The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 369: White Knight

Chapter 369: White Knight

For a moment, she was in a trance as she gazed upon his chiseled face, meanwhile, they both hadn’t noticed when the two guards had limped away, scurrying out of the room in fear.

Her heart skipped a beat as their eyes locked, her pulse throbbing with the intensity of the moment and as she stood on her feet, they were still holding hands, she could feel the warmth emanating from his hand, but then with a swift motion, he pulled his hand away and she regained her composure as she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"T-Thank you." She spluttered, her lashes fluttering and her face flushed with a pinch of red from embarrassment. He had probably caught her staring for far too long.

"I’ll keep watch outside, until midnight comes." He said, his eyes wavering from hers and she saw his jaws clench, as if he was fighting inwardly, fighting to resist.

"Wait!" She blurted out desperately as he proceeded to leave, but the longer he stayed in the same space with her, the harder it became to resist her.

How had he grown so allured to the enigmatic witch? He had no idea, perhaps she placed an enchantment on him, but he doubted it, he was in his right state of mind, but she elicited a spark in him that had been long dead, she had awoken something buried so deeply in him that he had forgotten it existed.

Slowly, he turned around to face her, soft lines appeared on her forehead as her brows creased in worry. He wondered why she was worried, but then he couldn’t read further into her facial expression, because he was distracted, distracted by her unmatched beauty.

All he could think of was her features that were right in his face, of her beautiful white hair that billowed behind her in soft waves, her almond shaped grey eyes peering into his contrasting blue ones.

Drowning in his thoughts, her voice abruptly jolted him back into reality "Why did you remove my binds? Won’t you get in trouble for doing that? Moreover, I could escape, which means bigger trouble." She reasoned out.

"I’ll put it back on when it’s time for your trial and no, you can’t escape, at least not when I’m here." Aldric said with confidence as he squared his shoulders pridefully.

"Right, I’ll see you at the trial then." She said with a small smile and he returned it with a nod.

He hesitated for a moment before approaching the door, while she watched his retreating figure in unease until he was about to open it.

Locking and unlocking her fingers in unease, she pondered on whether or not to call after him, her heart pounding erratically against her chest, but when he got hold of the door handle, she instinctively blurted out "Would you like to stay with me?"

As the words came rushing out, he froze in his step for a moment, leaving them in awkward silence while she bit her bottom lip in nervousness.

Slowly, he veered around to face her, his neutral face held a hint of puzzlement on it. His observant face and his blue eyes boring into hers made her nerves wreck in nervousness, but then, she tried to suppress it. She was never nervous, she always stood out with her chin high in confidence, how dare this alluring warrior make her nervous?

But then, nervousness wasn’t the only thing he made her feel, he made her feel a strange, tingling sensation in her belly, he made her heart flutter and her mind in chaos.

And the strange sensations he elicited within her, felt undeniably good. She had found herself fantasizing about him in her head, even in her ugly predicament.

"Would you like me to stay?" He questioned her and she swallowed softly, taken aback by the intenseness of his voice, but his crystal eyes seemed to be even more intense as their eyes locked momentarily.

"Yes, certainly. It would be quite boring being alone in here, besides you could keep a better eye on me inside." She said with a small smile.

"Is that why you want me to stay?" He suddenly asked, leaving her speechless for a moment as she tried to comprehend the question.

"Yes." She muttered in uncertainty.

He seemed to be asking indirectly if she wanted him, to be wanting more and she could see it in his eyes, that dangerous glint of longing similar to her own, the irresistible urge to have her like she wanted him, despite being aware of their impossible future together, despite being aware of the dangers if ever they succumbed to the temptation of their desires.

But in case she was wrong about the clear signs he was giving, she reasoned it was best to act oblivious, after all, their future together seemed inconceivable. He was a renowned warrior in his kingdom, meanwhile, she served as the royal diviner in Voltaire’s Empire, they could never be.

Without trying to see their future, she could already see that they had no future together, it was simply impossible and if they tried for even a second, they would live the rest of their days with longing and burdened regret.

She found herself ensnared in the tangled web of her thoughts. With the flickering light of candles casting dancing shadows upon the walls, she stood in silent contemplation, her mind consumed by the weight of an unspoken truth that threatened to unravel the very fabric of her being.

As she gazed into the depths of the mystical flames that flickered before her, Zoya felt the tendrils of forbidden desire coil around her heart like a serpent’s embrace. For in the recesses of her soul, she harbored a feeling that dared not speak its name, a forbidden feeling for Aldric, the renowned warrior whose valor and strength had captured her heart with a fierceness that defied reason and rationale.

Yet even as her thoughts drifted inexorably towards the object of her affection, Zoya knew with a certainty that pierced her very soul that their love could never be.

She was bound by duty and obligation to her kingdom, her destiny inexorably intertwined with the whims of fate and the demands of her royal lineage. And Aldric, with his steadfast devotion to his people and his sworn oath as a warrior, could never be hers to claim.

With a heavy sigh that echoed through the stillness of the chamber like a mournful lament, Zoya closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her fragile resolve. For though her heart ached with a longing that knew no bounds, she knew that to pursue such forbidden desires would only lead to heartache and despair.

And so, with a steely determination born of necessity, Zoya resolved to shut out her feelings for Aldric, to bury them deep within the recesses of her soul where they could not harm. For she knew that to cling to a love that could never be would only serve to prolong her agony, condemning her to a lifetime of regret and sorrow.

As she wove the threads of her thoughts into a tapestry of resignation and acceptance, Zoya felt the weight of her decision settle upon her shoulders like a heavy burden.

Yet even as the tears threatened to spill from her eyes, she knew that it was better to let go sooner rather than later, to spare herself and Aldric the pain of a love that could never blossom beneath the shadow of their impossible futures.

Zoya knew that she could not allow herself to be consumed by the flames of passion that threatened to engulf her. For she had seen the future laid bare before her in the sacred visions that she conjured as a diviner of the royal court, and she knew that their love was but a fleeting illusion destined to fade into obscurity with time.

In all her visions, not once had she ever seen a glimpse of herself being with a man she loved, and not once had she envisioned herself having a family, perhaps it wasn’t meant to be for her, perhaps this was the fate she was meant to carry out, one without a weakness or a distraction.

"Are you okay?" She heard Aldric’s voice resonate in her ears, it was weirdly soothing and when she heard it, all her rational reasoning went out of her head, she suddenly shoved aside the risks and dangers if she were to succumb to his irresistible charm.

Perhaps, they could both defy fate together, she reasoned inwardly, her sense of logic flying out the window.

"Yes, I was just nervous about the trial, it’s near." She lied smoothly as she gave out a nervous chuckle.

"There’s nothing to worry about, if you can convince them enough that you mean no harm, they’ll consider your freedom. I’ll help you convince them." Aldric remarked and then, he averted his gaze from her.

She beamed a smile at him and she saw him gulp softly "Why are you, a great warrior helping a prisoner?" She unexpectedly queried.

"It’s not about why I’m helping, it’s who I’m helping." Aldric said in a solemn tone, his blue eyes piercing into hers.