Sweet Distraction

The hooves were the cold reminder that they were not together. When the horses neighed at the distance and he let her go at once as if her touch was embarrassing. Her pride wounded at once when she heaved but he looked completely unaffected.

Not a hair was out of place or his breath.. It was so calm and cold that she felt dumbfounded by the look. 

"We need to return to the palace." he announced as he held her by her wrist and dragged her like a prisoner. His prisoner! They were only waiting here for her husband to return and ambush him. She was nothing but a sweet time pass he was enjoying. Shame drowned her with anger as she pulled her hands back, surprising him for a second.

His eyes widened and then narrowed at her face. 

"Are you finally rebelling, My lady?" The teasing voice had a hint of mockery and she knew she could not rebel against him. Rebelling against the king's men would be the walk to the gallows. And the provoking smile on his face had proved it.

"You were dragging me too fast. I will walk at my own pace." She raised her skirts enough to show him her bleeding legs. While walking, she had hit a branch or who knows placed her feet on the sharp thorns that were strong enough to cut the sole of her slippers.

"Why are you not wearing proper heels?" he frowned and kneeled at once, surprising her.

Before she knew it, he pulled one of her legs and placed it on his knees, disbalancing her. She gasped and placed both her hands on his shoulders instinctively to make sure that she did not fall.

But then her eyes fell on his. His eyes were frowning with rage and she was sure that he swore a curse under his breath when he looked at the bad condition of her feet. There was a hint of worry too. She told herself that he was only worried that she would not be able to walk faster now. But his eyes said otherwise.

He looked hurt for her. The thought stirred her again. This man was nothing but a mystery to her now. No matter how much she tried to understand his intentions, she failed.

He spoke and proved that he was here for revenge. He was going to make sure that she would be broken in the process but he kissed her so gently and held her so fondly as if she was precious for him and the way his heart worried for her.

She winced when he pulled out a glass shard from her feet.

"How in the world did you not realize that there is a glass shard piercing your feet?" He was furious. She could feel the rage in his voice but for the first time it did not scare her.

"I did feel it, my lord." she confessed, making his frown deeper. He stood up cornering her, his large frame too big for her small one and when he raised his hands, she closed her eyes instantly while holding her dress tightly from her both hands.

For a second, she felt that he was going to beat her; the thought left him horrified and unsettled. His eyes widened as she braced herself for the hit. Ha! Hahahaha! So after that kiss, she thought so lowly of him that he would beat her. Yes, he could beat her, they were nothing but enemies. Though he consoled himself with that thought, his eyes had gone so cold that even the warm rays of the sun touching his skin could not melt that ice.

He had only held her and pulled her because his men were there. He did not want her to be seen like this. When her lips were swollen and her breathing was ragged. They would recognise the expression in a second and then they would think that she was easily available.

They would try to… the mere thought only burned him with fury. She was a foolish girl. In these long two years, she had learnt nothing but being a fool.

"It is not the time yet." he spoke through gritted teeth and she finally opened her eyes. Her first action was to touch her cheeks in confusion. The thought was so ludicrous that it made him laugh again with fury.

"It is not the time to beat you, my lady. I have other uses of your body." her eyes widened at once and then flushed. That white skin flushed red looked so alluring that he really wanted to kiss her to teach her another lesson. But his men were close and he could not make an irresponsible mistake.

"Since your feet are injured, you are going to take the horse with me." he did not wait for her to reply. But he lifted her from the ground with one swift motion. She gasped again and held his shoulders to make sure that she did not fall.

"You look surprised!" he commented, making her blink. Should she not? He did not give her a warning before lifting her up as if she weighed nothing. "I am sure you have been lifted many times in the past." past!

She closed her eyes. It was so distant that she had never expected to repeat it. You used to love me in the past. The words dug a hole in her tongue but she did not dare to whisper them out aloud. I still love you. She wanted to add, but she could not do so.

For he would laugh at her love that could not stand against the world. He had come for her. That night, he had asked her to run away with him. But she did not. She had refused him. What right did she have to complain about his hatred then? Yet a part of her wanted to ask..

"Why are you being kind again when there was so much hatred in your heart?"