Shaffron

CHAPTER 25

"-brought that killer with him. How despicable." A distant voice said.

"They say she's more powerful than the witches." Said another scratchy voice.

"Yes. She also looks like the goddess. I saw her myself." The first voice answered.

"It's not a wonder he took her in."

"I smell trouble."

"Let's just hope she wont cause as much damage as Zara did."

"Shhh... don't say that witch's name in front of me!" she said looking around.

Shaffron ducked, letting her hair frame her face. She'd returned to the stream for the sixth time to fetch water and decided to rest a bit. The guards didn't seem to mind.

The group of four women's voices slowly faded away as they went further away from the stream each with a pot on their heads.

With a huff, Shaffron bent and picked it up. She stumbled with each step she took. The guards followed her from a distance, chatting with each other but on guard.

"So much for men being gentle." She whispered under her breath.

"Hey witch! What did you say?" The tallest among them glared at her. She did not as much as glance their way and kept stumbling through the splashes she made as she walked.

"Have you lost your ears too? What did you just say?" he repeated. She heard his footsteps getting closer to her. She still ignored them.

"Don't ignore me witch-"Splash!

The man stood frozen, dripping like a dog and mouth agape. Shaffron dropped the now empty pot on the floor, glaring at the man and the rest of the guards behind him.

"How dare you touch me!" she glared, swiping her arm looking disgusted. "Try doing anything stupid and I'll show you what a real witch does."

When none of the guards moved, she turned back and headed back to the stream. Alone.

By the time Shaffron was done filling the whole pots, she was a panting mess. Her body was drenched and judging from the looks the villagers she passed by, she looked like a mad woman.

She glared at her reflection on the water in the largest pot that was situated right in front of the prince's personal place in his quarter.

Her hair was wet, a mixture of water and sweat droplets was all over her body. She felt dirty.

"It's creepy to follow a person all around, you know." Shaffron whispered hoarsely. The cold was getting to her.

A low chuckle broke from the shadows. A hum floated in the air as a man pushed out of the shadows.

He walked stealthily toward her, standing right behind her, warmth emitting from his bare chest sipped into her back immediately warming her. She caught herself leaning into him and pushed away but his thick arm snaked around her waist, keeping her against him.

She wanted to struggle, to hit him and push him away from her but his light breath against the skin of her neck kept her still.

"How long?" he whispered lowly. The vibration of his voice from his chest hit her back causing her eyes to shut close.

She clenched her teeth. What did he ask? Oh, right.

"The stream. I saw you in the shadows the moment those guards left." The words poured out of her lips unconsciously.

He hummed.

"Why don't you have your own stream or something, sharing the same stream of water as the rest of the villagers is low for someone who calls himself a prince." She taunted, trying to distract herself from what he was doing to her by just standing behind her.

A low chuckle erupted from his chest, his stubble grazing the hollow of her neck. She hissed, clenching her jaw from the shiver that passed through her.

"Strawberries." He whispered, grazing his cheek against her bare back. He was so close yet so far away, not touching her but she could feel him on every part of her body, evading her.

"Huh?"

"You smell like strawberries." His voice was gravelly when he repeated. He took a deep breath. His breath ticked on her neck and Shaffron gripped the pot with both her hands.

She forced her eyes open. Her knuckles were ashen white and she was a flustered mess. His grip on her waist burned her skin causing her to snap.

Strawberries?

She pushed him off and this time, he let go of her.

"Don't touch me, ever!" her glare sliced through him as she turned to face him.

Something crossed his eyes and for a second, he stiffened. His face held the same vulnerability she once saw in Jerry's. And all at once, his face was once again masked.

Did I just imagine it?

"You killed my cousin and his whole clan. You made me burn down the sacred village. You killed my guards and embarrassed my family. People have been killed for less you know." Unlike Jerry, he did not glare. He just stared blankly at her as though making a recitation of a project he didn't care if or not he passes.

She blinked but still kept her glare on the side of his face.

"Do you know the penalty for disrespecting royal guards?" He asked, moving closer to her. She stood her ground, knowing if she took a step back, she'd be trapped between him and the pot filled with water.

He managed to look even bigger and taller this close to her. She tilted her head and caught his icy stare.

"And what penalty is there for inappropriately touching a woman?"

"We both know what happened, Bun, you can't lie to me. I'm always watching." He whispered, his breath was a mix of mint and fresh water.

Did fresh water have a scent?

Shaffron inhaled sharply when he took another step towards her forcing her feet back until her back hit the base of the pot.

A vicious smile played on his lips.

She opened her lips, trying to breathe but her breaths came out in pants. She looked around them. Soot covered the area between them. The soot was coming out of... his body?

"Do you know the worse sin one could ever commit here?" he asked and continued without waiting for her to talk. "Lying."

The soot emitted more from within him, covering her. She could not breathe. Her lungs shut down. She raised her hand, griping whatever could support her. The sound of her violent cough filled the air between them.

It was as though she was being choked. The soot took form, it was like a shadow. The shadow of an arm. It shot out and gripped her neck. Black dots covered her eyes as she scratched... nothing. Her eyeballs rolled back.

A smug grin spread on his lips. Her struggles became weak, as though her body realized that the fight was futile.

All at once, the air she never thought still existed in her was knocked out of her as she hit the floor. His shadows released her.

"So weak." He spat at her. She laid on the floor and watched his bare feet walk away from her in a blur.

She laid there till her strength returned to her. She laid there even after the prince walked out of his hut with a bow and a basket of arrows in a basket. He returned hours later and she was still on the floor, eyes wild.

Steps echoed towards her. She did not have to turn to know who it was.

He did not speak, did not ask anything or even apologize. He picked her up and tucked her frail frame in his arms.

Shaffron hated that she couldn't struggle to get away from him, she hated her body for leaning into his warmth and worse of all, she hated what bloomed in her chest when he came back for her.

"Rest, Bun." He whispered and as though that was the command her body had been waiting for, it shut down she slept off.