chapter 20

Princess Eleanor was in her garden. On the large flat rock which she turned into a sit to watched the small pond. Little fishes were swimming carelessly. Jumping in and out of the clear water.

She thought maybe this shall take away her burdens. Or it shall reversed what had happened. So many questions that needed answers. So many thoughts that gave her hell of migraines.

She sat looking around, throwing pebbles into the pond. It been three days since her father slumped on the battlement. Three days after the war.

Her father lied lifeless in his chambers. His condition was improving the doctor had earlier said. She was not sure. He couldn't talked or blinked. He just lied there half dead.

She kept thinking. In the past three days she has heard so many talked about what had happened on the battlement. Some said she was a witched who could wield the fire element. Eleanor knew she was a no mage.

She sat still on the rocked ignoring all those accusations. The different looks the ministers now gives to her. They find it hard to believed that she was their saviour.

Every one has not recovered from what had happened. She was now waiting patiently for the day when her father shall heal. He need to tell her things. Things like where the kings' stone was. Why was it not protecting them again like in the past.

She plucked the blue Iris and took it nearer to her eyes. She wished to see if it was the same shade with her eyes. However, she needed a mirror. So she threw it away, on the water Lilly floating on the pond.

She heard when their enemies came. The power of the Kings' stone would caused them to fight among themselves and they would perished by their own swords. While Golden Hill citizens, her people would sing songs of victory.

But three days ago was not like the tale she was told. It was a different version of the story she shall tell her children.

"That demon was heartless". She thought. She was going to tell him to take back his ring. How could he promised and waited for all her knights to die before he came for their rescued.

He was a demon after all and demons enjoy seeing evil. They enjoyed seeing humans suffer.

"lord Zane I shall never forgive you for being so wicked".

She was all alone in the garden. She had ordered her servants to give her space.

Just when the demon's thought was about to die down in her mind. He appeared beside her.

The was a Willow tree and others across giving the area a densed look. Cobblestones were used to line the edges of the pond and the walked way to the pond.

The creeping Jenny was harassing her seat. It creeps round about the rock leaving the space Eleanor sat alone.

"I thought I instructed all of you that I wants to be left alone". Eleanor screamed. Her gazed was still on the water. Watching as the bass fish and koi swim passed each other.

When she didn't hear any response. She looked up. It was lord Zane.

" What are you doing here. I thought you could only be here if I turned the ring. As we speak the ring is in my bedchamber. So how did you get here?".

"I understand why you are mad"

" that was not what I asked you"

" I can come to you without your invitation. Like now. All I need to be with you is your thought of me or mine of you".

Princess Eleanor looked at him again. He was wearing all black. He always comes to her in brighter colours but today was different. Everything seems different.

She was more furious than before. Now that he was standing right in front of her. She would have to dished it for him.

"The thought of you in my heart brought you here, to where I am?". She asked politely. He nodded his head.

"How is it that you didn't showed up at the battlement when I thought of you?. Why didn't you?. She yelled.

She threw the last pebble she had in her hands inside the water. The water plops.

"You are here to have credit for saving us after hundreds of my knight were murdered just yesterday in cold blood. They were given a mass burial". She informed and wept.

"You are here to receive credit when my father lies lifeless as we speak as a result of shock. I was almost killed".

She paused. "oh I forgot you are here to state your dues".

She rose from the rock she sat on. Dried tears was plastered across her face no matter how she wiped off. It was still obvious.

Her eyes swollen from cries and worries. She was looking pale.

lord Zane looked at her. His lips were parted to speak but she wouldn't let him. She was not willing to hear a thing from him.

Their eyes locked. Eleanor looked at him in anger. He was sorry he couldn't meet her demands on time.

"At least let me explained". He pleaded

she was not ready to listen to anything that came from him.

"What is your dues?" She interjected with a clenched teeth

" I am here to talked to you. I didn't come here to asked for any dues just yet".

" You liar!. That is what you are. I never knew why I make a deal with a demon in the first place. Liars and cheaters and manipulators! that is what demons are. And you". She laughed and walked up to him. She was staring daggers into his eyes.

"you are no different".

The day was still young and the sun gave peace. It was not sunny. It was not cloudy. Every where was calm but the heart of the citizens of Golden Hill kingdom within the palace and all over the entire kingdom were in pains.

Eleanor understood their pains. They expected more from her but she put her faith in a demon.

She expected more from this demon right in front of her. But he was no different from the devil himself. He let her people perished before he came to their rescued.

