Demon Prince's Forsaken Bride

Hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, Moira turned around and smiled in a way that magnified her beauty, ''My Lady, you are here.''

Moira's maids had come to look for her and invite her to the garden when she was sleeping and Rosie had not wanted to tell her about it but eventually, she could not hide it anymore.

Moira stood in front of Lareina and the maids remained standing at a little distance. 

''I heard you invited me here,'' Lareina did not beat around the bush as she stopped at a little distance from Moira, ''Is there any purpose behind it?" 

Moira smiled and touched the roses gently, ''The flowers are beautiful here. Can't I just wish to admire them with you?" 

"Or does Lady Lareina not like my company?" Moira turned, batting her eyelashes. 

Lareina frowned, averting her gaze. She wondered if Moira thought what worked on Azrael would also work on her, ''We are not that close so if you don't have anything significant to talk about, I would take my leave.'' 

Lareina had just turned to leave when Moira's voice came from behind. 

''Why don't you leave him?" The words were hurried and filled with a sense of hatred that Moira had not shown earlier. 

Lareina stopped in her tracks but she did not respond to her. 

''He is mine from the moment I met him and things are not going to change much. Why won't you leave his side now?" Moira stepped towards Lareina, ''You are a drag to him, in every possible way. If not for his duty, do you think he would even bother with you? He hates you…'' 

''Are you done?" Lareina cut her off as she turned around. 

Moira bit her bottom lips, her eyes reflecting a suppressed fury. 

''I don't own him but he is my husband, Moira. If you want to keep him, you would have to ask him if he wants to be kept by you. Talking to me about it would not take you anywhere,'' Even though Lareina looked short and small next to Azrael but she was a taller woman and it was more highlighted when she was standing next to Moira who had a delicate and small stature. 

"He is bound by his duty. Shouldn't you know your place and leave?" Moira smiled suddenly, and that smile was unsettling, ''Or are you just that selfish, Lady Lareina? That you don't care about anyone at all?" 

Lareina's composure faltered a bit by that gaze that told her Moira knew something that she did not. 

Moira covered her mouth with her palm as she feigned surprise, ''You don't know, do you?'' she clicked her tongue, ''How about you witness it with your own eyes tomorrow?" 

… 

"My Lady, you don't need to be affected by whatever that demoness said to you. I can say that she is just envious because His Highness cares for you and she is trying to drive a rift between you,'' Rosie said, noticing Lareina's silence after they returned from the garden. 

Lareina did not know what it was. 

On one hand, she wanted to believe Moira was merely threatening her into leaving the demon realm. 

On the other hand, there was something akin to confidence in her tone. 

They had just crossed a hallway from the garden when something a light reflected in her eyes. 

''Stop…'' Lareina halted in her tracks and called out to the person who passed by her. 

The man stopped and turned. And as most of the demons' attitude was towards her, the human princess, he did not greet her or bother to change his body language at all. 

But Lareina's eyes settled on the vine-like ring on his hand. This man was the same person who had come to inform Azrael of Moira's sickness last night. And if this ring was nothing common, then he should be the same person who had abducted her near the eastern chambers and taken her to the hidden dungeon. 

Lareina walked towards him, ''Who do you serve?" her voice was soft, almost inquiring as she approached. 

But the man instinctively took a step back when she came too close. 

He did not say a word. 

And Lareina was so engrossed with the ring that she did not realize when she had reached out towards it until she heard a thunderous voice in the hallway. 

''What are you doing?" 

Lareina's hand dropped, her head snapping towards Azrael who walked towards her with big strides, his eyes watched the guard with animosity and the guard was quick to prostrate himself in front of him. 

''Your Highness.'' 

He did not say a word but that stance made it seem like he had nothing to do with Lareina and instead Lareina was cornering him. 

''Your Highness, My Lady was just…''

Rosie stepped in to explain but the girl's words faded in the background as Azrael grabbed Lareina's wrist and dragged her with him. 

Unlike yesterday, Lareina did not struggle much in keeping up with his pace. 

He took the same turns and sat her upon his horse, not giving her a chance to protest. It was daytime and many of his guards stepped in to follow him but he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. 

As the horse galloped into the deep forest, the cold wind slithered against her skin. Lareina felt a ragged breath by her ear as the man pressed his chin on her neck and whispered, ''Don't you think you need some explanation to do?" 

Lareina did not say anything. She let the chilly wind seep into her skin. 

''I am talking to you,'' He controlled the horse with one hand and grabbed her chin with the other, twisting her face towards him, ''What were you doing with that guard? Why did you reach out to his hand? What are you even thinking?" he bombarded her with questions, and with each question, his tone was sharper than before. 

Lareina remained quiet but as the man's gaze bore into her, she uttered, ''I was curious about his ring.'' 

''Ha… Are you fucking with me, little rebel? You like a ring? A gem? I would give you treasure chests for you to play with. Why would you reach out towards a man's hand like that?" his grip on her chin tightened. 

Lareina smiled. Her long braid loosened as the movement of the wind got intense, stray hairs flying everywhere when she met his gaze aloofly, ''Your Highness, you let a woman reach your bed and feel bothered when I reach out for a man's hand? Isn't it only fair for me to find myself another man…''