Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"After the Daarikel attacked the castle, they went on a rampage through the city," Drake said, picking at the food on his plate. Three days had passed, and it took a lot of nagging and persisting to get a straight answer from him. Ever since the meeting with the guards, he had been withdrawn and silent, refusing to speak about it.

"How many deaths?" I asked. He closed his eyes for a heartbeat, and I was sure he wouldn't answer. The death of his people was painful, and my heart felt heavy for him, but I needed to know.

"A hundred," he finally replied. I dropped my fork to cover my mouth, my hand trembling against my lips as I suddenly realised why he hadn't wanted to say anything. Drake silently pushed his plate away, refusing to meet my eyes. "I don't want you to worry about such things, Belle."

I didn't know what to say. There was nothing to comfort him; a hundred of his people were slaughtered by the Daarikel. "Why would they attack?" I finally breathed. "They came to the castle searching for someone – why murder people?"

Drake didn't reply. His eyes told me that he knew an answer of sorts, yet his mouth remained closed. Silently, he took my hand and kissed it; a way of telling me that the conversation was over. I understood his reasoning, yet it was still hard to accept that I wouldn't hear anything. But despite my twisting stomach and whirlwind of thoughts, I offered him a smile; a peace offering.

Relief filled his face as he accepted it.

***

Every morning, after waking with Drake and murmuring sweet things to one another, I had gone to the library and read for hours, poring over the books. I enjoyed it, but after doing it for three days in a row, I found myself bored. The book was a great love story of a man who went to war and his wife awaiting his return, and yet I could not enjoy it.

With a sigh, I set down the book and began to make my way back to the main building of the manor. In the short few days, the snow had set in and the guards had to shovel a path between the buildings – the wall of snow on either side of the path almost reached my knees. I was grateful for the wardrobe full of fur coats, and I wondered if the weather was often so cold for there to be so many.

Soon enough, I found myself leaning against the doorway of the training room. It was smaller than the one in the castle, but the walls were still covered in various weapons and it had a similar leather bag hanging from a chain, which Drake was currently attacking. I watched in awe as he hit it with precise, fluid movements, the impact sending ripples down his muscular arms. My cheeks went a little red when he noticed me staring.

"You're beating the poor bag as if it owes you cake," I commented, biting my tongue as he grinned.

"Why am I not surprised that you connected those two topics?" he chuckled, taking a swig from his bottle of water. I watched him quietly, nibbling my lip as I thought how to ask my next question. He was able to read my expression, not that I was surprised, and he tilted his head to the side, waiting.

"Could you . . . teach me how to fight?" I asked. If I had asked such a thing in Eshon, I would be scolded, given a two-hour lecture on how to be ladylike, and stuffed into a ballgown. But Drake just shrugged and took me upstairs to find me appropriate clothes. I was still stunned as I watched him rummage through the wardrobe. "I still can't believe you agreed."

Drake glanced up, his expression serious as he said, "You're my fiancée. I want you to be safe, and you have a point – if I'm not there, then you need to be able to protect yourself." He went back to rummaging through the wardrobe before pulling out a few pieces of clothing. "I believe these will do. Go try them on."