Chapter Twelve. walking by the river bank

When Darius caught up to his wife, she was already slowing down as they were almost at their destination. He had let her take the lead as he had seen the happy and free expression she had showed once she rode her horse before him, and more surprising yet comforting to him, she kept on looking back at him as though to make sure he was keeping up and that only warmed his heart.

They reached the small waterfall and for a few seconds,they stayed sitting on their horses silently as they watched the flowing waters before he dismounted first and then she followed after him. They then quietly walked on the bank of the with no one saying a single word to the other meanwhile Darius watched as the water continuously hit the bank with it's waves and back with a grim expression whereas Maria was just quietly walking along the bank and seemed to be considering something in her mind.

"Do you mind if I take off my shoes?" she finally asked breaking the silence. "I mean... I think it would be better as I would be able to feel the smooth touch of the water.." she explained looking at him and he nodded before he watched her get happy just because he agreed. Darius wondered why she would have to request for his opinion just to do such a small thing. He didn't own her.

Maria bent down and Slowly released the straps of her shoes before she pulled her feet out and stood directly on the rocky stone beneath her feet feeling it's coldness touch her skin. She then resumed to walk along with him.

"Do you come here often?" she asked him and he took some time before he answered.

"Once in a while." he said. " Do you like the water?" considering she even removed her shoes,he could only conclude she did to which she nodded to his question. "But it's not safe for you to...I mean these here are stones and some of them could hurt you" he explained and she smiled at him. He didn't know why but her smile always made him feel warm in his heart. It gave him a certain sense of warmness he hadn't been able to feel in a long time.

"I know" she said softly but Darius caught an underlying to her words as though she had no better option and he promised himself to take her somewhere better some time in the future.

"Darius" she called him as she stopped moving and he did the same so as to hear what she had to say. "I...Thank you for bringing Alexa back to me" she said "... and also Rosie" she added softly as she stared in the direction where they had left their horses with a dreamy look.

"Hmm" he answered with a nod and she looked back at him.

"I heard that women do not ride in your kingdom...I mean Daman?" she then asked correcting her sentence at the end as his kingdom had now become her kingdom as well. She wondered why he would go as far as breaking the law if it was true.

"They don't" he answered curtly and she again looked at him but he didn't say more. He just looked at her as though telling her he would do something about it while Maria looked at him worriedly.

"Will you be alright then?" she asked softly and Darius felt his heart bulge at the thought of her worrying about him even if it was just for a single second.

"I will" he answered and Maria stared far away at the other side of the waters. She couldn't help but worry about what might happen to him. He had been so nice to her sofar even after she had falsely accused him and knowing that the law of his kingdom spared no one,Maria couldn't help asking if he would be alright. She didn't want him to get hurt once again because of her.

They continued to walk in silence as she was lost in her thoughts while her husband watched her as she stared at the far distance. There was a lot of things Maria wanted to ask him about. Why did his kingdom have such rules that were cruel for a person to bear? Why did the queen mother seem not to like him and what relationship did he have with her. Maria already suspected there was tension between the two of them and she couldn't understand why. But she held herself back and didn't ask him about any of it.

"Can we sit down and watch the sky?" she then asked and he complied by sitting somewhere away from the waters before she followed to sit beside him. Darius subconciously sighed and that brought her attention to him as he lay down using his hands to support his head. "Are you tired?" she asked looking into his green eyes and he shook his head. Maria looked at him wondering what could be troubling him but she didn't ask anymore.

"It's a beautiful view, isn't it?" he then asked diverting her attention and she looked up at the sky to see the many beautiful stars.

"It is" she answered but he could tell from the sound of her voice that her thoughts were far from it. A few moments passed before something shinny crossed the sky with so much speed Darius could almost have missed it but his wife did. "A shooting star!" she exclaimed and his eyes fell on her bright face. "We should make a wish!" she exclaimed and looked at him.

"Quickly close your eyes and make a wish" she commanded but his eyes remained glued on her and her voice turned slightly urgent as though she was suddenly out of time. "Come on,do it quickly" she persuaded and he finally closed his eyes. Maria wished for Darius to be happy and out of trouble while she wondered what he could have wished for.

"May you be happy always" he voiced and Maria instantly opened her eyes to look at him in disbelief. His eyes were open and staring at her while he had said his wish aloud and she had heard him. This man! Why couldn't he just comply with the rules of the wish? And that too, his wish was for her to be happy!! Maria was torn between whether she should feel happy because she had heard it from him as it made her feel comforted or she should be disappointed that he didn't comply by the rules of the shooting star.

"Darius" she called in a serious yet soft voice. " ..you..." Maria didn't even know what to say to him as there was no use crying over spilled milk and considering how innocent his expression had turned out of nowhere, Maria could only sigh and drop the matter while leaving the man wondering if he had done something wrong. Maria lay down a few inches away from him and continued to watch the sky with him in silence.

After they had watched the beautiful view of the sky for some time, the couple stood up and walked towards their horses to go back to the palace.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Maria asked as they walked.

"Very beautiful" mammered Darius but his gaze was glued to her and when she turned to look at him, she stared right into his eyes catching him in the act of watching her. They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds before breaking the spell. Maria tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ears while Darius cleared his throat and looked in front of him with a serious expression as though nothing had happened at all.

"My shoes!" exclaimed Maria all of a sudden and Darius stared at her before his jaw slightly moved for the briefest second and Maria wondered if he had been laughing at her or perhaps she had imagined it. He then squat down before her and put her shoes down in front of her.

"May I?" he asked Maria and she was dumbstruck both at the thought that him,a king had been holding her shoes for her all along without her notice and then at what was happening as he squat down and requested as though to help her put on her shoes. Thinking that she might not have heard him right, Maria stayed where she stood without any intention to move her feet.

When she held the sides of her gown and looked down as he wasn't standing up from his squatting position, Maria turned flustered as the man was already looking up at her wondering what was wrong and she could not even attempt to protest. Slowly, she lifted her right foot first letting him dust it off with his gentle yet smooth fingers before he placed it into the shoe and securely tied the straps around her.

All the time Maria felt shudders run down her spine whenever he his bare fingers contacted her bare foot and she found herself wondering how a man as great a fighter as him could have such tender and fragile fingers. He did the same with her left foot before he stood up from where he had been squatting to resume walking.

"Thank you" Maria mammered softly and he looked at her before they continued walking.

"Since when did you know how to ride a horse?" he asked steering their conversation ahead and Maria registered curiosity in his voice.

"For a few years now. I guess since I turned fifteen" she answered.

"You must be experienced" he complemented and she nodded with a thank you.

"I used to sneak out of my chamber and learn to ride when I was sure no one was watching. It's the reason I can ride in a gown without a lot of hardship" she explained and he nodded.

"Do you love it? I mean horse riding?"he then asked.

"I do" she answered quietly as though she was suddenly sad. "... but..I know it's not allowed" she continued with a hint of sadness to her voice that he registered.

"I thought it is not allowed in your father's kingdom too?" he deadpanned and she nodded before she put her mind around what he had said to her and her eyes went slightly wide. Was he...?

The last thing Maria wanted was to bring herself or even worse him into trouble and she quickly dismissed that thought. But then,

"If it makes you happy" he continued and she stared at him in disbelief. Was he going to break the rules that everyone in his kingdom had lived by for so long just so she could be happy? Overwhelmed by all that she was feeling at the moment, Maria took a few steps closer to him and she hugged him.

"Thank you" she whispered but the man in her arms was long way back frozen.