101. Never Letting Go

"What is it?" Mona mumbled as she stared at the Grand Duke's eyes. The surprise was evident in her eyes as she found his face filled with uneasiness.

His eyes spoke of many emotions she had never witnessed in him for once. Fear, anxiety, hesitation, and bafflement. The hands that cupped her face gently caressed her, yet his sea-colored eyes never left hers.

He seemed to be checking for something, or looking for something within her eyes.

The two knights who were with them already went ahead and left them. They were baffled by the Grand Duke's shout but did not dare to ask further and just silently withdrew. They were already at the mouth of the forest and the sounds of the water streaming in the river already reached their ears.

The dim surroundings became a bit lighter from the brightness that came from the outside of the forest, and with the Grand Duke's back against it, his face was hidden from the gleam of the entrance.