Chapter 34 :"Spellbound by His Eyes"
The palace hallway stretched before me, silent and golden in the light of the afternoon sun, but my mind refused to settle. She looks just like me.. only stronger. Brighter. Better. Her glow when I told her Prince Damier was alive ,it was almost too real. And that necklace... it shimmered again, the moment I mentioned him. This can't be a dream... right?
Everything about her felt magical, impossible. Even the strange skin tattoo on my arm had spread again this morning, wider and darker, curling like ink across my skin. Her voice still echoed in my mind, soft but commanding. And now, here I was, about to keep a promise I barely understood, taking care of Prince Damier.
Take care of him? That man doesn't need anyone taking care of him. He's as cold as ice and twice as sharp.
I sighed, already regretting this. But she looked so sad... so tired. I told her I would help him, for her sake. And now I was walking straight into whatever storm that meant.
At the hallway corner, I spotted two royal guards in gold-plated armor.
"Good day, Princess," one of them greeted with a short bow.
"How can I help you?"
I hesitated for a moment. "Where can I find Prince Damier?"
The two guards exchanged a brief look, one of them raising a brow.
"He's at the training fields, in a meeting with the knights."
"Could you take me there?" I asked politely. My voice didn't sound like mine.
"Of course, Princess. This way."
We walked quietly down through the courtyard, and then the sound of swords clashing and shouting knights began to grow louder. The palace fields came into view ,broad and sun-drenched, alive with soldiers moving in formation and knights standing at attention.
And then... I saw him.
He stood under the golden sky like a figure carved from fate itself. The wind swept through his hair, lifting it gently as if the world itself wanted to touch him. His back was straight, his eyes focused, his voice deep as he commanded the knights. He looked unreal ,untouchable. My heart stuttered as I remembered his haunting words:
"You have hunted me for centuries."
My breath caught. And now I have to care for him?
The closer I got, the more I could feel it ,that strange dark aura around him, quiet and heavy like a shadow that followed no light. There was something in him... something dangerous, ancient, powerful. I watched how the knights looked at him, their expressions filled with awe, like they were in the presence of a god rather than a prince.
Then he turned. His gaze met mine.
For a heartbeat, everything around me vanished. He looked away too quickly, but the burn of his eyes lingered.
The meeting ended, and the knights bowed before leaving the field. I stood there, unsure of what to do, until I saw him walking toward me. His steps were steady, confident—like nothing could shake him.
"Hello, Princess," he said, that teasing smile curling on his lips.
I rolled my eyes. "Don't call me that. Just Ravena."
He tilted his head slightly, amused. "No, I don't think I will."
"Why not?" I crossed my arms.
"Because I don't want to," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "Princess suits you. But fine, maybe I'll call you something else…"
He leaned in closer. "How about my troublemaker?"
My jaw dropped slightly. "I don't want that either."
"Well, you don't get to decide what I call you, Princess ,sorry, I mean, my troublemaker," he said with a wicked grin.
I glared at him. "You are insufferable."
He laughed quietly, stepping even closer, and I suddenly couldn't breathe. There was too much heat between us. My chest felt tight.
"What brings you here?" he asked, voice low.
I blinked. I didn't even remember why I came anymore. "Nothing.. I was just taking a walk."
"Oh, of course. Just walking ,like you do at night, when no one's watching?"
"I was just looking around."
He smirked. "Sure, Princess."
I rolled my eyes again. "Stop calling me that."
He grinned. "You know, I don't know if I prefer your eyes when you're angry or when you're annoyed. I think I love both."
I turned, ready to walk away, heart pounding from his closeness, but he suddenly reached out and caught my hand.
I froze.
His hand was warm, too warm. My fingers trembled inside his grasp.
"What are you doing?" I asked, breathless.
He looked at me, eyes deep and strange, as if he were looking into me, not at me.
"What's wrong with holding your hand, Princess?" he said softly.
"You don't have the right to do that."
"Oh, but I do," he said, voice like thunder in a storm. "I have every right."
He lifted his other hand and gently touched my chin, tilting it up until I was forced to meet his gaze. His eyes were impossible ,an entire universe hidden inside them.
"Look at me, Ravena," he whispered. "Do you feel it?"
"I don't feel anything," I lied, my voice barely above a whisper.
He smiled, slow and knowing. "You feel everything. Every time I speak, your breath pauses. Every time I look at you, your heart stumbles. Every time I touch you, you shiver. You think I haven't noticed?"
I couldn't move. I was trapped in his gaze. Why can't I look away?
"You already belong to me," he said. "You just don't know it yet."
I laughed nervously, trying to shake him off. "Oh, Prince, don't flatter yourself."
"But it's not flattery if it's true," he whispered. "And you know it. I've already stolen your heart without trying. But now, I think I'll make you fall harder. I want your eyes to dance with mine , I want your soul to remember mine."
He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers grazing my cheek. I couldn't help it ,I blushed so hard I felt my whole body burn.
And then ran.
I didn't say a word. I just turned and fled, my heart racing, my cheeks on fire, and my mind completely tangled.
What the hell is happening to me?