Love's Power

Chapter 3

The forest seemed to grow blacker as Amai whipped her head around, trying so hard to spot any sign of white fur in the darkness. The longer she lingered, the more scared she grew. Here she was, in a dark forest, in the most dangerous place ever known to man. What would she do if she were caught? She could be imprisoned, or even...

A footstep ceased her horrified thoughts. In alarm, she spun around on her toes, to be faced with a handsome young man. He was tall with skin so close to her Kisshu's, only the hue was quite whiter. The navy robes he wore looked regal, so Amai guessed he was of nobility. His blue eyes were striking against his black bangs, yet there was something in them that made her uneasy. Amai noticed the sword in his belt and thought she should be extremely careful not to anger him. She took a steady breath and finally spoke.

"Who... who are you?" a whisper she managed to push out of her throat. The man before her lightly smiled and took another step forward and answered with his own question. "I believe that is something I should be asking you. It's not very safe in the woods at night for a beautiful angel." Amai's breath lightly shuddered at those last two words, coming from a complete stranger. To be polite, she curtsied and said, "My name is Amai, Princess Amai."

"Amai" thought Deep Blue, a wicked grin mentally growing inside. He had heard stories of the young princess of the kingdom close to his. How her beauty rivaled the brightest jewel or the most glowing sunrises, being as sweet as her name. Those stories were not wrong, he could see. "I wonder if she tastes as good as her name." A smirk made its way onto the king's lips and bowed low.

"A great pleasure, your highness. I have much about you, and I am pleased to finally see you with my own eyes." His deep orbs looked right at her face with his last few words, making her slightly blush. Though he complimented her, he still made her weary, so she continued with what she wanted to know before. "Um, you still haven't answered me. Who are you?"

Smirk growing wider, the dark man rose and took a big step towards her, to which she stepped back. "I am Deep Blue."

Amai's eyes widened in fear, stepping back again, stumbling as she did. "You... you... you're Deep Blue?!" Her family's warnings flooded into her brain about every horrible thing there was ever known about the man before her. The lives he'd taken, his merciless nature, his appetite for darkness.

Amai's heart felt like it had frozen solid, she couldn't hear its beats over the silent sound of her fear. Deep Blue started walking closer, Amai stepping back, trying to distance herself from him. The bark of a large tree hit her back, to her dismay, and before she could even think about moving away to the side, he cornered her.

Arms barred themselves on both sides of her head, halting any getaway that she could've attempted. Breath caught in the middle of her throat as the wicked king in front of her moved his right hand towards her face. Amai squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for some kind of pain.

It never came. Instead, she felt a coldness brush her cheek, a hand cupping a few strands of her hair. Confused, she looked up, and was surprised, as well as terrified, to see a blissful look on Deep Blue's face. She could see lust burning in his eyes, and it scared her horribly.

"You're so beautiful." he purred, taking the hair in his hand to his nose, breathing in its scent while staring at her through half lidded eyes. "I want you."

The princess gasped. The most evil, most feared, most emotionless man in the world, wanted her?!

For a moment, everything around her seemed to turn into a void of nothingness. She felt her mind spinning and her breathing quicken. She darted her gaze anywhere around him, trying to find a way to escape.

"I...I..." Amai stuttered, feeling utterly helpless against the devil before her. "You don't even know me!" All Deep Blue did was smirk and move his head downwards. Amai panicked, racking her brain for anything that could get her out of her situation.

Suddenly, it clicked. She remembered one time when she watched Zakuro spar with some of the guards. The eldest princess' knee slamming right in between one guard's legs, causing immense pain. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Amai shifted her right leg back a couple of inches, before swinging it up as fast as she could.

"AAHHHH!!" Deep Blue doubled over in pain, instantly letting her go. The moment his arms left her sides, she took off. Her heart pounded with her desperate steps, not slowing down until she could see the towers of her castle.

Relief washed over Amai when she was inside the warming halls of home. Though her chest did not seem to settle its fast heaving, as she tried to calm herself down while walking down the quiet halls to her bedroom. The events of the forest frightened her. The wicked king, his obsessive gaze, his cold touch...it was too much. Amai sniffled as she closed her door, laying on her bed, and closed her eyes.

She just wanted to forget everything.