Selene's golden hair whipped violently in the wind, stinging her cheeks as it tangled around her face.
The familiar sensation of freedom that came from the horse's gallop rocked her body back and forth. Somehow it brought with it a small solace in the midst of her stormy emotions. A much welcomed distraction.
Her frustration however still continued to simmer just below the surface. Iris's unwarranted meddling, particularly her decision to invite Prince Kang Dae without consulting Selene, had not only annoyed her but surprised her. If Iris wanted to get along with the prince's companion then Selene had no qualms with it, but bringing her into it? No way was she going to stay around for that!
The prince's arrival had been nothing short of a disruption to say the least. The thought of him—his indifference, his casual yet somewhat playful demeanor—only served to heighten her irritation. "Argh, he's so annoying," she thinks out loud.
His presence was an unwelcome reminder of her impending marriage and the choices she felt were thrust upon her.
The fact that her father had left the announcement of her engagement to Sameer to deliver only served to greatly compound her discontent with the whole situation no matter how put together she appeared.
Since her mother's death, their relationship had been strained, a chasm widening with each passing day.
His choice to distance himself and delegate such personal matters to others spoke ill volumes. And not to talk of his obvious preference for Thanos, his beloved heir apparent, did nothing more but added salt to Selene's wounds. She shook her head in an attempt to dispel these saddening thoughts, her frustration momentarily abating as she momentarily focused on the ride.
But soon like an idle mind, her focus shifted and refocused on Andreas— she hoped to seek his forgiveness today when she sees him and make amends for the pain she believed she had caused him. To her their love had been a rare and precious thing, although it was disrupted by circumstances beyond their control.
Despite this she hoped, as the black sheep of her family, her choice of spouse would be of little consequence. That her father wouldn't even bother as to whether she married or not. Or who she married, since he didn't seem to care. Oh, but she had been grievously mistaken. The damn upcoming wedding felt more than a slap to her face.
Andreas whom had spent 4 years devoted to her, listened to her rants about the stress that came with her duties. Never, not once did he ever make her feel she could be anything but herself. His care and affection was like a soothing balm to her often troubled soul. And boy did she feel free when she was with him.
Unavoidably, her thoughts drifted back to their first meeting. Four years ago, during the wine festival Arcadia held in the honor of the god Dionysus.
The market had been alive with the vibrant hustle and bustle of festival-goers, farmers who came to sell their grapes from their vineyards and merchants from different kingdoms.
Selene had snuck out of the castle for a little fun of her own. Only to find herself standing in a line to taste the free grape drinks being offered—something she would never have experienced within the palace walls.
Amidst the crowd, well, there he stood behind her: a tanned tall figure with dark brown curls that hung around his face stopping at his neck, struggling with a heavy sack over his shoulders.
"Are you new in town?" she had asked, her curiosity got the best of her. On most days she never spoke to anyone, just went about exploring the good side of town.
"Yeah, I just arrived this evening," he had replied, his smile bright and genuine, it reached his eyes lighting up his face. Despite the slight crookedness of his nose and the ruggedness of his beard, there was a friendly, approachable quality about him that drew her in.
She had quickly pointed at a close by stall for him to leave his bags and reassured him about the safety of Arcadia. So he wouldn't be chasing away prying hands, to which he eagerly agreed. When he returned, he had noticed her gold necklace with a pendant shaped like a tear drop, he went on and mentioned he owned one just like it but silver.
From there their conversation had flowed effortlessly. She had quickly learned his name was Andreas. Their encounters since that day had become a routine Selene cherished, his warm presence, carefree nature and playfulness made him a favorite part of her days. Well, the days she successfully sneaks out of the palace.
On the flip side, her guard had still remained up due to the need to hide her status, for so many reasons she didn't let him know who she was.
That is, until she fell ill about a year later from their first meeting and was forced to miss her weekly visits to the market for over a month.
When she finally ventured out again, she could never describe to anyone just how stunned she was to see posters carrying sketches that resembled her, the crazy part was the poster declared her missing. The deception enraged her.
How could this have happened? Aside from the palace staff and the nobles, how could anyone else in Arcadia recognize her?
These thoughts circulated her mind at the time.
