A hundred apologies for the late update guys! Hope you enjoy the chapters >.< ~
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She still felt a rush of adrenaline up her spine after she had walked away from him. He brought her worst parts out. The parts of her body that wanted him to touch her and claim her. The parts that wanted to let go.
She rubbed her goosebumps infected arm all the way up to the gardens. She wanted to see the wolves again; maybe they could distract her from all the chaos that was building up inside her.
She walked in the familiar direction in which Theo had previously led her that day. The wind ruffled up her hair and she tried her best to smooth it down as best as she could to look civil. The surrounding trees were drawing her deeper towards the heart of the garden, but her feet didn't stop and continued walking on.
Out of nowhere, she felt a rustle of feet behind her. Her head whirled around faster than lightning as she surveyed her surroundings with narrow eyes along with a hint of fear. Gripping the sides of her gown, she let the matter slide away and continued on her path, though this time more cautiously.
Her eye started around in her anxiety as her steps started to slow down.
Tap!
Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she turned around with her breath held tightly in her lungs.
She exhaled as soon as she saw the familiar face but that didn't stop the surprise from showing on her face.
"Stanley?" she asked and the old man nodded with a safe smile. It made her relax but that didn't let the shock subside. What was he doing here of all places? How did he even get here?
"What are you doing here?" she questioned and watched as he approached her with the help of his walking stick.
"As soon as I heard that you were staying at the King's castle, I knew something was amiss. He is forcing you to be here, right," he stated. It wasn't a question but a declaration as if he had already gotten his facts proven true.
Eva didn't feel happy that the old man was pointing all the blame at the King. She was sure that if she had fought enough, the King would've let her go. She had lost a game fairly and it was her wish to stay here.
"I am not being forced," she spoke and watched Stanley narrow his eyes. "How did you even get here ?" asked Eva, and took his arm, leading the man to a nearby bench to take a seat. He must be tired from such a long journey if he indeed had traveled so far.
"I was worried about you, and you know how I am aware of a few spells of my own. It was easy to get here after using them," he explained and stared straight into her eyes as if he was trying to detect something in them. "Did he manipulate you into staying here?"
"No," she spoke in a calm tone but internally, her annoyance was starting to rise. Why did everyone including her sister think that he was such an evil man? If he was so bad, why did he respect all her choices and not force himself on her already?
"I'm here to take you back with me," told Stanley and Eva stood up, shaking her head in denial.
"I can't. I won't just leave him here and depart without a word," said Eva and watched a forced smile take over his face. Anger was flashing across those pale blue, droopy eyes.
"He isn't who you think he is, Eva." he began. "Do you know how many people he has killed in all these centuries? His hands are tainted with the blood of a million innocents and yet you're defending him!?" his grip on the stick tightened visibly.
Eva had never seen him so furious and wondered why he was so aggravated now. It bugged her all the time when she thought of all the people he must have brutally murdered but a part of her always thought that he must have had a good reason to do so.
She didn't know why but her instincts were telling her to run back to the castle quickly. She could sense something bad about to happen.
"Come with me and all will be the same again," he spoke with a soft smile and outstretched his wrinkled hand, looking at her expectantly.
Eva wasn't to be persuaded. It felt as if she was betraying Theo, even considering the idea of going away without telling him was crushing her from inside. There was no way that she was going to abandon him when he wasn't going to first.
"I'm sorry," she spoke quietly. "But you'll have to make the journey back alone."
The very next second, she felt her sight getting blurred. She could no longer see Stanley clearly and gasped when she felt an excruciating pain in her head. The next thing she knew, Eva was falling to the ground, her body no longer complying with her instructions.
Her eyelids felt heavy, and the last thing she saw before fainting was Stanley bending over her with a sad look in her eyes. She wished she could've seen Theo again for the last time and with that, her eyelids shuttered down as her body fell limply in the old man's hands.
"You know she doesn't love you." Stanley looked over to a tree and heard a cackle from behind it. "Some part of me thinks that she is getting infatuated with the King himself!"
Muttering a few words under his breath, he closed his eyes. A minute later, when he opened them, his appearance had changed. The hair was no longer gray but brown with a streak of silver running down a strand. His eyes were the color of a beautiful mossy green as he carefully lifted the unconscious girl in his hands.
Vanessa stepped out from behind the tree and smirked, her smile returned with a glare instead.
"You could've given me more time." Alastor hissed but the woman shrugged her shoulder with a roll of her eyes.
"So you could persuade her with your cute little puppy eyes hm?" she asked, pouting her lips and batting her eyelashes innocently. It only made his blood boil further and his grip on Eva's body tightened unconsciously.
"Get lost!"