The man with golden red eyes stood beside the window, looking over the window and watching the two figures of the two ladies who had just left the guild, walking away and returning back to the castle.
"Are you really sure about this, milord?" The red-haired man who let Eliana in the guild asked behind him.
"Am I sure? That is a foolish question, Roland." the man told him, and continued, "I already gave my word to the princess and you know I can't go back on my word."
"But you marrying Lady Castellio will shock everyone when they catch news of this." Roland said while smiling, "Just imagining their faces when they heard of this... "Changing his tone, he asked the man before him, "What made you agree to her anyway?"
"She's willing to sacrifice herself to save her people. What's not to agree with that?"
Roland shook his head, "We both know women don't entice you anymore. And towards a human girl still wet behind her ears? Theron, you are underestimating just how much I know you."
The man named Theron turned around to look at Roland and gave him a weird smirk, "Don't say that. You're going to make anyone who hears you think that your kind entice me."
Roland blinked his eyes and then cleared his throat, "I didn't mean that. But anyway, I guess there's no stopping you now? You're really marrying Lady Castellio?"
The man named Theron, nodded his head.
Earlier, perhaps it was because she was desperate and frustrated by his words, the lady who came to negotiate with him offered her a very tempting price - the freedom to use every resource in Ashbourne Castle.
Call him foolish or petty, but the thought of having free reign of using the resources as well as advertising his own guild to the people of Ashbourne was a great deal. After all, since the moment he lived within the castle's gates, everyone was intimidated and scared off by his bulky and huge men.
Not that he found any fault for that.
Theron knew exactly why his men were so muscular and huge like a Titan. After all, he trained them with the thought of death lurking behind them, following them behind if they even show the slightest or a second of weakness.
And besides, every time they saw him, they would bend in fear and refuse to look at him in the eyes.
"But I didn't think that Duke Bradbury would actually send his army to the castle. What is he thinking?" Theron heard his friend and aide talking.
Theron shrugged his shoulders and sat in his chair, "Doesn't matter what he plans to do. For as long as I am inside these castle walls, his army shall not enter."
"Is that an order, milord?" Roland's tone changed.
Smirking as his eyes glinted in the shadow, Theron said, "It's up to you on how you interpret it."
…
Later that day.
In the evening, Eliana stayed the whole time inside the castle looking after her father. He had been sleeping the whole time and many people who came to this room told her that should get some rest, but still, she found no reason to leave his side.
"Milady, why don't we return to your chamber now? You should take some rest and wake up early." Daisy stood on the side, beside the wall with a basket of food.
Holding my father's hands in mine, Eliana wiped the lone tear that escaped from the corner of her eyes and said, "I just wonder why father suddenly fell asleep? Was it the Duke's doing? It should be, right?"
No one can blame her for thinking it like this. The herald's arrival was too abrupt, he sent a horrible message from the Duke to her father, and in the end, only her father and the rest of them who got the short stick in this matter.
Eliana never rid of that possibility. And if Eliana proved that the Duke has something to do with her father's condition, she will swear upon her name and her future that she shall behead Duke Bradbury with her own hands and let his blood spill before her.
"Milady, it is not good for you to think like this. I think you really have to rest and think of nothing else for now." Daisy went to her side and tried to get her lady up.
Eliana waved her hand to stop her and said, "Let me be here a little longer. I'm going to be married in two days' time. Yet, my father can't even see me off to hand me over to my to-be husband."
"Milady…" Eliana heard her maid's voice cracking up and she was sure the maid was tearing up.
Eliana got up from the bed, turning around to face her maid and forcing a smile at her, "Why are you crying? I should be the one who should cry. I'm perfectly fine, Daisy. Marrying a stranger is far better than marrying the Duke."
"Anyway, why don't you go and meet the tailor and tell him that I need a dress for my wedding as soon as possible."
Daisy paused for a second before nodding her head. She left the room and went to the tailor's chamber and reported what dress was needed for the upcoming wedding.
After she left, Eliana stayed a bit longer inside her father's room before slipping out to her room. All the way to her room, the only thing she could think of was the impending doom of Ashbourne castle. No matter what, Eliana can't allow that to happen.
While passing by a window, something caught her eyes and stopped her short from her journey to her room.
A man stood in front of the grand estate.
Eliana blinked her eyes once, twice, before she finally moved and gripped her skirt up so she could rush to where he was standing. Eliana quickly passed through every corridor, skipped the stairs, and missed some steps as she reached for the doorknob of the front door.
The door slowly parted, revealing well-dressed man in black.
Even with the darkness obscuring the face of the man, the golden red gleam of his eyes was not hard to miss.
"What are you… doing here?" Eliana said in between breaths. She put her palm against the doorframe, leaning most of her weight against it for support.
Eliana ran too much than to her liking and she didn't even know why she did. A nagging voice told her that it was because of him. But Eliana swept them away and convinced herself that it was because if someone were to see him and ask his intentions in coming here, she wouldn't be able to escape Fabios' consternation.
The man was silent the whole time she stood there before him. Eliana's face was hot from her previous run and she fanned her face with her hand. She looked stunning.
All the while not breaking her eyes from his.
"I came here to give you something." He held a box in his hand and she looked down at it suspiciously. Eliana heard him chuckle at distrustful gaze, "Don't worry, there's no chopped dead body inside nor a head."
Eliana's head snapped back to look up at him. Shock and speechlessness was surely written over her face.
"I… I know." Eliana stuttered and blushed that she was caught red handed, thinking that the box contained something suspicious. After thanking him, she took it from his hand, the tips of her fingers briefly touched but it was enough to bring back the warmth she felt in her stomach when he touched her elbows last time.
She refocused her attention on the box and felt it was heavier than it looks, but not something Eliana would call Daisy to carry it.
Just as Eliana thought that he would leave after delivering the box to her, she saw him take out a handkerchief from his chest pocket. He outstretched his hand towards her and before she could think of what he was about to do, she felt him wiping away a sweat that dripped on her eyebrows.
"I... I should do that." Eliana grabbed the handkerchief from him, thankful that he didn't stop her and wiped the sweat on her temple. Hiding her blush with her actions.
Thinking about it again, Eliana haven't asked for his name. She looked up at him, and started to ask, "By the way... I already gave you my name but I don't remember hearing you say your name. I mean I don't wish to keep calling you 'You' or 'Hey'."
He chuckled, low and husky, and finally said, "The name's Theron, Princess."
"Theron." Eliana repeated and glanced at him, surprised to see that he was also looking at me and felt how deeply he was staring at me as if he was considering something.
Since Eliana got his name and he delivered the box already, she waited for him to leave, but instead, she heard him say, "Maybe next time, Princess. Do not run around the castle dressed like this again."
Touching her chin and making her look up at him, Theron continued, "You don't want to become a widower before the wedding."
Before Eliana could say something and ask Theron what he meant by that, he already turned around and walked away, leaving her staring at his back.