Wife of The Demon Prince
Chapter 80: Memories of the past (part 3)

Chapter 80: Memories of the past (part 3)

[ music recommendation: Polar Star _ Sung by Chen Xueran]

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Hamon finally left Findara and joined the soldiers in Greenwood, leaving his kingdom behind he took on a new identity, he cut his long hair short. He had no desire to live long, if only he could just die and leave the entire world. He had tried to kill himself, but the stupid monster healed him.

Hamon looked down at the ring in his hand, he’d turned the stone his mother gave him into a ring so that he’d never lose it. He wondered what was the use of the stone.

Just as Hamon was walking down the street after training, he heard a small commotion ahead of him.

"She’s a thief, she tried to steal my money!"

"She should be punish, I’ve seen her around for some time now, but I didn’t know she’s a thief!"

Hamon wanted to just ignore them and walk past the ruckus, but something in him pushed him towards the main direction the noises were coming from, he wasn’t certain if it was just his curiosity or another force he couldn’t comprehend, as he reached the place, a red haired young woman came to view, her green eyes looked broken. He knew so well what that look in her eyes meant. Loneliness, emptiness, abandoned.

As their eyes met it felt like the people around him had faded, he suddenly felt a sting in his chest at how she looked. But even though she was being treated bad by the people, there was no single sign of tears in her eyes, women were usually frail and fragile, but she looked firm and resolute, without an alms of cowardice despite the trouble she’d fallen in.

"What’s going on here?" He asked.

"This lady here took my money! Either she pays or be punished." The man yelled as he moved to drag Ara by her hair again. But Hamon stepped between them blocking the man from reaching her, "How much is the money?"

"Are you going to pay me?" The man asked as he looked Hamon up and down.

Hamon nodded,"Mm..."

After Hamon paid the man the people who gathered around to watch the man punish the woman all began to leave one after the other since the anticipated show would not be happening. Leaving him alone with the young woman who sat on the ground staring up at him with her fiery green eyes, she looked quite haggard, with her torn clothes dyed an unknown color from mud and dirt. He didn’t know why, but something in him wanted to protect her.

They stared at each other without saying anything for a moment, before Hamon finally cleared his throat and said, "I don’t know why you stole his money...But don’t ever do such thing again, it will put you in trouble. If I didn’t come here that man would have..." He paused. Why was he even scolding her?

Hamon put his hand in his pocket and brought out a small pouch of coins, he dropped it in front of her. "Here, You can have this...don’t ever steal." It wasn’t much but he was sure it would help her. Just when he turned to leave,

"Wait!" Ara called.

Hamon turned with his brows drawn together, "...?"

She looked him up and down before she asked, "Are you...a soldier?"

Of course, he was still wearing his uniform. Hamon was momentarily speechless at first.

"Hmm." He hummed. Wondering why she asked. But her next words shocked him,

"I want to be one of you...can you help me become a soldier? I want to be stronger." She said with determination in her tone.

"What?" When he heard her words he couldn’t help but be surprised as there were no female soldiers in the army.

She continued, "If you help me, I’d forever be grateful. I want to be stronger."

He stared at her a bit bewildered for what seemed like an eternity, but however long he stared there was no mistaking the firm resolution in her eyes, brimming with determination and a tiny hint of desperation, she made her will to become strong clear and for some reason, staring Into the piercing pair of blazing green eyes before him, he had not a single doubt that she could and in fact would be able to achieve the feat. "I will make you a soldier if that’s what you want..." He said without even realizing it, something about the woman told him she was lost, empty, dejected just like he was.

"Alright, I want to start today. Take me there now. " she then added when he didn’t say anything, "Please..."

Hamon thought her to be out of her mind at first, but then the more he looked into her eyes, his dead heart that had seemed dormant all his life started to beat faster than normal, It was just like a mountains iceberg that had suddenly been introduced to flame, slowly melting from its core. What was wrong with him?

"Come with me, let’s go." He said, then she followed behind him slowly as if she’d been hurt as she was walking barefooted.

Hamon was the general to the army in Greenwood, after leaving Findara he sought for a place no one knew him, arriving at Greenwood he’d immediately joined their army, from a newly recruited soldier he slowly worked his way up as he brought countless victories to the small kingdom, his ruthless way of fighting from a man who cared little about his own life, he would go into battle with one firm desire to kill or be killed neither which would be a loss to him.

He incited fear into the other larger kingdoms that had wanted to conquer Greenwood, solidifying the small kingdoms status in all the lands, he was later appointed general of the Greenwood army.

He took the young lady with him to the army base and made her one of the new recruits being tried into the army. Since then his boring and lonely life became exciting as he always looked forward to their training. Even though Ara was cold and stubborn, he found her amusing.

As time went by, she was quick to learn how to wield a sword, she started going to war with men, slaying countless number of heads. She was determined and always training.

Ara slowly started to treat him as a friend, but he never once asked her about her family or where she came from, and either did he reveal his own identity.

Few years passed by, and she became so close to him, she became far more important to him than he would have expected. Hamon became protective of her, he started to grow feelings for her, but never told her. He soon found out Ara had the other half of the stone his mother gave him before she left. Was Ara his other half?

They were times he’d almost confessed his feelings towards her, but he held back as he knew she didn’t feel that way about him. He didn’t want to push her away by showing his feelings.

Sometimes he’d see her training at night while she cried, he never knew the reasons for her tears. But he really wanted to wipe the pain from her heart, countless times he’d had the urge to go forward and pull her close, hold her in his arms to eliminate whatever pain that lurked deep within her soul, but he’d held back, for the first time in his life, her existence became the sole reason a small desire grew within him, the desire to live, and he wasn’t at all averse to it.

There was a time, after they came back from the battle victorious. All the soldiers gathered around the fire to celebrate their victory, everybody were drinking.

"No...that’s enough, Ara. You’re a woman, You shouldn’t drink too much." Hamon nagged as he took the bottle from Ara, who was already quite drunk.

"Give it back!...You...You..." She paused to think of an insult, before saying,"Give it to me you...bottle snatcher!" She insulted as she tried to snatch the bottle from him, but he raised his hand up so she wouldn’t be able to reach it as he was taller than her.

Ara was beautiful when being cold, but he liked this cute and flushed side of her a lot more. "Why do you want to drink more, after you’re already this drunk?" He teased.