Gavin stared at Carrie, frozen in place as he tried to connect and digest everything she just said. Princess Carrie, there was a possibility that another soul was given to her to continue living when she was young. But nobody knew what kind of soul it was and where it came from. Other people said no matter where the soul was from, it was still an evil deed. For a person to easily accept another soul and make it their own - it was indeed a horrible and scary thing no matter how one looked at it.
Still, this was Princess Carrie.
Gavin took a step, closer and closer until he reached her.
Full of shock in her eyes, Princess Carrie felt her entire cold body slowly being wrapped by familiar warm arms.
"It doesn't matter," Gavin said, hugging her close, close enough so she could feel the honesty in every word he said. "Whether it's your body or not, if you have more than one soul or not, you are still you. So stop saying horrible things about yourself."
He felt the woman trembled in his embrace as he pulled her closer. He let her hold onto him, gripping his clothes as if her life depended on it. It didn't matter at all. To Gavin, no matter how surprising these events and the future would be, no matter what kind of soul or origin Princess Carrie had, she was still Princess Carrie.
"You're really stupid..." Princess Carrie had uttered once more, hugging Gavin back and burying her face in his chest.
Gentleness and warmth reflected on the Second Prince's eyes as he held the person closest to his heart. As long as she was safe, he would do anything.
With a smile, he pulled her protectively. Even if he could never have her, at least he could make the world be kinder and gentler to her. Only then his heart would feel satisfied and content.
"Your heart is beating too fast. Are you thinking of indecent things?" Princess Carrie suddenly said, destroying the solemn and emotional atmosphere.
Pulling away and glancing to the side, Prince Gavin cleared his throat. "Stop imagining things. If you feel better now, let's continue searching. Even the horses disappeared. If we could find one, it will be easier to find the others."
Princess Carrie agreed as they hurriedly began to walk once more, warily looking around each time while also trying to search for Keagan, Tamara, and Asher.
"We can't be sure if Asher is also one of them so if you saw him, you must tell me first," Gavin said, busily looking around the grasses, trying to check if there were any traces of people passing by. With the help of the moon and his natural extraordinary night vision for being an alpha, he was able to see better at night.
Princess Carrie nodded as she followed closely behind while also looking around for any signs of Keagan and Tamara.
"Your father wants to kill me. Aren't you afraid of him?" she asked.
Gavin went silent for a while before he responded. "There must be some misunderstanding. Anyway, don't let it bother you for now. After we collect those herbs, we'll return to the Capital and I'll come with you to ask the Alpha King himself about those things."
"The First Prince..." She suddenly mentioned, voice low and soft, almost a whisper.
The reminder made Gavin halt and went silent again. After a few seconds, he said, "He's going to be fine. It's not the first time he experienced having his life on the line after returning from the battlefield. He won't die. There is nothing to worry about."
A smile was etched on Princess Carrie's face as Gavin had seen numerous times whenever the twenty-five-year-old prince was mentioned. Knowing his words finally made her worry less, Gavin looked away.
"I heard he has been canceling marriage arrangements for many years now. A good prince like him must find a good wife so they can lead the country well in the future," Princess Carrie casually said, not a hint of further emotion in her way of speaking.
Though a bit surprised, Gavin chose to ignore and just nonchalantly replied. "This topic of marriages among the royal bloods is really tiring. Brother doesn't want any of those imposed mates. He has always wanted to choose his own mate."
Gavin removed another bush as he looked farther, trying to see any trace on the paths they were taking.
"That is quite expected but nonetheless acceptable. To be able to lead wisely, an Alpha King must have the perfect Luna by his side."
"Right. All alphas do need that," Gavin thoughtlessly answered.
"And what about you?" Princess Carrie suddenly asked.
Gavin felt his heartbeat stopped. He turned back, facing her directly, "What?"
Princess Carrie asked, "What about you? Are you also planning to choose your own mate?"