Ares halted in the corridors as he called out to Draco "Isn’t it too early for a wedding? Besides, you never asked for my permission first."
"It’s up to you what you want. I was simply trying to help your helpless...little bird here." Draco said with an upturned smirk.
"I was just...unprepared for your plan, that’s all. But you are right, a marriage alliance seed like a good choice." Ares stated out thoughtfully before turning his attention to Falka. Her golden eyes gave out a hint of uncertainty and fear, but he wasn’t sure if it was because of their marriage or the arrival of the councils.
"If you don’t want to, say the word and the wedding will be called off." Ares noted with a firm voice.
Falka’s lashes fluttered as her eyes t his in confusion "What? No!" The words ca in a rather panicked tone.
Falka knew what would happen if the marriage alliance was broken. The council wouldn’t hesitate to co for her and perhaps in the long run, a hectic war between the two powerful kingdoms would break out.
Then, she would be at a losing side, but with the marriage being held intact, she would finally have a chance at freedom and her status as a fugitive would disappear.
"Fine then. I’ll escort you to your room." Ares said as he gave his parents an acknowledging look before exiting their sight with Falka.
"There were so many alliance deals you could make, why pick marriage as a first option?" Rama queried in curiosity, her skeptical gaze fixed on Draco.
A sincere smile tugged his lips up as he said "Ares would finally have so color in his life. At least, only his mate can do that."
"Not while she’s still traumatized and it will be hard for her to get over her trauma. She needs ti to trust, to love." Rama intoned.
"And he’ll give her the ti she needs." Draco remarked.
"Yes, thankfully he’s not as rash as you. He’s more of a gentleman." Rama quipped and they both chuckled.
-----
Ares escorted Falka to her room. She had been quiet all through and even though she had wanted the wedding to go on, he could feel her unease and nervousness about it, every girl was, but for different reasons.
Halting at the door, he broke the deafening silence "Is there sothing you want to talk about?"
Falka’s head turned to him, the dim light pouring on her silhouette gave her an ethereal look in the dark hallways. The dim lights touched the strands of her red locks making it look like flaming waves dancing behind her fra.
For a mont, he gaped as he lost his composure for a split second, but when her sharp voice rang in his ears, he forced himself to be composed.
"Nothing, it’s just all happening in a rush, but still, I finally have a chance to freedom without East Ravka hunting , ever again. Thank you." Falka said in a small voice, her eyes gleaming with hope.
"You shouldn’t thank . I bet your stay at East Ravka would be more peaceful than your stay here." Ares said in a small tone as a flicker of regret flashed across his silver eyes.
Falka’s brows creased in confusion at his statent "I don’t understand."
"Of course you’ll get your freedom if you stay, but at a great price that you will surely pay. Everyone you t tonight, including my parents had made an unforgettable sacrifice, and we, the offsprings will be next." Ares’s tone darkened as it dropped to a cold level.
"What do you an?" Falka asked, her mindset in obliviousness.
"We are all plunged into a dark world, but in this world we are facing the real darkness, what did you expect? Demons can never have peace, we are creatures of the darkness." Ares remarked, his tone heavy with the weight of impending doom.
"If you’re trying to scare off this marriage, it won’t work." Falka said with sharp eyes.
Ares leaned closer to her, giving her a clear view of his silver orbs were it seed as if dark stars ca alive within them, burning with a wildness that belied the beauty of them "It wasn’t to scare you, it was only a warning. I had to tell you what you were getting yourself into, so don’t thank yet." His voice ca out in a dangerous husky tone, but rather than being intimidated, she was allowed by his dark beauty.
As he spoke, Falka’s breath caught in her throat and air failed to escape her lungs until he stood up straight and she could finally breathe again.
"I’ll still go with it, I’m not afraid of demons." Falka blurted out.
For the first ti, she heard Ares chuckle, a dark, throaty chuckle that bounced off the walls of the dark corridors and she suddenly felt goosebumps rise on her skin. He suddenly adopted his father’s dark deanor, it was slightly unnerving.
Then, his laughter abruptly ended as he said "Go to bed, tomorrow will be a long day and perhaps, a longer night." A wicked smirk curved his lips up, underlying the aning of his words but Falka quickly grasped the aning of it.
Her skin prickled with unease and before he could proceed to leave, she caught hold of his arm. His eyes dropped on her hand clutching his before it dropped on her face with one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Uhm, I-I would like to...uhm.." She stuttered nervously, her eyes darting here and there without a fixed direction until he cut her short.
One look at her terrified stricken face and he could discern what she was afraid of.
"It was a joke. The marriage is only a contract, you won’t be forced to perform marital duties and you may still find a lover of your choice, if you wish." Ares stated out in a serious tone.
Falka nodded, but he could sense a whiff of gloom emanating from her "So we could find lovers outside the marriage? Do you...have one?" She asked in hesitation.
"No." Ares said and he heard her subtle sigh as her tensed body relaxed. A quick smile crossed his lips at her behaviour. He was pleased that she cared, but he couldn’t be too certain she was his mate until he was eighteen yet.
"Alright then." Falka said in a light tone.
"You should write down a list of your conditions while we are married. I’ll try my best to follow them." Ares suggested and she nodded.
"Goodnight, Ares." She said as she walked into the room.
"Goodnight, Falka." His voice echoed behind her, but when she turned around to glance at him one last ti, he had disappeared into thin air, leaving no trail of his presence behind.
Falka sighed as she peeled off her clothes and just lay on the bed in her undergarnts. She was relieved, nervous and free. There was a myriad of emotions wheeling through her. It left her nerve-wrecked especially the marriage part.
Falka suddenly jolted up as she realized she was getting married the next day. It was her wedding day and it would take place at midnight. Oddly, she was excited. Falka had never thought she would get married anyway, people had barely seen her when she was locked up excluding her mother, the maids and the physician.
Falka suddenly rembered the council’s confession about them trying to get rid of her over the years with the experintal potion. They were never planning to let her have a life anyway, they had been trying to get rid of her.
A swell of rage engulfed her as she thought about it. Falka relived the mories of her mother assuring her to take the potion, that it would help her be under control, but all this while it was to kill her off.
Her fists curled up in a tight ball as rage overwheld her. The council was still present in the castle, breathing. She couldn’t bear the fact and an eerie voice whispered at the back of her mind to get rid of them all.
It wouldn’t matter if she did. If the council were gone, then East Ravka would be lawless and in commotion without a ruler. They would easily win a war against them.
Falka shook the infectious thought away from her head. If she caused problems, then her chance at freedom would be gone and Draco would undoubtedly get rid of her. She stood in no chance against him.
Moreover, she would be posing as a threat, Ares might never look at her the sa, after all, they were trying to help her by forming an alliance with her enemies, only to keep her safe and if she couldn’t resist the dark urge within her to revenge, her chance at freedom will slip through her fingers like dust.
Falka couldn’t sleep just yet so she resorted to writing down her list of conditions like Ares had suggested.
Taking a parchnt paper, she dipped the quill in ink, but as she proceeded to write, her hand hovered above the parchnt. For a minute, she spaced out and then, she finally dropped the quill, not writing anything.
Maybe, just maybe, their contract marriage could pave way to sothing else, apart from freedom.
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