Without thinking, Lucia grabbed his face again, pressing her lips to his in a gentle kiss. One which he returned.
The couple pulled away for a moment and stared into each other's eyes letting silence passed between them.
"I love you, Lucia von Burren." Damian wanted to blurt out those words without thinking but his hands were shaky. He had never told anyone except his mother that he had loved them. He had never felt a sense of belonging and emptiness at the same time. Being with Lucia had this fulfilment it gave him - a reason to live, a will to be born wild and free, but he doubted he would ever accomplish any of those. Not when his death was the antidote to the poison called power.
His pupils dilated while he was lost in deep thoughts. Warm hands stole into his and he looked down at their intertwined hands.
"I love you, Damian de Caspian," Lucia confessed with a small smile. "I'm only worried you won't feel the same way."
Damian was lost for words. Lucia said she loved him but why would she? He wasn't going to make her happy. His life was a mess and he didn't want to drag her perfect life into it. He'd preferred admiring her from afar to being close with her and causing dauasters around her. Damian believe he was cursed and nothing was to cure him. If love couldn't, then nothing else would. Loving Lucia was to be the presumed cure but love wouldn't go fighting his wars for him, would it?
"Damian?" Lucia called out to him softly as she grabbed his face.
"I'm here." Damian said politely, burying his face in the nook of her neck when she pulled her arms around him.
"Will you stay?" Lucia asked as she palmed circles on his back.
Before Damian would response, the door to Lucia's room creaked wide open now and a wind rushed into the room, turning off all the candles.
With a gasp, Damian threw his eyes open, clutching his shirt. "What was that?"
Equally, in her room, Lucia threw her eyes open, looking around. "What was that?"
"Damian.."
"Lucia…"
They both said simultaneously. "It was a dream."
Only it wasn't.
Meanwhile,
"We're here." The coachman announced to Bat and he stirred awake. He had been worn out of the journey and too tired to keep his eyes awake. While siftling a yawn, he looked up. Anna was staring at him.
"You're awake." she flashed him a radiant smile.
"That I am, honey." he cupped her cheeks with both his hands.
"We're within the castle walls!" The coachman announced in a grumpy tone that made Bat rolled his eyes.
"I heard you well the first time." Bat got to his feet and climbed off the coach.
"My dear?" he extended his hand to Anna and she took it. He whisked her into his arms and she gasped in shock.
"What are you doing? Put me down. I can walk." Anna's cheeks pinked when she noticed people staring at them.
"I know you can but I want to hold you. Is that now a crime?" Bat flashed her a mischievous smile.
Anna was lost for words. How could he be so brazen?
Sunlight escaped though the clouds in the heavens, sending thousand beams of light to the kingdom.
Realizing what time it was, Anna looked at Bat with worry etched on her face.
"Bat, the sun is out." she whispered to him.
"I know." he smiled and began to march towards the castle.
"Bat!" Anna smacked how shoulders. "Put me down and go take shelter. You'll burn in the sun."
"I won't." Bat said, his eyes focused on the castle ahead.
Anna could only shudder in fear. The sun became brighter than before but she closed her eyes.
"Why are you closing your eyes?" Bat asked as he put her down.
She still had her eyes closed. "The sun." She whispered.
"Open your eyes, love." Bat cupped her cheek with one hand and she was compelled to open her eyes.
He was still intact. The dark peircing gaze his dark orbs gave her, the way light bounced off his dark glossy hair and the way his toned muscles were revealed underneath his transparent white shirt.
Anna noticed some noble women blushing behind their handfans and fumed. She went to stand in front of Bat with a cute pout on her lips.
"What are you doing?" Bat asked, amusingly.
"I - - I" Anna stuttered, her eyes darted around the place for a reasonable lie to tell.
Bat knew she couldn't tell him one and put his arms around her. "You're jealous, aren't you?"
Anna turned to look at him. "Y - yes. I am jealous when other women look at you."
"You're cute when you stutter, you know that, right?" he leaned his face down to meet hers, taking note of the way her cheeks turned red.
"What are you doing?" her voice came out as a whisper.
"Telling the entire Canterbury that you're mine." Bat claimed her lips in a soft kiss, attracting gasping shocks from the men and women watching them.
When the whispers grew louder, he pulled away, leaning his nose to hers. "Next time you're jealous, do that to me."
"O - okay." Anna nodded shyly and he smiled.
"Shall we?"
They arrived the castle entrance flanked by 2 knights he had recognized from Count von Burren's party a while ago.
"Sir Eden," Bat tipped his invisible hat to them both. "Sir James."
"What brings you here? Vampire's aren't allowed in Canterbury. Did no one tell you?" Adam shot him a hostile glares.
"Oh spare me the long talk," Bat began with a stern look on his face. "I'm here for Lady Lucia von Burren. Tell her the lady Anna is here with me, Bartholomew, hand of the Dark Knight."
Both knights exchanged looks before bursting out into a fit of laughter.
"This isn't De Caspia where you can boss us around, you vile creature! This is Canterbury and you have no authority here. I suggest you head on home to your cursed land in the North and leave Anna with us." Eden sneered with mischief.
Bat clenched his right fist so tight but before he could move it, Anna grabbed it hiding it behind her.
Beaming them a small, gentle smile, she said. "Please, let us see Lucia. We know she's here. And we have news that she'd want to hear."
The knights exhanged looks again before they nodded their assent.
"Alright," they stepped aside for her to enter only to hold up their shields in front of Bat. "Only humans are allowed in the sacred castle."
"Oh please," Bat vanishes in a pit of dark smoke and reappeared in the building with Anna. "Shall we?"
"I knew you'd do that." Anna smiled as she took his hands.
He clenched their linked fingers and have it a kiss. "Of course, I'm a rascal."
"Hey! Get back here!" Eden and Adam began a pursuit behind them.
"Run!" Bat and Anna ran hand in hand with the wind in their hair and the sun on their faces, all smirk and blush as they ran towards the graceful Duke's castle.
Lucia was taken out of her bedroom for breakfast in Canter Hall. As usual, it was as quiet as a graveyard. None of them made a sound as they ate. Not until a yelp escaped Colette's lips the moment Sir Gawain rushed in and bowed his head.
"Sir, Damian's right hand man is here and I believe he holds Lucia's lady-in-waiting hostage."
Lucia pushed back her chair. "What?"