A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 69: Stubborn Maid

Jophiel could not remember the last time she had stuck her hands in mud. The soil felt greasy on her palms reeling every waking second she spent in the royal garden. With Gabriel and Elena gone, she was now transferred to the gardens to water and weed the flowers.

Many were the times she wished her Lady was still here. But again, that would be putting her life at risk. Rumor had it that the king was poisoned. Were it not for her close relationship with the king, she would be dead too.

Wiping the sweat off her face with the back of her hand, she picked the watering can when she spotted a familiar figure walking through the hallway. She narrowed her eyes trying to place him in her mind, and when she did, her heart raced.

"Ser Darion?" She called out loud, but the man didn’t stop, or simply ignored her. He took a corner disappearing out of her sight.

Placing the can on the ground, Jophiel hurried. Her heart was racing, still in disbelief. It had been almost a fortnight since she last saw him. His silhouette disappeared at the end of the hallway just when she turned to look at his way. She hurried to catch up with him, finding herself in the stables. Her eyes swept across the area spotting a man in black saddling a horse.

Cautious, she took briesk steps towards where he stood. His back was facing her, his hand caressing the mount into a conversation only the two could understand.

"You’re leaving already?" She asked getting his attention. He acted indifferent, as if he knew she was there all the time.

"I have some business to take care of," he replied.

Jophiel spotted a scar on the left side of his face. His once flawless skin appeared drier one would mistake him for a purebred vampire. Food and water seemed to have deserted him the last few days he was lost.

Taking a cautious step forward, Jophiel enquired, "What happened to your face?" Her eyes traveled his length. He had lost weight she noticed. "Hmm?" She pressed on, shifting her eyes back to his face.

His eyes found hers. He could spot a subtle hint of sympathy in them and he hated it. It was as if she made him weak all over again. That chair... He could feel the shackles tighten around his arms.

"I’m going to find Gabriel," he said, ignoring her previous question. Her eyes sparked in anxiety.

"I - I’m coming with you!" She said, enthralled. It was better running in the jungle with Elena than watering flowers.

"No, you’re not," Darion pointed, getting a better grip of the reins.

Jophiel’s lips hung open in surprise. "But I want to. There’s nothing for me in this palace." And holding her muddy hands, "Well. Apart from this."

Darion climbed his horse leaving Jophiel in exasperation. He wanted to ride out as fast as he could, far away from this nagging maid, but a part of him refused to let her go. Heaving a sigh, he turned around to look at her.

"You’ll have to wash your hands first," he pointed.

Jophiel’s mood switched, a smile gracing her lips. She looked around and spotted a bucket of water that stable boys used to feed the horses with. Trotting towards it, she washed off the mud and rushed back to where Darion was waiting. She craned her neck to stare at him atop innocently.

"Do you know how to ride?" He asked. Jophiel shook her head. He caught his lower lip between his teeth, muttering a curse under his breath. Stretching his hand out, he said, "You do not to stand there staring the whole day, do you?"

Jophiel took the cue, placing her hand in his. His palm, she realized, was slightly warm. He whisked her up as if weightless when their heads accidentally knocked. The impact sent a spasm of pain across Jophiel’s head and before she knew it, she was falling off the horse. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Darion acted swift, catching her by her waist before she would land flat on her face. A broken nose would be the least of the impact. The horse swayed in defiance as the duo tried to find their balance. He caught the reins before the mount could shake them off.

"You could have gotten us killed," Darion said when they regained balance.

"I’m sorry," Jophiel said, hiding her embarrassment. The fact that Darion was still holding her waist with his free hand didn’t ease the situation either. "I’m okay now," she said when he took too long to remove his hand. And when he did, the horse moved, her cheeks flushed pink.

"You’re really bad at it," Darion said when they rode out of the palace making her blush harder. And as they moved, her back would occasionally come into contact with his broad chest.

They rode for a few hours in silence until the darkness started to settle on the land.

"We’ll rest here, feed the horses and continue tomorrow," Darion said. The horse came to a halt near an indigenous tree in the woods. The rays of the setting sun streamed through the canopy creating a breathtaking scenary.

Darion hopped off the horse first. Jophiel would have followed but for some odd reason, the distance appeared quite frightening. What if she fell or tripped?

"Ser Darion?" She called, the words somehow hoarse in her throat. He turned to face her and just one look, she could tell he was disappointed. He moved, his hands outstretched. Effortlessly, he helped her down the horse and instantly busied himself with the fire.

Getting a bag perched on his horse, Darion took out a few chunks of raw meat while Jophiel sat close to the fire. He spied her from a distance, hoping to take his eyes off, a decision he was about to regret.

Instead, he found himself staring longer. Her hair blew in the wind revealing her maiden face. Why did he allow her to come when he knew she would be against what he set out to do? Was it her eyes, her stubbornness, or something even he couldn’t control?

She moved a log, sparks of the fire flying up and turned when their eyes locked.