Chapter 70 - Do I?

  -Bea Elmir; Midnight-

  Kryll's eyes narrowed as he studied Luxana's neck. "Princess, what happeo you? That mark looks nasty." Remi leaned in, her brow furrowed with . "It's all dried blood. Here, let me..." She reached out, gently brushing her fingers against the wound. Luxana fli the touch, her eyes darting to Cillian, who was still avoiding her gaze. The tensioween them alpable."I'll fetother ice pack," Kryll offered, already turning to leave"Don't bother," Luxana snapped. "What I need is-" A booming voice cut through the air. "FINALLY! I've been searg everywhere for you!" Luxana's blood ran cold as she reized the voice. It was him - the creep who'd been stalking her on the cruise. Without thinking, she leapt to her feet and darted behind Cillian, her fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. "It's him," she hissed, her voice trembling. "The freak who's been following me." Cillian's posture stiffened as he felt Luxana pressed against his back. He turned his head slightly, catg a glimpse of her frightened face, before fixing his steely gaze on the approag man. The tension in the air alpable as Cillian's eyes locked onto Ron, a dangerous glint flickering in their depths. His lips curled into a menag smile before settling into an impassive, ask.

  "Well, well, if it isn't my dear cousin, Ron," Cillian drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I suggest you fuck off while I'm still being generous."

  Ron's face torted with fusion and indignation. "You don't uand! That girl is worth a fortune! The King of Domino is a billion-dolr reward for her return!"

  Luxana, still hidden behind Cillia her heart skip a beat. She peered around his arm, her zir blue eyes wide with disbelief.

  Kryll's brow furrowed, his voice ced with skepticism. "What are you talking about?"

  Remi, however, couldn't tain her excitement. "A billion dolrs? Are you serious?"

  Ron nodded vigorously, his words tumbling out in a rush. "It's true! There's a massive reward for anyone who finds a girl with e hair and blue eyes, just like Princess Luxana of Domino. The King is desperate to find her!"

  "WHAT THE HELL-" Kryll began, but Remi cut him off.

  "That's incredible! But why would the King do something like that?"

  Cillian and Luxana exged a gheir expressions mirr each other's disbelief at Ron's apparent stupidity.

  "He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, is he?" Luxana muttered.

  "Clearly not," Cillian agreed, his tone equally unimpressed.

  Luxana, her curiosity piqued, veo ask, "But why is the King of Domino going to such lengths?"

  Ron's face sched up in thought. "Well, I heard the Princess went missing. Some say she was even removed from the Family Registry!"

  "Missing?" Cillian's voice was sharp, his i suddenly piqued.

  Luxa her breath cat her throat. The world around her seemed to slow down as the implications of Ron's words sank in. She stepped out from behind Cillian, her eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and something that looked almost like...fear?

  "Removed from the Family Registry?" she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Her mind was rag, trying to process this ued turn of events.

  Cillian's gaze flickered between Luxana and Ron, his expression unreadable. "Ron, where exactly did you hear this information?"

  Ron's revetio shockwaves through the group. His casual demeanor trasted sharply with the weight of his words.

  "Oh yeah, it's been all over the news in Domino," Ron tinued, oblivious to the impact of his words. "The King we've known isn't the real ourns out he has a twin brother who's been ruling all this time using bck magic. They're saying he'll be executed for treason!"

  Luxana's face drained of color, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What- do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She began moving towards Roeps painfully slow, her eyes shaking violently as she struggled to process this information.

  Before she could reach Ron, Cillian moved swiftly. Without warning, he struck Luxana from behind, rendering her unscious. She crumpled to the ground, the shock of the news and the sudden blow overwhelming her.

  As Luxana colpsed to the ground, the coral-haired boy's eyes widened in shock. The cookie he had been holding slipped from his grasp, falling fotten to the sand. Without hesitation, he rushed to Luxana's side, his small face etched with worry as he k beside her unscious form.

  Ron stood frozen, his mouth agape and eyes wide with disbelief at the sudden turn of events. He seemed uo process what had just transpired before him.

  Cillian, his face a mask of determination, scooped up Luxana's limp body. "Let's get going," he said firmly, already turning to leave.

  Remi quickly sprang into a, grabbing the box and papers they had salvaged earlier. She fell into step behind Cillian without a word. Kryll hesitated for a moment, gng between Ron and the retreating group, before making his decision and hurrying after his panions.

  As they walked away, Ron remained rooted to the spot, still visibly shaken. The coral-haired boy lingered briefly, torween following Luxana and staying behind. With o worried look at the unscious girl, he relutly trailed after the group, leaving Ron alone on the beach, surrounded by the chaos of the ongoing rescue efforts.

  -A few hours ter, Inside Carriage at 4:52 AM-

  My sciousness returned slowly, like a geide washing over me. The first thing I noticed was the warmth surrounding me, a co of fort in the early m hours. As my senses sharpened, I became aware of the rhythmic swaying of the carriage, its geion lullio a state of peaceful semi-awareness.

  I found myself led between two sources of warmth. Above me, slow, steady breaths tickled my hair, while below, a smaller form radiated heat against my legs. Curiosity finally pelled me to open my eyes, blinking away the remnants of sleep.

  L my gaze, I saw the coral-haired boy curled up on my p, his face pressed against the exposed skin of my thighs where my reddish-bck dress had ridden up. His warm breath ghosted ay skin.

  Carefully, I turned my head to the left, my gaze trailing up a pair of familiar bck pants. My heart skipped a beat as I realized it was Cillian, his head restily atop mine, his own leaning slightly against my shoulder. His rolled-up sleeves revealed pale, ivory skin, his hands resting casually on his thighs. The intimacy of our positio a flutter through my stomach.

