Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 25 Let Me Go

Gabriella's POV

I watched his eyes widen at my movements, bringing me closer to him than he probably ever expected, but he doesn't move away, let alone stop me. So, with my breath now feathering off of his lips, I find myself getting nervous before saying softly, "If you don't want to, then don't take me back. Say you never saw me again.. Or better yet, say you saw me killed.. They wouldn't question you.. And with that I will leave.. And I promise I would never come back.. I swear on my life. You will never have to worry about seeing me ever again." I beg of him before reaching out and touching his hand as he looked down at that contact.

I can see his mind running as he looks from our hands to my saddened and desperate eyes. He groans out, looking away before locking his eyes back with mine, but not responding. I'm just hoping that my words have made contact with what heart is under all that metal. He keeps his eyes connected with mine as I just decided to take this a step further by begging for his help in this instance. I am not too proud to beg when it comes to my life. "I swear it on my life that you won't see me again. I swear. Please, I beg of you to have mercy. Have I not been through enough?" he groans out, but not sounding mad, but sounding as if he is leaning towards helping me.

I feel his hand squeeze mine, getting my attention as I reciprocate his actions before he is saying. "I will be killed if I come back empty-handed." The tone in his voice says this as if I didn't hear the King say that for myself. I only think about that for a second as I blurt out the words I never expected to leave my lips. "Then stay with me. Don't go back. What they don't know won't hurt them. They could assume that we both died and we could run out into the world together, thriving more than they ever wanted for us." he looks confused about that thought, but as his eyes bounce around, it seems as if he is actually considering my offer.

"You could come with me... Or if you don't want that but don't want to go back to the village either, then you can go where you please. Do what you want, because you will be free to do as you please, no King to worry about or woman to take care of." I declare before feeling him let go of my hand as he leans back from me, taking the little bit of the hope I had in my heart with him, since I think I know what this means. "I cannot.. This is much bigger than the both of us, it would be selfish of me to leave my promises and duties to the rhelm, just to galavant around the land with a beautiful woman.. No matter how enticing the offer or companion is." he says as he stands up, putting his leather gloves back on before he adds on. "So you have to come with me."

I shake my head. "I will not." I declare crossing my arms across my chest as he huffs out, looking mad at me when I honestly think he might be just mad with himself. I think he liked my offer more than he would like to admit. "You will come with me.. You have no choice in the matter. It's not like you can run anymore, so you really have no say in this." he says, reaching out and gripping my arm to give me a tug just to help me up. I shake my head, trying to pull my arm away as his grip tightens around it.

"I meant it when I said I would fight. And you were wrong about yourself. If you're planning on taking me back to the King, then that does make you my enemy." I declare somehow slipping my arm out of his tight grip. The look that he instantly sends me says he is frustrated beyond belief at my words or maybe my actions. I know that I have been bouncing on his last nerve, but not caring about that thought now. "You will come with me now." he demands once again, reaching down and gripping my arm and then pulling me up until I am standing.

He has to steady me for a second, but when I feel remotely steady, I shake my head just to snap back. "The only way I will go is if you make me, and that won't be happening any time soon because the insistent fight won't stop, and I know that you're not going to worry about dealing with me the entire time." I spat back with humor and disbelief in my tone. But before I turn around and try to slowly limp away, his arms wrap around my waist, lifting me as I yelp out, wiggling in his hold.

"Put me down right this instant." I demand causing him to push out a fake laugh before he flips me around in his hold, until he is flipping me over onto my stomach, so I am hanging over his shoulder and looking down at his heels. I beat his back in defiance, but there is no way it could be hurting him or even bothering him because of the armor. If anything, maybe it is annoying him. That's the best I can hope for at this moment.

I watch as he shakes his head. "Don't be mad at me, Gabby. I am just giving you what you demanded. You said I had to make you go, so here I am.. Making you come with me." he insists in a snyde tone as I yelp out, hitting his back more. I never thought he would actually make me, especially after everything I have been through, when he was looking as if he wanted to help me out. "Ok, if you want to play it that way, using my words against me, then fine.. Put me down!" I yell, wiggle, and hit his back, trying to get out of his tight hold.

