5.
1873 Words
Somehow, It felt as though the energy around us had changed drastically. The once trembling man before me a minute ago was not trembling anymore. I stood rooted to my spot, keeping my eyes on him as the fire from the touch danced, creating an eerie feeling even more.
This was my first encounter with a human. I had never met now, neither had I ever exchanged as much as a word with any. So, having a human talking before me, going as far as telling me his name was a whole new experience for me.
The silence was interrupted by his loud cough which echoed through the empty cell. I moved closer to him, pat his back until the cough subsided before I moved away, resuming to the spot I had been standing.
"You sure do look pathetic for a girl like me to save you," I threw his words back at him. "After all, men were known to be the savers. And women? Just be a damsel in distress."
His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought I saw him glare at me. "Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been this way, Layla."
"It is Your Highness to you, Human." I gritted, trying to find a way to wash that smug and proud look on his face. "Your Highness and nothing more."
"Hmmn," his gaze traveled across my body, and I watched on as his eyes dilated with something new. I had no idea what that meant, heck, the idea of having him watch me as though I was his prey, and he the predator, did not sit well with me. So me being the me I am, I covered the short distance between us and smacked him as hard as I could on his head.
"Eyes off my body, you prick!"
"But I had no thoughts in mind, you flat-chested Ladyship!" He gritted angrily not moving a bit from where he remained seated.
I gasped, as my hands instinctively flew to my chest. "What did you just say?" My eyes danced with something crazy. Although I can't see them, I knew just the right way my emotions worked.
"Was I lying?" He replied calmly, leaning his head back to the wall. "You are pretty flat-chested, and there's nothing you can do about that. Besides, I was not looking at you with any thoughts on my mind. I was simply trying to take in the young girl who saved me."
"Woman." I simply said, fighting to hold back my rage.
"What?"
"I am a woman. Not a young girl."
"Hmn. Someone is desperate to grow."
"Say that again and I promise you I'll make you eat your tongue."
Perhaps, it was the way I had said it, or the anger dripping in my voice. Either way, however, it worked. He swallowed and after a brief moment of staring at me, dropped his gaze.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"What?" I pretended not to have heard him. "Did you say something?"
His eyes swept back to me, and I could swear by the name of Danu, that he was trying so hard to contain his rage.
Well, that makes the two of us, mister.
"I said, I am sorry. I didn't mean to insult you."
"That's more like it. After all, 'this flat-chested girl' as you say," I air quoted his part and continued, "saved your excuse of a life. And in case you've forgotten what had happened back there, you belong to me. I invoked the law on you."
He simply sighed, closed his eyes, and turned his face away from the direction of where I stood. I may have pretended it was fine he thought of me to be flat-chested, but that doesn't mean I wasn't hurt by the statement. However, I decided to let the issue go.
I have far more important issues to think of than this. One was my trip to pending trip to Cornia to see my fiancee. And two, the stupid bond I had created between us by invoking that law. I have no idea how far it stretched, but I intend to test it out the moment I see an opening.
"Where are you from?" I asked changing the topic. I had already asked him about that the moment I had stepped in, but I had no idea what to talk about, and I am not yet ready to go back to my room.
I pursed my lips as I took slow steps towards him and sat on the cold rocked hard floor. I leaned behind the wall, sitting beside him. "How did you get here?" I continued, still keeping my gaze pinned on him. "I mean, I do not need to explain anything more, it is obvious that you know this is not a normal place for a human."
He kept his gaze on me as well. It was as though we were having a staring contest, each trying to study the other. Soon enough, however, his brows furrowed, his dark eyes sweeping around the dungeon before they landed back on me again.
"I don't know. Although It seems like you do not trust my first answer, and I know it might seem quite impossible, but I do not remember anything about me prior to when you found me in the forest. It seems as though, I have lost my memories."
Something was going on that I couldn't quite place my finger on. One moment I feel like gauging his eyes out and feeding them to the animals in the forest, and the next moment, I feel a slow sensation building up within me. I had never experienced something like this.
