I don't hate him.
Cosmo Astros walks alongside me, walking along the perimeter of the exotic garden, simply talking amongst each other. Cosmo is quite the adventurous type, as well as humble about all his achievements. He talks about his brothers and treasures each of them and talks about them with affectionate eyes.
He's admirable.
"Before anything 12. I'd wish to apologize," he hesitates as he slows his stride, staring at me with furrowed brows, "I shouldn't have voiced such things as marriage so brashly. Being envious is unflattering..." He pauses. I stop a few feet in front of him, facing him with a curious look as he continues.
"...If I had understood you and Lord Ventura bonded in such an intimate way, I would--"
"Intimate!?" My voice comes out louder than I had intended, my face burning in surprise. Cosmo only seems to nod with a small sad smile before actualization dawns on him. I gape at him in shock as his hands rise and cover his face in obvious embarrassment, the tip of his ears red.
"Oh my. You and he have not... I just... I overheard Lord Rhodon say a comment regarding you and Lord Ventura, and how you slept with him and exclusively lovers do so... I shouldn't assume... and being bound..." Cosmo's voice is mumbled, his sentence slowly making zero sense, as he hysterically fumbles over her words. I cleared my throat and shook my head.
"Lord Ventura is just my lord. I am bound to him by contract because I work for him. He doesn't love me and I don't love him... He simply said those things, because if-if I marry you... I won't return home... We have never been... intimate."
The garden falls silent for a few moments before Cosmo pulls his hands from his face, his face still pink, with a determined look on his face. He bows deeply. "Forgive me. Truly. For my vulgar words... but I did not lie. I do desire to marry you...."
"You don't know me."
The words leave my lips before I could stop them and Cosmo returns to his standing position, moving near me. Gently grabbing both my hands and bringing them up to his lips. His eyes flutter close as the cold of his lips spread through my flesh and bones. The air seems to leave my lungs. He pulls away, squeezing my hands with a soft smile.
"I do not Miss. 12. I wish to know you and cherish you even more than I have. I request that you give me this month to show you... To show you, Astrolia... My home that can become yours."
I find myself nodding with a soft smile, an anxious sigh leaving Cosmo's lips as he pulls away. His blue eyes reflect real joy.
"...Thank you..." His voice trails off as he notices behind me, his eyes lighting up, grabbing my left and pulling me along.
"Snapdragons! These are snapdragons!"
This time they're white and have their own special section. Still holding my hand with his right, he spoke excitedly about the flowers. They're grown and harvested on Astrolia Land, and when prince Helio became king, he dubbed the blooms as the nation's flower and even placed them upon the family crest. They're found all over the island and are a national treasure.
"Aren't they beautiful?"
"They are." A part of me wonders what the flower represents. To have such an important role in Astrolia, they must mean something as well. As Cosmo walked with me along, telling me facts about the Kingdom he'd soon inherit. We remained in the garden till late afternoon, the blue-sky turning orange and red. We sat side by side on a bench of white stone in front of a gorgeous fountain. A book resting on Cosmo's lips as he read a book written by one of his brothers.
The moon, with silver rays of white, burnished upon the damp never-ending darkness of the lagoon. With its water's clouded and uncorrupted, untouched by the ghastly vile hands of man. Arose from it, a man with hair black as midnight and velvety as a spider's web. Orbs green that shimmered with such illumination that made the breath adhered within my throat nearly suffocate me. He unfurls creamy scarred arms, lips slim as he opens them, the words of his song, seduce me further into the lagoon, the legs of my pants gradually becoming saturated in the opaque water of the lagoon.
Cosmo reads eloquently and easily and speaks in a manner as if I'm there. Within the dark and the lagoon. As if I see the man call me as if I hear his poisonous song. It's like magic. I lean closer in, glancing at the words of the book with interest. Cosmo shifts moving closer so that I could see the pages clearly, our knees pressing against each other.
"I hate to interrupt, but 12. I require your assistance."
The sound of Lord Ventura's voice nearly sent me and Cosmo leaping into the air as I threw my body on the benches. Lord Ventura stood with crossed arms with an unamused face. A tense laugh leaves Cosmo's mouth as he closes the book. I stood up straight, an awkward smile on my face, turning and facing Cosmo, bowing subconsciously.
"...Thank you. Thank you for spending the afternoon with me..."
Cosmo leaps to his feet and bows quickly. "Ah, thank you 12. I hope we can enjoy each other's time at dinner or--"
"She won't make it to dinner." Ventura cuts Cosmo off with a glare and says nothing else as he grabs my arm, basically dragging me away. I struggle against him.
"Lord I--" I tried to pull away as we entered the palace. He ignores me completely until he reaches the bathhouse, nearly tossing me inside the room. I stumbled over my feet, glaring at him as he slammed the door shut and locked it. "What is wrong with you!?" Hiss out the words. Lord Ventura faced me with the most distressed look I've ever seen before. He says nothing as I stand staring at him with wide eyes as he leans against the door with a pained and silent gasp, slowly sliding down the door. Forgetting my anger, I rushed over to him. I crouched down beside him.
"Sir. What's wrong?"
"Help me remove my shirt." Lord Ventura hazardously fiddled with the buttons before my hands took over, helping him remove his shirt and jacket. Blood garnished his shirt collar and drenched a portion of his shirt. My eyes nearly pop out of my head, my jaw going slack. "What happened?" Instead of waiting for his response, I moved his hair to the side. The claw marks were bleeding.
"I do not require you to bandage my neck. It will attract unneeded attention. I rather not mention it. Simply clean my shirt and accompany me to the carriage and where we will abide for the month—Once--"
His placid demeanor changes, in taking a breath of air, before letting it out in a frustrated sigh, "once we leave the fucking castle. I will answer any questions on that little mind of yours." His voice breaks as he speaks, a pained grunt leaving his lips.
I do just as he asks.
Starting the water and doing my best to wash out the blood and dry it to the best of my abilities, without leaving a mess behind. Ventura fixed his position, using his black blazer to cover the wound. Quickly cleaned my mess and moved back to Ventura's side, covering the marks.
"We'll have to be quick," I mutter aloud, buttoning the shirt quickly and his blazer. You could smell copper radiate off of him, but I ignored it.
"Help me up." Tossing an arm over my shoulder, hissing out in pain before opening the bathhouse door and quickly darting out and down the hall. "Rhodon will let the others know of our absence, but I will face the repercussions of the king later."
We quickly climbed down the stairs and to a small carriage. The door opened and waited. Ventura climbs in first and yanks me inside. "Please go quickly." Yelling out to the coachman before sitting down, the carriage pulls off with a jolt and Ventura let out a pained gasp he was holding.
"..."
I say nothing but watch him as the carriage speeds down from the mountain. He looks at me with a more relaxed face, his neutral expression gone. "Do not look at me like that..." He looks paler than before and reminds me of the face he has when sick.
"You're getting sick..."