Once Upon A Royal Matrimony

21. us against the world

Adalina Salvatore

Little drops of cold water sprinkled on my cheeks snatching my consciousness back from the darkness. A sharp pain shot through the lower area of my neck and it felt like there was a thousand elephants pounding inside my skull. I let out a loud groan, rubbing my eyes.

I laid in the middle of nowhere, grass poking into my skin through the thin layer of my skimpy dress like a carpet of needles. I opened my eyes feeling the warmth of the sun and the blue of the wide clear sky. Sweet scent of grass perfumed the clearing and the metallic smell of fresh blood no longer lingered in the air.

My body jerked upward when reality hit as my senses slowly came back. Feeling small and suffocated under the overgrown branches above my head, I scanned the area in panic. Tall trees, green grass, animals chirping.

My eyes landed on the dagger peaked through the hem of my dress and gripped onto it for dear life.

There wasn't a single soul in sight and that was even more confusing. They left me to die and for my corpse to be eaten by wild animals. Cruelty at its finest.

I stilled as the sound of leaves crunching echoed through the forest. I locked my jaw while my knuckles started to turn white from my deadly grip on the dagger.

My heart pounded inside chest and I could feel nerves rising through my system then straight to my brain as the footsteps got closer and closer until it stopped right behind my back.

Hot breath fanned my the back of my neck. I could feel the person dropping to their knees and then leaning down to my ear level.

It was a man, a tall one judging by the shadow on the ground before my eyes. His scent filled my nostrils as he leaned toward, the softness of his lips barely brushed against the side of my neck. I knew that scent from somewhere before.

My name barely escaped from the back of his throat when I raised my arm up and grabbed the back of his shirt collar tackling him forward. Catching him by surprise, he fell over my shoulders and onto the ground with half of his upper body laying on top of me.

Before he could recover from the sudden shock, I brought the dagger up and pressed it against his throat, holding him hostage in a choke hold.

His posture stilled the moment my dagger touch his skin. And, I took the opportunity to finally look at my kidnapper.

A pair of ocean eyes reflected the blue of clear sky above our heads like a mirror. He looked right back at me with pure amusement. The side of his quirked up into a small smile before a low chuckles escaped from the back of his throat as his body slightly shook under my hold.

My heart skipped and a huge wave of butterflies crashed into the shore of my stomach. It was my absolute undoing. That goddamn chuckles.

" Eden? " I breathed out, lowering the dagger.

" Hello to you too, my darling Adalina. " he cocked an eyebrow at me, taking the sharp object out of my hand.

" What the hell was that, asshole? I was scared shitless. " I glared, smacking his chest.

I didn't notice the blood oozing through his shirt on his right shoulder until he flinched under my palm. His lips were slightly busted and the cut on his cheekbone had to be at least an inch long. I cupped his face between my hands, tilting it left and right, up and down to take a closer looks at him.

" You were hurt. " I mumbled, proceeding to look over his body.

" I'm fine. " he muttered before sitting up.