Vow Of Silence

CHAPTER THRITY-FOUR

1st PERSON: Pelomina Lorenzo-Capiz

“AGH!”

‘IT MOVED! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!’ It was sleek and flesh-like in color, yet at the same time it looks shriveled up, like a mutated and bigger version of a naked mole-rat.

And those are ugly enough on their own.

I fell off balance because my feet didn’t cooperate, but before I fell to the ground, I felt Lykus grab me by the waist and step back, placing ample distance between us and the shrubs,

Me, hanging from his arms.

“What happened?” Lykus asked, not peeling his gaze from the shrub that I found the arrow from, I blew away my hair that somehow made found its way into my mouth with how quickly and abruptly he grabbed me off that spot.

“The arrow hit something,” I replied, and he hummed as he set my feet on the ground, approaching the spot without a word, not using his hands, of course, he drew his sword out and used it as a stick to move the shrubs and bushes around. A faint sheen glimmered, and I was right. The arrow did hit something.

And it’s as nasty as I thought it looked, no, even nastier!

He paused before going on to hold the arrow by the end, the creature was shot at its body and the arrow passed through it, twitching as Lykus held it up and glared at it, “Wife, I take back whatever I said… you just killed a mutant,” he said.

Yep, that’s a freaking mutant alright. There’s just no way that was the basic form of life of anything. Even an actual naked mole rat would look cute next to this. While I resorted to peeking between the gaps of my fingers, I nodded at him, “Y-Yes, can you put it away now?” I can’t look at that creature with the naked eye. How could he even lift that thing up?

“Right after I put it out of its misery,” he replied and in a swift movement I heard the sound of ripping flesh and a small thud on the ground, I know what happened, but I turned my back to it when right after Lykus said ‘put it out of its misery’. I could hear footsteps coming from behind, and I felt Lykus place his hand on the top of my head.

“Well done, you must have hunting cut out for you, wife,” he praised and I sighed, shoving the bow back to him,

“A one in a million chance, I didn’t purposely try to hit the thing, I’m just extraordinarily bad at this,” I replied, I talked a big game with wanting to learn archery, I couldn’t even look at the thing I hit. How is that the makings of a hunter who has the job cut out for them?

“Wife, please, I shouldn’t have laughed like that, don’t be discouraged, it was your first time, I’m very sorry,” he said, placing his hand over my hand that held the bow, sheathing his sword with the other before brushing the hair off of my face and tucking it behind my ear.

‘darn it—I knew he was going to pull this crap,’

“Why don’t I… take over the hunting today and if you want to we could practice back at the castle and you can take over the next hunt,” he suggested, and I just looked at him with a deadpan expression making him chuckle, “What?” he asked again,

“I’m not a child, my lord, you don’t have to bother cooing at me,” I replied, and he chuckled before taking the bow from me and holding my hand, leading me back to Lily, and again, no precaution whatsoever lifted me up and placed me on Lily’s saddle,

“I’m only making sure you’re not cross with me more than you already are,” he replied, patting Lily’s head. I suppose that was a cue for her to follow him as we walked on the jungle floor, he grabbed a few arrows and fed one through the string but he didn’t aim it yet and we continued walking ahead, fallen leaves and twigs crunching under our feet,

Or their feet, to be more correct. I could walk too, but I guess I better stay here. Just in case another one of those mutant things sprout, I have no confidence I’ll be able to survive an attack from a mutated ball of crushed hopes and dreams because that is what that thing is made of.

In a quick flash, I didn’t even catch it. He drew the bow and shot at something in the distance before bolting towards whatever that was. Lily was also quick on her feet and managed to catch up to him as he stopped in his tracks and looked down on a… oh, a boar. It’s a boar. I was scared for a quick second.

I smiled tilting my head at Lykus to, kind of, congratulate him not sure if I have to since it didn’t look like he exerted actual effort to have this win, in fact, he looked at the boar as if he has some personal vendetta against it. I tried to see what he was glaring at, but no, this is just a very normal boar with an arrow in the center of its head. As normal as boars could be.

