Chapter 58: Battle Story

“Are you sure you’re going to sleep here?” I asked testily.

“Why? You’re afraid that I’ll take the opportunity to– “

“No sex before I want it,” I cut in quickly. Rion kissed my hair again.

“I was going to use my deadly temptation trick that you can’t resist, but you rejected it first; go to sleep; I’ll be here until you’re completely healed.”

I smiled, but I didn’t want to sleep early.

“Can you tell me a story?” I asked at once.

“What story would you like to hear?”

“Stories about the most intense battles you’ve ever been in. You must have one or two memorable battles. The scar on your back, you said you got it from the battle.”

I remembered the horrible-looking scar on his back. Although it had healed long ago, it still left a mark that made me shudder to see it. Perhaps, if an ordinary human had gotten a wound like Rion’s, he would have died.

Rion let out a breath.

“Aren’t you afraid? Because what you hear could be your new nightmare.”

“You’re my new nightmare, Rion,” I snapped, making Rion laugh.

“Good rebuttal; since you’ve impressed me, you’ll listen to one of my war stories.”

We were silent for a moment before Rion began.

“Back then, I was still a young werewolf, a year after I experienced my transformation under the full moon. I didn’t even know if I had any abilities that could be considered special other than being born as the heir to the royal throne.”

I entered my imagination, which arrived at that time. My hand moved to Rion’s, and we linked our fingers together.

“The first winter of my second year as a young werewolf. A clan rebellion broke out, the biggest ever. Several clans defected to subvert my grandfather’s rule. My father was about to become the next in line to the throne. The palace was besieged, and those of us who were initially outnumbered were defeated; it was just that the rebels only managed to break through the entrance.”

It must have been very tense; people were hiding in fear and anxiety in the hope that they could survive and move on.

“Those who proved to be in favor of my grandfather’s and father’s rule were murdered viciously to strike terror into anyone who decided to remain loyal to the kingdom. Some of my mother’s relatives have been killed and slaughtered. Those who were originally allied with us changed their minds to join the enemy because of the lure of territory sharing, and there was also interference from vampires who helped the defectors.”

“Vampires? Have you ever seen one?” I asked curiously.

“Of course I have. I even killed a pack of vampires myself,” Rion replied, which made me shudder in horror.

“Then, what happened next? What made the royal side able to win in that battle?”

“There was no choice but to fight to the last man. We hoped for the omega’s presence then, but its existence was unknown; the prophecy said it had not been born then. I was forced to train harder to lead the troops beside the royal commander, my father, and my grandfather.”

The pause between us made me ask.

“Were you afraid back then?”

“It was the first time I felt such real fear. Dying on the battlefield was not in my long-term life plan, but at that time, I could have predicted that my time would end there. Finally, I fought without caring about the world. If I died, it was probably for the best.”

“I was on the verge of despair, but when I opened my eyes again after the war ended, it was as if I had been born a new person. I couldn’t talk to anyone for months and even shut myself in my room.”

“Then, what did you do with your days?” I asked curiously. I turned my back on Rion to face him.

“I asked permission to go somewhere and stay there without anyone’s company; I needed time and space for myself to accept and repair my battered mental health. I managed to rebuild my broken self.”

“How long were you gone?”

I looked at Rion’s face, which was not fully visible to me; only his chin, lips, and nose were visible, and his amber eyes were not fully visible.

“Two years. I left without ever once telling my parents. Until one day, my mom came to see me and asked me to come home. I was surprised, but I still wasn’t ready to return then. I wasn’t ready for all that baggage; I was still that cowardly.”

It felt too real for me to feel. Everything Rion told me, I can now see clearly through my mind. I could see and feel the emotions on his mother’s face. That woman missed her son. However, the fear and frustration Rion felt then was not something I could take lightly. Everyone needs time to accept everything in this world.

“Then, what happened after you came back? Was your father angry?”

Rion raised our interlocked hands and looked at him for a moment.

“At first, he was angry and didn’t talk to me, but my mother made us understand each other.”

The emotion Rion exuded at this moment was so deep that I could feel how much he loved his mother.

“Your mother is an amazing person; luckily, the kingdom of Cardinia has a queen like your mother,” I said, hoping to comfort and encourage him. Rion smiled and said, “I think you have my mother in you; she was self-sacrificing and independent.”

I shrugged, feeling quite the opposite.

“She’s an honorable, special woman, but I don’t have many flaws. I don’t even think I fit in anywhere, even with you. I feel you’re too far away for me to reach.”

Rion kissed the back of my hand; then he turned briefly to the other side, which he had turned back to get something; a few seconds later, our engagement ring was in his hand.

“Don’t belittle yourself; no one should do that to you, not yourself. You are the owner of this ring, Amelia, and always will be.”

Rion’s words flattered me for a moment. Then, he placed the ring on my left finger, where it used to be. I noticed the small diamond reflecting the light of the bed lamp in my room. The diamond had a beautiful rainbow sparkle to it.

“Am I dreaming?” I asked, to which Rion replied by kissing me on the lips. Suddenly, I was surprised; for a moment, I was lost in the kiss, and then we stopped when we both wanted to stop.

“If this is a dream, I can sleep better tonight,” I said again. Rion returned to his original position, lying next to me.

“Do you have nightmares often?”

“Not really,” I replied with some hesitation. Most of my dreams were about unpleasant things, especially Rion.

“Tell me your worst nightmare.”

I smiled wryly.

“They say telling bad dreams is a bad luck thing.”

Rion chuckled. I knew he wouldn’t believe me, but I paid little attention.

“You believe in such things? Come on, It’s modern times,” Rion joked in his question. I rolled my eyes and then exhaled loudly.

“I’ve seen you die a few times.”

There was silence between us for a long time. After telling Rion about my nightmare, I had to look up and stare at him to see why he was silent.

“Why did you dream like that?”

I shrugged.

“How do I know? I never asked for anything bad to happen to you. Still, that dream came repeatedly, although not nearby, but I had it quite often, and....”

I paused for a moment as my memory replayed the dream vividly. It was always the same; nothing had changed.

“And what?” asked Rion impatiently.

“And the dream was always the same; it never changed. It’s a sign, but I’m afraid to believe it’s a sign; what I want to believe is that it’s just a dream.”

We were silent again for a while.

“What if it’s true?”

Rion’s question made my heart pound uncomfortably. I swallowed my saliva compulsively and was instantly a little uneasy.

“I told you not to discuss nightmares, didn’t I?! I tried to make it a dream, but you said you wanted it to happen.”

“If that happened, how would you react?”

“If it happened someday, I’d lose half my heart because you’ve taken it away since I decided to trust you back then.”

My hand moved to rub my stomach with slow and gentle movements.

“This baby will be my only reminder that you were ever in my life,” I said solemnly.