Afterwards, he cunning came around to asked for his dues.

She had accepted to this and must comply. She is a princess. A ruler. She gave her word and she can't go back now.

"you are keeping me. Speak now or leaved"

" I wouldn't have you talk to me in such manner or I shall have you punished".

" What are you going to do?. Have me in your prison or what. No tell me what can you do?". Eleanor closed the distance to challenged him.

Her voice was high and commanding. She was not just bitter but in deep distress. What would she tell her father when he wakes or the ministers when they asked. Everybody as a matter of fact.

Why didn't he used anything. Stone. Wind. Wood. Anything. Why must he passed through her body. He possessed her to wield the fire element that destroyed the Black Dust empire and gave them the late victory.

She would transfer her aggression on any one right now. Sadly he was the only one around. And he played a part in it.

lord Zane tried so hard to understand but couldn't. Even though he felt her pains, he didn't feel where it was coming from.

His platinum hair was half fringe. And the rest fell below his shoulders. He slide his hand over it. Maybe to get the right words to calm the princess.

The birds were humming into their silence. The lizard bobs it head after a fall from the boxwood close to where lord Zane stood. The lizard relaxed for a while and did some push-ups.

"This is not the right moment for this. Some other time". He gulped and turned to walked away.

" There shall be no other time. I don't ever want to see you again".

He was forced to halt. Every thing in him stopped functioning. He was blanked out for the moment.

She walked to stand face to face him with. "I hate you with the whole of me. I need you to state that dues of your or forever old your peace".

She looked away and mumbled. "I had committed my self that's why I'm insisting".

She looked back into his eyes. There was rage in both their eyes. She didn't care if his eyes was as black as darkness. She was going to say her mind.

" because after this minutes you shall not have such grace again. You demon" she meant every word.

lord Zane was more upset. He wield his hands and the once tranquil atmosphere became furious. Everything around turned violent.

The wind plucked off all the leaves on the trees and traveled with them. The flowers and dust were pleading to be left alone. It was a whirlwind.

lord Zane stood like a mighty rock. His finger nails were growing longer and fangs elongated and his eyes, were crimson red. His hair was sparking with white light.

Eleanor stood unaffected she was looking deeply into his eyes.

"Are you going to killed me?". She ask. She was not afraid. She has dined face to face with death on the battlement. This one won't make her flinched.

lord Zane claws was directed at her. He didn't know what he really loves about this silly human who always triggered his anger.

Neither did he know why he cared so much about her. Why his anger subsided whenever he set his eyes on her. Or why even though she was the reason he became this angry yet she stood before him unaffected.

"you can't do nothing. Stop showing me this…" she pouted her lips.

She has pushed him to the extreme. He rotate his right index finger slowly. She started spinning around in the direction of his finger.

"y…you evil de…mon let meeeee gooo".

He fast forwarded his finger and she was turning like the whirlwind. He reversed, she went in another direction. He slowed down. She did too.

She was panting. "I…I hate youuuuuu". He fast forwarded it again. He was rotating his finger a thousand times in a second. She spins even faster that she became the wind herself.

He dropped her down on the floor. She lay lifeless there.

He flipped back to his normal self and ran to her. He knelt with a knee and yanked her up. Her eyes was still spinning in her head. She was utterly lifeless.

He wept that he almost killed her. He command water from the pond and poured on her. She jerked.

If she was anyone else she would have been shredded to dead.

He never meant to hurt her but she drove him naught. For a second he thought of killing her to save himself from the love he felt for her, since the first day he set his eye on her in Serpent Land. He couldn't. He loved her.

He had left her to go that time after spending a week with him unknown to her. He cherished every moment they shared and wished it never ended.

Since that time, he had known she was his mate. But how would he conveyed this information to her and make her to understand.

Right now he knew for sure that she felt nothing for him. He was willing to give her time. Long enough for her to come around..

He wanted her to take her time and fall in love with him. He would have manipulated her if he wished but he never wished. Zane the son of the devil himself. Most powerful demon in Serpent Land.

She was recovering. Her eyes was now steady but it was blurred. She shut them. He pulled off strands of her hairs from her face. He let his eyes trailed down.

She was wearing a black dress. His eyes stopped on the revealing part of her shoulders. Her skin was light and smooth.

Her breathe was coming one at a time. Slowly but consistent. Her hands fell of. He saw she was wearing a bracelet. He took it off her.

