Chapter 72: Is It Okay to Fall In Love?
They arrived in Excalibur a few days later. The first thing they did was check the villagers. They lived in a well-rooted plot of land near the castle. The castle had seen many lords presiding over it since the beginning of the war.
At the entrance, soldiers came and greeted them.
Ailea was shocked. “Are these the number of men you lead?”
Each time the Knights Order recaptured a castle, the freedmen joined them, and over time the size of his garrison grew.
Clint smiled. “Oh, Ailea. You think we recaptured Excalibur with a mere twenty men?”
She had never seen a crowd this large in all her life. Clint had a burdensome leadership, truly. One wrong move and it could spell the downfall of his men. She had been stuck in the castle all this time that she never had a chance to experience the world outside.
“Do you see that? That’s Excalibur Castle.”
There was a vast meadow in the open and in the middle of it stood the Excalibur fiefdom. It was a beautiful greenery – blood-soaked but a beautiful southern castle, complete with blooming white flowers. It wasn’t fancy, but it was sturdy and meant to last.
Ailea parted her lips slowly. The land of Sutton extended beyond her imagination. It was here that the truth hit her. The Grand Duke of Excalibur would rule the fiefdom that possessed a third of Teniac’s land without interference from the royal family.
“You are now the lady of this castle,” Clint whispered in her ears. “But this is a dangerous place. Please keep this in mind. There is a town behind the castle, and our soldiers are blocking the path to here. For now. Life here is different than the one you know in the capital. Here, strength is important. People have to watch out for each other. If I lose confidence, it will be the downfall of my men and Teniac will be enslaved by the Khanna Empire.”
“…”
“And you are a woman who stands out. I do not intend for it to be, but you will end up being dragged around as a trophy and become a spectacle for the masses to see.”
Ailea bit her lips. He had made a remark as if warning her, but it held truth. Should Clint pass, all his warnings would come to light. Excalibur was a dangerous place to be and only the strong were able to occupy it.
Cilnt led Ailea to Velvet and patted her withers. She had been galloping toward the borders for days, and leading the pace for others.
She was a good horse.
He looked at her in silence. Velvet loathed the touch of others aside from her owner. She would not attack them, but she would huff and gruff. Though it was different this time. She did not avoid Ailea’s touch. Was she tired?
“Captain Ron had been killed in battle because of the emperor’s obstinacy to recapture the palace.”
“…Yes.”
“You lived in Euliana Castle. You were safe from harm when he passed away in battle, but that is not the case here. Should I die here, the same goes for you. I’m not telling you this to scare you, but to be careful.” Clint smiled deftly, riding the horse toward the edge of the meadow near the border. He helped her off the horse, and pointed to a half-destroyed wall. “My men are repairing the wall right now. Toward the other end is where our enemies reside. If you trespass the wall right now, a signal would fire from afar. There is also a groove above the wall. If you discover a signal from above or enemy nearing close, pour oil on the groove and light it on fire. The flames will engulf the entire wall. It will be one h*ll of a sight, but you would end up losing your life in exchange. I am also ready to give up my life to protect my people, Ailea.”
“…”
“I want you to be sure that you’re ready to live in this palace.”
Ailea looked at Clint. She had never seen him like this. He had always been playful and joking, yet now he was warning her the gravity of life in this castle. She could not help but admire him. He was a good man through and through.
She unconsciously hid her spotted hand from him and smiled. “I know you will do good. I trust you. And if ever I became… a spectacle, I will thank you for protecting me… for showing me a different kind of world.”
“…”
“But try not to die,” Ailea joked half-wittingly.
The glint in his eyes changed, noticing her attempt to hide her hand. He grabbed her wrist and roughly brought it close to his face. “Ailea.”
She looked up at him in surprise. He kissed her finger as he looked into her eyes.
“Clint—”
Surprised, she tried pulling away, but he would not budge. He bit her ring finger and sucked her wrist.
She flinched and closed her eyes. When he finally let go, there was a red mark like a tattoo in her wrist.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“I want to eat you up.”
“Pardon?”
“If I loathe you, then I will avoid you. If I despise your face, then I would want you to cover it up. But I don’t. I want to taste every part of your body. I want to taste you, have you. Until then, don’ta*sume that what I’m feeling is different.” He had spoken like a pompous king and perhaps he had scared her. But she did not. Her blue eyes widened in surprise. The look in her eyes made her sparkle. He smiled mischievously and bit the back of her hand, leaving behind a mark. “That is punishment for you.”
Ailea looked at her hand. He had left a mark in place of the darkened spot. A sort of warmth spread over her heart like a blanket. He had shown her time and time again her curse meant nothing to him.
Could she truly believe that?
He was a man countless women desired. Had it not been for Lawrence, Clint would have never married her, but he did.
Was it alright to allow herself to fall in love? She supposed she should take the risk.
Ailea held Clint’s left hand and sucked on it, leaving a mark behind. “That is also punishment for making fun of me.”