A Deadly Bond

Chapter 18 - Bitter

I couldn't sleep much. We hadn't spoken more but his final words had kept me up all night.

Was I really being unfair?

I knew I had purposely been pushing to something, but that something was still unknown territory and I was far too curious for my own good. It's like I couldn't help myself despite knowing that it strained Legion, though I suspect that it was part of the motivation. I liked seeing Legions steady facade crack just a bit with each touch and each dragged out stare, it was undeniable.

But did I take it too far by kissing him?

The kiss was different from when he had kissed me, this time it had almost felt like a battle, like one of us could somehow come out as the victor. Relentless thoughts and images of the demanding kiss had also played a key role in my sudden inability to sleep, causing an unending pounding in my chest.

I didn't know for sure if Legion had been sleeping, as we had both laid completely still on opposite sides of the bed, unnaturally still even. Eventually light started streaming in from behind the long curtains.

The light almost seemed to personally signal Legion as he wasted no seconds leaving the bed. This confirmed my suspicion that he hadn't been asleep either. As Legion silently walked around the room, I pretended to be sleeping, hoping to avoid any confrontation.

I hadn't needed to pretend though as Legion practically left the room faster than I'd be able to open my eyes. Perhaps he had finally reevaluated us sharing a room. This thought didn't bring me the joy I thought it would however.

While silently sulking in the bed I had yet to leave even many moments after I should've, some of Legions maids opened the door. They were shocked by my presence, wrongfully having assumed that we had both left the room subtly. They quickly ushered me up and helped me get ready. They told me that the celebration had already begun in the dining hall and that everyone were probably waiting on me. It didn't take long for their statement to be proven correct as Marisa came storming in with a heavy breath. "Where have you been?!" She managed to force out in-between breaths.

I explained to her with a sleep deprived voice that I hadn't even left the room yet and she started rambling on about how she had been informed that we had left the room yet were both nowhere to be found. This meant that Legion hadn't simply joined the festivities this morning after leaving me but also that he was gone. When I asked Marisa where he could be she brushed me off saying that she could only handle one of us at the time and she'd deal with him after dealing with me and my clear lack of sleep.

Marisa had the women running all over the place, getting everything needed for me to be ready as quickly as possible, even having them fetch snow for the dark circles under my eyes although to no avail. Marisa gave up on trying to make me appear more awake and finally dismissed the women when I was dressed up exactly to her liking.

I was dressed in a traditionel gown, it was extravagant as expected but it somehow seemed more casual than others I'd worn so far, perhaps due to the loose fitted nature of it. The dress was yellow with orange gemtones scattered around the fabric, starting from the bottom and slowly fading out towards the top, apparently to symbolize the rising sun of the day after the ceremony. They didn't do much to my hair, they even allowed it to hang loosely in hopes that it would take attention off my tired face.

I didn't have time to obsess over my looks before Marisa had dragged me out the room and towards the dining hall. My only consolation was that people wouldn't only focus their attention on me with Marisa besides me. She was wearing a green dress that made her radiate and impossible to ignore.

I hesitated as always as we reached the closed dining hall doors and turned to Marisa before she could signal a guard to open them. I wanted to say something about Legion or ask something but I wasn't sure what, so my mouth simply opened with no sound coming out.