34 CHAPTER 34: The Beautiful Footwear

"No!!" Aella threw her entire weight and landed on the floor with her body sprawled in between the double doors of Cassa Dron.

With her hair and limbs all over the place, she knew this was the most ungraceful thing to do, but she would do anything to get out of here.

"No!! Don't close it yet!!" She screamed as she waddled her arms in the air.

"What on earth are you doing?" She heard Bane's seething voice from behind.

Aella whipped her head back and with her blonde locks on her face, she glared at the lad who was trapping her.

"This isn't what you promised! I haven't stepped outside yet, you ig-" she pinned her mouth shut before the completed the sentence.

She wouldn't want to offend him by lacing curses all over his stony face.

"One, I never promised anything. Two, you said you wanted to see and get some air," Bane raised two fingers in the air.

He then sniffed the atmosphere which made Aella frown.

What was he doing?!

"Can't you smell it? Nice air. Now, pick yourself up respectfully if you don't want me to drag you by your tiny stick-like legs," he gritted out.

Son of a monstrous ingrate! Was he threatening her?!

Aella was dumbfounded.

Instead of getting up, she only flipped her weight so she was resting on her back as her arms spread to push the doors further away.

"Don't do this, I just want to step out and have a look at my surroundings. Just for a little while," she tried her best to bring on her fairest pleading face.

Bane said nothing and kept his arms folded behind him as he stared down at her with an incomprehensible look.

"You are very different from the humans I've known," he mumbled under his breath.

She didn't know if she was meant to hear the statement or if he was just talking to himself but she always wondered why he referred to humans as though he wasn't one.

Was he so accustomed to his Master that he had given up his innate being?

Aella clasped her hands together and blinked up at him through her eyelashes with a smile planted on her lips.

"Is that an affirmative?" She pouted childishly.

God! The things she was doing just to escape from this Castle!

"Get up," he let out and her heart dropped.

Just when she thought she had him. He would never give in so easily, would he?!

"But please! I promise I won't pester you for anything after this!" 

She wouldn't because she would be leaving tonight if all goes as planned.

"Well, you wouldn't go outside while crawling, will you?" Bane huffed as Aella's expression brightened.

In an instant, she jumped up as though the floor was made of hot lava with a wide smile on her face.

"Is that an agreement?! Are you really letting me out?!" She could barely keep her body down.

"Only for me to have peace," he muttered.

"Huzzah!!" She pumped her arms in the air and reached forward about to embrace the lad just because of how joyful she was.

"Don't even dare," he placed his hand in between them immediately.

"Oh, alright. I was just excited," she waved it off and whirled around to step out when he called again.

"Halt," 

"Oh, bloody hell, what is it now?!" Aella hissed, not knowing what his problem was.

"You-"

"What is it?! Why can't you just let me get out for a few minutes?! I am not going to drop dead by whiffing some air other than your bitter aura!!" She ranted with embedded on her countenance.

Bane only stared at her as though she had been speaking another language which he didn't quite understand. His golden orbs were unreadable.

"I only called you back because at least, I have the common sense that one shouldn't step out without footwear," he let calmly as Aella's eyes widened a bit.

She looked down at her barefoot which was devoid of the boots she had used for the journey.

"Oh," she mumbled and looked away.

She had run her mouth on the poor male when all he wanted was to help her out.

'Oh, Aella, when will you ever learn to have some patience?' She chided in her head.

"I suppose you have my boots, no?" She asked.

"Heavens knows they are charred to ashes by now," he uttered with a straight look and she barely held herself from cursing him again.

"Then, pray tell, what am I supposed to use to step out?! The Lord knows your foot is triple of mine or should I pick some leaves from outside to create makeshift footwear?!" Aella huffed with irritation.

She didn't know why they couldn't have a proper conversation without her getting riled up at his insensitive comments!

"I have said this before and I will reiterate. You need to get a grip on your reins," he tsked with a displeased look.

"Reins? I'm not a bloody horse-"

"Look to your side, lady, and lend my ears some mercy," Bane cut off before he walked past her.

Aella turned her head and verily, she saw a pair of brown leather footwear by the side of the door.

A sheepish smile fell on her face as she realised she had lashed out at him without checking her surroundings again.

He could have just told her that instead of making her waste her breath!

The shoes looked a bit old but sturdy nonetheless. It had a strap to tighten on her ankles and a flower design by the side.

It looked pretty and awfully went well with her outfit.

She quickly put it on and was surprised to see how perfectly it fitted her. 

With a skip to her steps, Aella stepped outside the Castle.