The Bald Princess

~Twenty Five~

I can fight all my battles alone, Sire. I don't need your protection but love.

Atarah

King Alfred was scared. His previously proud frame had dissolved into a scared, astounded King. His eyes fearfully looked at me. I could feel his fear. I was once there, waiting for my own death but it never came. But again, it wouldn't be death if it killed you so easily. Death was a savage demon. Its name was scary enough. And not to the mention the cruelty it brought with itself. When you want to live the most, death knocks at your door, demanding you to bury your incomplete dreams. And when you wish to die, death makes you suffer a thousand death before actually taking you.

But life was a fallacy. With every minute you spent in loving your life, life moves ahead to get rid of you. But the only one that waits for you patiently, with open arms is death. It waits for the you from the minute you were born.

"You look scared." I commented softly. I felt bad for him. That's the thing, I never hated anybody. I don't hold grudges. The only person who ever faces my wrath is my own self. King Alfred's eyes widened at my voice. Did he not expect me to speak at all?

"I.... I am not!" He stuttered and I smiled at his words. He stammered. His voice was shaky. He was sweating and it was winter. I shook my head, standing up from the large rock, I was sitting on.

"You are, King Alfred. I know fear, I have one, living inside me for years. And you— King Alfred, you induced it in me. Why?" I asked softly. My voice was barely a whisper and King Alfred sucked in a breath. His eyes kept glancing at Ansel, who stood beside us, listening to our conversation very quietly.

"You're angering the beast, lady! Do not anger his demon more than he already is." King Alfred again growled but this time it felt like a whine. Like a chocked yelp. My eyes shifted towards Ansel— my mate. His eyes were red. He was no longer keeping his demonic side at bay.

His hair were disheveled. The veins down his eyes were black— almost like his blood had turned black. His sharp canines had turned into fangs, protruding out of his lips— sharp like razor. He was a predator, he had always been one. But nobody knew he hunted and reigned the jungle. He always played from behind the curtain.

"I don't own his demon, King Alfred. He is on his free will. I have nothing to do with his unbounded anger. Do not think otherwise." I muttered and I felt Ansel tensing beside me. His eyes looked at me with remorse. But he didn't had to be guilty for something, he wasn't responsible for.

"You're definitely more than what you portray, bald lady! He doesn't let his devil dominate him when I punish another human beings! You must be special to him. Do not anger him, don't enrage him more."

"She has a name! I dare you call her with an insult again and you would be turning into a cold corpse!" Ansel barked wildly, making my insides to twist and curl. This side of him was unfamiliar to me but it calmed my heart just a little more than his usual form.

"He won't harm you, King Alfred." I assured him. Truth was, I was too coward to witness a blood splatter in front of me. And death would be too big of a punishment for something as small and unworthy as this. His eyes, however widened in disbelief.

"He..... he won't?" He asked shakily and I shook my head. A smile forming on my face.

