Wife of The Demon Prince
Chapter 302: A deal

Chapter 302: A deal

"Your highness!" Henry called walking towards Eadlin who was hurriedly making her way down a deserted alleyway in the city.

"Your highness please stop!"

"Can you please stop calling me that!" Eadlin suddenly halted her steps turning around, she snapped.

It was a good thing Eadlin hadn’t gone too far, and when he had realized her absence behind him, Henry had quickly followed the path, and there he saw her walking away in hurried steps.

She glared at him, her face showing a mix of emotions, anger, exhaustion, defeat.

"I’m no longer a princess, I don’t deserve that title, from now on, I’m nothing more than any other person on the streets, so please, stop addressing me as such, and please stop following me." Tears slid down her face.

Henry knew she had been through a lot tonight, and the weight of what actually happened to her was just settling in.

Eadlin turned around to leave, she seemed determined to go.

"Come back with me your highness."

Her steps suddenly paused, but she didn’t turn around. Henry took a few steps forward.

"Your title hasn’t been officially revoked your highness, your brother is the king." Henry stated straightforwardly.

"My mother, ruined the lives of so many people, she ruined mine..." She gestured to her paralyzed arm, "...and, she killed my father." She sobbed lightly, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Her mother hadn’t shown any remorse in locking her up even with her paralyzed arm. Eadlin had to listen to so many harsh words from the very woman who was supposed to love her more than anything since she birthed her into this world.

Merona called her words like weak, and useless, a waste of all her years of upbringing. Her mother was completely disappointed in the way she turned out so much so she had wanted to marry her off to a rich but blind nobleman just to get rid of her.

Eadlin didn’t want to be a burden to anyone else, not to her brother, and not to Henry, she would rather leave.

"Please allow me to leave Lord Henry, there’s no place for me here anymore." She muttered softly.

"And where do you plan to go?"

"I plan to head off south, far off the borders of the Bimmari mountains, I heard there’s a holy house of worship, I’d like to spend the rest of my life serving as a nun, perhaps that way I can atone for my mother’s sins." Eadlin firmly believed that her mother’s deeds were unforgivable, but she was willing to spend the rest of her life to atone for them.

"The Bimmari mountains are far away from Findara, how do you expect yourself to get there?" Henry frowned deeply. Had she been planning to actually go to the Bimmari mountains this whole time, forget the fact that she would be dead even before she would get to scale the mountains, she would definitely not be allowed out of Findara’s gates without a permit.

"I will manage, you have done enough for me Lord Henry, I am immensely grateful." She did a small bow to express her gratitude the way a common folk would to a noble. Regardless of what Henry said about her title not being revoked yet, Eadlin already knew her place. "Farewell."

After saying that, she turned around and once again began to walk away.

Henry quietly watched the slender figure walk away with a firm determination. For some reason it made him remember how she had been foolishly brave enough to put her hand into the armour even after knowing full well that it was poisoned.

But now, watching her determined but slender back as she walked away, he realized she wasn’t foolishly brave, no, that wasn’t it, instead she was a pure and kind soul, she was selfless enough to not think of the effects something would have on herself, but rather would mindlessly put someone else first, she had a firm sense of responsibility regardless of how pampered her upbringing had been. But then perhaps she hadn’t been pampered at all.

Henry watched her leave with slight astonishment in his eyes. For some reason, he felt immense respect for the kind of person she was, her selfless kindness and sense of responsibility were incredibly rare qualities. Whatever man that would get to be her husband in the future, should be honored. And he had taken a vow to find a suitable man who would be willing to take care of her, so he would definitely fulfill that.

"You can’t go to the Bimmari mountains your highness." Henry suddenly called loudly.

Eadlin suddenly paused in her steps, she turned to look at him straightly, "You can’t stop me from leaving Lord Henry."

"It is not me who will stop you, you cannot leave the borders of Findara without a permit." He announced seeing surprise surface in her eyes, "You will be captured and taken to the palace council for questioning." Seeing how her eyes widened, he knew the last place she wanted to return to was the palace. Though she had committed no crimes, she was still ashamed to face anyone due to her mother’s sins, Henry was once again astonished by her.

