Black Bunny

After some in-depth thinking, she remembered.

This cute, chubby and plumpy man reminded her of a black bunny she used to pet back in her home country.

( What a princess doing in a forest, you ask ??)

Well!!! Back in her palace, the palace she used to live after her unsuccessful trip to the forest of life, the monthly ration she used to receive would sometime get spoiled or rot and when that happen, she would go to the nearby forest to hunt or gather some fresh fruits instead of eating those ration.

And one day, Cassy was searching for a prey, she stumbled upon a big, fat (and when I say fat I mean faaaaaaat to the point it could barely move) black bunny that was munching on some grass. She thought she had found herself a yummy dinner but then that bunny raised its head and *sniff* *sniff*

and turned its head towards her. She was about to rush to attack as it had already noticed her but to her surprise, that bunny actually came closer to her and sniffed her again. She thought it liked her and was about to pat it but it hopped a bit and sniffed the bag she was holding. Then she realised why it even bothered to come close to her. It was aiming for the fruits that was inside the bag.

Cassy : (⁠눈 ⁠_ 눈⁠)

Bunny : (⁠✷ ⁠ω⁠ ⁠✷⁠)

It looked at her then flapped its long pair of ears and it instantly melted her heart. She ended up bringing out an apple and gave it to the bunny. Since then, every time she would visit the forest, that bunny would hop through its chubby legs and come close to her.( It would get free food so, a little exercise is worth it)

No wonder I found him familiar when I saw first him." She thought and nodded her head.

"I wonder what that fat bunny is doing now ?? I guess it won't be getting any more fruits now that I'm here." She thought.

" Umm!! Ugh!! Wifey!!!" A sudden soft and gentle voice broke her line of thoughts and brought her back to the ground.

" Yes???" She unknowingly responded and then froze.

" Wait!!! I thought I was hearing things but did he really called me 'wifey' ???" We haven't gotten even married yet !!" She thought but didn't say it.

" Do you.... not....hate....me ??" The soft and low voice almost sounded choked.

"Huh! Why would I ???" She asked.

" Well! You see! I'm....ugly and fat." Aspen said it while looking away not daring to face her.

Aspen considered himself extremely not good-looking. He would secretly compare himself to his twin brothers who were known as ' Royal Heartthrobs ' and felt that he doesn't belong in the 'beauty category'. ( and can't forget about the fact that people often ridiculed him which sank his confidence even deeper.) So, when he heard he was getting married, he profusely refused thinking who would wanna get married with someone like him. When he found out that his bride was brought to the empire against his will, he wanted to meet her and convince her to go back thinking "one glance at me and it will be more than enough for her to reject this marriage" BUT the moment he laid his eyes on those curly golden locks and bright beautiful golden eyes, he instantly fell for her.

The more he looked at her, the more he realised he wanted her, and the more he wanted her, the more he felt like he wasn't worthy of her.

These unknown feelings he had for the first time were clutching onto his throat and not letting him say what he prepared to say before coming here.

He thought Cassy as a beautiful bird on the sky while himself as ugly toad by the pond.

"If she rejects me now, it will be best for both of us and we can part ways without much trouble." Aspen said while lowering his head and gritting his teeth. He felt like the suspense was even more excruciating than life and death situation with monsters he dealt before.