Chapter 6

   Freya followed him outside of the castle with an anxious face and scared heart. He looked so normal when he told his father that going out was a good idea. Was he going to do something to her?

 It was really dark now, probably past 7P.M., and Freya didn't want to see the kingdom for the first time at night—maybe because she feared he'd…

 “Freya,” he called her, his expression blending with the darkness. He was already on one of the black royal horses. 

 “My Lord,” Freya answered, still avoiding his gaze.

 “Get on.“

 Freya looked around in confusion. They were at the back of the palace where up to twenty horses rested, and there were also some guards around. How come he climbed on one of the horses and asked her to get on herself? She'd read novels before. Wasn't he supposed to help her get up the horse? 

 “I don't know how to,” she replied, sounding puzzled and frustrated. 

 “Have you never rode a horse?“ 

 What? Rode? His intention was for her to ride on another horse different from his? Freya gasped and closed her mouth.

 “I haven't. I'm not from here, remember? Not that I even know where “here” is.“ Freya said the last words before she could stop herself, then bit her lips and cursed her actions. 

 Draven stared at the woman on the ground. More than anything he wanted to hit her head on the wall and watch her suffer—but something was stopping him. Maybe it was because he was still in the castle. How could she look so scared and yet manage to act and talk courageously? 

 He jumped off the horse and lifted her to it in the space of seconds, and then he joined her. He dragged the reins to himself abruptly and that sent the horse going in the haste of lightning. They soon passed the gate of the castle and Freya tightened her arms around his waist and shut her eyes in fear. The horse kept going at a pace that made her head throb in pain and she pressed her face to his back to keep her from screaming. 

 Freya knew that he was going this fast on purpose. He wanted to get a reaction from her but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her crumble in fear and horror. She was stronger than that and had seen so much in her life to feel that way. She dug her nails into his waist to stall him a little but the beast just kept going. And when Freya finally couldn't take it anymore, she yelled at him to stop at the top of her lungs. The beast obeyed and slowed down before stopping completely.

 A nauseous Freya jumped off the horse in respiration and without caution and ran to a nearby tree to throw-out what she'd managed to eat at dinner. 

 Draven watched her from a reasonable distance with folded hands, looking like a real devil except that he didn't have horns. 

 Freya was done throwing-up at last and weakly turned around to stare angrily at him. “Why did you do that? Are you freaking insane?“ 

 “You should've asked me to slow-down earlier… obviously you thought you could handle it.“ He was moving closer to her as he spoke, and Freya was moving backwards. 

 Freya's sudden dread showed in her eyes. “I-it was your suggestion for us to come out here. I never wanted—” 

 “Why did you come out? For what reason?“ he asked slowly but demandingly, still walking towards her in the dark forest they were in. 

 Oh no, Freya thought. He was going to end her now. But they were in a dark forest. Maybe she could make a run for it and escape for good. She just had to keep him talking and distracted. 

 “I didn't want to come. You were the one who said it was a good—” 

 Soon her back crashed on a tree and his height leaned over hers, eyes dark and ready to tear her apart. 

 “I'm not talking about coming out for this stupid honeymoon! I mean, why did you come out of that room back where I first met you?“ 

 Freya finally realised what he meant, and her eyes widened in shock and confusion. “I—I thought I was meant to get out since you left the doors open.“ 

 “You made a damn mistake!” he growled at her, his eyes suddenly turning golden. 

 Freya almost screamed in fear when she saw his eye colour change. She wanted to run but he was blocking her since both of his hands were placed on either side of the tree and she was in the middle. She had been certain ever since this started that he wasn't human but was just confirming it now.

 Suddenly, his hands were on her neck, pinning her to the tree with his eyes still golden. 

 Freya felt the air around her suck into the earth. She couldn't breathe; her airflow was cut off and all she could do was bring up her hands to push his hands off her neck. 

 Draven didn't flinch even when she dug her fingers into his skin. “I hate you! You remind me of them so much I just want to kill you slowly and painfully.“ His voice was filled with true hatred and it seemed almost like he was being possessed by the devil. 

 Freya saw different memories flash before her eyes, and wondered if this was how it felt like to be at your dying moment. A teardrop slipped from her eyes and more flowed down freely. She prayed for her brother to have a good life without her before she collapsed to the ground.