  Across from us, Kryll and Remi were lost in their own world of dreams. Kryll's head rested in Remi's p, one arm draped dramatically over his eyes while the other y across his stomach. Remi herself ropped against the carriage wall, her hands spyed on the plush seat beside her.

  But it was the view to my right that truly took my breath away. Through the window, I could see the sun emerging from the o's embrace, painting the world in hues of white and gold. The light danced across the water's surface, creating a se so beautiful it almost hurt to look at. I found myself mesmerized, drinking in the sight of a new day dawning.

  A smile tugged at my lips as I gently ran my fihrough the little boy's soft hair. The silky strands slipped between my fingers, each touch a reminder of his innoce. He truly was adorable... his peaceful expression tugging at something deep within me. My hand paused, resting lightly on his head as I studied his face, itting every detail to memory.

  He was cute. very cute and pretty handsome......and so was the man that leaned beside me................Yeah I admit it, Cillian's handsome. My gaze drifted to his face, taking in his strong jawlihe curve of his lips. He was undeniably handsome.. Very very very very very, extremely very handsome. He's exactly like Jack Frost from the movie of The Rise of Guardians. I thought, making me chuckle softly, the sound barely audible in the quiet carriage. I held my breath, careful not to disturb anyone's slumber.

  The gentle sway of the carriage tinued as I sat there, lost in thought. The warm weight of Cillian and the coral-haired boy remained stant, grounding me in the present even as my mind wandered.

  And then, my smile suddenly faded..........and memories of all the times Cillian hurt me flooded.

  When I first met him.........I liked him........he was so cool. When I talked to him........he had an undefinable personality..........When I stayed with him............he was cruel................he tried killiried harmiried hurtiried marrying me off, tried kidnapping me...........he did everything...........everything I didn't expect of him.

  The soft light of dawn filtering through the window seemed to dim as these dark memories surfaced. My fingers, which had beely stroking the little boy's hair, stilled.

  My thoughts began to trail off...............even though I had even more pressing matters to think about, I wasn't ied in any of them. I don't give a shit whether I am or not a part of Domino. But.........HAAAhhh.........

  A quiet sigh escaped my lips, barely audible over the rhythmic clop of horse hooves outside.

  Cillian...........................why did Cillian do all that he did? Is he gaining something by doing so? Or is he just obsessed with hurting others??????

  Obsessed? Yeah.......Kryll mention Cillian being obsessed with me. But what the hell even am I? WHAT THE HELL DID I EVEN DO TO HIM TO MAKE HIM OBSESSED? OBSESSED WITH ME! I mean, no wait, he doesn't act like he's obsessed, he just lingers around me and does the most meanihings ever. And I don't even remember having a proper versation with him, let alone show any affe or i in him. Besides- He has a fiancee.

  My eyes widened suddenly..........yeah.......fiancee.........he's already got a fiancee.............How did I fet? But............he said he didn't like her........and wao break up with her.......wait did he break up though? If so-

  WAIT. Why am I even thinking of him? I don't even like him anymore!

  The carriage hit a small bump in the road, jostling us slightly. Cillian stirred but didn't wake, his warmth still pressed against my side.

  Do I?

  Do I really not like him?

  Do I?

  Do I hate him?

  Do I...................even...........

  Each question hung in the air, unanswered, as the ndscape outside slowly ged from the deep blues of night to the soft pinks and es of early m.

  Sigh.

  Another quiet exhale, this one longer and heavier tha. The weight of my thoughts seemed to press down on me, as tangible as the physical presence of those around me.

  I got my head upright, causing Cillian's head to fall onto my shoulder.

  The sudden shift in positio a small jolt through my body, bringing me back to the present moment. The warmth of Cillian's cheek against my shoulder was a stark trast to the ess of the m air seeping in through the carriage's small cracks.

  There's no sign of My, Mylo and Veles. Helios turned out to be a victim of abuse. Hades returned. I was removed from the Family Registry. Xerxes is my aor who made a tract with Helios. The Whisperer's daughter regins Omeen, not him. Meaning Roxana, my mother, never really hated me. I killed people. The Holy Empire thinks I'm some sort of Goddess. That Rudbeckia heckia legit kidnapped me and hung me up on s.

  Random things are going on in my life without me even being able to do anything about them.................sigh. My life's such a joke. I thought, chug once more, smiling.

  The early m light filtered through the carriage window, casting a soft glow on my face as I pted my move.

  Well then, what do I do? I thought, looking out of the window, still smiling, gracefully aifully.

  Do I just..........end my life here? I thought, smiling.

  Maybe........maybe not. I thought, still smiling.

  But I will end theirs, regardless. I thought, smiling deeper, getting myself mesmerized into the look.

  The ndscape outside blurred as we tinued our journey, mirr the hazy future that y ahead of me.

  It's getting te. I should take a on my own. I thought, sighing off and pressing myself against the back of the sofa, defeated and tired.

  The soft fabriy reddish-bck dress, a fe of ruffles and ce, rustled against my skin as I shifted slightly, trying to find a more fortable position. The movement caused a dull throb from the unhealed bite mark on my neck, drawing my attention to it once again. I resisted the urge to touch it, knowing it would only irritate the wound further.

  My gaze drifted down to the dress, its hem barely skimming my thighs. The once elegant garment now felt strig and impractical. I longed for something more fortable, something that would cover me pletely and offer some prote against the uaihat y ahead.

  As the carriage tis journey, I couldn't help but feel exposed in this outfit. The off-the-shoulder nee and short, ruffled skirt left me feeling vulnerable. It was a stark reminder of everything I'd been through - the chaos on the cruise ship, the revetions about my past, and the dahat seemed to lurk around every er. I made a mental o ge into something more suitable at the first opportunity, preferably something that would ceal the bite mark and any other visible signs of my ret ordeals.

  To be tinued...