The Crown's Entrapment

The rest of breakfast went well, and Xenia was glad that she was able to keep up her facade despite her annoyance with Clara's words. This 'Mate Pull' thing had been making her upset since this morning, and she could only hope that she'd be able to bury these feelings soon enough.

Still, she couldn't believe how petty she was over such trivial matters like this. She felt a pang of pain shoot through her sensitive heart whenever they would throw out how this Mate Pull thing worked around Darius. Truly, there was no denying this weird feeling growing inside her anymore. She felt so helpless...

With the affair that was breakfast being finished, Darius promptly walked her out of the dining hall.

"You look uncomfortable in that dress of yours in this weather, Xen. You still look stunning, of course, but you're sweating," Darius commented with a blank expression. "Was the rash that horrible?"

To Xenia's surprise, he was aggressive enough that he touched her face and wiped some of the sweaths forming on her forehead with his warm hand. And to add to that, she was indeed feeling uncomfortable since she only used these kinds of dresses during the winter.

As much as she wanted to dress otherwise, all of her autumn and summer dresses would show her bare back and shoulders, the place where Darius practically covered her with his kiss marks. How annoying. Did he really have to ask her such an obvious question like this?

Her face burned because of his gestures, but he didn't seem to mind whether or not someone saw them. His intent and gaze remained solely aimed at her, his eyes clearly studying her face as her heart thumped wildly at the attention.

"There are already enough unpleasant rumors going on about me, my King. Do you really want them to add one more once they see the marks you put on my skin?" Xenia whined with a pout, trying her best to act nonchalant and unaffected by his simple touch.

She was unprepared when Darius suddenly held her hand, his fingers firmly interlocking with hers the more she tried to pull herself out of it.

"Stop struggling. I'm merely holding your hand to lead you properly. I'll walk you around the castle so that you can familiarize yourself with every detail. And while we do this, it'll also show a good image to contradict the rumors," Darius stated with a serious tone.

"They say that the Princess of Ebodia is simply scheming and don't really have any affection or genuine feelings towards their king, so you must show them otherwise. Show them how much you care and love me, my love."

Her eyes settled ever so slightly at their interlocked hands. With a breath, she let herself get pulled around, seeing the logic in the king's words.

"How dare they gossip behind someone's back like this and spread groundless rumors..." Xenia retorted with a frown, failing to notice how the king's lips had naughtily curled up.

It wasn't like she even cared about those false rumors, but it would still be nice to not have slander running about, especially since she also represented their kingdom and her royal family.

"Don't stress yourself too much over it," Darius reassured her. "Like I said, I'll get to the bottom of this. I will not let anyone slander my mate's name. You just need to be more careful about your actions, my love. And while we're at it, why not also address me in the same vein? My love?"

"I prefer to address you as my King..." she plainly scoffed, stopping the cringe that almost came out of her. She wasn't used to this kind of sweet endearment. She even had doubts that she could act as sweet and intimate like he could.

Seriously, she still couldn't believe how Darius suddenly turned from being this cold, arrogant, manipulative, and clever man towards her back when they first met into the kind of man he was to her now.

'Oh heavens! Not the Mate Pull again!' she inwardly cried out as the thought immediately came into her mind.

"Then address me like that. It should refrain the others from calling or addressing me the same, seeing as you're the only one who can address me as 'my king'..." Darius firmly said, followed by a squeeze in her hand as he added, "Hmm... Why not my Queen, or my love?"

Xenia's face turned beet red at the sound of those words leaving his lips. 'My love' sounded better in her ears, thinking how the king at least probably truly loved her without this so-called 'Mate Pull's' influence on him... And yet, it was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part.

"Call me whatever makes you comfortable, my King," Xenia whispered.

"This isn't a simple walk around the castle, Xen. You must have a sharp memory and take note of everything," Darius promptly continued, seemingly ignoring his words as he explained.

"The castle is like a maze, and you will experience the same test for the trial of four elements. We have this sacred and confidential forest inside our kingdom, you see. It's called The Element Forest, a place that the spirits of our ancestors are protecting. The Trials for Four Elements will take place there, and you will need to survive it, for only the truly powerful werewolves could ever complete it."

Xenia keenly listened to Darius's words, carefully taking a mental note of his advice as he explained everything to her in detail.

"You need a sharp memory even with the distractions around you," Darius repeated with a bit of emphasis. "Later, I want you to draw the whole castle along with every single part and detail you can recall... You will face a corresponding punishment from me every time you fail in our lessons and training."

After which, a flurry of advice and teachings came out of Darius's moth, to the point that there were so many things to remember that Xenia complained, "You should've told me in advance to at least bring some paper for me to take note with."

"Nonsense. You just need your mind, Xen. The actual trial will not be lenient to give you enough time to write a single thing," Darius lectured. "Try to remember everything with your mind... It'll be for your own good."

Xenia no longer bothered to respond as she simply tried her best to listen to him. Before, she thought that the castle was simply a huge structure with four sides. But now that she had the opportunity to stroll around, she discovered even the secret passages and dungeons it had underneath.

Along the way, every Cordonian they passed by would greet them with the utmost respect, so much to the point that Xenia still felt a bit shy at the sneaky eyes landing on them. Especially since they were still walking hand in hand like a married couple.

After a while, they stopped at a particular spot in the castle. Specifically, at one of the highest towers available in the kingdom. Darius dismissed the guards, then he hugged her from behind as she was staring at the vast lands of Cordon that was available for her to view from their spot.

"Tell me, love, is there a particular reason why you sounded so confident about the Five Trials?"

There was a pause before Xenia decided to say, "I have an angel's blood running through my veins, my King."

It was yet another risk she willingly took. Such knowledge should've been kept secret, but Xenia somehow felt secure in Darius's presence. She didn't know why, but she had enough trust in him to disclose such an important thing about her.