The Bald Princess

~Twenty Two~

And some nights, I just want to look into your eyes, hold you by your waist and move with the beats. You hold my hand and I will hold your life. You just love me straight and I'll kiss, right?

Atarah

I was broke. Meeting Warrior Duncan felt serene, like a soothing melody but it costed me heavily. I didn't had any money left. But somewhere it didn't really affect me, sitting beside him did. Having him beside me did.

The sky was dark and the woods Warrior Duncan had ignited for warmth really made everything surreal. I had never experienced any of this before. It was calm in the woods, unlike the time, I was chased by a red eyed creature. Warrior Duncan's eyes fell on me and I stopped chewing for a second. His eyes always managed to take my breath away. They were gorgeously sinful.

He pushed the bowl of fresh fruits towards me and I rose my brows at him. This was his food.

"I can see you playing with your food, healer. I understand your unwillingness for food, I understand your anxiety. Have these; fruits are most comfortable to eat when you feel unwilling to eat anything else." He explained and I pressed my lips together, not really liking how he talked so casually about my eating disorders but then it felt warm in my chest to know that he cared. I gripped the glass tightly in my hand as I took a long sip of it.

"How come you're eating human food?" I asked instead and he rose his brows, a small, scary smile curling up on his face, making me gulp. Why do I always end up regretting my tendency of questioning him?

"What do you what me to eat then, healer? A raw human?" I didn't knew if he was serious or it was one of his sick jokes. I just knew, I didn't appreciate it even a little bit.

"Aren't vampires supposed to just drink blood? I mean, only blood keeps vampire alive, right? Why waste time in eating food?" He looked at me with his still raised brows as a chuckle escaped his mouth and I felt its vibrations inside my chest.

"Human food also have nutrients, healer. Blood gives us instant energy and boosts our power but days we don't get drink, human food helps us to keep breathing for a few days."  He explained, eating his fried rice. I slowly nodded my head, looking down at my food. My appetite was only of four bites of the roasted vegetables.

"When was the last time you drank blood?" Stop asking stupid questions, Atarah! He chuckled at my question or maybe at my mental chastisement. His eyes held amusement as he looked at me like I often stared at moon. With raw admiration. And it did something to my insides.

"Do not rebuke yourself, healer. You have every right to ask questions. I am your soulmate, after all." His words made my eyes to widen, I suddenly felt like someone tugged on my chest. My lips felt dry as my throat felt parched and he poured water in my empty cup, as if knowing, I was feeling thirsty.

"And to answer your question, I drank blood twenty four days ago. Your fake royal King— Alfred was kind enough to offer some of his blood to me." He said, his eyes at mine, unwavering, without blinking and I felt my cheeks turning hot.

"It's new to hear that King Alfred is being kind to someone." I said with a dry chuckle and he shrugged his shoulders, looking at the moon. It's always about the moon, the centre of attraction. Night is dull without the glory of the mighty moon.

"Power, my dearest healer, it can make the coldest person humble to you." He said and where was the lie in his words. Power and money spoke the loudest. "Have some fruits, healer. Have you ever tasted strawberries?" He asked softly and I looked at him, color filling my cheeks as I shook my head.

"Even getting a bread in today's era is a luxury, Sir, fruits are not something we can afford casually or even occassionally." I said, my hands itching to taste it but pride told me I haven't paid for it.

"Do you know what soulmates share the most?" Warrior Duncan asked after a long period of silence and I looked up at him, biting my lips as I shook my head. "Pain. Misery. Hunger."

"I haven't paid for this, Warrior Duncan." I tried to reason and he chuckled, shaking his head as he shifted a little closer to me, making my heart to hammer inside my chest.

"Breathe, healer. I won't harm you." He whispered and I rose my wide eyes at him and his face softened, the malice, the cruel jokes flushed out and what remained was so much more beautiful than what had left. He was gorgeous.

"It's not because I fear you will harm you, Sir. I mean, I was scared of you before but not anymore. It's just the proximity— I am not used to it." I mumbled and he looked at me intensely and I saw something changing in his eyes.

"Do you want me to move back?" He asked gently, the same gentleness that made my heart to curl a little every time he spoke. I was quick to shake my head and he rose his brows.

"No. Stay please." What was I doing? I never pleaded anyone to stay. No him, not anyone. And it wasn't safe for him to stay closer to me. I am a cursed woman! And he is the protector of the kingdom!

"And then you wonder, why am I so keen to listen to your thoughts. Your mouth is a very smooth and experienced liar but your mind, it's the most honest part of you. You can never harm me, healer. You can't harm anyone. Protector can never be a destructor. And someone like you, who is so pure can never harm anyone. Get that thought out of your mind."

I flinched at his words. Pure? And I?

"I know, you didn't choose this, healer. You didn't choose me but I am your soulmate. When I first met you, I didn't expect you to be my better half, either. But with time, the bond started to work, I was unreasonably getting pulled towards you. But with time I also realized, pain is the least shared emotion. We all tend you hide our pain and share our pleasures and that's not love." When I didn't say anything, he continued.