Determined to uncover the source of these flyers, she followed the directions she had been given from passersby, only to find Andreas in the act of distributing them.
The sight of him there frantically moving from person to person handing out these posters stirred something unrecognizable yet strangely deep within her.
"Andreas?" she called out softly, disbelief coloring her voice.
"Selene?!" he responded, his shock was clearer than day on his face the moment his eyes landed on her standing just few paces from him in her brown worn out cloak.
He almost immediately rushed towards her, lifting her into his arms and twirling her around with what seemed like unrestrained joy. Overcome with emotion, he kissed her, and to her surprise, she found herself kissing him back, the warmth of the moment a stark contrast to the chaos that had preceded it.
As their lips parted, Selene's breath hitched, her heart pounding with an exciting frantic rhythm. The lingering warmth of Andreas's kiss on her lips left her in a daze, as if the world had suddenly tilted on its axis. She blinked again and again, yet her eyes remained locked with his, and she saw the raw emotion and worry etched deeply in his green eyes.
"Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" Selene remembered how Andreas's voice was a mix of frustration and relief, his breath coming in heavy, ragged bursts. The desperation in his tone tugged at Selene's heart, filling her with a pang of guilt.
"Oh my goodness, Andreas? Why would you do such a thing?" she managed to ask, still reeling from the shock of their erratic kiss—her first kiss, a moment she had never expected to share under such circumstances.
"I didn't know where you lived or your family's name. I hadn't seen you anywhere, and I didn't know what to think. What else was I supposed to do?" His hands gripped her shoulders with a mixture of concern and longing, his chest rising and falling as he tried to steady himself.
Looking into his eyes, Selene felt a wave of remorse. She remembered how she had taken him to a secluded spot and revealed her true identity as the princess of Arcadia. His reaction had been one of unwavering understanding, a testament to the depth of his affection.
His presence had always been a solace for her, his willingness to listen and remember every detail of her life she thought of it as a rare gift. He had even gone so far as to sneak onto the palace grounds, using his knowledge of magic to remain undetected, all to see her. The memory of his eagerness to meet her sister and the thoughtful gift he had brought for Iris warmed her heart so much she believed she found her twin flame.
Selene was jolted back to the present as she approached the familiar clearing in Andreas's backyard. She chose a different route today, avoiding the town and the forest line where Sameer had caught her the previous day.
Instead, she navigated the farm roads, hoping the sparse presence of farmers would keep her presence hidden. The path she took led her to the back of the house, where she carefully dismounted and began to make her way around the side of the house.
Her senses were suddenly heightened when she spotted an unfamiliar man. Instinctively, she ducked behind a thick bush big enough to keep her hidden, her heart racing at the thought of almost getting caught.
From her hiding spot, she could hear the sounds of booming laughter from the two men, she too found herself stifling her own giggles to avoid detection. She has never done this before, hide behind a bush and eavesdropping. Well, it's not like she planned to, it just happened.
Peering through the foliage, she caught sight of Andreas's profile, his face illuminated by his infectious smile. He might not have been the most handsome man she had ever known, but to her, he was incredibly attractive, his wide smiles always capable of brightening her day.
"Alright, pay up, Andreas. I won the bet," Andreas's companion said, extending his hand with a challenging grin.
Andreas threw his head back, his laughter roared and resounded in the open space of his yard. "Ah, fuck off, Ermis. The wedding day hasn't even arrived yet, so the bet isn't over."
Selene's confusion deepened as she listened. What could they possibly be talking about? Her mind raced, trying to piece together their conversation.
"Ah, piss off! I hear she's getting married to the Prince of Mu in three bloody days. When would you see her? She'll be locked up in that darn castle anyway. So pay up, brother!" Ermis's laughter was loud and brash as he stretched out an empty hand to Andreas who wore a downturned smile.
Selene's eyes widened in shock. The implications of their words hit her like a cold wave, yet she still couldn't understand what was happening before her very eyes.
"Ermis, trust me. That bitch is wrapped around my finger. She would do anything to see me, trust me brother, that's when I'm going to fuck her. Fuck her hard." Andreas's voice dripped with a disturbing blend of cackles, mockery and cruelty.