Cessilia didn’t have time to answer her. She was busy navigating their horse through a place she didn’t know well at all, under the darkness of night and the downpour, riding as fast as possible to the next gate. She was worried more people were after them and targeting her. From the looks of it, this was all a set-up. It was obvious that whoever had made sure they wouldn’t be able to get back through the nearest door had also hired people to attack. Did someone spot Krai when they left? They wanted to get rid of her while she was far from the castle. In this downpour and that place, it would even take a while before they got worried about her and Tessa’s disappearance...

Her main thought was that she couldn’t get Naptunie involved. Although she was a candidate too, chances were low that she was those men’s target. The Royal Guard from earlier had barely glanced at her... Cessilia was glad they had chosen to rent horses. Otherwise, she couldn’t imagine the nightmare of escaping those men on foot... She glanced up, but they wouldn’t make it out by the sky, either. Even if she tried to call Krai now, the dragon wouldn’t possibly hear her. They were on their own.

She heard the pounding of several hooves on the streets of cobblestone and glanced over her shoulder. It wasn’t Tessa, but more pursuers! Why were there so many of them? What had become of her cousin? Had she and Sabael chosen another way back? All the streets were so similar, if it wasn’t for Nana guiding her from time to time, she wouldn’t have known where to go... It was getting late and dark too. The streets were getting darker and more intimidating around them, flooded by the rain that wasn’t stopping. Cessilia clenched her teeth and had the horse accelerate, more determined than ever.

“Cessi...”

She heard Nana cry a bit behind her, and she could feel the fear in her voice. It ought to be scary, both their situation and their speed, but they couldn’t slow down. Cessilia had thought about it, but she couldn’t part with Nana, who didn’t know how to ride the horse alone. They had to keep riding until they saw the door, or when Tessandra and Sabael appeared. She didn’t even have a weapon to defend herself with! Even her hands had turned back to normal already, her claws and scales gone...

Suddenly, she heard Nana shout, and something flew past her shoulder. An arrow!

“Nana! Are you okay?”

“My shoulder...”

Nana was hit? Cessilia panicked, but just as she was trying to look behind her, their horse whined loudly, and suddenly pitched up without warning. Cessilia tried to hang on to the bridle, but it was no use; the horse completely collapsed onto its side, and she felt Nana fall off before she did. She heard a scream, one second before her own body fell.

Cessilia’s head hit the ground, brutally. She felt the pain resonate in her whole body, and right after, another wave of pain came, from her lower body this time. Something heavy fell on top of her, crushing her and making her gasp for air.

“Cessi!”

She looked around, trying to see Nana, but her voice had definitely come from above, and Cessilia’s body was stuck in the opposite direction, toward the ground.

“Nana, r-run! I’m fine, g-go!”

“B-but...”

“Run!” Cessilia roared.

The young woman hesitated but took a step back, and turned around, running away while holding her injured shoulder. Cessilia thought she saw the shaft of an arrow sticking out, but she wasn’t sure. For now, she was pressed against the ground by the horse on top of her, barely able to see anything. She could feel the steps and horses running her way. She tried to move, to get out of there. If her arm wasn’t already trapped underneath, she could have lifted that horse off of her! The whole horse’s dead weight was pinning her down, and a normal woman would have been completely unable to move, but Cessilia was stronger than the norm. Grunting and ignoring all the pain in her body, she was fighting to free herself. The downpour felt like it was trying to pin her down too. Each movement let her know of an injury in another part of her body, which made her worried that getting out of there would be for nothing. She could tell her ankle was broken, at the very least, and perhaps a rib or two. She couldn’t believe how bad her situation had gotten in minutes. She couldn’t die here!

She kept trying to push the huge weight off of her with one arm, grunting and panting in the flooded street, looking out for the enemies running her way. She was out of time, and Tessa was nowhere in sight.

“Cessi!”

That voice sent a cold shiver down her spine. Cessilia struggled to turn around, and spotted, from the corner of her eye, Nana’s silhouette running back toward her.

“Nana, no!” she shouted.

“I can’t leave you,” cried the young girl.

She was already by her side, and trying her best to pull the horse. Cessilia was shocked, she couldn’t believe the young woman was back, in tears and probably terrified, but still there. She was in awe at Nana’s bravery, but this was suicide! The men were almost there. She turned her head, seeing their figures almost on them. They were both going to get killed any minute now!

Suddenly, a large shadow jumped over them. The largest black horse she’d ever seen jumped in the middle of the opponent, and silver lightning immediately sliced one of them in two. The action was so fast, their attackers were thrown into complete disarray. The horses panicked, the men shouted, yelled, trying to face the threat. Their weapons were swung around recklessly, unable to take a hold of him. It was like a god of death had appeared among them. An imposing figure, with a black cloak covering him. The large blade was moving swiftly, flying in the air and sending blood and limbs to the ground. Swish, swish, swish. It seemed like he was cutting through men, weapons, and the rain alike. Someone screamed, and orders were shouted to retreat, but that wouldn’t happen. There was nowhere to flee and no way they could escape from that monster among them.

Still pressed against the cold cobblestone, Cessilia could only witness the scene. His large stature as he jumped down from his horse, and when the hood fell back, his white hair flew around him like a mane. He was moving at an impressive speed, yet each of his movements was graceful, perfect. A dance of death defeating all their enemies, leaving them no hope of survival. The teachings of a War God sharpened to perfection. Cessilia was so fascinated, she had completely forgotten about her pain and struggle, just to watch him. Ashen’s fighting stance was fueled by his anger, making him both captivating and scary. She held her breath at each movement of his sword, each time she could see his dark, dangerous eyes shining. The White King was right in front of her, saving her and leaving her breathless, mesmerized. She had to watch his back, mostly, as he refused to move from where he stood, using his long sword to reach all enemies and standing like a wall to defend her. From panic, Cessilia’s heartbeat had switched to a different tune, still so fast, but for a different reason now.