"Why did you save me?" His voice drifted across, bringing me out of my reverie. "You could have left me there to die. Why did you risk it to save me?"
My curiosity was one of the reasons I had decided to do that, that, and the compassion in me. Nothing would've made me run past him in that state without helping him. That wasn't who I was.
"Because I needed a new play toy. Someone to go with me on my journey." He didn't have to know that it was in my nature to save everything I came across. "I needed to own something as well, or rather, someone."
His lips curled up slowly. It was the first time I was seeing that, and it didn't help calm the raging feelings threatening to erupt at the pit of my stomach. Great. Just great!
"A play toy you say," he chuckled, wincing in the process. "I suppose I can be a really good play toy, Your Highness."
"I'll be going with you on my journey."
"What journey?"
"There's no need for you to know."
He was silent, and when I looked up, his eyes were still on me.
"May I comment on your skin, Lay...Your Highness?"
"What about my skin?" I asked, getting defensive all of the sudden.
"It is weird that it looks greenish. Not too much, but anyone could notice it easily. I noticed not everyone looked that way, but the king, your father I mean, had a touch of color on his as well. Is it a disease?"
I scoffed, then burst into fits of laughter. This human knows nothing about Faes, and that, by far, is great. I can teach him only the things I deem fit for him to know.
"Not a disease. Royalty allows us to have distinct features from everyone."
"And what exactly are you?" He leaned closer, his breath fanning my face.
I lost count of how long I had stayed in that position. But having him so close with his breath fanning my face and his dark eyes ogling at me didn't help the situation.
"Are you okay?"
"Uh," I turned away quickly, cursing myself for acting like a naive young girl. It wasn't my fault however, this was the first time I had been this close to a man. Not even Antonio had ever dared to be this close, or stare at me with the same intensity Sebastian was.
"You tell me what you are first."
"Uh, a human?" He asked, as though it was obvious. Which was true.
"Are you sure about that? For someone with no memories, how sure are you about being a human."
"I trust my guts. And I look nothing like any of you. Your eyes are the same color as the green on your skin. Is that a part of being royalty as well?"
"Maybe?" I smiled, "you tell me what you think."
"I have no idea what to think or know. I'm simply at your mercy right now." He grumbled.
"Glad you know where you stand, Sebastian."
"You can call me by my name but I can't call you by yours?"
"You're my captive. My slave to be put in correctly. You can't call your mistress by her name, can you?"
He gritted his teeth and balled his fist tightly. "So I am a slave now? To no one but you?"
"Would you like my father to own you?"
He didn't say anything. Instead, he looked away and tried to adjust his sitting position, wincing in the process.
"What was that about the law back there? Does it mean whatever happens to me will happen to you as well?"
"In a way, I suppose." Even I do not know to what extent this goes. I have only heard stories about invoking the law, but never knew the consequences of it. Now, however, it looked like I have my life intertwined just by invoking the law.
"That is a weird law. I wish I can remember everything about me and go back to where I came from."
"And risk getting killed for the second time?"
"Excuse me?"
"You seriously have no sense, do you?" I taunted. "For someone found in the forest bleeding to death with a big gash of a wound, I suppose your senses have gone highway," I pointed at the wound, suddenly becoming conscious of the fact that he had been shirtless all through.
"If anything, that wound doesn't look natural. Someone stabbed you, and it was intended to kill you off."
He was quiet again, possibly mulling over what I had said. But before he could reply, and before I could say anything more, the commotion from the cell door caught my attention.
A moment later, a bulky figure stepped in. Father.
"Father..." I shuffled to my feet as fast as I could. "I ca..."
"Come with me, Layla." He simply said, then turned his head a bit and continued. "Take him with you, Lorenzo." He commanded his chief guard.
"But father..."
"Come with me, Layla." He repeated, his voice still calm before he turned and walked out of the cell.
"I don't need you to save me all the time, Your Highness. I can perfectly take care of myself. I promise I don't need a girl to always save me." His annoying voice filled my ears, and I turned to pin him with a glare.
"I'll make sure you regret saying that." I snapped, picked up my skirt, and walked away.
- Writer
