AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Goblin King closed the distance between us, only to stop a breath away. My eyes found his, forced to look up into his face as he towered over me. “Here is what you have to understand, Serra, there are forces outside my circle who would be more than willing to kill you. Forces that want you dead. You dying would be a bad idea. So I suggest that you don’t.”
“What is that supposed to mean-” I would not allow myself to be afraid of him. He had no power over me, or at least that’s what I would have told myself. Even as he spoke about others who would see me dead. “Do you want me dead?”
His sharp gaze pierced through me, and his lip twitched with a hint of amusement as he assessed my disheveled appearance. He didn't respond to my question, instead his eyes trailed down to the tattered remnants of the once luxurious silk fabric clinging to my body.
“A bit indecent, aren’t you?” he remarked dryly, causing my face to flush with embarrassment. Ideally wearing the dress Kaston had given me was not the best choice, but I hadn't had a chance to change before he’d whisked me away.
The male's infuriating demeanor only made me more irritable. I couldn't stand his arrogance and indifference to my discomfort. I muttered a string of curses under my breath as I pushed past him, desperate to distance myself from his presence. However, his voice stopped me in my tracks.
“I came to offer you something more appropriate to wear, but it seems you are more interested in hurling insults than listening to what I have to say.” His words echoed, causing me to turn back to him.
“Why bother?” I retorted, my tone laced with bitterness. “Why are you even here?” I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of a sincere answer. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in them- but it was gone as quickly as it had come, replaced by the familiar coldness that always seemed to surround him. My cheeks heated up, embarrassed by my outburst, but also frustrated that he seemed so apathetic.
I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide the tattered remains of the silk dress. I would have preferred to strip it off and burn it, but I had no other clothes to wear. He seemed to enjoy seeing me in this state, helpless and exposed.
He shrugged, his eyes scanning my torn outfit. “You are more than welcome to carry on wearing that,” he said, pointing to the pale blue shreds. “but I cannot imagine it being very comfortable.” His voice was laced with a hint of amusement, as if he found all of this amusing.
I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to lash out at him. Instead asking, “why are you being so gracious right now?”
His whole body tensed. “I’m not.”
My eyes narrowed, “are you not? Why offer me something else to wear at all then, how is that not an act of kindness?”
The Goblin King faltered, his resolve cracking. “You mistake motive for kindness. Let me remind you, let me be perfectly clear, Serra. I am not kind, nor am I willing to bend for anyone, least of all for you.”
I should have been hurt, his words should have made me crumble and shrink away but I couldn't help but smirk at him. Not as a dangerous thought entered my head. It could have come forth from a many number of things. My own impulse or lack of sleep but with as much courage as I could muster I swaggered up to him, cocking my head to the side as I said, “No? But you offer something anyway. I wonder though. . . Is this dress too revealing for you now?”
Oh, was I playing a dangerous game.
What had been left of it barely covered anything. Exposing more skin now than it had last night. I ran a hand down the front, across my décolletage and over the curve of my breasts. My heart thundered away in my chest as his eyes followed the movement. He did not move, he did not hesitate.
He watched unabashedly. His eyes tracked my hand as it ran down the front and over my navel. I should have felt embarrassed but oddly in that moment I felt powerful. As if I had a hold over him, his attention solely on me.
“Quite the contrary, Princess.” his voice was hoarse, I’d affected him. Nevertheless, a hint of cold indifference laced his next sentence. “It truly is not for my welfare that I offered you a change of dress.”
And just like that it was gone. Any courage I had, melted away as his eyes flicked up away from me. Vicious, abhorrent, and insensitive.He silently stepped around me not caring to utter another word and walked away, disappearing into a cloud of smoke before soaring up into the welcoming blue sky and white clouds.
I muttered under my breath, “Prick.”
My scowl deepened as I watched him soar away, but as I turned back to face the spot where he had been, my anger dissipated when I saw a neatly folded pile of fabrics. It took a moment for me to realize that he had left me a change of clothes after all.
My curiosity was piqued as I stepped forward to examine the pile. The fabrics were soft to the touch and I couldn't help but wonder where he had obtained such fine garments in this wilderness. As my fingers brushed against the chemise, I couldn't resist the urge to pick it up and examine it closer. My gaze was drawn back up to the sky as I watched him soar high above, leaving me behind. A sense of longing washed over me as I watched him disappear into the horizon. But my attention was soon brought back to the chemise as a small smile spread across my face.
Holding it in my fingers, the linen chemise felt familiar and comfortable as I slipped it over my head, discarding the last bits of the silk dress. The navy skirt was soft and luxurious, its hem embroidered with forest animals and mushrooms. Little foxes and rabbits graced the hem in a beautiful display of fine and neat stitching. Each animal and mushroom was so delicately crafted that they seemed to come to life, almost as if they could hop or scurry off the hem at any moment. I pulled on the corseted bodice next, lacing it up as I had done many times before, it hugged me comfortably.
The navy blue color was so rich that it reminded me of the darkest depths of the ocean, and the forest green and white lace of the bodice perfectly complemented it. It was the nicest set of clothing I had ever worn, even more meaningful than the silk dress that Kaston had gifted me.
I felt like a completely different person in this dress. No longer was I clad in uncomfortable, revealing silk. For a moment, I forgot about the irritating man who had left me this clothing, lost in my own thoughts and admiration of the garment.
“Why did he have to be so insufferable?” I muttered to myself as I looked down at the skirt. Despite my irritation with him, I couldn't deny that the man had a certain charm about him. Maybe it was his confidence or the way he effortlessly commanded your attention. Or maybe it was the fact that he had left me with this beautiful dress, showing that perhaps there was more to him than just his prickly exterior.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I set off down the path, the soft swish of the embroidered skirt against my legs a soothing sound. While I was still very angry with the Goblin King, the clothing he’d left for me felt like more than just a nice gesture. It was as if he knew me better than I knew myself. I glanced up into the sky again, in the direction he had flown off in, but he was gone, having disappeared into the clouds.
* * *
My feet had been moving for what seemed like an eternity, taking me deeper into the unknown terrain. My feet ached, and my throat was parched from the dry, dusty air. Despite this, I continued on, driven by the knowledge that I was getting closer to my destination with every step I took. The sun had been a constant companion, rising higher and higher in the sky, its heat bearing down on my skin.
The landscape had been ever-changing, first leading me through a maze of trees and barren rock, then opening up to a vast expanse of prairies and dried river beds. Mud caked their banks, and the grasses were dry and brittle, rustling in the wind. It had been a challenging hike, and by mid-morning, I was already feeling the fatigue in my bones.
