Beauty's Beast

Six

Raina eyes widened as she saw Zulo's naked from emerge from the waters. His brown skin shimmered in the setting sunlight. Water fell down his muscular body. She gasped and covered her eyes.

"You do know it is indecent to expose yourself in front of a lady." Raina shouted.

"Not when the lady is my wife and certainly not when that same wife is the reason I had to bath in the first place."

"I told you not to pick me up. Any normal person would have had the same reaction to that much blood shed."

Raina peeked through her fingers. Zulo had put on his pants but his muscled upper half was still exposed. He turned around and she stared at the tribal markings that ran down his back. The one that caught with her eye was the detailed marking of a wolf in the center of his back.

"They are the markings of Anthos. Every boy receives them after their right of passage. Each mark symbolizes a different level of growth on the path to manhood." Zulo said dropping his shirt down.

"I wasn't looking." Raina lied looking back at the lake. Her face started to heat up again.

"No need to be shy wife. I have no problem with you admiring all of me. I definitely look forward to admiring all of you." Zulo said with a smirk.

"In your dreams wolf Prince." Raina whispered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Raina stood and dusted off her skirt. Her mother would be very displeased to know how dirty Raina had gotten her skirt, but then again she doubted her mother would find anything that had happened this afternoon very pleasing.

"Are we ready to go now?" Raina asked.

"Hold your horses wife. It is getting dark. If we are to travel by foot you will need to listen to everything I say."

"Alright."

Unless I feel that listening to myself is the smarter choice. Raina thought.

"Wife." Zulo growled. She'd almost forgotten about Zulo's weird ability to read her mind. She sighed.

"Alright, alright, fine you can be the leader." Raina said.

Zulo narrowed his eyes at his wife. He didn't trust her. Raina didn't blame her. She'd been debating making a run for it ever since she say Amytha dead body in the street. The only thing that kept her hear was that she feared the unknown inhabitants of the forest slightly more than the prince.

Zulo sighed. "When will you learn Princess. I'm your best chance of survival."

Raina doubted that she would ever see it that way but she didn't say anything.

Zulo shook his head and turned back around. "Follow me and stay as close behind me as you can."

Raina hated hiking. Absolutely loathed it. Her brother must have been out of his mind when he said the sport was enjoyable. Her feet hurt and she sweated through her thick fabrics.

The dress she wore defiantly wasn't designed with this much physical movement in mind. Her corset squeezed her tight and made her labored breath even harder.

Raina stopped. She leaned against a tree trying to catch her breath. She wished the forest would stop spinning. It was making her dizzy.

Raina Zulo's voice called in her head.

"Back here." Raina called.

Zulo doubled back and appeared around a tree. He frowned at her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah,...I'm wonderful. Just...dying...a little bit." Raina said taking pauses to catch her breath.

Zulo walked around to stand behind her. She felt him grab onto the back of her dress.

"What are you-"

Raina stopped speaking when she heard the material of her dress rip and tear. Her close loosened up and her breathing became easier. She reached around and felt her exposed back.

Raina spun around and glared at Zulo. "What did you do?"

He shrugged holding up a knife. "I made a few alterations."

"Do you have any ideal how much this dress cost my kingdom"

"Not as much as your life should you pass out."

Raina glared at him. She wanted to be mad at him but couldn't find a good enough reasoning to base her anger on.

"I wouldn't need to be cut out of my dress if hiking hadn't suddenly become apart of the plan." Raina said.

"Consider it a life lesson. Life rarely goes the way we plan. Here." Zulo said handing her his jacket.

Raina took it and used it to cover her exposed back. Zulo turned around and bent down.

"Hop on." He said.

Raina stared at him. The last time she'd been small enough to receive a piggyback ride was when she was nine years old. Even Zulo with all of his muscles would not be able to carry her through the forest.

"No thanks." Raina said taking a step back. She did not want to have to deal with that embarrassingly awkward moment when he told her she was too heavy.

Zulo stood back up and turned to face her. "You don't want to ride on my back?"  He asked.

"Nope, I'm good." Raina said.  

She turned around and too a few steps down the path. Her feet cried in protest but she forced herself to keep moving. The sun had set and the forest was even creepier in the moon light.

"Fine, have it your way." Zulo's voice said behind her.

Suddenly she was being lifted of the ground. Raina panicked and wrapped her arms around his neck. Zulo held her bridal style.

"W-what are you doing?" Raina said, fearing that he might drop her. She held tightly to him.

"If you don't want to ride on my back, I'll just have to carry you like this." Zulo answered with a smile.

Raina stared at him with wide eyes. She really she be freaking out more. The laws of nature told her that this was physically impossible, but something inside her told her that Zulo would not drop her. She felt safe inside of his arms.

"Let's get you to you new home princes." Zulo said before he started down the path.