With the unwavering determination he had seen in her eyes earlier, Henry knew there was no way he would be convincing her to come back with him, so he decided to make a deal with her.

"If you’re really determined to go to the Bimmari mountains, then I’ll help you." Eadlin swung up her head to look at him in shock, "I’ll get a permit, and I’ll also make sure to deliver you safely to the nun house."

"You would really help me?" She asked with slightly moist eyes.

"Yes." Henry looked as rigid as always, "However on a condition."

Eadlin gave him a questioning look.

"You will return with me to the Boxton mansion, and I will try my best to find a suitable groom for you, but if I fail to do so, I will help you leave to the Bimmari mountains..."

Before he could even finish speaking, she scoffed, "Are you forgetting Lord Henry? No man will want to marry me." She glanced down at her slack arm.

Henry’s rigid expression softened a bit, he then said, "Appearances are just an illusion your highness, a real man will want to marry you for your virtues, not for outward appearance, allow me to find that man for you, give me the chance to help you this time."

Henry would have wanted to take responsibility for her and be the one to marry her himself just to give her a secure life just like he had promised Hamon, however, he had come to realize that she was a woman of firm principles, and she seemed quite stubborn. She would never agree to marry him knowing he was doing it for responsibility. So it would be best he found a man who would be more than willing to take care of her for the rest of his life. Love her for who she was and accept her.

Eadlin was momentarily quiet as if she was considering his offer to help. If she stubbornly left she wouldn’t be allowed to step out of the borders without a permit and would be taken to the council, that would only get her into more trouble, and if she continued to wander around the city, she might end up getting in the wrong hands again, just like what happened with lady Gold.

Eadlin exhaled, and looked back at Henry with a defeated expression, she was mentally and physically exhausted, "Fine...I will go back with you and do as you say, but if no man agrees to take me as their wife despite my arm, you will take me to the Bimmari mountains yourself. Deal?" She raised a brow in question. She knew no man in his right senses would take her as his wife, and so she would agree to his condition.

Henry gave a nod of his head, "Deal. Shall we go back now..." His words trailed off as his eyes fell on her ripped dress around the shoulder, his fine brows drew together in a deep frown, "Who did that to you? Did anybody touch you at the whorehouse?" He asked calmly, however deep down he could feel his own blood boiling in his veins as rage stirred within him. She was his responsibility, and the thought of someone touching her made him more annoyed than he should be.

Eadlin crossed her good arm around her body, she then shook her head, "No, I’m not that vulnerable to allow myself to be taken advantage of by some lecher, I gave him the kicking of his life, and also whacked his head with a tea cup..." She remarked proudly, but her brown eyes filled with tears again. What would have happened if she hadn’t known how to defend herself?

Henry couldn’t help the chuckle that escape his mouth, "You whacked his head with a tea cup?" He asked in slight disbelief.

Eadlin nodded, "Mhmm...was that too much?"

Henry shook his head, he then spoke like a proud brother praising his sister, "Not at all, if I were you, he wouldn’t be alive by now. You did well."

A small smile crossed Eadlin’s mouth at his praise. Apart from her half brother, she had never received any praises from anyone else before. And hearing it from Henry brought a smile to her face.

Henry took off his coat, he then walked towards Eadlin and held it out to her, "Here, wear this."

She looked down at the coat he handed her then glanced up at his face, "You don’t have to..."

"I insist, it’s cold and your dress is torn. To avoid drawing attention to yourself on our way back to the mansion, wear this." He stated firmly, with his stern expression.

Eadlin no longer made any protest and took the coat with her good arm while muttering a "thank you." However, seeing that she was finding it hard to wear it, Henry took the coat from her hand, "Allow me." He said as he swiftly draped it around her shoulders, while not making any contact with her body.

He adjusted the coat around her shoulders, making sure to cover her ripped dress, he then stepped back, "Let’s go."