He carried her up. Every thing had returned to the way it was. Nothing was destroyed. The grasses that were uprooted was just the way it was. the leaves were blooming on the trees.

Gradually she opened her eyes to met the sun entering into them. He shaded her. They were beside the boxwood that hedged the walkway.

She was fully recovered now.

"Put me down!" she ordered.

"What did you do to me?". She was searching herself

"I need your heart" he spoke with that same deep voice she was first attracted to. The very one she loved so much back in Serpent Land.

She knitted her brow at him. Her blues eyes like the sky above them was looking into his now glistening black opal eyes. His face was beaming with beauty.

His heart beat was deliberate, one at a time. He would have read her mind to know the answer. But he wants to hear her speak.

Eleanor chuckled "you want me death. So you could have my heart. That was why you almost killed me. You are evil".

He was surprised how she thought that way. When he saw her lay lifeless. He almost lost his breathe. He is weak around her. The love he has for her makes him vulnerable. Only around her.

"Eleanor you are smarter than this. A princess is not known for many words. Stop babbling". His tone was calmed and mean no harm

She frown at the statement. If he doesn't want her death. Then what does he mean by he wants her heart.

"How do you mean". She asked.

He gulped at her seriousness. "There is no better time for this". he thought.

"I love you princess Eleanor". He said in a very soft tone that her breathe skipped. None has ever told her that, other than her father.

Maybe the would have been. The one that used to smile like a moron whenever he sees her but she never gave him the chance.

So many times Beatrice has told her that he came to see her. She always dismissed the topic before Beatrice could voice again. Francis she thought. His name is Francis.

She narrowed her gaze back at this demon before her. How would a demon fall in love with her.

"If I understand you lord Zane..."

"Be mine Eleanor". He interjected. She was speechless. Her lips parted. She shared gazed with him. The breezed was slapping slightly on their skin. Removing her hair from it place. He crossed the distance and raised his hands up to put it back in place but she shifted away.

Her heart beat increased. "Why would you asked that of me". Their faces was void of expression.

"We are world apart. You are a demon and I..." She paused and point at her chest.

" I'm a human, flesh and blood".

She walked back to him "forgive me I can't".

Four words 'forgive me I can't" this ignited his anger again.

" Love is kind" she told him when she saw the dread in his eyes and his anger die down again.

"I can never loved you". She told him.

" Remember you promised" he reminded her. He was frustrated.

" I must have been silly. Giving you such promise without thinking that you might request my life of me".

Just as he was about speaking. Beatrice came.

" My princess I greet you". She bowed. Beatrice was looking around.

"Princess I thought I heard your voice. were you talking to someone?".

Princess Eleanor turned to looked at lord Zane who was standing by the side of the boxwood and Beatrice stood on the walkway.

Beatrice followed her eyes but she saw flowers. She stepped a little forward from the walkway to view the whole place. Pond and trees and flowers and birds caught her view.

Eleanor was staring into lord Zane eyes.

"She can't see or hear me. Tell this daughter of Serpent Land that you were talking to the birds and yourself.

Eleanor's eyes dilated. She wanted to asked him a question but couldn't because of Beatrice.

"She is a legacy just like Jessica. He said. Jessica brought her to protect you when the other queens wanted to killed you while you were still a baby".

Eleanor was dazed by this small revelation. She looked at Beatrice mouth agape.

"My princess are you okay?". Beatrice asked with her eyes buried in the ground.

Princess Eleanor should have been mad if it was another maid who dared to asked her such silly question. Was she behaving abnormally that Beatrice would ask. Eleanor let it passed away, because it was Beatrice.

Though she was her maid, Beatrice was also her childhood friend. To add to that, she just discovered a shocking revelation about her.

She was surprised she couldn't see or hear lord Zane who was right there with them.

"What brings you Beatrice". She asked in a plain commanding tone.

"My princess, it Francis. He is here to see you?".

" Who is Francis?". lord Zane asked".

He didn't expect her to answered him that.

"Say it in your mind" . He said.

" He is a friend" . Eleanor thought.

"Should I bring him here my princess".

"Yes!. Ask her to bring him here". lord Zane told Eleanor.

"So that you would killed him". Eleanor screamed in her head. "Go away you demon. Demons should love demons and humans, human. I'm out of here".

She lead the way for Beatrice to follow.

"Eleanor". lord Zane called. "stop following me. I'm having difficulty thinking too loudly in my head".

"We are not done. You must say yes. You promised and you must not see that Francis.