"I mean it, put me down right now!" I yell again before feeling his arm loosen around me while he hops and giving me a toss to the side and onto grassy ground. My back smacks on the ground as I groan out, my leg is sore along with my back now. I am rolling on the ground before hitting his leg, since that is the only part of him I can reach. "You are a menace, shady and even disloyal to your word. I don't know how you wear your head held high as if you are such a great person when all you have done is hurt me over and over again. You have the opportunity to help me, an innocent person, and yet you deny that help.. I don't know how you can ever think you're a good person." I declare offending him, I would assume by the glare he is sending me now.

I watched as he turned and then dropped down, hovering over the top of me, grabbing my arms as I yelp out, trying to pull my arms out of his grip from the fear. I am concerned and scared of what he may do to me out here, since we are all alone and I insulted him out of anger. I suck in a sharp breath the closer his face gets to mine. Anxious to know what he plans to do in this tense moment. His eyes are locked on mine as he inches closer.

I hold my breath watching him get closer until he stops right in front of my face before spatting. "I have always been loyal to my word, always thinking of what needs to be done for the greater good, never thinking of myself, or what I may want but only for others. I am a loyal man who does what he needs to for the better of everyone else. So don't pretend like you know me, especially since I was only giving you what you had asked for.. I even helped snap your foot back into place and I even wrapped up your bleeding leg.. Just for your information, that is helping you."

I hate that he thinks he is so good when he openly admitted earlier today that he is only bringing me in to get himself into the castle. I openly scoff before trying to slip my wrists out of his grip, but it doesn't work. So I snap these words right back at him, "You didn't do any of this for me, but for that King and what it will give you in trade for my life.. Your honor and loyalty have no commitment to me.. I am nothing to you. I'm so sorry if I don't trust the help you're extending in my direction. Because I know it will all lead back to one thing.. Getting what you want for yourself. I am just a pawn in your little game to get what you want. That doesn't sound like help for me, does it?"

"You're correct about some of that. It doesn't sound like much of a deal for you. But this is more of a long-run help. You will be helping many by going back with me. And you're right about something else. My loyalty does not belong to you, nor it ever will." he blatantly says to me as I stare deep into his shining eyes that are beautiful even when they are angry. I watch as his prominent jaw clenches, so I match and do the same thing. I clenched my jaw tight before nodding and spatting through my clenched teeth. "Good.. I don't want your loyalty."

When I spat this back, I watch as his eyebrows scrunch together in disbelief. "Well.. Good.. because you won't get it." I can see my words bothered him, so I scoffed just to dig the knife of my words in further, since that is all I can do at the moment to get to him. "Good because I don't want it.. My loyalty doesn't belong to you either. Keep that in mind." His eyes squint at me as he scoffs even louder. "I will.. You remember that, too." he spats back as I smirk, knowing I got under his skin. So I quickly squeak out. "I will!" He huffs out, letting go of my arms before standing up, looking mad as he looks to the side, then back down to me.

"Yeah.. well.. Me too!" he replies this before the silence takes over, being filled up with anger and frustration. He picks up a rock and throws it off to the side out of pure frustration before snapping back. "Ugh, you're so infuriating!" He yells this as he glares daggers at me. I breathed heavily, looking up at him with our eyes automatically locked together. We stare into each other's eyes with a heat none of us understand. There is anger in them but so much more than just that. Something else is mixed in, which is building a tension between us. But I can honestly say that I have never experienced such... tension.. and for whatever reason it is only with him.

"I think you're just as infuriating.. You could have just left me alone, and none of this would have happened." I declare kicking dirt at him as he glares down at me. "Well, I am here so too bad.. So you're coming with me whether you like it or not." He declares before getting back down on the ground in front of me. "Excuse me? You... Ugh." I snap at him before rolling my eyes. "What? Did you not understand, or maybe what you need is me? My help, that is." he finds himself saying this effortlessly, I bet just wishing it to be true and for me to beg for his help.. but I won't do it.

I scoff again as I smirk up at him, hovering over me before snapping right back. "Yeah, I need you... I do.. I need you to get off me before I lose my patience and stick your sword where the sun doesn't shine." I declare shoving my forearms up, pushing him back as he falls to the ground beside me. His metal clinking loudly with that abrupt fall. I mischievously smirk over at him while I sit up, just to try to get ready to stand. He stands up without hesitation before huffing out, then stomping back and forth in front of me, obviously not liking that response. But I loved it because of the effect it had on him, since I am trying to get to him just as much as he is trying to get to me.