Belladonna pulled away from him to look up at his face, her gaze fixing upon his mask instead, the image of the expectant look that would be in his eyes, taking form in her head.
"That you will not take any more brides after me."
He stared back at her, studying those eyes that held a sought of fire in them when she had said out her demand firmly.
Was it selfish that she wanted to be his last bride so much, that she wanted him to give her his word on it?
Maybe.
But she certainly didn't want any other woman to have to suffer an unsure fate, also she had every intention to end this curse, as soon as possible, with whatever it was that it would cost her.
Promising to do as she had requested right now, would mean that he had as much trust in her as she had in him.
With no response still given, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat under his smoldering gaze.
Her gaze was fixed on the floor of the carriage, the sound of the carriage's wheels on the rocky road filling her ears, while she wondered if she had perhaps, gone too far.
"No more lady has to suffer, it's not fair--"
"There is no 'after you', my Donna." His hand brushed over her hair lightly, playing with with as he enjoyed doing. "For me, there will never be 'after you'."
She could hear the large gates of the castle been thrown open from a short distance, the guards shouting into the night as they moved around and assembled themselves by the gate for their entry.
His hand moved towards his mask, and he pulled it away slowly, revealing yet again his lovely face that she had been longing to see all evening since they stepped into the carriage again. He pulled her hand over his face before kissing the insides of her warm palms.
She sucked in a sharp breath, her heart picking up the pace as his lips vibrated against her palm, his breath hot against her skin, his voice seeking to slip right into the little pores and dissolve into her body.
"You, Donna, are my last bride."
His words were like honey to her ear but all that occupied her mind was the way his lips had molded against hers, earlier by the fountain.
Warm. Steady and filled with love.
A feathery heat seeped through her veins at the memory. Whenever she was with him, it always felt like she was under a spell that drew her closer to him, closer in a way she didn't even know existed.
A low knock at the carriage door snapped her right out of her trance.
Sitting straight, only now realizing that she had been leaning towards him.
"Your Majesty, we have arrived," said a guard's muffled voice.
She pulled away and he let out a small chuckle, she caught a glimmer of excitement in his eyes before he pulled on his mask again, making her lose her focus.
When he was done, he pushed the door open, taking her hand when he got down from the carriage. She stepped down just in time to catch the sight of the other carriage filled with the gifts from the villagers, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, before she remembered what had happened with the villagers, and the talk of the curse she had with Eli in the carriage.
Her smile fell, as she allowed the King to lead her into the castle, her mind blurring the greetings of the guards left and right, instead playing over and over again, the woman's agonizing cries as she burnt in the flames, the threat of the man before he had his throat slit open, the strange---
Ah!
Eli was right. She would most likely have nightmares. An acceptance of his invitation would rescue her from that, but asides from her intimacy reasons, she had a plan budding slowly in her head, one that required that she be in her room alone to bring it into action.
"Goodnight, my Donna." Eli's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and realized that they were already at her door. "My offer is still on the table."
She gulped, flashing him a quick smile.
"I'll be alright." She held the doorknob, but his words stopped her.
"You haven't received my own gift yet."
"Oh."
She turned to him, wondering what his gift would be, but he gently titled her back to face the door, his hands on her shoulders, his chest almost pressing against her back from how close he had moved.
In front of her and in his hand, was a line necklace, with a small sparkling pendant, like a teardrop. She observed something quickly though. The pendent changed color based how the light hit it.
From sparkling white to blue, purple, red then sparkling white again.
Belladonna was beyond awed. She had never encountered such gem before.
He dropped his hand, gently placing the necklace into her palm.
"The Red Moon will be here and over soon, and you will be able to get rid of this necklace and wear mine," his hands came around her, pulling her closer, letting his warmth engulf her. She closed her eyes briefly, her fist curled loosely around her necklace, letting the silky silver rest in her palm.
"Very soon."
She felt a lump in her throat, the pressure pressing down on her shoulders, and the butterflies that sprung up, flying relentlessly at the pit of her stomach.
His words reminded her of what she had to do, and she couldn't waste any more time.
Her free hand rose to the doorknob and she held it in her palm.
"Goodnight, Eli." She whispered, forcing her eyes open so she could find the strength to pull away from him.
"Goodnight, my Donna." The smile on his voice was unmistakable, it made her tingles for him triple.
Before she would lack courage in herself, give up on her mission and decide to take his offer though, she pressed down the doorknob, swung the door open and closed it behind her.
Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, the coldness of the room hitting her instantly.
She pushed away from the door her back had been earlier pressed against when she rushed in, and started maneuvering her way through the dark to get to her dressing table and put the necklace there, while she search for a match.
The darkness was strange, Raquel usually had the candles lit up by this time.
Before Belladonna could act on her worries though, she bumped into someone.
Her eyes went wide with alert, her lips parted to let out a scream that never made it out of her mouth.