Crown Of Spells

Chapter 19 -Rainbow

After our attention-grabbing stunt, we managed to escape the crowds and take a scenic route, the silence between us hanging heavy. Passersby gawked at us with wide eyes, but I dismissed them, my mind swirling with all the events of today. The only audible sounds were the thudding of my heartbeat and the clattering of the horse's hooves. As the horse suddenly veered left, I struggled to maintain my balance, briefly buckling under the unexpected turn.

In a sudden rush, memories of our earlier interaction flooded back into my mind.

"Do you have nightmares at night? Nightmares that make you feel like you're going to be dragged off the edge of the world?" Julian whispered to me. Once he said those words, my body chilled. I did have nightmares.... And the way he described them where so... precise..  

Why was he asking? But Before I could respond, he cut me off, his hand gently sliding under my chin, once again forcing me to lock eyes with him. The intensity of his gaze unnerved me; he seemed fixated on my eyes, almost as if it pained him.

"What do you dream off? Who is in your dreams?" His voice was strong, but I could hear the desperation seep through. I was so confused in the randomness of the question, what was he gaining out of knowing my dreams? Was this a setup?

I hesitated. "I barely dream, and when I do, it's just me working in the bake shop with Aunt Matilda," I lied effortlessly, sensing his disappointment as his eyes clouded.

Julian's grunt snapped me out of my thoughts, and I look at him in confusion. His gaze met mine under the curtain of his long lashes, flicking to the necklace around my neck. I adjusted it self-consciously, feeling the tension between us thicken.

"It's a shame I won't get to wear this necklace anymore," I remarked trying to ease the tension, prompting Julian's eyes to shift from my neck to my eyes, irritation and confusion plastered across his face.

"Well, after they find me 'guilty,' they're going to go off with my head – am I wrong?" Julian gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the reins, urging the horse into a frenzied gallop. I slammed into his chest, bewildered by his sudden anger. Wasn't I essentially surrendering to him? Why the hostility?

He adjusted the reins, guiding the horse through a narrow path until we reached a familiar street, stopping right in front of my home. My heart sank – was he planning to take my Aunt as well? Was my suffering not enough?

"Please don't take my Aunt! Please, she's done nothing!" I pleaded, but Julian didn't look at me, his gaze fixed on the distant sunset.

"Go home." He nods his voice tight. Go home? Was he leaving me that easily, or did I just hear it wrong?

"WHAT?" I gasp trying to comprehend what he just said. "You been threatening me this whole time that I will get executed since you thought I was a criminal and now you're simply letting me go off?" I ask slipping off the horse onto the soft grass.

"Are you going to miss me that much? Were you hoping I would've bought you another necklace?" He asks, his face hardening.

My mouth drops hearing his words. The minute I thought he changed he came back to his usual stuck up self.

"Do you think I'm stupid? The whole kingdom knows that we are a 'thing' now after you made me buy that necklace! Imagine if they saw me taking you to the courthouse to get you executed! Do you think they'd believe me now?" He challenged, watching me closely. His black stallion snorted, sensing the tension, while Julian clutched the bag beside him – the bag containing the swapped hair and the disfigured necklace.

I stood watching him, he was lying... it was a complete utter lie. He had so much power and authority no one could question him. He practically had all the power in the Kingdom and could make up some story and people would still believe him. I batted my eyes remembering his interactions with the other royal Knights we ran into. It seemed like he had a hard time interacting with them... was Juliean not a part of them? Perhaps his so-called mission was so top secret he couldn't let the other "regular Knight's" know. If he bothered to take me to court- he could in fact get more eyes on me than he wanted too.