FIFTEEN...

IRIS'S POV.

I couldn't believe my eyes. So many people!!

I looked at Regan and giggled childishly.

"That's a lot of people! "

"I think its normal for a market place."

He answered.

"Is this place always this crowded?" I asked.

"You can say that. " he smiled.

"Come on!..."

I run ahead to watch a band play.

This was like nothing I have felt before. I closed my eyes and let the music drift into my soul. This felt like freedom.

There was a woman hawking fruits on a counter near by. She saw me and waved me to come over.

"We have fresh fruits here ma'lady. What would you have?"

"Is that passion fruits? Oh I haven't had those in a long time...."

"Go ahead.."

She smiled at me...

I looked behind me but couldn't find Regan.

"I don't have any money on me and my husband Is no where to be found..."

"Its alright. Its the first time I'm seeing you around. I suppose you just got married. Is it?"

I nodded.

"Well consider this as my gift to you...you can have two. Give one to your husband. He's such a lucky man. You're a lovely girl."

"Wow...thank you so much!.."

I took the fruit and popped it open with my bare teeth. I giggled, imagining my mother's face should she get to know I just bit into a fruit without chopping it into pieces with a knife.

Kids were running around and mothers were shouting. Women and men were hawking and people moved to and fro. It was amazing! It was so loud and chaotic and beautiful! I turned and crashed into someone.

"Iris! Where did you go?"

It was Regan.

"I got you this..." I smiled.

"Passion fruit...I'm not a fun though."

He smiled back,taking the fruit from me.

"What! Then you are no fun at all!"

I gasped and he laughed. I felt someone tuck at my dress and I looked down to find a little girl there.

"Hello there..." I bent down to be at her level.

"My mommy is selling flowers over there. Do you want flowers?" She said shyly.

I looked back at Regan. He was already looking at me.

"Can I get some flowers?" I asked him.

"Of course". He shrugged.

The girl took my hand and led us to her mother's stand.

"Mummy mummy...I got you a customer! She squealed excitedly.

"Oh you did! Such a good daughter I have! "

A lady around my age emerged from behind with a basket full of blue iris flowers.

" Nina I told you to stay right here! You can get kidnapped you know..."

she began to say but stopped when her eyes landed on us.

"Wow...I love your hair.." She said.

"Thanks..." But I felt her eyes move towards Regan and they widened. She put down the basket and straightened her dress,pushing up her non existent breast up a bit.

I rolled my eyes. The older woman behind the table saw what transpired and stepped away from the table toward us.

"And what a lovely couple Nina has brought to us!. Do you want flowers for your wife mister?"

The girl shifted uncomfortable and adjusted her gaze on the wall behind Regan.

"I ..uuuh....yea...." Regan stammerd.

"We'll take care of that..do you mind going away for a while? Take a look around while we attend to your wife..don't take long though...."

He looked like he wanted to protest but the woman pushed him away. She turned towards me and smiled again.

"Fanny get her a chair ..."

She told the girl who stood staring behind Regan.

Seriously?

I was made to sit while the woman undid my hair and braided the sides pinning them together at my back and braiding further down. She started inserting some beautiful pink and white flowers she brought in into the braids.

"Such a handsome husband you have. Where did you find him?"

The girl, Fanny spoke after a while.

"What?" I asked..

" I mean where did you two meet?"

"Umm...his father and my father were friends....."

"So it was sort of arranged?"

The older woman cut in.she wasn't far from the truth.

"Yes.."

"But you make a cute couple!" The woman sung and I smiled.

"Here..." She handed me a mirror to take a look.

"An arranged marriage is not always such a bad thing. Fanny and Nina's father was a trader who saved my fathers life during a shipwreck. To say thank you ,my father offered me to him for marriage. It was difficult at first. But it got easier as we got to know each other. Today we are a happy family and we love each other dearly. You can always make this work. Just be good to him."

She whispered the last part as Regan appeared in front of us.

"Thank you. "

I whispered back. I stood and walked over to him.

She handed him a red rose but he declined. Picking up an iris from Fanny's basket, he inserted it into my hair. I blushed.

"Nice hair." He complimented when we got out and i beamed.

"That girl was shamelessly checking you out." I deadpanned.

"I get that a lot" he laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"Better get use to it." He winked and I laughed.

There was a jewelry stand ahead of us. I stopped by it and looked through the sparkling jewelries. One woman dropped a bracelet she was bargaining with the trader but didn't get him to reduce it and I took it.

