Ainsley winced, his hand instinctively reaching to soothe his stinging cheek, the aftermath of Dahlia's powerful slap, a consequence of his harsh words towards Sullivan.
Crown Prince Daedric couldn't conceal his disbelief as he witnessed Dahlia's uncharacteristic outburst. She wasn't known for such displays of aggression, nor did she typically raise her voice in such a manner.
Ainsley's features hardened, his fist tightening with resolve as a grim expression etched itself upon his face.
With a sudden motion, he pushed Dahlia back with considerable force. In the nick of time, Sullivan reacted, holding Dahlia and preventing her from falling on the floor.
"I will kill you both. I will make sure you two are hung to death!" Ainsley's anger burst and he asked the Crown Prince to be the witness of the scene in front of the King.
Dahlia stood straight as her eyes furrowed. "Do whatever you wish to do. The Crown Prince has witnessed how you humiliated my husband and his late mother. Who gave you the right to call my husband characterless?" She was fuming in rage and wanted to punch Ainsely this time.
"Look at your manners, Dahlia! You really need to know what your worth is after marrying this trash! Also, your husband is worthless. The hand you slapped me with, I'll make sure to cut it off with the King's permission," Ainsely threatened her.
"And where are your manners? You are the one who started it. You are the biggest trash in this kingdom, which needs to be dumped deep in the ground," Dahlia loudly said.
The servants nearby started gathering as they heard them arguing.
"Dahlia, please, come with me," Daedric pleaded, reaching for her hand, but she abruptly withdrew it, opting to grasp her husband Sullivan's arm instead. With determination, she led him away from Ainsely's line of sight.
After covering a certain distance and making sure nobody was around, Sullivan gently freed his arm from her grasp.
"What was your intention back there? You slapped Ainsley despite knowing that what he said about me wasn't entirely untrue. Why are you intent on dragging me down with you?" Sullivan's frustration simmered beneath his words.
"I stood up for you. Instead of scolding me, shouldn't you appreciate that?" Dahlia's confusion deepened; her actions were meant to uplift Sullivan, not bring him down.
Sullivan's retort cut through her defenses. "You once called me the son of a degraded woman. So spare me your pretense of kindness." With that, he walked away, leaving Dahlia pondering.
"It must be the original soul of this body," she murmured. "We were supposed to go and greet the King and the Queen." Dahlia, finding no one around, wondered in which direction she should head. She had no idea about this palace.
However, within a minute, Sullivan again came in her direction. "Let's greet the King and the Queen," he said. "Also, take the blame for what you did to Ainsley. Don't expect me to save you."
"But I'm your wife. We vowed to protect each other," Dahlia reminded him about the wedding vows.
"You know well why I married you," Sullivan asserted, carrying a stern expression on his face.
Dahlia recalled how he said in that hall that nobody would marry her because she confessed her love for Sullivan.
"Then, am I not supposed to fulfill my wife's duties?" Dahlia asked.
"I am not interested in becoming a husband," Sullivan declared. "Also, I'm aware that you don't love me. You lied in front of everyone."
"That's not true. I love you," Dahlia said, hiding her apprehension. Her eyelashes fluttered, and only one thought came to her mind to prove to him she was in love with him.
Dahlia kissed him as she thought, 'I want to give my favorite character a happy ending.'
Sullivan was taken aback by her sudden bold gesture of kissing him openly in the palace. He pushed her away gently, holding her shoulders. "Dahlia!"
"What? Can't I even kiss my husband?" Dahlia questioned him while gazing into his ocean-blue eyes. Those eyes told the truth about how much he was hurt from inside. "For you, I'll fight with the entire world. Also, I'm a black belt in judo. So, I can protect you well," she stated with a smile.
"Judo? What is that? And what's a black belt?" Sullivan demanded an explanation for those unknown terminologies to him.
Dahlia realized what she just had spoken. She slapped her lips lightly after moving her head away. "Keep in mind you are not in the modern world," she mumbled.
Sullivan couldn't hear her and urged her to speak loudly.
"I mean to say that I'm good at fighting," Dahlia stated. "We should see the King and the Queen before we get scolded by them," she suggested to him.
Sullivan was dubious about her behavior, but he decided to observe her for more time to know exactly what she wanted from him.
"Pardon me for intruding on their highnesses. The King has summoned Princess Dahlia to the main hall immediately," informed a maidservant from the King's manor to them. Dahlia got worried to hear that while Sullivan knew what would happen next.
"Be ready to be thrown in the dungeon," Sullivan told her.
"Don't scare me," Dahlia said.
"It's the truth," Sullivan sternly replied.
"Will I be flogged?" Dahlia asked.
"Perhaps." Sullivan walked ahead of her while her heart drummed against her chest in fear.
~~~~~
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