Siana

"Umm-hmm," he simply made a sound of acknowledgment and continued carrying her.

"So, my question is: if I already know that, why are you carrying me blindfolded?"

Looking down at the curious kitten in his arms, he couldn"t contain the thrill of antic.i.p.ation from imagining her upcoming reaction.

"We will reach the place soon."

...

"Hey, Cain?" she murmured quietly.

"Hmm?"

He observed her pet.i.te face waiting for another inquiry about the surprise.

Only... she had something else on her mind:

"Is it really fine for you to be here with me?"

Her haughtiness gone in an instant, her earnestness was now seen and felt despite the eye mask that covered half of her face.

Cain froze for a moment. He lowered his head to take another good look at the delicate woman in his arms. It was true that the higher you build walls around your heart, the harder you fall when someone tears them down. In the past, with every pa.s.sing day she had diminished all the walls around his heart. And now when she had his heart filled with herself, all to herself, with every new day, she was making him fall deeper for her, deeper than he never thought before.

In spite of them being a new couple, the connection they had built over the years made the mutual understanding and care they held for each other similar to that of an old couple. They both were new to relationships, and though they were excited, they still put the other"s safety before their own needs and desires.

How could he not fall for her deeper? No, actually, their love was not making him fall, instead it was making both of them rise together.

"Cain?" she tightened her arms around his neck, lifting her face from his shoulder to his face.

Coming back to his senses he just closed on her and kissed her gently on her exquisite lips, savouring the heavenly taste she was the only one to hold. She kissed him back with a feeling of longing that clouded all her senses but the desire and love for him.

She pulled back after some time. With a short breath she asked again,

"Does this mean that it is actually dangerous? Cain, please tell me the truth."

Taking in her sincere expression, he answered her solemnly;

"What if it is dangerous? What if it is never safe? Do you expect us to be separated all the time?"

She couldn"t see yet could feel the change in his mood and tone. She didn"t like the distant and lonely feeling he was exuding right now.

He suddenly felt how she loosened her hold on him. Before he could reflect on the emptiness she had just left, she already wrapped her arms around his neck more firmly. She brought her face closer to hims so that her cheek was now touching his own.

His eyes widened in shock from her action. What was with this protective gesture of her? Wasn"t he supposed to be the one to protect her? To protect what they were and what they had together?

"Cain, I am not some fragile porcelain doll that cannot stand on her own and needs constant care and protection not to break. We are in this together, you and me. You hear me?"

She created s.p.a.ce between them and in one swift motion took her mask off. Cupping his face in her hands, she looked straight into his dark blue eyes and continued,

"For me, neither you are someone who is constantly in danger nor someone who will ever put me in danger.

For me, you are just the man I can joke around with, the man I can be haughty and mean to but still expect to be doted on in response.

You are the man I shared my first kiss with, the man I shared all kinds of embarra.s.sing moments with and still expect to have more of those.

For G.o.d"s sake: Cain, you are the man I love, you are my partner, my boyfriend and I still expect us to be even more than this.

Even though we haven"t sworn any oaths, I want to be with you "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health". Cain, I want to be there all the time, especially when you need me."

Coming closer to him she said with determination and tenacity in her eyes,

"If it"s unsafe, let"s fight for safety together. If it is difficult, let"s deal with it together.

Cain, You are not alone and you have never been since a few years ago when you made me realise what true love was. This beauty here fell for the beast not even knowing how he looked.

Do you think the beauty has ever been or will ever be afraid of the hunters that are after her beast?"

Taking a few deep breaths Cain put her down slowly, and embracing her tightly, he softly asked her;

"Beauty, are you trying to make this beast, the devil king himself, cry from excessive happiness or what?"

Chuckling at his exaggeration, she returned his hug eagerly, feeling as if she had just returned to her safe haven. Giving him time to calm his emotions down, she continued,

"Promise me you will let me help you now, with this emperor selection, and in future, when new dangers lurk around you."

Taking a deep breath, he stared into her resolute eyes, letting himself be pulled into the abyss they held in themselves. Taking her hands in his own, he repeated their small ritual, leaving gentle kisses on the back of her hands.

Looking back at her, he finally talked,

"Alright, you can help me in my fights but you will do it from shadows until the selection is over."

"Okay! But there is something wrong with what you just said!" she looked at his questioning gaze and continued with a dazzling smile,

"It"s not just your fights anymore, now every fight we face is ours: yours and mine."

Returning her smile with his own, he tenderly reached for the back of her head. He languidly leaned on to kiss her forehead and spoke, with her head now in the crook of his neck,

"Your wish is my command, my Queen."

"Hmm, I am glad you learn fast King, but you still have a shortcoming we need to work on."

Stupefied, he took a step back to study her expression. However, there wasn"t much need for observation.

"You get too carried away whenever you are with this impeccable beauty. You even forgot about her surprise!" she chided with a small pout.

In an instant, he burst into laughter from her sentence and her adorable expression. She tried to keep her poker face but his laughter was infectious so she couldn"t control her own laughter either.

After a few moments he finally calmed himself down and said deviously,

"You always need to be a mood killer, don"t you?"

Kneeling down with his back facing her, he motioned at her to come closer,

"Hop on, this way will be much more fun."