"Davi," the name slipped from her lips with a soft sigh, "why are you here? You should be resting."
Indeed, that man should have been resting. His body was still weak, and he had already pushed himself to the limit. Yet, he couldn't help but come see the redhead, knowing how she must be feeling.
Understanding her so well, he said nothing. Davi simply walked slowly toward the girl, who gazed at him with so much guilt in her eyes.
"I'm sorry for not being useful in the fight... I promised I would protect you, but…"
Without responding, he took another step forward and gently ran his fingers through her hair. Then, he touched her face, trying to share his warmth with her. Finally, he embraced her.
The girl wanted to resist, but she couldn't. She felt so comfortable in his arms… Yet, she didn't feel deserving of such kindness. She hadn't done anything worthy of such tenderness.
After all, what value remained in a broken sword?
"I'm useless," she began to cry, revealing her worst side.
Deep down, she hoped that by revealing all of her weaknesses and insecurities at once, she would finally be abandoned.
Feeling she deserved to be abandoned, she continued to act this way. However, the response on the other side was always so gentle. It was almost as if she were a child again, receiving her mother's unconditional love.
"Don't worry, I'll fix that sword." Davi said with such confidence that Ember's whole body trembled, her heart racing.
He was so handsome, so strong, so admirable… Her eyes filled with love as she looked at the man who had forcefully taken the center of her life.
"It's not worth it. Even if it were possible, it would be too costly and difficult. Besides, that's just a useless sword," she said, referring more to herself than to her saber.
"I'm willing to make that effort." Once again, his eyes were so determined, so strong…
"But wouldn't it be much better to buy a new sword, a more powerful one?"
"So what? I want this sword, not another." Davi moved closer to the girl, almost kissing her. "If you don't want it anymore, then I'll take it."
He said this with such authority in his voice. Without allowing her to protest further, he declared ownership of the weapon for himself.
And faced with his obstinate and almost obsessive determination, his endless willingness and kindness, the girl could only ask herself:
"Why? Why do you want this one and not another?"
Davi smiled at the girl before him, "Because I want you." His words carried a special power.
The truly incomparable men are those who follow their hearts and take what they desire. At least, that's what the redhead believed.
And Davi was that ideal man.
"Besides, there's no blade in the whole world forged as beautifully as this one."
Ember's body trembled, as if a wave of intense heat enveloped her. Before she could fully understand the feeling, her body had already moved.
A passionate kiss sealed that love, conveying much more than mere words ever could.
From that moment on, Ember had accepted that she would be the sword of the man before her. Even if she thought she had no value, if he wanted her, then she would surrender.
"I love you." Those words slipped out.
She had expected to die of embarrassment when she finally admitted this truth, but instead, she felt calmer than ever. It simply felt like the right answer for the moment.
"I love you, I love you, I love you!" she said in a sweet tone, with an intense passion that almost sounded sexual.
The kiss between them continued for a few moments, filled with desire. But Ember wanted to do things properly, so she pulled away from the boy's arms for a moment.
She then knelt before her new king, just as a noble would. With a voice full of passion, she declared:
"Would you accept me as your knight?"
Davi was a little surprised by the gesture, but he understood that it was probably something important to her. So he simply smiled and said:
"Of course, from now on, you are mine."
The girl blushed at his answer but didn't protest. In fact, she seemed happy with it.
And the moment was filled with the pleasant warmth of passion.
"What nonsense is all this?" The inflamed voice resonated, turning that passionate moment to ash.
Ember's body began to shake uncontrollably, and every muscle felt painfully tense.
"What do you want, father?" She wanted to sound like a fierce animal showing its claws, but instead, she could only act like a frightened cat.
The fear rooted deep in her soul for so long could not be easily defeated. Still, she took a step forward. Having Davi by her side gave her a new courage.
"First, I need you to return the wand that belongs to your brother."
The girl took a moment to understand what he was referring to, but she finally remembered that the object was also in the box. For a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking things would be simple.
"Okay, it's in my room. I can go get it right away."
"That won't be necessary," the man muttered irritably. "Anyway, that bitch won't even let him take the test."
Ember began to shake even more. Seeing her father angry made her soul tremble with fear.
"Anyway, why are you so close to that failure?"
The redhead's blood boiled. She had never felt such genuine anger. But hearing someone insult Davi enraged her in an uncontrollable way.
"Because I love him," her lips moved faster than her mind could comprehend.
Immediately, the girl regretted it. She didn't want, nor did she need, to fight with her father at that moment. This was not the time to act so aggressively.
"And don't talk badly about him. You don't know anything, idiot!" In her vocabulary, there was a regrettable lack of variety when it came to insults.
That said, acting that way was the last straw, starting a fight she wasn't even able to stand up for. Her body trembled, and she felt like her heart was about to explode.
"Don't speak to me like that." The man's voice resonated like thunder, making Ember nearly fall to her knees.
It was at that moment that Davi decided he had seen enough.
His right hand gently rested on the woman's head. With a gentle pat, he managed to calm her down.
"I should remind you that it was this 'failure' who defeated your son," he said with some sarcasm. "Just say what you want."
Davi stared at the man with a confrontational gaze.