It was a single gold band bracelet with a heart shape in the middle. The band had blue stones running along it path.

"Do you want it?"

Regan asked from behind. I quickly dropped it and shook my head. It must cost a fortune. I didn't want him to spend that much on me again remembering the blue dress.

"Let's look over there for something else."

I pointed ahead.

After taking two turns, he stopped.

"Wait here...I'll be right back." He turned around and left me standing there in confusion. He returned up in a bit.

"Let's go."

I wanted to ask where he went but I didn't want to sound like a nosey wife.

"oh look! There's a candy shop over there...come on!"

I dragged him by the hand towards the shop. We pushed through a bunch of kids at the entrance and made it inside. The shop attendant was a bald pot bellied man.

"Hello there beautiful....what can I help you with?."

He smiled broadly at me.

"Those chocolates look delicious." I licked my lips.

"Of course they are.....but not as delicious as you look..."

He looked me up and down before reaching for the box of chocolates behind him. I frowned.

"Are you from this town?I've never seen anything as pretty as you are before. Such a pretty little thing."

Did he just referred to me as a thing?

He brushed his hands on my arms and I felt Regan move behind me. The man grimaced.

"Tell your servant to excuse us will you? I want to have a word with you. "

I turned to Regan and stiffled a laugh. He looked like he was going to kill someone. Just a while ago he was bragging about women checking him out everywhere he went and now he wasn't laughing.

REGAN'S POV.

This puke was burnt on provoking me wasn't he? First he looked at her as if she was a meal on a plate then he had the guts to call her a thing. And now he is touching her!

"Tell your servant to excuse us will you? I want to have a word with you. " he said.

I wanted to choke him to death at the spot. Iris looked back at me trying so hard not to laugh.

What did she find funny? She was still looking at me when I saw the idiot study her hair and made

to touch it.

With one swift movement,I had him lifted over the counter and in front of me with his hand in mine,squeezing with all my strength.

"Ouch ouch ouch..." He cried out in pain.

"Look at her." I commanded.

I grabbed his neck with my other hand and forced his eyes toward her.

"LOOK! ..AT!...HER!"

I rolled and he did.

"Does she look like a play thing to you?"

"I'm sorry sir....I won't do it again. I swear.." He cried.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't do it again."

i Squeezed both his hand and neck tightly. He began to cough. He touched her with his hand right? I was going to make sure even if he lived, he wouldn't be able to touch anything again.

His loud coughs filled the room. Suddenly I felt so warm. My eyes were turning into blazing red.

IRIS'S POV. THE

He was obviously not going to let him go. He was squeezing his neck too tight the man began to choke. I needed to do something.

"Regan you're going to kill him if you don't stop."

I took a step back when I saw Regan's face. His eyes were burning like fire. His body was radiating heat as if he was burning.

"Regan.....please stop.... You're going to kill him!! "

I screamed at him.

The man kept struggling against him but he wouldn't budge.

"Regan!...."

I placed my hand against his chest and pushed . He let go of the man and slowly turned to me. His eyes were back to their normal hazel.

Its was like it never turned in the first place. What just happened?

"Iris......." He called.

"Let's get out of here..."

I said softly. He grabbed the box of chocolates from the counter and glared at the now sitting man nursing his swollen red hand.

Puting his hand against my back,he gurdred me out of the shop. A small crowd had formed behind us when we turned but no one dared say anything.

They whispered among themselves and the mothers sheilded their children away from us. I sighed.

When we came out of the market place,I quickend my steps. I was upset. Why would he try to kill a man just because he was flirting with me?

Nothing made sense. The man wasn't a light weighed person

He was short and bulky. He definitely weighed a lot but he hurled him over the counter like a bag of onions. And his fingers that weren't even grown dug into his skin. How was that possible?

I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and before I knew it I had stumbled over something and lost my balance. I hit the floor on my knees with a big thud.

I cried out in pain.

Regan was beside me in a blink.

"Are you alright?.."

He pulled me up. I blinked away the tears in my eyes.

He went down to inspect my bleeding knees.

"Shit! You have to be careful Iris."

I glared at him through my tears.

"We are almost home. Can you walk?"

He asked and I shook my head.

"Come here..."

He picked me up bridal style and I put my hands around his neck,burying my face in his neck. He inhaled sharply and held me tight.

"Let's get you home OK..."