When the last enemies turned around, desperate to flee, he grabbed a blade abandoned on the ground and threw it like a spear across the street. A scream echoed back, and a dull sound. Then, he turned around and ran to cover the short distance between them.

His expression changed from anger to fear as he reached her side.

“Cessilia! Are you alright?”

“I’m... fine,” she grunted, remembering that horse on top of her.

Ashen glared at the dead horse and moved to push it off her. Compared to what Nana had been trying to do earlier, he single-handedly pushed it out of the way as if it was nothing. The young woman stepped back, intimidated. She could only witness silently as the King put one knee down in front of Cessilia. They were both in a mess, soaked and bloodied, but right now, those two looked like they were part of a different world, something she couldn’t intrude on. His movements to get Cessilia out of there were incredibly gentle. He carefully brushed her wet curls away from her face and pulled her into his embrace. The King’s eyes which forever looked angry, now looked as if he was the one in pain. He was touching the Princess as if she was the most precious and fragile thing in the world, frowning at each wound his eyes uncovered.

“H-how come you’re...” Cessilia muttered.

“I saw your dragon from the castle. ...Who the fuck did this?”

Cessilia shook her head. For now, she was too exhausted, injured, and soaked to care. Ashen grunted, but very gently, he took off his cloak to put over her, wrapping her body in it as much as he could, trying to be careful. It was no use, though. Cessilia grimaced, her body aching all over. The King’s hands froze, and his expression fell. He looked as if he was torn apart, and lowered his head.

“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...”

She froze, hearing those words so faintly she thought she had dreamed them. Yet, rather than standing back up right away, Ashen was hugging her, his face buried against her shoulder. She could feel his clenched fists on the coat, and his shoulders shaking. She could even feel and hear his erratic breathing. Was it anger, or frustration? Was he thinking what had happened here was his fault? Cessilia’s heart missed a beat. This was the first time she’d seen him so vulnerable... Despite the pain, she moved her hand over his neck. As soon as she touched his head, Ashen’s entire body froze. She slowly caressed the hair over his nape, to comfort him. Even wet, it was smooth under her fingers. Cessilia had been wanting to touch his white hair since she had seen him again. She wanted to remember how close they used to be and discover the man he had become since. She wanted to feel the touch of his skin, the shape of his muscles underneath, and learn his smell. Right now, Ashen smelled of blood, sweat, and rain. For a while, he didn’t dare move, and the two of them remained like that, in the rain, simply holding each other gently.

Then, he pulled his face away from her shoulder, his dark, mysterious eyes staring at her with a complex expression. Cessilia wished she could get a grasp of the thoughts behind those eyes... Ashen was looking at her with so much emotion in his eyes, yet all of it felt like a secret she couldn’t seize. For a second, his lips parted, and he leaned forward, their faces so close she thought he was going to kiss her.

Ashen sighed and pulled back a bit. He finally lifted her, holding Cessilia in his arms, so she could lean against his shoulder. He wasn’t putting any distance between them, but now, his eyes were looking beyond her, in front. Cessilia didn’t care much at this instant. She simply didn’t want to move. His warmth and tight embrace were the most comforting place right now, that was all she needed. Her Dragon Blood was working to ease the pain of her injuries, but it couldn’t numb it or make her feel safe like Ashen’s presence did; she felt all the anxiety, fear, and panic from earlier slowly lifting from her body. It was as if something previously lost had been rebuilt between them. She trusted him completely to keep her safe now.

“Cessi!”

Tessandra came running from the other street, only to find her cousin already tightly wrapped in the King’s arms. She stopped, glancing at Cessilia’s relaxed expression. The Princess seemed half-asleep, and carried like a precious package, while the King looked like he wouldn’t let go of her for anything in the world. Tessandra hesitated. Perhaps her cousin couldn’t hear her. She glared at the white-haired King, but after a hesitation, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she glanced around. Her eyes went around the dead horse, Naptunie standing alone a couple of steps farther, and all the scattered bodies. She had enough knowledge about battlefields to be able to quickly catch a grasp of what had happened here. She sighed, and with a sullen expression, put her sword back in its sheath. Behind her, Sabael arrived a bit late, only to see the King already turning away.

It was a lonely scene in the street. Naptunie scampered to join Tessa’s side, making a detour to not get in the King’s way. No one said a word. The three of them, left behind, simply watched the King’s lonely figure carrying Cessilia away.

The King’s horse, completely fine, was left behind with them. Ashen had no intention to ride back and risk making the Princess’ injuries more painful. Carrying Cessilia, he walked alone, all the way back to the castle, not showing an ounce of fatigue. Even with his white hair, some people rushing in the streets glanced twice, but most didn’t even notice their monarch walking amongst them. The downpour was making everyone run home and not care for anything else. He was the only one making his way up to the castle.

“You shouldn’t have gone out,” he muttered.

Cessilia’s eyes opened faintly. Through the thin window of vision she had under the cloak, she recognized the streets of the Inner Capital already. Her injuries weren’t as painful anymore, but the healing process had gotten her tired. She sighed.

“Ashen, I c-can walk...”

“No.”

She had expected this much, and she didn’t feel like fighting him. She didn’t mind him carrying her. Instead, she was more worried at how drenched the King was, and how cold his body had gotten.

“...You shouldn’t have gone out of the castle without telling me,” he muttered again. “I was worried.”

“You d-didn’t leave me much room to t-talk.”

“You could have sent a servant to me.”

“I don’t t-trust them.”

To her surprise, he sighed. In front of them, the guards opened the gates, not hiding their surprise at their King’s appearance.