Page 86 of The White King's Favorite

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.

“...I know.”

Without adding a word, he climbed the stairs of the castle, taking her through the maze of corridors. She didn’t know where they were going, but she quickly realized it wasn’t the Cerulean Suite. After a while, some servants stepped aside to open a door.

“No one is allowed to enter,” he hissed.

The doors were closed behind them, and Cessilia tried to look around.

It was a small room, with a large chimney, a simple canopy bed with heavy curtains, a large fur rug, and a couple of seats. The only decorations were the few draperies on the walls, and the large blade hung next to them, similar to the one Ashen carried. Someone had already lit a fire in the room, and despite the rain blowing against the window, it was quite warm in there.

Ashen gently carried her to one of the large leather seats, putting Cessilia down as carefully as he could. To her surprise, he simply stayed there, down on one knee, in front of her. As soon as he had put her down, it was as if he didn’t dare touch her anymore. She took off the cloak herself, feeling a bit stuffy now with the fire next to them. Ashen frowned as her injuries were uncovered again.

“...Don’t get yourself hurt again,” he muttered.

“I d-didn’t choose t-to be in this situation,” she sighed.

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