SILVER-HEART
Chapter 158: The Story Of Yin And The Fox Guardian {6}

Chapter 158: The Story Of Yin And The Fox Guardian {6}

William couldn’t believe his eyes, Aveline had just vanished right in front of him. Nowhere to be seen, completely gone. Was she never real?

William stared down at his trembling hands, the same hands that tried to reach for her, and yet he couldn’t.

"She’s real" he mumbled to himself, like a mantra, hoping he could tell his own brain that was now failing him, telling him she wasn’t real. But she was just right here, she was right here, she was-

"Master"

He twirled to the voice and met with Elvenia staring at him with sad eyes.

☆☆☆

AETHEL

"Aveline"

"Aveline"

"Aveline!"

Aveline gasped awake, her breathing unstable, like a sudden shock had overcome her body, but the arms around held her still, a voice telling her to breathe and that everything was okay, she would recognize this hold anywhere.

"A-Aldon?"

"Your Highness!" Adina said, kneeling beside her. "I was curious why you spend so much time in the woods so I followed you, and I found your body close to the barrier"

Aveline eyes darted to the glossy barrier wall.

"W-What do you mean you found my body?" Aveline asked curiously, she was certain she crossed over the barrier all this time, so how?

"Aveline" Aldon began facing her, he looked strangely calm. "Why didn’t you tell me you came close to the barrier, do you know how dangerous it is?"

She gulped.

"The barrier is not a force to tamper with"

"I-I don’t understand"

"I called for Prince Aldon the moment I saw you lying unconscious on the ground, I was so worried," Adina said in tears.

Aveline was still confused about everything.

"Let’s get you back home," Aldon said.

☆☆☆

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?" Aveline’s mother began pacing the room. "Tell me, how long have you been going there, tell me!"

Aveline flinched at her mother’s harsh tone, she fiddled with her fingers keeping her eyes down.

"Dear, do not be harsh," her father said.

"How won’t I be harsh? Anything could have happened to her, her soul would have never been able to return to her body!"

Aveline raised her curious gaze to them. Her father sensing this sighed as he walked to the bed and sat beside her.

"Aveline"

"I don’t understand father, what does she mean by my soul would have never returned to my body?"

He inhaled sharply. "The barrier isn’t just a barrier that keeps us disconnected from the other Realms, Elves don’t exist in other planes because of the effect of the barrier affecting us, so it means all those times you thought you were physically outside the barrier you never were, only your soul can exist there, but not your entirety"

"W-What?", tears slid down Aveline’s cheeks, in shock at what her father just revealed to her. She was never there with William, it was just her soul. She never existed in his world, she wasn’t real. And the thought broke her, all those 8 years of her life with him were nothing but a dream, it never happened, and she was only a ghost in his world.

"Even if your body leaves too, it means a cost of a life" her mother says.

"It is dangerous Aveline, because your soul would have never returned to your body or worse gets destroyed, what you did was risky, tell me how many times has your soul left your body?"

Aveline’s lips trembled. "Does this mean elves can never leave here?"

"Is that what you should be worried about?"

At the new voice, they turned to Aldon standing at the door with folded arms.

"Your soul might be in danger and yet you care about going out there" he adds.

"Aldon, that’s enough"

Aldon darted his stern eyes to his fathers, who mirrored his expression.

"Mother, father, I will like to speak to my sister alone, she will not talk to any of you only me"

Silence filled the room until they both left the room leaving Aveline and Aldon alone. Aldon only walked to the bed and took a seat beside her, Aveline remained still with her eyes leveled.

"Did Mother scold you again?" Aldon asked.

Aveline sniffed. "S-She’s just worried," she mumbled.

Aldon gently cupped her cheek and raised her face so that she would look at him. "Why are you crying, my star?"

