Kael lounged on his plush sofa, drumming his slender fingers on his lap as he thought about the princess. There was something off about her. It wasn't just that she seemed a bit...slow. It was more than that. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He remembered their encounter at the market, where he'd caught a whiff of her blood. Normally, that would've been enticing, but with her, it was different. He felt a shiver run down his spine, and not in a good way.
Even though the girl had covered her wound with a glove, the scent of her blood was still heavy in the air. It was an inexplicable revulsion, a kind of sensation that made him want to stay away from the girl.
But here she was now, as his bride, and she'd handed him a dagger instead of trying to kill him like he expected. What was going on? Kael's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure it out.
Kael's fingers stilled, and raising one to his face, he rubbed it over his lips, feeling a bit frustrated. "What game are the humans playing with this one?" he mused, shaking his head slightly. That was when he felt a tingling sensation on the tips of his fingers.
"Hmm..." Kael hummed, looking at his fingers as if there was something interesting about them. He rubbed them together, but there was no sensation there again.
"Master...your meal is served." Ballister stood at the door with a tray that held two wine glasses filled to the brim.
Kael's eyes moved from his fingers and settled on the blood wine. "Come in."
Ballister's steps were swift, but he didn't spill the crimson drink he bore. Carefully placing it on the table in front of Kael, he stood in the corner, waiting for orders.
Kael picked up the first glass and, in one gulp, finished the contents. Then he took the second glass, this time sipping it slowly.
"M-Master..." Ballister rubbed his palms together. "About the human girl...what should I do with her?"
Swirling the glass of wine casually, Kael raised his face when he heard Ballister speak. "About her...let's see. Hmm, she didn't try to kill me, which I find boring... Also, there's no reason for me to stain my hands with her blood."
Ballister raised his eyes slightly, trying to look at his master without making it obvious. "You mean, she can leave alive?"
Kael rolled his eyes, resting his back on the sofa. "Balli, do you like violence and...chaos? I mean, I know you do, but isn't she your friend? Have some shame!" He shook his head, giving Ballister a judging look.
Ballister bit his lip, racking his mind for the best reaction to give because his master was an unpredictable, twisted person. Sometimes his words meant the opposite, and keeping a person alive twice in a row was really suspicious to the poor boy.
"O-okay, Master...I will get a carriage ready to send her back to the palace." Ballister raised his voice at the end so his master would hear him clearly and not find a reason to taunt him later.
Kael hummed. "Shoo...go away, and maybe bring food on your way home, darling."
Ballister stood there for a few seconds before turning away, taking slow steps to give his master time to change his mind.
"Ballister. You know...you're not that old." Kael's voice dripped with mockery. He opened his mouth to say something, then paused. "What's that...wanderers." his nose twitched.
Kael finished the last contents of the wine glass, now standing tall in his full glory. He walked towards the door, moving his head to the side because his ear had picked up a sound. He snapped his fingers and vanished into mist.
Ballister, who had thought that his master wanted to use the door, reached for the handle and at the same time someone pushed the door from outside.
"Oww...oww." The poor boy rubbed his forehead gently.
Jacquelyn, who had pushed the door, gasped. "So sorry, Ballister...I didn't know you were at the door." The princess had climbed the stairs looking for Kael and Ballister.
Ballister nodded. "I'm fine," he muttered, bringing his hand down to his side before he continued. "I will get a carriage ready for you. Master said you can leave."
"Leave?"
Ballister nodded, waiting to see tears of joy run down the girl's eyes as she wails in joy. Her life had been given back to her. One lucky princess. Though it came as a surprise to Ballister, he was happy to see that his master was beginning to consider human life, giving humans another chance, another day to be-
"He is hiding, right?" Jacquelyn's words shocked the young boy, whose jaw had dropped.
"Running away from completing the marriage rites! He is either irresponsible, doesn't want to be intentional, or just a plain womanizer." Jacquelyn tutted, looking around the room for the man who was supposed to be her husband.
Ballister blinked, his eyes wide with amazement as he stared at the girl. "How did you know everything about my master? Are you a seer?" He took a step closer, his nose twitching as he tried to sniff the princess.
"Eh?" Jacquelyn raised her brows, moving away from Ballister but still fixing her gaze on him. "Where is my husband?"
Ballister waved his hands. "I think you're missing something. My master is not your husband...he's..." The boy sighed. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to explain things to the princess.
Trying to tell a strong-headed princess like this one that this whole marriage was just a thing Kael used to add color to his mundane life. Every time he accepted a bride from the humans, knowing what their fate would be, it was because he was bored and loved gore. Playing with humans; that was what made Kael sleep peacefully. And since the princess didn't try to kill him, he must have lost interest.
It was all of this that Ballister needed to explain, but how he was going to do that, he wasn't sure, because the princess in front of him didn't look like someone ready to listen.
"He's what?" Jacquelyn narrowed her eyes, now walking closer to Ballister, who slowly took a step back. "Don't tell me...he already has feelings for another woman?"
"I've read about men like him," Jacquelyn spat. "I'll wait right here! For him and his other woman. Scandalous to think of! To know that my husband would be someone so loose...Grisie would faint if she heard of this..." Her words trailed off as she shook her head, her eyes scanning the room as if judging Kael's character.
Ballister's eyes closed shut, his mind racing with desperation. He wished to be anything but himself; a dust particle, a grain of sand, or even the door he leaned against. Anything to escape this life, to avoid listening to his twisted master's twisted taunts or the new bride's tirades.
"Can you please listen to me?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own heartbeat. "My master is..." He paused, searching for the right words to explain the unexplainable.
"It's...complicated." Ballister swallowed hard, trying to find the right words.
Jacquelyn raised her eyes, with her arms folded across her chest. "Complicated? You'd better start explaining."
Ballister took a deep breath and began, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Master, he...he doesn't really care about marriage or love. He's bored, and he likes to play games. Twisted games. He accepts brides from humans, knowing what will happen to them. He enjoys the...the thrill, the gore."
Ballister's voice dropped to a whisper. "You're just the latest pawn."
Jacquelyn pressed her lips tightly, trying to hold back her laughter. Her face turned red as a result of it. Unable to control herself, the girl held her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
"Bride...from huma-did you see your face? The gore? The thrill...oh, Ballister, you're so funny. I won't lie, I almost believed you." Jacquelyn tried to stop herself from laughing, tears now streaming down her face.
Ballister stood there, feeling like he had grown a third eye because he didn't see anything funny in what he had said. "I'm serious...this is-"
The sound of Jacquelyn's stomach rumbling cut the boy short. Both of them blinked, staring at each other before Ballister looked down at Jacquelyn's stomach where the sound came from.
"Oh! That's me. Ballister, we should eat. I can't deal with a cheating husband on an empty stomach." Jacquelyn nodded firmly to herself.
Ballister rubbed his eyes. "Master doesn't-"
Before Ballister could state his argument, Jacquelyn tugged on his hand and dragged him out of the room.
"Let's continue this conversation in the kitchen," she said.