Becoming The Rich Heroine

CHAPTER 47 : PROMISE

"How far are we from the city?" Bella asked.

"Not far," Algaz replied. "We'll reach it tomorrow morning."

Bella nodded and laid her head on Algaz' shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Algaz asked.

"I'm tired," Bella said.

"Go to sleep," Algaz said. "You're safe here."

Bella smiled and closed her eyes. She was exhausted from the long walk.

"Good night, Algaz," she whispered.

Algaz smiled and turned off the flashlight. He pulled Bella close to him and held her tightly.

"I love you," he whispered.

Bella smiled and rested her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Algaz held Bella tightly and stared at the sky. It was peaceful, but he knew that it wouldn't last for long. Soon, she would wake up and feel his presence.

"I should've never let you into my heart," he muttered.

Algaz looked down at Bella and smiled. He could still remember the day when he first met her. She was so innocent back then, but now she was different. She had grown stronger and bolder.

"I haven't seen you in a while," he said. "Is everything alright?"

Bella nodded.

"How have you been?" Algaz asked.

Bella thought for a second.

"I've been alright," she said. "There aren't many people who are willing to talk to me, though."

"That's normal," Algaz replied. "People fear you after what happened. But I promise that I'll protect you from them."

Bella smiled and rested her head against Algaz' chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"I love you, Algaz," she mumbled.

Algaz smiled and nuzzled Bella's neck. He then pulled her close to him and rested his head on hers.

"I love you too," he whispered.

***

The next morning, Bella woke up and looked around the cottage. She saw Algaz sleeping in his bed. He was sound asleep, so she didn't wake him up.

Bella went outside and sat down on a bench. She leaned against it and took deep breaths. She was tired from the walk yesterday, but she had no choice. She needed to get used to walking for miles every day.

"Algaz," Bella whispered.

She waited for him to answer, but she got nothing in return. She looked around and saw that he wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"I'll be right back," Algaz said.

Bella nodded and then laid down on the bench. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Algaz walked to Nicholas' house. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer.

"Who is it?" Sophia asked through the door.

"It's your husband," Algaz replied.

Sophia opened the door and gasped when she saw him. She quickly closed the door behind her and turned to face Algaz.

"What happened?" Sophia asked.

Algaz smiled and walked over to her. He caressed her cheek and then kissed her lips.

"Nothing happened," Algaz said.

He grabbed her hand and led her upstairs to their bedroom.

"I'll show you where we sleep," he said. "Come on, sit down next to me."

Bella sat beside Algaz and looked around. The room was dark and cold, which made Bella shiver.

"Is it always like this here?" she asked.

"Most of the time," Algaz replied. "We usually keep our windows open."

Bella nodded and then laid down next to Algaz.

"Why did you leave me alone yesterday?" she asked.

"My parents came to visit," Algaz explained. "They wanted to spend some time with you. So, I left you alone."

Bella laid down next to him.

"Do you miss Bella?" Nicholas asked.

Algaz smiled.

"Not anymore," he said.

Nicholas nodded.

"Good," he said. "We've been looking for you for a long time. We need to train you now."

Algaz nodded and walked over to Nicholas. He grabbed hold of Bella's hand and then led her along after him.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked.

"To my brother's house," Algaz answered, "I want you to meet him."

The rest of the day passed by quickly. Algaz showed Bella around the village and introduced her to everyone. When night fell, Algaz took her to his brother's house. The two men greeted each other and then walked inside.

"Welcome," Nicholas said, "I heard that you have a new slave."

"I do," Algaz replied.

He led Bella towards the living room and then stopped outside a door. He turned around and faced his brother.

"I hope you don't mind if I bring her here," he said.

"Go ahead," Nicholas said. "She's already a part of our family."

Algaz nodded and then unlocked the door. He pushed it open and entered the room.

"Come inside," he said, "this is my brother's bedroom."

Bella followed Algaz inside the room and stared at Nicholas.

"Will you stop staring at me?" Nicholas asked.

Bella shook her head.

"I wasn't trying to stare at you," she said. "I was just looking at your hands."

Nicholas frowned. His skin was covered in scars. Some of them were fresh wounds and others had healed. He hated his appearance and wished that he looked normal.

"Your hands are dirty," Bella continued. "Are you coming here often?"

Algaz nodded.

"I've come here every day for the past week," he said.

Bella nodded.

"But why haven't you come to visit before?" she asked.

"Because my parents came here today," Algaz explained. "They wanted to spend some time with you. So, I left you alone yesterday."

Bella nodded.

"Are you coming to my house?" she asked.

"Do you want me to?" Algaz asked. "I can't take you anywhere yet, though."

Bella nodded.

"Yes," she said, "I want you to come with me."

Algaz smiled and shook his head. He looked at Bella and then out at the forest.

"I can't leave here yet," he said. "There are too many dangers in the world."

Bella nodded silently. She didn't know what to say. She knew that she couldn't stay here forever, but she also knew that she would miss Algaz once he went away.

Algaz smiled at her. He knew that she was thinking about leaving him, but he didn't want that to happen.

"You have to understand that I can't leave yet," he said. "You need to learn how to survive in the world before you go back."

Bella nodded.

"I promise that I won't try to run away," she said.

Algaz nodded and then smiled at her.

"Good," he said, "now, let's go back to the house."

Bella nodded. She didn't want to argue with Algaz, especially since he had just saved her life.

