DAHLIA:
This is driving me crazy!
I’m sure that only fated mates could distinctly recognize the scents of their destined partners. Even when I had been engaged with Kaist or exposed to a handful of men in the Capital, their scents were never really unique to my nose, not unlike that of Tristan’s…
So why then can Kaist recognize my scent?
“Prince Kaist, if I tell you something insane, is there a possibility you will believe it?”
He only looked intently towards me. I cannot distinguish whether he was suspicious of me or not.
“Go on… What is it?”
I held his hand. “Kaist, it’s me… Dahlia…”
We looked for each other for a really long time. I held my breath as it all happened.
“Which part was the joke in there because I didn’t really get it,” he said a bit sarcastically.
“Kaist, you never told anyone except me about
DAHLIA: As expected, Tristan did not leave Samalah’s side for the whole day. I came inside the room carrying a tray of dinner when he still did not come out even after it was way past the usual time to eat. Seeing that he had fallen asleep by the bedside while clutching Samalah’s hand, I was careful not to rouse him. I quietly cleared the small side table so that I could put the tray and leave. Before I could safely exit though, a hand tugged at the end of my skirts. It was Tristan. “Don’t leave.” I let out a long sigh. “I thought it was better not to wake you. You seemed tired.” “Stay right here, so you could get that tray and leave for good.” Despite feeling wronged in so many places by what he had said, I sat beside him as he requested. “Take a good look at Dahlia… Take a good look at what you did to her.” Did he just blamed me for what happened to her? “Contrary to what you think, I didn’t do anythin
TRISTAN:I thought I was seeing things when I saw a body on the ground. As I came over, I realized that this man was someone I knew.I flipped him over, and I was right. It was Sir Casior, Livia’s lover. I hastily carried him into the village straight into Sir Morland’s abode.The dragon healer immediately set himself to heal him.Vampires have really strong bodies. There were very few things that could kill them, which was why blessed artifacts – weapons that are blessed by the Moon Goddess herself and can kill vampires – were considered national treasures in the Werewolf Clan.Judging by the deep gash behind Sir Casior’s back, there’s no doubt that he was attacked with a blessed artifact.“He is out of peril now,” Sir Morland revealed as he wiped the sweat off his head after a few hours of trying to heal Sir Casior.“Thank the Goddess then,” Samalah said.I shot her
TRISTAN: I cupped my head on my palms. When I first heard the king’s confessions, I couldn’t swallow his words too. I couldn’t believe that I once wanted to hurt my own brother so badly as well as the woman I loved so much in the world. “Tristan, are you alright?...” It was Samalah. I half-thought she had already followed Kaist to comfort him, but she was still here, her eyes full of unspoken pity. “Go ahead and come after him… Your mate needs you the most right now,” I said. Samalah did well by letting me tell Kaist the whole story behind our revenge from beginning to end. She must have really fallen for him considering that she never made any hateful remarks against his father and Talandor, like she used to. “You’re right… My mate needs me.” Just then, Samalah moved beside me on the long couch. “Why did you tell Kaist the truth? I can see you have been hurt as much as Kaist to reveal it, so why?...” “I… I don’t want to contin
KAIST:Upon learning that our guest have regained consciousness, Dahlia and I went back inside Sir Morland’s abode to hear his story.I remember Sir Casior Willfrey from when I was young. He was always part of the peace talk council that met with my father.To think that he was someone very close to Livia, that he had known my sister and brother all along while I remained ignorant of their existence for the past nineteen years made my heart even sadder.When we got there, Sir Casior was being propped by Sir Morland into a semi-sitting position. He was sweating a lot. He didn’t seem to look like the haughty and elegant knight that he was from the my memory.“I greet the sun of Talandor, Prince Kaist,” he said, bowing down formally at me.“Sir Casior, I don’t know if you are already aware, but Prince Kaist is Livia’s twin brother. He is worried about her and our mother… Can you also tell them wh
KAIST: “Wait, your majesty, shouldn’t you first talk this out with us,” Tristan Abell said. “There’s no need to talk about this. I’ve made my decision,” I answered. I still hadn’t fully accepted the fact that this man might be my brother. My hate for him and what he did to Dahlia and I still loomed fresh in my heart. “Your majesty, Tristan is right… Please reconsider it,” Dahlia said, holding me gently by the arm. “What is there to talk about?” Does Dahlia not know what the Apricus king and Count Jeteris demand me to do? Does she not realize her life is at risk? “Prince Kaist, Livia is also my sister. I have the right to discuss what needs to be done in order to rescue her!” I finally snapped. “And what do you propose to do? Do you want to take Dahlia to them?” “That’s not what I am saying. If we could extract the spirit stone from Dahlia, we could just give the stone to them. There’s no need to give Dahlia in e
DAHLIA:I could only blink after hearing Kaist’s words.My father is coming to meet me tonight. Why was it so soon?“Then I will be leaving Camdress very soon?”“Yes... A little later, when everyone is asleep.”So this was Kaist’s grand plan? He was willing to wage war for me, but he wanted me to escape from here and come safely back to the Capital.I couldn’t hold my opposing thoughts at bay anymore.“This is… Isn’t this just plain cowardice, your highness?”Kaist only peered at me with a plain look in his eyes. “I guess so.”“Is that it? Is that all you’ve got to say? You are determined to make the people here prepare for battle while you plan for me to escape? Is that even fair?”“Dahlia, tell me what’s more unfair… I had lost my father during this journey. Everything shifted away from me... The o
DAHLIA:It was a long shot plan, but I was desperate…“Alright, Dahlly. Let’s take a walk.”It was a breezy night, and the full moon perfectly illuminated the path near the town walls that we took.“I remember you used to like taking long evening walks,” Kaist remarked. We had stayed silent since I had asked him to walk with me. Perhaps he too was having a hard time parting with me today.“That’s right. Walking clears my head. It seemed like my troubles would disappear when I take a long leisurely walk like this. But Kaist, didn’t you also like walking?”“Umm, yes and no…”“Yes and no? What do you mean?”“I only liked taking walks because you loved it, and I always wanted to be the one who walks beside you when you’re sad…”I had almost forgotten Kaist’s confession about feeling the fated mate bond b
DAHLIA:Our fated mate bond was still working. I could sense Tristan near me despite not seeing where he actually was.He must have used his Shadow Rune magic to stay invisible. I’m glad too that he was there. Finding him now would be the least of my worries.It looked like he was utterly confused when I put Kaist to sleep. I immediately told him my proposition.“The red ruby – I have it. If you take me to Laudicia on the appointed time, we can stop this war.”His eyes went round with surprise, and then shortly after, it slated into suspicion.“What do you mean, Samalah? How did you get the red ruby from Dahlly?”“It doesn’t matter,” I said, dismissing Tristan’s idea. I did not have time to invent an alibi anyway. “The important thing is I got it, and if we can deliver it to the Apricus king, we can stop this madness.”“But this is not madness! Kaist