"No. Like I said before, I recognise fear when I see one. I have survived this fear for twenty one years of my life, King Alfred. How fair would it be for you to die before feeling the exact fear for not even a day." I saw his breath hitching, his eyes widened in fear and his Adam's apple bobbed in so much of horror that it sated my pain. I was turning evil, I knew. But at the moment, my humiliation was too big to let my good side dominate me.

~~~~~~~

"Are you upset with me?" A soft yet deep voice asked me. I looked up from my lap. My eyes were burning but I had no tears left. I shook my head. I wasn't. I wasn't upset with him. I wasn't feeling any anger towards him and yet there was something very heavy on my chest, that kept me from smiling.

"Then why does it feel like you are upset with me, my Atarah?" He asked, his voice was painfully soft. "I should've intervened. But I wanted you to fight your own battles. If I would've fought for you, you would've proved them that you're weak when you far away from it."

"I am not upset with you, Ansel." I whispered, looking up at him. My eyes were looking into his now dark orbs. He was back to his human form. And I realized, how calm he was when he didn't let his demonic form take him over. But I also felt his affection increase tenfold when he was in his demonic form. Gentle. He was more gentle in his demonic side than he had ever been with me in his human form.

"I understand what you did and why you did. But I am hurt, Ansel. When King's guard slapped me, I thought you would stop him. When he again slapped me, I thought, you would pull me by your side and caress my bruised cheek. I am not hurt with you now. I'm not, Ansel. But the heartbreak I felt at the moment, the humiliation I suffered was too much to breathe in. This happens with me every year. If it weren't for you, I would've got the whipping too. I'm upset with myself. I realise, I easily I expect people to stand up for me."

"Atarah, my........"

"No! Even in the past years, I didn't had the courage to stop their abuses and yet I expected others to grow the courage to save me. You made me realize that there's no knight in shining armour. The concept of a king or a warrior coming to save his princess, riding a white horse is a bull-crap! No-one can save you but yourself and maybe that's why it hurt me when you didn't come to my aid. But you gave me courage today. I wouldn't have mouthed back to the King if you wouldn't have motivated me to. How do I thank you enough, Ansel?"

"Hush! Do not speak. Is it still hurting?" He asked as he gently took the ice pack off my cheek, making me sigh in relief. My cheek felt numb. I rose my fingers to touch my cheek and felt it cold. Numb and cold.

"Nah! It's barely even paining now." I mumbled though I wasn't lying. The pain wasn't as much now. But thehe sting was still there. Ansel, however frowned. His rough fingers touched my skin gently, making my insides to twist in the anticipation of the gratification that would follow his touch.

"Do not lie to me, Atarah." He rebuked me softly. His eyes were however cold, steely. I couldn't help but think, if he still would've been caring towards me if I wouldn't have been his mate. His sharp look made me clamp my mouth shut.

"I do care for you, Atarah. Think of it as the result of mate bond or as a natural human chemical reaction, I don't care. But don't overthink!" He slowly commanded and I sighed, nodding my head.

"Your cheek is swelling. I don't think the pain is any less, Atarah. You don't have to lie to me. The brute must be wearing a ring, it cut your cheek. Why don't you drink my blood?" His last statement— or better question took me off guard. Drink his blood?

"Huh?" I squeaked out and he looked at me intensely. I didn't like that look. Not once. He was determined on something. Something I knew, I wouldn't like.

"I'm a vampire, Atarah. My blood and saliva has healing power. And I am your mate, sweetheart, just a few drops and you'll be fine." I jumped out of my infirmary bed, looking at him incredulously. What did he take me for..... a vampire? The idea itself felt so repulsive.

"It's fine, Ansel. It was just a slap. I wasn't attacked by any bull. And ....... hey! Stop coming towards me! I told you, I am not drinking your blood. Hey! Ansel ..... no!" I ran when he tried to chase me.

"Rule number one, dearest mate, do not run from a Vampire. My animal instinct will force me to chase you and you won't ever win." He growled and I felt my heart bouncing inside my chest. A very mischievous part of me wanted to test his words. I wanted to play with him but another part warned me of the consequences. He would make me drink his blood. Ew!

"Rule number two, no-one, I mean no-one is a match to a vampire's speed." He said and in a flash of a second, he had caught me. His arms snaking around my waist, pulling me towards him so that my back was pressed to his chest.

My breathing went erratic when I felt his hot breath fanning my neck. His fingers felt cold even through my skirt, making a shiver to rack my body. My fingers were fisting my skirt, unable to control the emotions that kept building inside me. His fingers dug in the side of my waist before he swirled me around, making me gasp as my wide eyes were staring into his dark ones.

"And third...... f**k third! You're hurt. Think of it as a medicine. Besides, blood is delicious. Far more delicious than than your bland porridge." He said, moving his tongue over his sharp, elongated canines, making me shudder.

"Stop, Ansel, you're making me nauseous. Or else I'll throw up on you." I warned him and he chuckled, his fingers rubbing my back softly, soothingly and I almost felt the urge to wrap my arms around him. But we were in my infirmary. Though, we were in the private room but I never trusted the privacy in the hospital.

"Fine! But keep icing your cheek, okay? Why don't you take a painkiller? Though my blood was a better option." I glared at him, shaking my head.

"Lord! It's just a slap! I mean two, but that's it. I don't need any painkiller. I have survived whipping, Ansel. And they are merely slaps. I'll be fine. Infact, I am fine!"

He sighed as he leaned his face a little closer to me, making my lips to part. Does he know how beautiful this man is? Every time I looked at him, I was pulled into another realm, another universe.

"Is this proximity alright with you?" He asked softly and I blinked my eyes at his question. I looked down, to estimate the distance amid us and sweet Lord, he was too close to me now. Any closer, his body would touch mine. I licked my lips, subconsciously when I gazed back at him. I slowly nodded my head.

"Hm. Too close but too beautiful. I can handle this proximity for now." I said and his lips curled up in a smile, making my heart to skip a beat. Freaking Lord of Heavens! I swallowed thickly, looking at him like he was someone I had to worship. I wanted to worship.

"Good. Is this alright?" He asked roughly as his fingers moved up my body, gliding up on my waist, to my neck— bare neck, touching my skin, making me hiss. No, not in pain. But the eccentric pleasure that coursed down my body, making me further lean towards him.

"Is this too much?" He asked again when I didn't answer; I was too busy to keep myself in control. I opened my eyes, I didn't knew were clenched shut. Now that I realise, I was sweating, in the winter season.

"Speak up, my mate. Is it getting too much? Shall I get my hands off you?" He asked gently, no jest, no mocking in his tone but raw concern that made my insides to flip.

Where were you all my life, Ansel?

"No! No. Don't...... don't get your hands off me." I whispered and he smiled again, his fingers lightly stroking the bruised area of my neck, making me bit my lips. Holy cow. "It's too much. Very much. Too much." I kept mumbling and his brows pinched together, concern once again surfaced his dark eyes.

"I can always get my hands off you if any of this gets too much for you, Atarah. Remember, this is not for me or you but for us. If any of this is too much for you, we can stop it. Hm?"

"My heart is brimming with your touch, Ansel. This is the most, I have been intimate with anyone in my life. This is indeed too much but that doesn't mean, I don't want this. This is too much but also too less. Lord, I don't know myself what I need!" He chuckled, gently gripping the back of my neck as he pulled me against him, so that my corset pressed against his red overcoat, making my lips to part in surprise. This man had guts.

"I understand. I feel the same. But always remember, Atarah, your emotions will always find a way to reach me. If you lie, I'll know. And I'll stop. So lie all you want but I'll always know when to stop." He said, making my bones to chill.

I hope we would've met before. How beautiful my life would've been.

"I'm here now, Atarah. I'll give you enough love for those days, you didn't knew I exist. Okay?" He asked and I smiled, nodding my head. Before I could've said anything, the door of the private room opened, revealing a very scared Bailey.

"Miss Atarah, we have an emergency!"