From its head to four of its toes it looked normal, not that I’ve seen a live boar in my life but—GAH! IT’S MOVING AGAIN!

In a swift motion, Lykus unsheathed his sword, and I just barely covered my hands over my eyes before he slashed at the boar. ‘If this thing even is a boar,’. Now I'm not so sure.

He crouched down and shook his head, clicking his tongue as he stood back up and looked at the surrounding.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked, but once he turned to me, he only smiled.

“Nothing, I’m just thinking this isn’t the right size, I was too hasty,” he replied with a shrug as he started walking away from the carcass. Lily followed after him, of course. Still, I’m no mind-reader, but he looked way too serious about boar-sized game to have that expression on his face.

“Then… why were you looking around?” I followed, and he scoffed.

“Looking if its friends are around,” he answered, and I hummed, that’s a reasonable answer I suppose, “that aside, are you no longer infuriated with me?” he asked and I huffed with a shrug,

“I think, how can I be upset with you for long when you’re the only one I could trust to save my life in this wilderness?” I replied, now that new variations of danger arose and joined the equation, I will forgive Lykus’s silly trance earlier and be nice to him. I don’t want him to suddenly decide I’m not worth all the trouble and realize he could always have a new wife and leave me here.

“Wife,” he began, his brows furrowed as he looked at me over his shoulder. “I would still protect you even if you scuffle in my arms,” he replied with a click of his tongue, “I already told you, you’re my priority, regardless of how you feel about me, I will protect you,” he finished before facing forward again.

Luckily, he did that otherwise, he would’ve seen the mess he’s made of me. I breathed deeply and covered my face with my hands. This is not fair! Why is he like this?! His new default mode is a loving husband—how am I supposed to not fall for him?!

“Are you saying that I can continue being mad at you, my lord?” I asked in a joking tone, of course, and he chuckled faintly, sheathing his sword and holding his hands behind his back, glancing at me over his shoulder with a smirk.

“Now, with a when you say it like so,” he began, tilting his head as he went on, “I couldn’t help but wish I occupied enough space in your heart to easily woo you, not to be upset with me,” he replied.

‘Just—do I still have control of my own emotions? This thing feels like emotional hostage,’

“Ugh..” I groaned silently, looking away from him. I need a distraction, quickly, before I melt into a disgusting, gooey puddle on the ground. I cleared my throat, not looking at him still even if his back was against me. I feel like he could see how stupid I looked through the back of his skull and feel me boring holes into his head,

‘Quickly, what is something more important than how flustered I am currently—ah-’

“A-About the coronation, my lord,” I said, not so, subtly changing the conversation, I’m pretty sure he caught on to what I was trying to do by how he scoffed, but luckily, he decided to play along and hummed,

“What about the coronation, wife?” he asked back,

“When is it exactly?” I followed he hummed, I could see him count on his fingers because his hands were behind him,

“Unfortunately, in three days, so after we get your dress the next day, the following one will be the coronation,” he replied, at least I have an idea what’s our timeframe, so starting from here, I have an idea how the previous and not-so-well thought plan of mine is going to come into play.

“You seem to be looking forward to the coronation, is it because of Yulsey?” he asked, but his tone was kind of different. It’s not the confident and certain tone of speaking that he usually has, rather, it’s gloomy. Which would make sense because, from the beginning, he expressed no support to the succeeding king.

The crown prince in this scenario. I don’t even know what his name is. I should really start my research but this is the second time the name ‘Yulsey’ was mentioned. I’m getting worried that they might be the person who’d notice that I’m a fraud.

“Not quite, my lord,” began, “I’m just thinking how it’d be nice to finally wear the dress you bought me,” I added in, and he scoffed,

“So am I,” he replied, but more than his dreamy eyes and dashing smile, I was pulled back to reality, the way the name ‘Yulsey’ rang in my ears with an unignorable gut feeling, I’m actually getting nervous.