Chapter 175: opening the heart bare

He reached out and cupped my face with his hand as he gently wiped away the water from my cheek with his thumb. He looked me in the eyes. I know he could see that they were filled with a  mixture of emotions. There was longing, loneliness and something else that I myself couldn't quite describe.

He slowly moved his face closer to my and gently tucked my hair behind my ear at the same time. How much time had passed, when he moved his hand away, it felt like an eternity had passed, the cold started increasing suddenly, maybe because I missed the warmth his hands were providing to me.

"I am tired of all the tricks, sometimes i think i will go crazy because of them." I murmured, strange I would have never accepted it, never would have opened my bare heart for him to see, but this rain was making me more emotional, than I usually was.

"I know, but you will be free soon." I was expecting assurance or just a hug but that's all was what he said.

Was that an attempt to make me feel better!

"Why did you come here personally, you could have sent the knights.'' I said, as I did not want to comment on his freedom, especially when I was.. Telling him my feelings.

Was it really the freedom I desired, anyway?

"I was worried for you, why did you even come here alone." strange if he wanted to leave then why did he care anyway!

"I wanted to have some peace, sometime with myself, to ponder, where my life is going now, your highness. It felt like i had something to hold on, to look forward to, but then it felt it was just a mirage again"

"You are getting disappointed so soon, you are already there, just a little more effort is needed, he still lives in the facts taught to him since the start. But at the same time he loves you and protects you, could you not see the care he has for you," surprisingly he understood what i was feeling and why i was feeling so.

"I am not worried about that, Cassius. I am worried that his innocent mind would be injected with poison if he didn't see the truth and then I am afraid that he would be a very cold hearted man who can kill a person without thinking about it twice and soon, people start hating him and scared of him." i replied as i remembered the cold eyes i had forgotten long ago, i trembled involuntarily as i felt they were still watching my every move.

"You are thinking too extreme, Marianne. Killian is a soft hearted boy, being cold blooded is not in his nature, he just shows that he was strict and strong, that's all" he said as if i had gone crazy, but what he did not know that it had already happened in the previous life.

I shivered as the rain turned torrential, my clothes were already wet, and the cold was slowly seeping in.

"May i" he asked hesitantly and I looked down, embarrassed but nodded.

He nodded back, I could see him moving closer to me. His hair was wet, his clothes drenched and what was even more amazing was that I did not see his usual cold face, but was concerned and cared. His eyes were serious, still cold but devastatingly more beautiful than ever. He was like a dark angel who just emerged from the ground under the rain.

Slowly he moved his hands and touched my waist. He took me in his arms from behind, and started rubbing my hands, to give as much warmth as possible to both of us.

"Why are knights not here yet?" I asked as my voice shivered, my heavy gown, with extra flairs keeping me colder, my body was freezing and i could see the cold see air coming from my mouth every time i speak 

"Uh, i have denied them to follow us," he said hesitating, it was not like him, it was something only i could do, 

"Why" I asked, bewildered.

"I thought we would have an argument." he stated simply and I did not know what to say anymore.

"What if there had been an emergency, it had been more than an hour since i was gone." 

"This forest is enclosed from three areas, only the palace is the way to enter it. There can only be wild animals as we did not come here regularly. Father used this place to have hunting competitions  with Charles' father in the past." I could see he was more talkative today, explaining everything to me patiently.

First about the majestic tree and then about the forest and even his father. So I tried to continue the conversation, as it helped us in getting distracted from the cold too.

"You don't like hunting, your highness"

"No. Actually, I do not like it very much. I do not enjoy killing."

His face was dark as he spoke. I was interested, there seemed to be something behind that. But then I didn't think we even had the kind of relationship to ask directly. I didn't want to have something more entangled than this for him because I heard a strange story that would otherwise have been hidden.

The distance between him and me was just right like this. There was so much more to know about each other, and we were a little closer than strangers and much more distant than family members.

"I think we should go now, you are getting colder." he said, breaking my reverie. 

My body had turned frozen and my teeth had started gritting. But then I raised my head up and looked at the sky. The thick raindrops pouring from the sky were still strong. No signs of a stopping motion could be seen, if only it was increasing every passing second.

"I do not think we will manage to pass the rain, I can't even see at a distance." i replied looking at him