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“Epictetus,” he said.
“Interesting. I would’ve pinned you for a Marcus Aurelius fan.”
“Based on their mark on philosophy, it would be difficult to choose any of them. The reason I picked Epictetus is because of his terrible upbringing. He’s been through all and still chose to live. Not only live but also teach others how to do it.”
I felt a tinge of sadness in his tone and felt curious to delve deeper, but Gabriel spoke first. “Let’s not talk about the gloomy parts of history and continue our tour.”
I looked once more around the room and noticed a door. “Where does this door lead to?”
“I thoroughly enjoy the curious historian dwelling within you. Let me show you,” he said as he led me to the entry. When he opened, my jaw dropped (an often occurrence as of late). It was a Petra Mini-Museum. My phone was displayed in a glass enclosure in the center. All my chemises and dresses hung around the room. The pocketknife had its own display, as well as my wallet, my entrance ticket to the castle, the Glinting Book, and my dagger. Everything else was plastered with photographs of me. Gabriel noticed my confused demeanor and said, “They’re all from your phone. You cannot imagine my joy when they first came out with phones similar to yours. I could finally charge it and look through all your beautiful pictures.”
“But you knew where I lived. You could’ve found me anytime you wished.”
“And risk scaring you off or, worse, changing the trajectory of time? Your fate is not yet sealed, and you have the freedom to walk away anytime. I waited for hundreds of years. I could wait for another two decades. Though I can’t say it was easy. When you first arrived in Bra?ov, I couldn’t help but follow you around. At least, to get a glimpse of the love of my life.”
“Do not tell me you were the one who gave me the umbrella and entered my hotel room at night.”
He smiled shyly. “Indeed, but then, the closer you got to the palace, the more paranoid you became. I feared you would be too rattled to find the Eye of the Dragon.”
I turned toward the end of the room and saw my medieval dress. “Why is the dress I time-traveled recently in a glass box?” I asked.
“Your dress is beyond important as a relic of our past, but also because it is the last dress I saw you in before you disappeared.” The pain in his voice resounded across the room.
I rushed to hug him. “I’m sorry. You’ve been through so much.”
“Do not fret, Milady. I did it for myself as well. I wished to live through time and experience its history, but I never imagined it would be so difficult without you by my side.”
As a small compensation, I kissed his sweet lips, to which he reacted with greediness and deepened our kiss. Unaware of where our legs took us, I stumbled onto a wall, where he pressed a button and plunged us into a secret room. It got so dark I couldn’t even see my hands. “Where are we?” I asked.
“It is a place I made for both of us when we want to escape the world.” I heard his footsteps coming closer. He caressed my lips with his thumb.
“Don’t tell me you can also see in the dark,” I said.
He chuckled and kissed me once more, greedier than before. His hands traveled dexterously on my body. The scoundrel definitely could see in the dark while I was at the mercy of his actions. Gabriel pinned me to a wall and began ravishing me. Vulnerable but also curious, I let his every move surprise me. He kissed my neck and whispered in my ear, “Will I ever have enough of you? I’m ready to devour you completely.”
I wasn’t sure I was ready to become his morning feast, though I didn’t have to, for in the next moment, his phone rang.
“Saved by the bell,” I said.
“Nothing can save you from my snares, but it is morning, and work must be done,” he said as he checked his phone.
“I never got to ask you what you do for a living,” I said.
“I run an international antique art business,” he said.
“That seems logical.”
“How about I answer this call while you enjoy your morning with a bath or whatever you like?”
“I’d like to call my mom and dad. And also, Mei. They might’ve spoken to me a few days ago, but I didn’t speak to them in more than two years.”
“Great idea. I’ll have someone from our staff bring you a phone. Come, let’s step into the light.” He took my hand and led me out of the obscure passage.
Now I became blinded by the light while he didn’t even blink.
“Let’s get you back to your room.”
Once I sat on my bed, he gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek. He called Shadow to follow him and left. I crashed onto the bed, still uncertain if my life was real. It was nothing short of a fairy tale. We went through many sacrifices, especially Gabriel, but in the end, our wish came true. We were together. The other stuff were bonuses, as I felt just as happy in our little cottage in Wallachia as in this Victorian castle.
