Chapter 51

51 “Breaking The Shackles”

“Do you trust me?”

Eleanora’s words kept ringing and repeating in Cathain’s ears.

‘Can i really trust her?’

Although, the Eleanora infront of him was only a tweleve year old girl, but he could feel the heavy burden and seriousness of those words.

She casually didn’t asked him that and once he says, he do... he will be trapped forever in her chess game.

He could feel a sense of danger which was warning him to stay away, not believe her... perhaps Eleanora herself wanted him to lash out on her for asking such a outrageous question.

And it was true... Eleanora didn’t wanted him to believe her. She wants to see the past Cathain and remind herself that he will never change.

No matter what, Just like how Emperor Cathain never trusted Empress Eleanora...

She also wants the Crown prince to reject her, to make her heart more stronger to not crumble.

.....

He might even hit her like before but that’s okay, she has seen worse of him. This much would be nothing.

If he does that, she can continue to hate him without any problem in the near future.

Cathain heavily sighed before he put his hands on hers. Because he had the urge to trust her, get closer to her.

“I do.”

The fireworks started right at that moment and Eleanora’s smile froze for a moment before it looked more decisive under the colourful light.

“Are you sure, Crown Prince?”

The strong wind made her shiver a little in cold. So, she frowned because the dress was thin.

Cathain immediately took of his white robe, which was hanging on his shoulders and placed it over her shoulders.

“Yes, Am sure.”

Eleanora looked at him with a surprised gaze and she felt that, like her, he has drastically changed too.

If it was the past Cathain, he would just order her to leave. But the current him, not only noticed her discomfort but also took care of her.

“T-Thank you...”

Eleanora was staring at his red eyes before she finally looked away and laughed in her mind.

‘Hah! Did you forget how this man killed you for another women’s unborn child? He will never change. He is like this because i changed. The moment i flutter like before again, he will show his true colours too.’

“Once you are in, you will never be able to get out. Think it through, don’t rush... Your highness.”

Cathain was staring at her beautiful face, she was looking at the sky and opened his mouth slowly to speak.

“Then i hope you will keep me trapped inside it forever... Never letting me go.”

Eleanora smirked as she found something very funny but she didn’t replied back.

‘Am trapping you so that i can leave you... why would i hold you tight?’

While looking at her, Cathain noticed that, she looked more pretty with his robe, covering her.

Cathain was so lost into his emotions that, he unconsciously asked her,

“Why are you suddenly... not afraid anymore?”

Although Eleanora was smiling, Cathain could feel it was more like a mocking or cold smile, Which didn’t come from her heart.

“Because i wasn’t thinking straight and only thought of running way from it.”

Eleanora replied and paused for a moment.

‘I was so desperate to run away that, i didn’t noticed the shackles on my feet, which was holding me back from running. So, am gonna cut those shackles first, now.’

Eleanora added, in her mind silently.

“Running away... from whom?”

Cathain asked, who was still in a daze.

“You.”

Eleanora replied without any hesitation. She found it fun to tease a young boy.

[As Eleanora in her mentality is twenty two, where the present Cathain is only sixteen]

“Me?...Why?”

Cathain was shocked a little, but still lost in his emotions so deeply that he wasn’t even thinking straight.

“You want to know why?”

Eleanora’s smile grew more wider and crossing her legs, she put her chin on her palm, her blue eyes piercing his soul to see the truth.

It was the first time that, They was properly conversing with each other.

Cathain was feeling that, he is slowly stepping into her trap, she was making him more and more curious about her.

It was a dangerous feeling, that was telling him to stay away from her but he couldn’t.

It was like, he is a kid, who was being lured into kidnapping because of his greed for a candy.

As, Cathain didn’t spoke for a long time, Eleanora started to speak in a low but alluring voice.

“Being interested in me is dangerous for you... So, you better hate me like you used to did before.

Don’t drink anything that the maids offer you tonight and try to be away from the palace for a few days, if you trust me...”

Right after she finished speaking, Eleanora stood up and was about to leave because according to her, she have finished her work; when Cathain caught her wrist tightly.

“Let go...”

He abruptly asked a question that Eleanora wasn’t prepared for.

“Do you like me?”

Cathain asked with a lot of courage. He thought that if she didn’t cared about him then why is she helping him.

It’s also a little weird for him to ask this kind of question to a tweleve year old girl. But Eleanora just kept staring at his red eyes with no emotion.

Under the dazzling moon light, The wind blew coldly. One was still sitting, where the other one was standing.

Eleanora’s hair was flying a little because of the strong wind, but Cathain kept holding her hands and looked at her with expectations.

“I hate you.”

The three words that Eleanora uttered was like a fatal blow on Cathain.

But he tightened his grip on her hands and gave her a wide, warm smile that Eleanora have never seen before.

Her blue eyes widened shock and surprise, as she kept staring at his red eyes deeply.

“But...I think, I love you.

...My Empress”