Once Algaz and Bella got back to the house, they changed and then went out to eat. Algaz taught Bella how to hunt for food, which she hated doing. It was hard work and Bella didn't enjoy it very much.

"Hunting isn't easy," Algaz said. "You have to find the right animals and then wait for them to come near you."

Bella nodded. She knew that he was right, but she still found it difficult to hunt.

"Let's go hunting again," Algaz suggested.

Bella nodded and followed him outside. They walked through the forest until they came across a herd of deer. Algaz and Bella hid behind a tree and waited for the deer to pass by them.

Algaz threw a rock at the deer, hitting it in its shoulder. Bella gasped and then jumped out and stabbed it with her spear. She pushed the deer onto the ground and then ripped off its skin.

"I'll be back to kill you soon," Algaz said, "but first, I want to enjoy myself."

Bella nodded and then cleaned the deer. She dressed it in its skin and cooked the meat. After she was done, Algaz returned.

"Take my blood," he said, "I want to taste it."

Bella pressed a finger against his lips and then licked some of his blood off.

"That's better," Algaz said. "I was getting hungry."

Bella blushed and nodded. She finished cleaning the deer and then set it up on fire. Algaz ate a lot, so she made sure to cook enough for both of them.

Once Bella was done, she walked over to Algaz and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm going to bed," she said, "do you want me to wake you up in the morning?"

Algaz smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you," he said.

Algaz lay down on the floor and closed his eyes. He knew that Bella would probably try to kiss or touch him again, but he didn't mind. He liked having her around, even if she was his slave.

"Goodnight," Bella said.

Algaz smiled and nodded. He knew that he shouldn't have gone back to Bella. Now, he knew that there was no hope for them.

Bella laid down next to Algaz and closed her eyes.

She heard his heartbeat beating loudly in her ears.

***

Algaz woke up feeling refreshed. He stretched out his arms and legs, realizing that he was still in bed. He rubbed his eyes and then looked at the clock beside his bed. It showed a few hours past noon. He wondered where Bella was. She usually woke up earlier than him, so she should've been awake by now.

Algaz got out of his bed and went to check on her. He opened the bedroom door and peeked outside. He saw that the sun was shining bright, so he decided to walk outside. He put on his jacket and left the house.

He walked around the woods until he found Bella. She was sitting in a clearing, staring at the ground. Algaz smiled and walked over to her.

"What's wrong?" Algaz asked.

Bella looked up at him and then sighed.

"I'm scared," she said.

Algaz smiled.

"I understand," he said. "You're going to do great things, so you need to stay strong."

Bella nodded.

"Thank you," she said.

Algaz smiled and pulled her closer.

"Here," he said, "take this."

Bella looked down at the necklace and then nodded.

"Thank you," she said.

"Your future husband gave this to me," Algaz explained.

Bella gasped and then quickly hid it under her shirt.

"Why did you give it to me?" she asked.

"Because he loves you," Algaz answered. "He wants you to have it."

"Did he tell you that I loved him?" Bella asked.

"Of course," Algaz said, "I saw it in his eyes."

Bella smiled and kissed Algaz.

"Can I take off my blindfold now?" she asked.

Algaz nodded. He removed the blindfold and then guided her to the bed. He lay down next to her and pulled her close.

"How long did it take you to find me?" he asked.

"A few days," Bella said.

"I shouldn't have doubted you," Algaz said, "you were right to trust me."

Bella blushed. She hated it when he called her a liar or bad at anything.

"We're going to be married," Algaz said, "so you have to start acting like my wife."

Bella shrugged. She knew that she couldn't escape from him, so she decided to accept his new rules.

"Fine," she said.

Algaz smiled.

"I'll show you around the house," he said, "then we can leave."

Bella nodded.

Algaz led Bella through the woods until they reached a clearing.

"Have you been here before?" he asked.

Bella shook her head.

"I've seen this place once when I was younger," she said. "My father brought me here."

"You're not your mother!" Algaz exclaimed. "How could you forget about her? Didn't she die in childbirth?"

"I didn't mean to," Bella said.

Algaz stared at her. He couldn't believe that she would dare talk about his mother like that.

"Is it true?" he asked.

Bella sighed and looked away. She wasn't sure how to answer.

"I don't know what to say," she admitted. "I heard that my mother was an evil woman who killed hundreds of people, but I never knew if it was true or not. I don't even remember her."

"That's a lie," Algaz said, "your father told me that you loved your mother very much."

Bella smiled sadly.

"I used to love her," she said. "I loved her so much that I forgot about my father."

"I can understand why you did that," Algaz said. "It must have been hard for you to grow up without a mother."

Bella nodded. Her mother was an evil person who had killed hundreds of people, so it made sense that she had done terrible things to Bella as well.

"I'll do everything I can to protect you," Algaz said, "but I need your help as well."

Bella looked at him.

"Do you promise?" she asked.

"I promise," Algaz said.

Bella smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you," she said.

Algaz smiled and nodded.

"Follow me," he said, "we're almost there."

Algaz led them deep inside the forest until he came to a large cave. He pushed Bella inside and then followed her in.

"Close the doors," Algaz said.

Bella stepped forward and closed the heavy wooden doors behind her. She then turned around and saw Algaz standing right in front of her. He stared at her and smiled.

"Welcome to my home," Algaz said.

Bella smiled and nodded. She knelt down and bowed her head.

"Thank you for saving me," she said.