Dalia's eyes flew open upon hearing that voice; it was the monster, the king! How did he get here? What was he doing here?
"Why would anyone be smiling so widely in the hands of death?" the king spoke, his voice slightly irritated.
Dalia's eyes grew wide, and for a second, she forgot to breathe; she just ceased to move at that moment. She was too shocked to even gasp... What has happened? How did he...?
Her eyes slowly traveled to the lifeless wolf on the ground before her, blood clamped on its neck. Then she looked back at the king, who held tightly to a sharp silver sword, now stained with red blood on the tip.
She gazed up at him, the tears still lingering in her eyes. A few moments ago, she had already given up, succumbed to death.
How was the king able to reach here on time and rescue her? And why would a man rumored to be a monster rescue her?
"It is only your second day, and you are already giving me so much trouble," his voice was laced with anger.
If only she could see the face behind that mask, if only she could read the irritation on his face instead of his voice, perhaps she would feel much better? But how did he find her? Had he been following her? Did he not just leave the kingdom? How was he...
The pool of tears continued falling again, Dalia's shoulders shook, the adrenaline rushed through her so fast, shivering every part of her body... She had almost died. If it wasn't for the king, she would have been torn apart by the wolf.
The king squatted next to Dalia, a slight sigh escaping his lips. Then he extended his hand towards her, "Get up," his voice was nowhere near kinder, but at least it was better than before.
Her gaze traveled to his hand, and for the first time, she realized that he was wearing a glove. What exactly was he hiding? Who was he behind all of this mask he had on?
Dalia took his hand, trying not to let her mind wander there. For now, she would just be grateful to him for saving her life.
"Easy, take a deep breath. You are shaking so bad," he said through gritted teeth, his hand clasping hers.
She nodded, still staring at those dark brown eyes that didn't give off any emotions at all.
"I warned you, did I not?" he looked at her, tilting his head to one side, "To not try to escape."
She gulped hard. What will happen now? Will he punish her?
"So you prefer the woods to my most comfortable home," if he wasn't putting on a mask, his brow would have been raised, probably to mock her perhaps.
"Do not try to escape again; there is no way out of here," his voice had darkened.
She nodded. In this situation, there was nothing left to do, and he was right. Escaping was not the safest thing to do. She had almost died, and if it wasn't for him, this night would have been the end for her.
The king sighed, watching her keenly. She saw his mouth move as if to say something, then it closed back. He shook his head and asked, "Can you walk?" His voice lacked concern.
She nodded her head and managed to whisper, "I can."
"Good." His gloved hand tightened on hers as he helped her stand. "Because you will have to walk until we reach the road."
She nodded, summoning her strength. She felt her body trembling, unsure if she could make it to the road. Yet, she couldn't voice her doubts to him. She sensed his fury; she had enraged a monster. "My life is in your hands, dear gods of our land," she whispered.
"Did you say something?" he turned to her, his eyes squinting.
She shook her head, biting her lip.
He looked away from her, his gaze traveling towards the lifeless wolf on the ground. "Look at that."
She followed his gaze, fear gripping her the minute she caught sight of the beast that had almost torn her apart.
"Do you think you could have escaped it or other hideous animals in this forest?" he looked back at Dalia.
She was still staring at the beast, but she could feel his gaze on her. What was the difference between the forest and his home? This beast here in the forest might be hideous, but the one at his home was even worse; for the gods' sake, he was a human killer. How was she safe with him?
"Princess, or perhaps, dear wife."
Dalia shot him a long look, her eyes widening. Please, she did not have to be reminded that she was his wife. She hated the reality.
"Very good, look at me and remember that I am now your husband."
His whole posture was facing her now. He stood regally, his hand behind his back. "All the rumors you must have heard about me were perhaps the reason why you ventured into the forest rather than sitting put in your room."
She did not nod. There was no need to answer. He already knew; of course there was no need to answer.
"It will be pointless explaining anything about those rumors to you now because I know you will not listen." His gaze traveled to the moonlight pouring onto his masked face, the wind swayed his long black hair slightly.
She wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't for the wind; the other day, he had been wearing a crown that covered it, but today, it was just the mask covering his face, leaving his hair visible. She had never seen any man with such long hair that almost reached his shoulder. Everyone's hair was almost trimmed.
"I made a promise to your family not to hurt you, so you are perfectly safe with me," he looked back at her, his deep brown eyes seeming to be piercing into her soul, like he knew her so well. "But if next you try to escape and find yourself in any possible danger, please, with my permission, do well to save yourself."