Poke!
Scarlet groaned, half-awake, lazily scratching her left cheek as she shifted to one side. With her teeth clenched, she mumbled incoherent words that made little sense before drifting back into slumber.
Poke! Poke!
Growing increasingly annoyed, Scarlet furrowed her brows and swatted away the persistent source of irritation prodding her cheeks.
Meanwhile, the mischievous culprit behind the poking frowned. It was the man lying beside her, now awake. With his upper body lifted by his arm, and his chin resting on his palm, the man attempted to wake Scarlet by lightly slapping her face, hoping for a response. Unfortunately, his gentle slap failed to have any effect. Apparently, she was ridiculously unresponsive despite his efforts—slapping, poking, even blowing into her ear.
"Is she under a spell?" he mumbled as he pondered the situation.
He glanced at Scarlet once more, contemplating her audacity. How could she sleep so peacefully in his presence? Did she have a death wish, or does she simply do not know who he was?
The man didn't know how much time has passed, but it must have been countless of years since he had been imprisoned in this desolate cave, and the people outside may have long forgotten his great name.
Amongst the questions in his mind, one fact, however, was certain: This little girl was his destiny.
Ever since his seal was released, their souls had become intertwined, bound by an unbreakable connection that would endure until one of them drew their final breath.
The symbol of their connection, a slumbering dragon, could be seen on the back of Scarlet's neck.
But that was merely the first step. After patiently waiting for her for ten thousand years and finally having her by his side, he now had another goal: to establish an unbreakable bond with her, one that she couldn't sever morally. Marriage.
Unbeknownst to Scarlet, she had become someone's little bride. She had no idea that the handsome man she had freed was going to trap her in marriage.
The devilishly handsome man sighed, giving up on his attempts to awaken his young bride. It seemed futile as she slept like a bear in hibernation. Eventually, she would awaken, and when she did, he would form a plan to trick her into marrying him when she reached the marriageable age. He couldn't let her go, especially now that he had found her. He could wait a couple of years until she's all grown up, but she would never escape his grasp.
As the handsome man got up from his resting position, his oversized crimson robe slipped off his shoulders. It was too large for him now that his body had lost a lot of weight.
Suddenly, a man dressed in black dragon armor appeared in the cave, accompanied by a dozen soldiers donning similar but less imposing armor.
"You're late," the handsome man said, his voice chillingly domineering.
The black knights respectfully bowed as they heard their master's voice.
"Forgive me, my lord. We came as swiftly as we could when we saw the barrier fall," the man leading the soldiers replied, avoiding direct eye contact with his master.
Despite the handsome man's diminished stature, his beautiful face and commanding presence remained intact, making him even more domineering than usual.
Observing his men trembling in fear, he let the matter go and turned his attention to his bride's peaceful sleeping face.
"How many years have I been imprisoned?" he inquired.
"It has been over two thousand years, your majesty."
"Hmm. I am a thousand years too early then," the devilishly handsome man mused, his brows furrowing in deep thought. "Did something happen to the old hag?" he asked, referring to the witch who had confined him in this god forsaken place. He was supposed to be locked up for 3 thousand years. That was how long this prison dimension was able to hold him.
"I'm sorry, my lord, but we lost track of her two hundred years ago."
The man's eyes turned cold as he asked, "And you haven't found her after all that time?"
"Please forgive our incompetence, my lord..."
A deadly silence filled the cave.
"Anselme, you have grown weak," their master's chilling voice sent fear through the black knights, especially Anselme, their general.
Anselme wisely remained silent, understanding that it was best not to speak when his master was in a foul mood.
Amidst the ensuing silence, a voice suddenly emerged from behind Anselme.
"My lord, may I ask?" The speaker was Grant, Anselme's successor and right-hand man. Despite his young age, Grant possessed great talent as a warrior.
The handsome man didn't respond, but he also didn't reject the inquiry, maintaining a questioning silence.
Grant continued, "Who... is the little lady behind you?"
Anselme's neck snapped toward his foolish subordinate.
The handsome man cast an indifferent glance at Grant before pointing to Scarlet's beautiful sleeping face. "Are you referring to her?"
The young warrior nodded, his voice hesitant. "Yes."
Silence enveloped the cave.
"Do you find her beautiful?" the lord casually inquired.
"Of course, my lord. She is incredibly beautiful despite her young age. She would surely grow into a peerless beauty."
The silence continued.
"Do you enjoy gazing upon her lovely face then?"
"Uhm..." An oppressing silence continued.
"Do you desire to touch her?"
"My king, I wouldn't—"
The air crackled, making Anselme shudder as he felt his master's dark aura emanating from him. The other warriors felt it too, quivering in fear as they lowered their heads, afraid to meet his eyes.
"Do you wish to die?" the Lord's voice turned menacing and low, ready to snap someone's neck if further provoked. Anselme grew alarmed, familiar with his master's dangerous temper. Oh no! He's going to kill him! "Grant! Apologize at once."
"I-I do not, my lord. I do not wish to die." Grant immediately said. "Please forgive my impertinence!"
The dark aura within the cave dissipated instantly. "Turn around and never gaze upon her again. If you do..." The pause in his words held significant meaning.
Grant trembled like a frightened lamb, nodding fervently. "Y-Yes! Y-Yes, my Lord."
Anselme looked at his foolish subordinate with pity in his eyes. Grant should not have opened his mouth and asked about the girl. Their master detested women, and it was the first time he had allowed someone of the opposite sex to come near him, let alone sleep beside him.
Anselme could sense it in his bones—this little girl was special. Could she possibly be their future mistress? He wondered.
If the woman is their future mistress, then she must be his master's destiny, which was good news because after hundreds and hundreds of years, his master has finally decided to settle down.
But wait.
Looking at the adorable face of his master's intended, he asked, "Your lordship, may I ask?"
"..."
"Did she set you free?"
His master scowled. "Does it look like I have the power to free myself after I was prisoned in this cave for 2 thousand years, slowly being drained of my magic, Anselme?" he asked.
"I apologize for being thoughtless, my lord. I'm just glad you've gained your freedom.."
His master didn't respond to that, but instead turned to a different topic of conversation. "My kingdom? What's the situation in Beldemir?" He asked, talking about the domain which he ruled over as their monarch.
Anselme bowed and answered, "A lot has changed, my lord. We've adopted to the changes in technology and warfare. The magical knowledge, however, has regressed over the years since the great war."
"A great war?" The man asked.
"Yes. The 9 realms plunged itself into chaos during your absence. Most records of ancient magic was destroyed in the war." Anselme answered.
"I see. There's a lot that needs to be done when I return then." the handsome man remarked, glancing at his attire. "These robes no longer fit me," he murmured. With a simple flick of his wrist, the oversized robe adjusted itself to perfectly match his body size. His expression turned serious as he commanded, "Listen carefully..."
"Yes, my lord!" Anselme bowed his head, and his subordinates followed suit in unison. They all clenched their fists close to their chests, saluting their sovereign.
"Return to the palace without me. I will leave this place once my intended wakes up."
None of the warriors questioned the devilishly handsome man's orders.
"Yes!" The warriors nodded their heads, ready to follow his every command unconditionally, as they had been trained to do.
"Anselme, you, stay with me."
"As you wish, your lordship."