Aveline lips trembled and words couldn’t come off. "I just-"

"How long have you been sneaking behind my back to the barrier"

Aveline’s body ran cold. "Aldon I-"

"Answer the question, Aveline, I am angry that you endanger yourself that is enough but to think you would keep such a thing from me"

She opened her mouth but no words came to her, he was calm but he knew it was the total opposite, the air in the room was getting tighter.

"Now answer the question"

"8 years"

Aldon’s body went still and his eyes went wide, he couldn’t believe his ears, 8 years? Right under his nose.

Aveline yelped when Aldon suddenly plunged her to the bed and caged her there, with him hovering on top of her, making sure her hands were locked with his on both sides of her.

"Why?"

Aveline’s heart skipped a beat.

"There had to be a reason you ventured to the Elven woods for 8 years!"

"It was because I was lonely," she said quickly, his grip on her wrists was painful but she couldn’t bring her heart to tell him.

"Lonely?"

"Y-You were always with the elders, I swear Aldon, I just needed to do something different, and I-I missed you"

His eyes softened. "But that doesn’t mean you should have endangered yourself like that... you kept this away from me, I thought we promised no secrets"

She gulped. "W-We barely see each other"

Aldon nodded.

"Aldon please... let go you’re hurting me"

"But I can’t forgive you like that Aveline"

"W-What are you saying?"

"If I forgive you easily then you would just do it again knowing I will just forgive you"

"Aldon?"

"I have to set a reminder" he held her two hands with one hand and the other held her wrist, his eyes raking her body. "You have changed so much since I last saw you,"

"Aldon!"

He darted his eyes back to her.

"W-We cannot do it, we’re not married yet!"

"Those are just formalities Aveline, you belong to me since the very beginning, way before all of this... if only you could remember if only you see it just as I do"

"A-Aldon please"

"I will not hurt you, Aveline, why are you afraid?" he muses.

But it was the look in his eyes that scared her, it was always that look.

"But you hurt me now Aldon"

He frowns at her words.

"Right now I’m uncomfortable"

"Why should touching you make you uncomfortable?"

"Because I do not want it!" she snapped at him and her chest heaved, this was the first time she had raised his voice at him and Aldon stared at her in disbelief, he shook his head letting her and standing on his feet, shaking his head and mumbling something to himself.

Aveline took that time to sit up and arrange her gown properly, her heart and mind racing.

"It was not supposed to be like this!" he hissed, facing her. "You should only want me Aveline, everything I do you should accept it!"

"This is not just about you Aldon," she said, rising to her feet. "I have feelings too, my feelings should matter too" Aveline began remembering everything William and her taught each other.

William was a boy without any feelings and she taught him to have one, and on his learning stage he was always considerate about her opinion and he ended up teaching her that too, making sure she was okay with anything. William knew she was sensitive or any physical contact and William obliged her wishes even if he wanted to help her down the tree, he could ask if it was okay to hold her hand.

"You never ask about my feelings, you think you can just touch me and punish me the way you want, you locked me in a cupboard and sealed it whenever I slept in my room, leaving me in there for days and I would cry and beg you to let me out but you only do so when you want. If any other male so much as looks at me they strangely disappear, Alwin who was the bully was mysteriously killed by an animal" Her lips quivered.

"Did you know it? Did you kill-"

Her words were knocked out of her lungs when Aldon grabbed her by her hair tightly. "Now you question the feelings I have for you?"

"Aldon please stop"

"I do not understand you, Aveline, everything I do is for you, can’t you see that? You never question my actions, why do you do it now?"

"Because I don’t want to make you angry, because when you’re angry you hurt me"

"Aveline" he began gently as he cupped her cheeks so tenderly. "I am never angry with you, you hold my heart, and it is only meant for you just as much as your heart belongs to me"

He leveled his gaze to her chest, placed his there, and wrapped it in a fist, instantly Aveline’s heart pulsed loudly and she felt a squeezing sensation to it, almost like he had her heart wrapped around his fist.

"And if you give it to another..." he smiled. "I will break it"

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om