"You may reject me, healer. You may take your time, it's your right; but as your soulmate, I'll always try my best to take some of your pain away. And my mother always told me, blood could sate a vampire's uncontrollable rage and anger and I presume, food can sate your vexation too." He said, taking a red, heart shaped fruit in between his fingers before raising it closer to my mouth.

"Warrior Duncan..... Sir.... I......" His eyes lightened up in amusement as he pressed the cold fruit against my lips and I just blinked. Like I trance, I took bite of it, still looking at him and eyes encouraged me to eat it more. It was sour. But it was more sweet. Strawberry— that's what he called them. They were delicious.

"You should try some oranges too." He suggested, picking up the orange color fruit named Orange as he started to peel it. My cheeks were getting hot as he fed me a piece of orange and they were the best of what I had ever tasted.

"Finish it." He said softly and I picked it up. I wasn't hungry but it didn't feel like I would puke them out either. It felt...... easy to eat and swallow without the urge to vomit it out.

"Can I ask you something, Sir?" I asked when I had finished eating an orange and a few strawberries. He looked away from the sky to gaze at me. Something about his eyes told me there was so much unexplored within him. He was a lot more mightier than what I had originally thought of him.

"Ansel. Call me Ansel." He commanded softly and I blinked. That was his name.

"But..... but you're a royal. Higher in rank and position than me. I could get my heat guillotined for this!"

"And you are my soulmate. There's no competition of ranks between two souls that are bound together." He said sternly, looking at me with his steely yet soft eyes. Only he could make me feel giddy by those eyes of his. Only he could be stern while being incredibly soft and gentle.

"But ... but you never say my name either!" I argued pathetically and he tilted his face, his lips tugging up in a beautiful smile. Only if Lord permitted to—

"Because you never asked me." He said in his deep voice and I felt my insides churning. "Tell me, healer, do you wish me to call you by your name?"

He asked calmly, almost with affection. It was rare to see him getting affectionate. It was the first time actually, I had seen affection in his eyes. I had seen him concerned for me before, soft and gentle too, but affectionate— not yet.

"Tell me, my healer. What do you wish?" He asked, his face leaning closer to me but his body was glued to his position and I swallowed.

"Will you allow me to call you by your first name in public too?" I asked nervously, looking at him with sudden timidness and I noticed the sudden whim in him. His jaw clenched as did his fist before he let out a sigh.

"Like I said before, healer, you can call me Ansel every time we meet. You are my soulmate, not my secret to hide. People often hide mistakes and you, my healer is far from a mistake. Why would I hide you and our relation? You don't need any permission from me either. You're not my maid or servant but a free human whom I wish to cherish until the end of the universe."

His words..... they played with my insides in ways, I wish they wouldn't have. His words were a dream, I never thought would become a reality in any upcoming days. But like they say, too much of sweet is also dangerous. But he didn't look like he would harm me. But again, I could be delusional.

"Calling you by your first name— will it..... make you happy?" I asked slowly and I saw another smile breaking on his face. My eyes was only embracing the moments he smiled in front of me. His gorgeous smile.

"It will." He nodded and I smiled back at him.

"I'll call you Ansel then." I said, his name felt foreign on my tongue but it felt good too. "You can call me Atarah if you wish." I said shyly and he chuckled, nodding his head as he looked at me with something I wanted to get used to. Affection. I suddenly wanted to feel it.

"Then feel it, Atarah." He suddenly said, his voice deep and low but serious and I lost my breath when he said my name. It felt different coming out of his mouth. When others said my name, it did nothing to me but when he said my name out loud, it made my insides to twist and curl, giving me butterflies.

"I'm not allowed to touch any royal, Si— Ansel. I don't want to cause you any harm. Please." He sighed as he stood up, making me squint my eyes at him.

"Get up." He asked softly and I rose my fake brows at him. "Get up, Atarah. Trust me." I bit my lips, getting up, not understanding what he wanted me to do. Did he want me to leave now? The thought of leaving him or him asking me to leave made my chest to ache.

"Have anyone ever hugged you or did you ever hug anyone before?" He asked and I nodded my head.

"My father."

"And?" He asked and I pressed my lips together, remembering the few times I had hugged Bailey when h she was thrown out of her house.

"And Bailey." He nodded his head.

"Anyone else?" He asked again and I shook my head.

"Can I embrace you in my arms, Atarah? Can I hug you?" I sucked in a breath at his question, not knowing how to answer it. I wanted him to. I wanted to know how his embrace would feel like. The offer sounded as tempting to me as it sounded dangerous.

"I am scared, Ansel."

"You won't harm me. See." He said, gently taking my fingertips in his warm hand, making my heart to stutter at our first skin contact that wasn't an outcome of medical emergency. He was warm. Soothingly warm. "See, nothing happened." He whispered.

I gulped, looking at him, still unsure and he smiled, looking deep in my eyes.

"To see the truth, one must always get rid of the fear. The moment you feel something bad is happening, get out of my embrace, okay?"

"Okay." I breathed out and he wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me closer to his chest, making my eyes to flutter close at how beautiful the world was around him. In his arms.

Thank you for the read❤️