The Dragon Prince's Bride
Chapter 56. A fair bargain.

Chapter 56: 56. A fair bargain.

Fear was really a frighteningly powerful thing. Who would have thought that she would be the one holding onto the man she was desperately running from in the first place?

Barak thought she was a very foolish woman, in fact she was probably the most foolish woman he had ever had the privilege of meeting. And he could not understand how a person could be cunningly smart and also foolish at the same time.

That was what he was thinking as he ran into the forest but seeing her trembling miserably, desperately holding onto him for dear life, he could not help but pity her. He couldn’t help remembering his father’s words.

’She is just a child’.

On reaching the barrier that protected the capital from the forest, Barak’s rented horse refused to take any step further into the forest. So he was forced to leave the poor animal and venture into the forest himself.

But not before conjuring a fiery chain with his powers and tying it upon a try outside the barrier. For all that remained of sunlight was just a little colorful hue in the sky, it was quickly getting dark and he could already imagine what inside the forest would be like.

It would be foolish for him who was there to rescue her to also get lost inside the forest, so he attached the fiery chain that ran down from his left wrist to the tree so it could serve as a guide to find his way back out of the forest. The further he moved into the forest the more the chain elongated.

Maybe it was because of the connection created by the marking, but now that he was inside the forest, he could feel an immense sense of fear. He was sure he wasn’t the one who was afraid. This fear wasn’t coming from him.

It was a foreign feeling. And that foreign fear only ignited his own fear as it was almost like he was her and he could feel what she was feeling at the moment. He could feel her heart was racing beyond normal. She was in danger and that feared him so he ran deeper into the forest. The chain leaving a defined path behind him.

He called her name as he ran deeper and deeper into the forest. Thanks to the power of being a dragon blood, seeing in the darkness was no problem for him at all so unlike Neriah who kept running into trees, he could easily avoid them as he made his way further into the trees.

"Please! Please save me!!" He heard the voice. Her voice. So he ran, he ran desperately in that direction and he saw her, running with everything she had in her, running towards him without even seeing him.

And she crashed into him, his arms impulsively, almost compulsively wrapped around her petite little figure as his beating heart slowly calmed, "You_" He let out a dry breath and scoffed as he felt her trembling in his arms, "You truly are one very foolish Spitfire." He breathed as her hands on his body tightened and he really pitied her. Sincerely...

"Thank you goddess." She breathed as she clenched his clothes. He knew she knew it was him and yet she held him. It showed how desperate she was, for her to thank the goddess that he showed even though he was someone she loathed.

"Ahh! ’Tis a dragon blood." The voices came and Neriah flinched in fear, and ran behind him. "Begone dragon blood! We do not wish to touch you. All we ask is the girl." The horrible voices spoke and although Neriah couldn’t see them well, Barak could see the creatures clearly in the dark.

"What do we do? For she is to be my bride I cannot leave her in the hands of beasts."

"She came into our home. We shall have her! Away with you, descendant of the white dragon. Leave the girl. Give her to us and we shall be gone." The beasts continued. Barak could tell, they were afraid of him. There was no other reason for them to continue stalling. It was not a new thing to him. He had met many a beasts that fled just because of his scent. In fact these beasts were even among the few brave ones who dared stayed and even converted with him.

"Do not give me to them. I know you hate me but you can not give me to them. I am a princess of Avelah. A precious princess." She finally spoke up. To think he was pitying her a while ago. To think he was thinking she was scared out of her pride, ego and rude tongue. He was just being delusional.

She was still the same arrogant brat. ’Maybe I should just give her to them and return back.’ The thought crossed his mind. But he shook it away. She was a brat, but he didn’t have to be a brute.

But he could at least tease her.

"All you want is the girl?" He asked and he could already feel her tense up behind him. Should he take it a little further? He wondered, "What do I get if I give her to you?"

"What!" Neriah yelped and forgot for a second that she was hiding from the beasts as she jumped in front of him with eyes big and wide staring at him.

"What do you desire? A piece of her flesh? We will let you have it."

"That sounds like a fair bargain." He nodded and her eyes widened even more.

"What! Why you lousy barbarian! I knew it. You are a good for nothing scoundrel." There she went on again raining insults upon him. That little swearing mouth of hers. He wished to put a lock on it.

"Why so agitated princess? You tried to have my head. I am simply repaying the kind courtesy I received from you." He could see her visibly trembling all over again at his words. At least she shut her mouth.

Or so he wished... "Why you shameless monster!!" Barak quietly watched as her mouth opened and closed angrily."You are such a petty person. You are not worthy of being a prince. You are nothing but a beast in man form! You are as disgusting as—" her words broke off as Barak’s hand reached for his lengthy sword, and his left hand reached for hers and pulled her to his body as he swung his sword much to Neriah’s shock.

A loud shriek filled the forest and Neriah quickly covered her ears with her hands. "Dragon blood!! What is this!" The beasts said in sync once again as one of the bodies; the one he had swung his sword at dissipated into the dark night.

"’Tis what it is. I have said it, she is to become my bride, and even though she is a foolish arrogant woman, only I should have the right to touch her." He said. Then gently pushed her behind him again, she was quiet once again.

"Now, do you wish to let us go in peace or would you fight me for my—" His words were cut short by the loud growl of the beasts charging towards him. And he nodded. "I guess that means fight." He muttered and with a quick motion, he unclasped his cloak and tossed it to her. He was going to make it quick. He still had to make it back in time for his wedding after all.

...

Thanks to the strange fiery chain and the constant use of fiery blasts by Barak, Neriah could get glimpses of the fight. She could not see clearly, but she could just tell when another beast dissipated into the air.

Was that the man she was being forced to marry? What kind of man was he? She had been terrified when those voices spoke to her. She had been scared out of her mind when she saw the beast but that barbarian, he was different.

He appeared out of nowhere, wasn’t shocked by the very least about the appearance of the beasts and even conversed with them like they were old time friends.

When he had said he would give her to them, she was scared so she had challenged him, but when he had cut down the first beast and told them she was his bride and only he had the right to touch her, she was even more scared so she could not say a single thing.

She was scared because those words sounded like he meant that only he had the right to punish her. Punishment... The word reminded her of her nightmare. She had ran into this forest dreading that nightmare coming to life. But he caught her at the port and he found her here again.

How did he even find her? And why would he enter into such a forest for someone he loathed? We’ll seeing how he conversed with thee beasts, and how she hadn’t heard any strained groan from him, he was experienced in facing beasts like this.

As expected of a barbarian... As expected. He was no normal person. She needed to run away from him. She could not live with a beast slayer who was clearly a beast himself. She could not see the fight well, but the little she saw was enough to make her convinced that she did not want to spend the rest of her life with this kind of man.

Although he came to save her and she was a little grateful for that, he was still a barbarian. So she had to run from him. But she could not run now. She was not stupid. He was the only lifeline in the forest. She’d wait.

When he got her out, she’d find her way again.