Aria observed the guards positioned at a reasonable distance and turned away as Lord Steele assisted her in rising from the blanket.
"Do not be concerned. They are deaf and blind," Lord Steele reassured her.
She felt no concern. Just… something else.
Lord Steele guided her on a stroll through the woods, with the guards trailing behind. They walked in silence for a brief moment, allowing her the opportunity to regain her composure. Lord Steele appeared to be preoccupied with his own thoughts. His expression turned serious once more, and his jaw tightened as he walked with his hands clasped behind his back.
Why did he halt? Did he disapprove? Was he attempting to act like a gentleman? And why did he regard her with surprise? As she tried to navigate over the roots of the tree, he instinctively reached out his hand to her, which she took.
"Am I being overly forward with you?" he inquired suddenly.
"I did not anticipate anything less," she replied.
He smiled, continuing to assist her over the thick roots and large stones.
"Safeguarding your honor will be my responsibility. You need not worry about my intentions."
Was that the reason for his pause? She was indifferent to honor. She came to a stop, bringing him to a halt as well. He regarded her with curiosity.
"I am not worried, My Lord. I am not a little girl and if I cared for my honor I wouldn't be here with you. I am past the age of marriage and if I don't marry you I am not marrying anyone else." She wanted him to know that he didn't possess that power.
He narrowed his eyes. "I don't care about your age. You still deserve to be honored and every one is young for a new experience."
Why was he tearing her off her defenses? She suddenly felt like she was being harsh for no reason.
"I didn't mean to be harsh, My Lord."
"I didn't expect anything less." He teased me.
Aria frowned at him and he chuckled.
"Shall we drop the formalities now?" He asked.
She nodded as they proceeded to walk.
"Do you remember my name?"
"Ares." It felt strange saying his first name. She had never called him by his first name before. She only heard her father call him that.
Ares took her on a short walk, telling her a little about her future home and town. Slowly things began to fall into place, such as the fact that she would soon leave the castle behind. The place where she grew up. A thick sadness settled in her heart.
When they arrived back at the castle, Ares joined them for dinner. The queen who didn't quite like him pretended to be very kind and spoke about Aria as if she was her own daughter.
"I am finally happy that Aria found someone. It is important to have a family." She said,
Ares gave her a court nod.
"I encouraged her before but she is so stubborn." She chuckled. "I hope you won't have a hard time with her and will take well care of her."
Aria chewed her food viciously, to stop herself from saying something rude. Ares was polite but didn't give her much attention. "I will, Your Majesty." He replied and then went back to focus on eating his food.
When the queen was done, it was her son's turn to Elda Ares.
"I am surprised you accepted to marry our Aria." He began.
Our? The food in her mouth suddenly turned sour and she wanted to spit it on his face.
"I hope you don't have too big of a dream that you are trying to achieve," Andrew said.
Aria stiffened. Was he implying that Ares was after the throne? But then she shouldn't be surprised. Andrew was paranoid and thought that everyone was after the crown which wasn't even his yet.
Ares was a wealthy man who already had a lot of power which also allowed him freedom. He was known to be free-spirited and loved adventure. He wouldn't want something like the throne that would restrict him in many ways.
She could be mistaken, but it didn't bother her. His desire for the throne had no effect on her plans. In fact, staying in the castle was much more favorable.
Despite Andrew's ludicrous remark, Ares remained calm. "Your Highness, what is the purpose of having big aspirations if not to fulfill them?"
"I just don't want you to become disappointed and hurt," Andrew told him. "Some dreams are dangerous to have and could turn into nightmares."
Ares chuckled. "I was a pirate. I thrive in nightmares."
Aria sipped her tea, enjoying the conversation. Now, this was why she chose this man.
After they had their dinner, Ares walked her to her room.
"Have you got a nice chamber?" She asked him.
"Yes. His Majesty is making sure I am comfortable."
She nodded and came to a halt in front of her room. "Thank you for the picnic today."
"Thank you for your time," he said.
"Have a good night."
"Good night." He gave her a curt bow and walked away. She watched him disappear into the long hall and then she went into her room.
Elda had already put fire in the hearth and was now closing the windows and curtains.
"Ah, you are back." She said with a smile.
"Yes," Aria said, as she proceeded to undress without waiting for Elda's assistance. She merely kept her chemise and then retired to her bed, exhausted.
It was probably due to the fact that she went out after such a long period.
"How was your time with Lord Steele?" She asked.
"He kissed me," Aria shrugged.
Elda turned around from the window with eyes wide. "Oh my!" She said, putting her hands over her mouth. Then she hurried to come to sit with her in the bed. "I told you, My Lady. How do you feel?"
Feel?
Confused.
She shrugged and Elda frowned. "Was it bad?" She asked, looking saddened.
Bad? Oh no.
"No. The kiss felt good."
Elda's lips quickly curved into a smile again.
Aria let herself fall back in bed and stared at the ceiling. "I don't understand. It felt good and I kissed him back. I didn't want him to stop." She admitted, fear slowly crawling into her heart. "It was intense, exciting, and frightening."
Elda's smile turned into one of sadness. "Oh my lady," She took her hands in hers. "It is normal to feel that way. It is actually good that you feel so toward the man you are going to marry."
"I don't know. It made me forget the world and… just ignore everything and …just act on…" She tried to find the right word.
The point she was trying to make was that she didn't want to lose her mind. Her mind was her weapon and if someone made her feel that way then she lost her most powerful tool.
"Your desires." Elda finished for her.
Desires? No! It couldn't be. She gave a small involuntary shake of her head. "I shouldn't act that way."
"My Lady. Imagine offering food to a starving man. Would he eat like a shy boy? That is what is happening to you."
Aria blinked and sat up. "That is an absurd analogy."
"It is not. Humans crave warmth and intimacy, love and affection just like we crave food and you have deprived yourself of those things."
"We need food to survive. It is not the same thing."
Elda stood up and walked to the dress. "Maybe that is a more urgent survival need but I don't think we need the others any less." She picked up the comb and came back to her.
Aria turned around to have her hair combed.
"As sad as I will be when you leave, I will be happy that you will leave this place and get to discover the world. And yourself. You are much more than a mind with a mission."
Aria shivered at the thought. She would leave this place and Ares would take her to a new world, confuse her, make her yearn for other things, and cause her to forget her mission.
She could not let that happen! She could not forget who she was and what she worked hard to achieve.