"Don't come near me!", yelled Chloe, agitated.
"Fighting my brother in my presence, do you think I'm dead?"
"No, your highness", responded Derrick in a gentle tone. He was pretending to be sober. He knelt down beside her bed and coax her. Within few minutes, they were already inseparable.
Ophelia who was seating near them couldn't take it anymore and decided to go out for fresh air. As she stepped out a gush of air tainted with the smell of dried and fresh blood invaded her. Her stomach churned but she continued walking forward. She saw the werewolves busying themselves with moving the bodies of their lost comrades while some servants cleaned. The more she moved the more revolting the smell and the site before her became. Although she felt pity for them, she knew that the weaker ones would always be the casualties of war. As she walked out further, she saw more servants.
"Was there much casualties?", asked Ophelia.
"No ma'am. Miss Lynn is a tough nut", replied the servant. From the way she spoke it wasn't hard to see that this one adored Chloe. She became even more curious about the bubbly Chloe.
Out on the field, she saw a pyre with bodies on it. They were going to burn the bodies.She was curious as to why they would burn them instead of burying them as was the tradition of burial everywhere in the world, at least that was what she had read.
She walked around the field checking on the injured and assisted the medics in moving the supply. That was the most she could do at the time. She did all of this just to get source out information from the victims who had fought in the battle. She needed to know how powerful the world in which they were was and how to become stronger and grow in other to make her dreams come true. In this world where the weak prey on the strong and brothers turn against each other, she didn't want to be the weakling, the prey. This decision didn't come out of compassion for the victims but for her friends and family. She still needed to find her mother, whose life was still a perfect mystery up till now and she needed the strength to fight her enemies and power to face all the obstacles and still remain alive enough to achieve her goals. This little battle had opened her the ways of the world outside the shelled Alkal and she realised that she was too nice to think she could just rely on the power of light that she possessed.
Nicklaus walked into this scene on the field. His bunny was doing the menial job meant for a servant. He took big strides over to her. He had a menacing look on his face which made the medics weary. They felt guilty for letting their Luna have her way but if they didn't they would be offending her too. Nicklaus, their devil king, had long since commanded them to always obey her every command. They bowed in fear not knowing how to defend themselves. If only they knew that Ophelia was doing all of this out of obligations and not compassion perhaps they would have felt no guilt.
The devil in question didn't even look at them, he went to his wife flipped the items she was holding to the ground and carried her away. In his arms, the bunny, Ophelia was screaming, "put me down, put me down" but the man went on stubborn.
And so the scene of the woman-repulsed Nicklaus carrying his wife across the field and all the way to the mountain and even into her room was seen by everyone present. Ophelia was very aware of this strange stares which left her more angry than she was before. 'What would these people think of her now?' she wondered.
In her room, Nicklaus sat down on the bed with her still in his arms. He loved the feeling he got whenever she was in his arms.
"Ain't you going to let me down?", asked Ophelia.
"Not yet"
"Do your thing then", Ophelia knew that she could not persuade him so she gave in for now.
"Do you really think I'm an arrogant prick?", asked Nicklaus shocking Ophelia. She could never have imagined that this man before her would be bordered about such trivial comments. Obviously, he was!
"You act like one", responded Ophelia.
"Do I?", Nicklaus chuckled. His bunny was becoming bolder. "You are becoming bolder this days. What gives the courage that this one here won't hold you accountable?", growled Nicklaus. He sounded irritated which caused Ophelia to have goosebumps all over. She was shaken.
She mostly didn't understand this man before her. He displayed so many personalities that she could hardly see through any of them. He could be arrogant, selfish, self conceited, generous, adamant, forgiven, benevolent, selfless, gentle... Gentle? Every time, his image overlaps itself in her head. She had known him for almost four months now and she still couldn't read him. He was an opaque wall, unreadable.
She jumped down from his arms and sat farther away from him. She didn't know if he was angry or not, but she was afraid. Afraid of him, afraid of all the tales she had heard of him and beyond the fear was a little light of curiousity and courage. She was not going to let the fear of the stories she had heard deter her determination. She would unravel the mystery, Nicklaus Lynn.
"Are you angry?", asked Ophelia, her voice so soft he could hardly hear. It sent ripples down his spine. His anger was dispelled immediately but it was short lived.
"I was telling the truth", continued Ophelia with a wild smirk. Nicklaus was too astounded to be angry.
"What courage!", Nicklaus bellowed. He sat there feeling even more aggrieved than before.
Ophelia looked at the sullen faced Nicklaus but she was not moved at all. Although they had not known each other for too long, he had played this trick too many times already. She got up and went to seat on the sofa. Ophelia liked the sofa so much because it made her room look slightly different from the one in Alkal. Her room here was almost the same as the one in Alkal, except for the colour and the sofa, every other thing was the same. Looking around the room again, she felt warm. Nicklaus did know how to be considerate.
Nicklaus sat there looking at his woman. Her expressions were difficult to read but due to the connection(the bond of a mate) he had with her, he could feel that she was content about something. Almost feeling smug. What could it be, he wondered.
And so the couple sat each in their own space doing their own thing. It was a picturesque site but there was no one around to capture this moment or distrupt it.
****
In the days after, Ophelia was running on a routine. From bed to the cafeteria, to Chloe and Derrick's home, to the field where she too long walks with Nicklaus most times tagging along and finally back to her room. Ophelia enjoyed this period of her life and maybe they were the most relaxing and serene times of her life. Although they were simple ordinary days, They were the best days. Whenever Ophelia thought of these days, she would which that they lasted longer because they were also her last peaceful days....