CHAPTER 9
I don't know how the days could pass us by so quickly. I sighed and continued walking. I haven't seen Damiro this morning and the maids said his been out gone since last night.
"Your Majesty, The lady would like to talk to you in the room." A young Firenes maiden approached me as I was in the hallway.
I nodded and she guided me to a room. There I saw Damiro's mother. Sitting elegantly on a couch with her crossed leg, she stood up to face me.
"How are you with my son?" She said. Her voice was stern and full of authority. Dang! I'm nervous.
"U-mm. Damiro and I are good Madame." I answered politely and I swear, sweat started forming on my nose and my legs were slightly trembling.
She nodded and sat back down. She motioned her hand for me to sit on the chair in front of her. I sat down and cleared my thought and slightly wiping the sweat off of my nose. She saw that and she wrinkled her nose. I smiled sheepishly at her and she glared at me. Dang! I'm the dumbest! The heck?!
"Are you pregnant?" And as expected, she asked.
"Uh w-we haven—"
"You haven't slept with him?" She asked, now she looked scary.
"Um w-we di—"
*Then are you pregnant? Or don't tell me you're disfunctional?" She gritted her teeth.
"I'm not disfunctional, but we—"
"Then what's the problem? I want a grandchild! And as his wife, you are to give him a child! That's your only purpose here child. Live up to that!" She said and stood up, leaving me speechless there.
—
Damiro's POV
I just got back to the palace after going to Celeste family. I made sure my spells are still working well on them.
"Where have you been?" My mother asked after seeing me walking in the hallway, she just walked out of the room and she looked stressed and upset.
"Somewhere. What's with the face?" I asked and my brows creased.
She looked away and sighed first.
"Your wife's disfunctional Damiro! What's her use here? Hm? Why did you marry her? I swear, if you don't give Bakunawa a child we will not be out of here Damiro! And I'm so sick of living in this hell! A child! That's a sacrifice Damiro!" She said in seething anger.
She walked passed me and disappeared behind the walls. A child. Sacrifice. I looked up and took a deep breath. Damn it!
I flinched when I feel something on my shoes. I looked down and saw Cora. Celeste's pet. A smile slowly plastered on my face. I saw her last night, I was awake all the time she sneaked out.
Her long hair danced with every step she took as she passed some of the sleeping guards. I laughed silently when she slightly shook her head in disappointment. But little did she know, I made them like that,spells.
She sat down the chair as I lean myself behind the Apple tree. Hmm...
It was planned. Everything.
*
I lifted the puppy up and just as Talia walked out of the room with her misty eyes. My smile faded and I walked towards her.
"What happened?" I asked coldly. As much as I want to be nice to her, I should suppress my emotions from anyone.
She looked away and shook her head, she smiled. But I know better. My mother.
"You better take care of your pet Talia. I don't want her wandering off the halls and pestering my people." I said grimly and handed Cora to her. I walked passed her and I saw how her lips trembled. Damn.
I know I'm a terrible person. In fact, I am a Firenes. A devil. But, Talia...
I sighed and continued walking...
—
Talia's POV
"How do they survive here? This place is terrible." I whispered as I looked up in the sky. I was sitting on the my rattan chair in my room's veranda with Cora on my lap, hurling.
I really missed my family. My Papa. I've never had enough time to spend with him before he was sent home. I felt trapped here, it's suffocating the hell out of me.
"Your Majesty, It's time for the ritual." Neska, my handmaiden. She's been helping me these days, I somehow thank her for keeping me company.
"What ritual?" I asked and my forehead creased.
"Umm, King Damiro told me you should get dress, Your Majesty." She replied.
Without further questions, I dressed myself in a black knee-length longsleeved dress and a black cloaks, I followed her through the garden. The garden?
"Your Highness, the Queen is here." Neska informed Damiro who was sitting comfortably on the chair.
He looked at us and his eyes gazed down on my body. He nodded on Neska and she then excused herself on the scene leaving me standing in front of the devil.
