I gulped as an enormous ball of anxiety formed in the pit of my stomach. My gaze shifted right to check where the dagger had come from when I felt some hot liquid trickled down the side of my hand. “Are you okay?” I heard Fang’s voice behind me, and I finally turned back to see him, and our eyes met. 

“Excuse me,” the stall owner was scared to his bones, seeing the stall now flooded with water. His voice quivered as he said, “Please, I don’t want any trouble here. Here, have this, but get away from my stall.” 

The owner handed me another water bottle, and that was when my eyes went around as the shock slowly left my body. 

I took deep breaths, knowing I was almost killed right now. Someone was out there to get me and it wasn’t going to be easy solving the case. As far as my mind could conclude, this was a warning shot or an attempt to assassinate and I doubt anyone wants to assassinate me because I am the princess. The only plausible conclusion was that this was so I could not work on Zelda’s case.

I leaned ahead, but Fang left my shoulder, only to pull my bleeding hand close to him. “I am fine Fang,” I freed my hand from his hold before pulling the dagger, which was holding the bottle by the pineapple hanging on the upper section of the stall. 

“Excuse me,” the stall owner said again but this time more firmly, “Please leave, you are driving my customers away.” 

I did not care now that I was back in my senses; I gazed through the bustling market. The dagger had come from my right and I started running in that direction. Moving the people away. 

There were some glares and shouts as I rushed past the people till I was outside the market. 

My eyes moved around frantically, but there were just common people in the crowd. One person had a cap on him who almost walked past me before I put my hand on his shoulder to have him turn around. It was a boy of around my age and he confusingly asked, “You need something?” 

I couldn’t help but stare at his face for a second longer before I shook my head, “No.” Suddenly, Fang circled his arm around my shoulder as he pulled me close to him, “Hey! what do you think you are doing?” I was quick to pass him a glare as he held me snugly against his side while walking past the crowd in the opposite direction of the court. I tried to get out of his hold while being careful of the dagger in my hand, “Fang! At least tell me where are you taking me.”

“Just walk,” Fang spoke in a passive voice and looked at him speechlessly while my feet kept walking at his pace. “Eyes ahead, little one,” Fang said, and I looked forward, where there was a large pole. 

“Woah!” I exclaimed as Fang pulled me to his side and smiled at me, 

“I got you,” his wicked smile was back on his face. 

I rolled my eyes. I would have rather run into that pole than be saved by Fang. He looked at me with a smirk as if he read my thought and I spoke with a scowl, “I don’t care if you read my mi-“

BANG!

My head banged against another pole, and I staggered back a little while Fang still had his hand around me. He kept me from falling, but how can he just let me go and bang my head on the pole knowing it was here. After all, he was the one leading me around. More like dragging me around. “Oh no, did that hurt?” Fang asked in the fakest concerned voice he could. 

I glared at him, “I am going back.” I turned around immediately to leave immediately when Fang suddenly pulled me into his embrace.

My hand holding the dagger was stuck by my side and the other over my forehead, as Fang had wrapped me in his strong arms. I had to crane my neck up to look at him while he strained his neck to stare into my eyes. The colour quickly rose on my face, knowing there were people watching us. “Didn’t know you could be this red with just a hug,” Fang whispered. 

“L-Let go of me,” his words were just making me more and more embarrassed and conscious of myself. I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but he was too strong for me. 

Slowly and steadily, Fang started leaning closer to my face, and the memories of our kiss started to flash through my head. Was this man planning to do it right here in the middle of the public? That was not the issue; I did not want him to do it at all. I leaned backwards as he came closer and closer till he pulled me back up with his chain of arms around me. When Fang leaned closer, I just got scared and move my hand on my forehead right across his face. 

It was a little slap, and a nerve popped on Fang’s head, “Are you an idiot?” I asked him. Noticing his hold loosen around me, I ducked out of his hands and took a safe distance. 

Fang held his cheek, which was not even slapped. I had just pushed his face aside. 

“Do you despise me so much to do that in public?” Fang asked with a serious tone in his eyes, and I gulped, looking at the expressions on his face. 

“You started it in public,” I replied. 

Fang took a step closer to me, and I held the dagger, which was thrown at me up and between us. In the blink of an eye, Fang twisted it out of my hold and his lips curled in a sinister smile, “So you are fine if we do that in private?” 

I snatched the dagger back from his hand, “How obnoxious can one be.” I rolled my eyes before walking in the direction of the court.

“Someone is cranky today,” Fang said as he walked by my side. He did not pull me away anymore rather was going with me. I ignored his words as I lifted my hand to see the wound that had caused. The blood was smeared all over my hand and I can only imagine how many clothes I had dirtied today while pushing past them.

Surprisingly, when I looked at the wound, it was shallower than what I had seen the first time. I kept looking at the wound in awe, as I could see how slowly it was getting back together. 

“Isn’t that amazing,” I heard Fang’s voice behind me and he had barbequed meat in his hand and his words mumbled. 

I stopped before letting out a big exhale and turned to face Fang. He looked at me and then at the long stick he had in hand on which the meat was hanging and he offered it to me. I stared at his hand and then at him childishly chewing on his previous bite before taking another one. “Why are you here, Fang?” I asked calmly. 

“To meet you, of course,” came his casual reply with mumbled words. 

I rolled my eyes before holding his hand to bring it down from near his mouth. He was too focused on the food. “How did you even know I was here?” 

“Well,” Fang chewed on his bite while waving the meat stick in his hand, “Channing called…” 

“…And?” I drawled on asking him to finish his explanation. 

Fang clicked his tongue, “We were discussing how the villages think it is a declaration of war, blah blah… and then your topic came up. He told me you were here, so I followed you here.” 

“Great,” I raised my hand in the air before dropping them back by my side. “I have work to do so no need to tag along.” 

Fang aimed and threw the stick in his hand in the dustbin and it spun in the air before landing right in the bin. He dusted his clean hands, “I am just here to help my soulmate, nothing else.” 

I immediately looked around, “Don’t say it out loud!” My words were a shouted whisper. 

Fang leaned closer and this time, I leaned back until it was not possible for me anymore. His strong scent was sure to dilate my pupil as he had stepped into my close space, “Selene, I don’t care. Let the queen know I am going to make you mine.” I took in a sharp breath, hearing his words as my heart did a flip in my chest. He really used to say things that used to render me speechless. Fang’s hand slid down my arm till he slowly took the dagger from it. 

He raised the dagger to his eye and gave me the free space to stand back up straight. I consciously looked around and there were eyes on us. The teenagers roaming around only giggled while stealing glances at us. 

Idiot Fang!

“Selene, look at this,” he called me seriously, and I walked ahead to see what he was showing me on the dagger. I saw a faint symbol at the end of the blade, which looked like an arrow inside a drop. My eyes squinted at it trying to understand any meaning of it before Fang spoke, “This is the Cermesi clan’s symbol.” 

——–

Author’s note: I did a huge blunder in the past few chapters. I was so emersed in writing that I confused the name Ellie and Elaine. I am going back to correct the mistakes slowly, as I have been referring to Elaine as Ellie in these past few chapters.. I am really sorry about it >< Henceforth, it would be as normal, Zelda as Ellie and Eliane, the healer as Elaine.