Juvenal

Chapter III

Closing her eyes, Mabel gripped Juvenal's fingers tighter. She turned towards him and felt him turn towards her as well.

"Ready?" he asked. Mabel nodded. She raised her head to look at him from the sideways and saw that he was biting his lips in determination, his eyes shining in the darkness.

Juvenal squeezed her hand, and he removed it to put his arm around her shoulders. He held her hand with his free hand and took a step forwards, pulling Mabel with him.

"Oh!"

Mabel exclaimed in surprise when she felt as though she was hooked by her navel to something and was being whooshed into nothingness. She did not let go of Juvenal's hands and he too gripped her fingers tighter and waited until the feeling of uncomfortableness had passed. Just as soon as it had started, it ended, and Mabel blinked as she felt the smell of fresh air around her.

"Oh! Where are we?" Mabel asked in surprise, turning around her. They were in a beautiful but overgrown garden. Night had fallen to where they were, and a low buzz of the various night insects were heard.

"Shh love, don't make any noise." Juvenal whispered, placing his finger over her lips. Mabel looked at him. His eyes were roaming around them, and he looked as they were searching for something.

"Juvenal, where are we?" Mabel whispered. He looked at her.

"We are in my world." He said and bit his bottom lip as he was not able to stop his chuckle looking at her expression. Mabel's jaw dropped looking at him.

"Do you mean that we are in 1820?" she asked. Juvenal nodded.

"The time has been paused ever since, and if I am not mistaken, I think that we are going to the palace now, after our wedding." He explained.

"Wait, what?" Mabel exclaimed, lifting her arms up in surprise. "You never asked to get married to me!" she said, her eyes large in surprise. Juvenal laughed, closing his eyes. He found her to be adorable.

"You are Esme, aren't you?" he said, leaning forwards and gently tapping her nose. Mabel blinked and nodded slowly.

"Yes, I am." She said.

"Wasn't I married to Esme then?" Juvenal asked.

"Aah!" Mabel nodded in slow motion, understanding the situation. She was also surprised to see that she was dressed in a long pink dress with lace. It was nice and simple, and she wondered whose choice it had been. She knew that it was what she might have worn the last time she was with him. She felt pleased to see that she had had a good choice of clothes even when she had been Esme.

Juvenal chuckled, shaking his head. Mabel looked at him and her lips too pulled up in the corners. Juvenal looked at her again and before he could stop himself, he took a step closer towards her and placed his hand on her cheek and leaned down towards her face, but as quick as he had been, he had to stop suddenly. His eyes grew large as he looked around him. He had heard a gentle ruffle of footsteps and Juvenal stood up straight and pulled Mabel behind a large tree.

"Come on love." He said hurriedly. "Wait here and don't move." He added, pressing Mabel to the tree trunk. He stood protectively in front of her, keeping his hands on the sides of her face on the tree trunk, but his eyes went around where they were, looking for a quick escape.

Mabel blinked looking up at him. Though many things had happened for her in the past two days, she was not able to stop her heart from skipping a beat as she stared up at Juvenal. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and she actually felt pleased and proud to think that that the most handsome man was hers. Blinking fast, Mabel scolded herself. She had her life literally turned upside down within a mere couple of hours and now she was hiding for her life with the man she loved, but yet, she was fantasizing about the man in front of her, who was also her husband in this world. Biting her lips as she tried to slow down her rapidly beating heart, Mabel shook her head and looked up at Juvenal again.