her, bit by bit. She wanted to run away, or even die, in order to escape from reality, but she knew she could not do it. She was not taught that way. She was not raised that way. She was born to be a princess, the hope of her kingdom. Now, the fate of her empire rested in her hands, even though she was far away. She had to endure it for the sake of her people, for the sake of those innocent and kind folk who had always cheered her on.

Scarlett did not want to disappoint her mother, either. She knew that if she backed down now, then her mother would be looking at her from the heavens with a heavy heart. After she made up her mind, she looked at Lazarus and said, "I'm yours."

He was a little surprised. He was actually expecting her to at least make him wait for a couple of months before she finally agreed to listen to him. Caught off guard, he didn't know what to do and was a little flustered. However, he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"We should sit down," he said slowly.

"Alright."

Scarlett then walked up to a bench in the garden, which was surrounded by berry shrubs and flower beds. Lazarus followed her and sat down beside her. Holding her hand, he gazed deep into her eyes, admiring how clear they were under the moonlight. The sky was clear with almost no stars visible. Lazarus took another deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"Scarlett, I want you to be my wife."

"What?" she asked in reply.

"Will you marry me, Lady Scarlett Adler?"

Saying that, Lazarus got down on one knee and took out an exquisite box which almost seemed magical. Under the faint silver light, it was glowing and sparkling in all kinds of colors. Scarlett was a little astonished and amazed by the box's beauty. While she was in a daze, Lazarus opened the box, revealing a gold rainbow Onyx ring, which was also decorated with at least a hundred diamonds.