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So whatever facade he put on for everyone else, he couldn't lie to her, not after he'd shown her who he really was deep down. Aelwen had forgotten amongst her own fears and hurts, but she knew now that she should never have given up on him. The part of Vinir that hadn't wanted to hurt her was still there somewhere. She just had to find him.
Chapter 10 - Vinir
The stables were in a frenzy as the stable hands and nobles currently residing on the grounds prepared for the end-of-season hunt. Dusk was steadily arriving, and the moon was bright in the sky with few clouds, ensuring that the weather would be clear for the night to come.
The season's hunt was always one of Vinir's favorite events of the year. Although he personally wasn't a big hunter and definitely preferred human blood to drinking from animals, it was a tradition in his kingdom and had been since long before he became king.
He grew up on these hunts, and one day his children would, too.
A stableboy guided Vinir's horse from the stall and into the pasture, where Vinir was waiting in his riding boots and slim-fitting shirt. A lot of the other hunters wore cloaks, but Vinir opted not to because he liked to get on the ground and stalk his prey, and the cloak often rustled too many branches and alerted any game to his presence.
The warhorse stopped in front of Vinir, imposing and powerful, standing at least sixteen hands high in all its regal splendor. Its coat was glossy, raven-black, and its mane and tail were thick and flowing. Its eyes gazed out with a noble intelligence.
"I wish you a good time tonight, my king!" the stableboy said as Vinir climbed up onto the horse's back. "Happy hunting!"
Vinir smirked and nodded to the boy. He grabbed his crossbow off his back, checking that its gears were operational and that he had the correct ammo. Seeing it was all there, hetook his reins and began to steer toward the forest on the edge of the castle grounds.
In the corner of his eye, another horse approached him. This was a chestnut mare, and riding her was Aelwen, fully garbed with riding gear. His heart stuttered in his chest at seeing those long legs wrapped in tight leather and a bodice with a neckline just low enough to show off her ample cleavage—the things this woman did to him without even trying.
He adjusted on top of his horse, irritated that he was aroused simply by the sight of her. When truly, he should still be mad at her. Mad that she'd pushed him to the brink and made him attack Lord Sawgar in front of the court, revealing the truth of his curse to everyone when he'd worked so hard to keep it a secret. Mad that she'd been avoiding him, and he couldn't blame her.
When the truth was, all he'd wanted to do was protect her. He didn't do soft and gentle, but for some reason, Aelwen made him want to try. If only he knew where to start.
He pulled the reins of his horse and slowed as she neared. "Oh, my king," she said. "I heard this night hunt is a tradition in Zacorith. Is this true?"
"It is. We gather together every year, humans, vampires, and everyone else, to hunt the creatures of the night together and feast until dawn. We've been preparing for tonight for longer than our wedding."
Aelwen smirked. "Then I hope you are prepared to take me with you and show me how it's done? I can't say that hunting is my specialty, but I know my way around a bow."
Vinir smiled back at her. "Of course, you may ride with me. I'm glad you decided to come. Are you ready?"
"Let's go!"
He urged his horse forward into the dark forest. As they rode alongside each other through the trails of trees, he could feel Aelwen's presence more than ever before. It was comforting knowing that despite everything, she was still willing to try to be his wife.
He wouldn't have blamed her if, after the last time he'd blown up at her, she gave up for good and avoided him at all costs. But back then, he hadn't been ready to accept her into his life. He hadn't been ready to face the fact that maybe, just maybe, it would be possible for him to have her without risking harm to her person every time he wanted to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her.
Now, however, he was ready.
He was ready for her.
The darkness engulfed them almost immediately as they entered the forest depths where the moonlight struggled to reach. The trees grew tall and thick around them, blocking out all light from outside except for what glinted off of their weapons and shone brightly under the moonlight above them.
"I must warn you, this isn't a normal hunt," Vinir said once they'd gone far enough down the path that they would begin to see a wild game if they were observant enough. "Humans hunt the gentle creatures during the daylight hours, but we hunt for things of great power, monsters that lurk in the shadows."
Aelwen laughed and drew her bow from her back, a determined look in her eye. "I'm ready," she said confidently. "I might be a princess, but I am no stranger to monsters. The creatures that lurk in the darkwoods in Gaivalon would scare even the likes of you."
Vinir chuckled. "Oh? Tell me about these creatures."
"There are the dovkar, creatures of blood and bone that are alive merely on the resentment and rage of the murdered fae. They make dire wolves look like puppies. And there are the witherhowens, singing trees that take the shape of beautiful dryads and lure men into their trunks, where they are kept alive to feed the tree for as long as possible."
"Creepy. Perhaps our dire wolves aren't so terrifying in comparison, then. Have you ever encountered either?"
Aelwen was quiet for a long moment, and Vinir found himself slowing down to glance at her. She looked like she was in a faraway dream, but then she caught him looking at her, and she smiled.
"No, I haven't, but ... the year I was born, my brother, my father's firstborn son, was captured by a witherhowen. I was just a baby, so I remember nothing about that time, but my sister still has a hard time talking about it, and I think some part of my father must blame me for what happened."
"Why would anyone blame you? You were just a baby."
