The Water Phoenix

Chapter 9:Intruder

Natsuhito's eyes sparkled as those words floated slowly underneath our hearts. Binding us together by an unspoken promise, that had to be prounced the day of the wedding. "Perfect."

I smiled sadly and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Marrying him made me safe. Marrying him made the possibility of meeting my parents again, real. Marrying him made me able to defend myself. But, marrying him, also, destroyed me. I also owed this to him. But I was doing principally for me. I knew I was selfish, but he was the person that kept me here prisoner.

My hand was resting slightly on the grass. I felt Natsuhito's warm hand press on mine. I looked down at it shocked. He continued staring at the sunset. I smiled. Actually liking the feeling. My eyes lifted. My eyelids covered half of them. And so, we continued looking at the sunset.

After a while, Natsuhito got up. He helped me up. "Your lessons will start tomorrow. My best general will train you." He said kindly. I smiled and nodded. We returned to the camp, right before we entered, Natsuhito seized my hand. I gasped back but continued going. Soldiers dropped their load, or stopped their actions when they saw us.

Natsuhito's unreadable face smiled at me. He always had this expression of happiness, but it seemed fake. Natsuhito gently placed a kiss on my forehead. And with that he left. Leaving behind the smells of sunflowers.

I stayed outside my tent for some time. My hand, shaking, passed over the spot where he had kissed me. My eyes widened. I entered my tent in a state of shock. Inside I took my hairpin out. My hair fell. I grabbed a brush and started bushing my hair.  It became quite dark quickly. I slipped my clothes off and slipped on the linen vest.

I slipped in bed, and thought I'd fall asleep. But I couldn't. My heart was beating too fast. My mind was racing. I just stared at the trembling cloth of the tent. Around, maybe 1:00, a dark figure slipped in my tent. I was looking to the side. I heard the tent rustle. I got up. I grabbed a knife I had hidden underneath my cushion. I got up sitting in bed, I was holding be blade so the shiny edge was shining in front of the intruder's eyes. I imagined how I looked. Disheveled hair, a mad spark in my eyes. My clothes wrinkled and too much neck showing. A knife glinting in my hand. I don't know why, but I felt like a phoenix.

The intruder took a step forwards. "Get out." I hissed. The intruder looked like he was about to talk but I stopped him. "Don't you dare threaten me. I will scream so loud the whole camp will wake up. I don't care that I'll die. I will alert the other people. So they will not loose this lives!" I said. The intruder walked into a patch of light. It was Natsuhito.

My eyes widened. The knife slipped out of my grasp. It clanged to the floor. "It's you." I murmured. Relaxing. Natsuhito smiled and came to sit on the edge of my bed. "My my, you don't know how to protect yourself, but you have the sprit of a tiger." I blushed, averting my gaze.

"Isn't it inappropriate that a man is in a girl's tent?" I asked. Natsuhito seemed amused. "Maybe so." "What are you doing here?" I asked. He smiled. His teeth glimmered. "I wanted to take you somewhere." "Where?" I asked.

Natsuhito smiled. I was about to ask if he could respond when he did. But in his own way. He picked me up bridal style and ran out of the tent. Heading towards the dark forest.