"What's this all about? What ritual?" I asked and walked around the garden to tear his eyes from me but he just followed me behind. I can feel him close behind me so I continued walking.
"Hmm...I can see you've grown hatred towards everything about here. Mind telling me why?" His tone was cold yet mocking.
I turned to him and stopped walking, but it felt wrong when I almost bumped into his chest. I stepped back and distanced myset from him.
" Are you stupid or just playing dumb to piss the hell out of me?" I glared as I gritted my teeth.
"Oh I don't know my Queen. Maybe when you tell me, then maybe I can make some adjustments for you. " He said.
" Can you just quit it? Stop playing with me, Damiro! If you think I'm your toy because we're married, then you're wrong! The moment you'll cross the line, I swear, I may not be as good in using my Veta but I'll make sure I'll be burning your soul in hell as if you're not living such life right now." I blustered but he just kept his stoic and arrogant facade.
"So what's this damn ritual's about?" I blurted out.
"A blood for life. An eternity as ethereal as your beauty. Let's make this work." He said and before I knew, his soft lips crashed with mine as we shared the same heat under the warm sun and with the frantic beats of our hot and cold hearts.
He pulled away after a minute and I was still in dazed when he held my hand and walked me to a hidden tunnel in the garden. I didn't know this was there! It was dark inside but I can see the light at the end of it peeking through.
"W-where are we going?" I stammered at my words. My heart still hasn't calmed yet and I can still feel my cheeks burning as I'm feeling strange emotion right now.
"You'll see." His voice echoed along the tunnel as we continued walking.
When we stepped out, my jaw dropped when I saw how magically beautiful the place was. it's like another dimension of the garden. I can still see the palace at where it is and exactly like we were in that garden. I was so mesmerized with the place! There's a huge and gigantic wall that surrounds the place with green and healthy vines hanging on it, maples on the corners, pink and red roses, daisies, and other colorful flowers on the ground that's so unlike the garden on the other side.
He pulled my hand slightly waking me up to my senses.
"Let's sit." He said lowly and walked to the chair under the Apple tree where the chairs and table's located at. He pulled one chair for me and made me sit.
" Why are we here?" I asked him when he sat down.
He sighed and pulled a dagger from his suit.
"Give me your hand." He reprimanded and I was shooting. Wait... Is he going to kill me? My hand trembled and heart pounded hard against my chest.
"W-what?" I asked.
"Your hand. Give me your hand." He said slowly.
My forehead knotted and with trembling and sweating hand, I put it on his palm. I flinched when he sliced my skin making me bleed. He then got a black rose from his coat again...wait...what? How did it got there?
He let the blood dripped down to the black rose before burning it into ashes. The wind blew and same as the ashes. It's gone and all I think about was what's that all about.
He wrapped a handkerchief around my wounded wrist before putting it down.
"What was that?" I blurted out.
"It's for your own good." He answer shortly.
"What did you... mean when you said we'll work it out?" I asked, still dumbfounded and in dazed with everything.
"We have to work this out. We're married to each other Talia."
"I know, but...look, we don't have feelings for each other, nor love for each other." I said.
"And that's why we have to work thing out Talia."
"But what if we won't work? Do we make a deal about that just like how we dealt with this marriage?" I inquired.
He leaned back on his chair and crossr his arms in front of his broad chest. Eyes so brooding and lips in grim line.
"Fine. We have to work this out. If we fall in love, then that's great, if not, we'll one has to die or you will stay with me forever, you cannot go back to your world."
"Wait...what!? This is our deal that means I also have a say about it."
"well of course you have, but trust me Talia, that's the least thing I can offer you, the nicest in fact." He said and grinned.
I scoffed and leaned back. Wow, I really have a say in this.
We stared at each others eyes for a while until I sighed. Dang.
"Fine. I'd rather die than to stay with you forever Damiro. Deal. " I sighed again and he just smirked.
*****
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you'll fall for me. Hard, Talia. But in case we don't work out, I'm sure it's me who'll go first." he whispered to himself as he watched her roam around the garden of roses and daisies with her little smile.
"Don't worry." he smiled to himself.