The Devil's Cursed Witch

Draven was amused to see her openly express her emotions on her face. One moment she's surprised, the next she's embarrassed, then there was anger, and now she seemed puzzled. It was entertaining to see.

"Seems like you are enjoying your new pet's company."

'Enjoying? Do I look like I am enjoying myself? More like, she's the one enjoying my embarrassment! When I get my hands on that naughty bird—'

Sadly, she could not voice out her thoughts. She liked Ray. Ray was her first pet and she adored that lovable little bird; she just didn't expect her pet to behave like this.

"Thank you for sending her to me, Your Majesty," she said politely, keeping all her internal complaints on the side.

Draven accepted it with a nod, and then decided there was no need for small talk. He had no wish to spend more time than necessary with her, not wanting to test how much he could endure his urges despite her presence.

"I am here to talk about the nightmare you had yesterday," he said matter-of-factly.

"Nightmare?" She looked like she didn't remember.

"The purple-eyed woman you saw in your dream," he reminded her.

Ember remembered now and nodded. "Oh…that dream…"

"Can you tell me more about that dream?"

Ember thought for a while, her hands fidgeting since she didn't want to recall that dream. Still, since the King asked her, she had no reason to refuse.

"I-I don't recall much… Apologies—"

"Try. Tell me anything."

Maybe if he had asked her yesterday, she could have given him a clearer recount, but now, everything was blurry in her mind. All she could recall was how terrible she felt. As if something belonging to her was possessed by that purple-eyed woman. She did not know what it was, but she wanted it back. She desperately wanted it back. It made her feel like a part of her was missing, and that emptiness was painful.

"I can't remember the dream, but I can describe what the woman looks like," she said. "She has purple eyes. The lower half of her face is covered with a veil and…she has reddish gold hair…."

"What happened in the dream?"

Ember shook her head. "I do not remember, only I felt desperate."

"Anything else that you found significant?" he asked again.

She continued to fiddle with her hands. "Uhm, I'm not sure if it counts but... but terrifying darkness surrounds her."

'Darkness?' Draven pondered at what that represented. Darkness was an ominous factor in dreams, most of the time representing fear, danger, evil or death.  He wondered if this purple-eyed woman was someone evil, perhaps the culprit who had messed up Ember's life.

"But why do you ask, Your Majesty?" Her words pulled his attention back toward her.

"Sometimes, nightmares are memories, at times, they are warnings. For those blessed with strong magic, dreams hold great importance so it is for the best that we do not ignore them," he replied, not brushing off her question by saying 'it's nothing. It would be better to let his mate learn how things work in her new reality.

"That means that there is truly such a woman and that pain I felt was real?" Ember asked.

"We don't know yet, and we are now trying to find out. It's good that you answered what I had asked."

She realized that it was for her sake that the King was inquiring about her dream. "Thank you for taking care of me, Your Majesty."

He simply gazed at her with a hint of a smile, thinking how could he not when she was his mate, his only one, a part of his life now…

Ember had that strange feeling again, where one moment a tinge of a smile could be seen on his lips, yet a more careful look would give her an impression that she was mistaken.

His low, dignified voice brought her back to reality.

"Do you want to ask me anything?"

The girl blinked, taken aback at how he sounded…friendly. 'Do I have anything to ask?'

"Anything that you want to know about?" the King repeated with the same strangely careful tone, though his expression was not even letting a hint out of his motives for asking.

She thought for a while and then asked, "Elder Leeora said I will have someone teaching me how to use my power. Is this true? You are allowing me to learn magic, Your Majesty?"

Draven nodded. "Yes."

That single word of affirmation brought a large smile on her face. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Seeing the excitement in her eyes, Draven felt something warm spread in his chest. "Anything else?" he asked.

Ember felt puzzled; why was the King being so attentive to her today? Since he's asking with such good intentions, she could not simply say 'nothing'. She thought for a bit. "Ah, yes there is…Uhm…"

Finally, there was a change in his gaze. There was an expectant look on his face as if he already knew what her words were and was simply coaxing them out. "What do you want to ask?"

She hesitated for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty…Uhm…not that I hate the palace or anything. This place is very beautiful but…if possible, I would like to explore the other cities of this kingdom. Will I be allowed to do so?"

There was a little disappointment in his eyes but his words sounded like music to her ears. "Of course. You are free to do what you want."

"Really?" she asked with widened eyes.

Draven nodded. "I see no reason why not. But when you play outside, make sure to take someone with you. Do not leave on your own."

She stared at him for a while. 'Is he concerned about me?'

"Anything else?" he asked again, but now, Ember really had nothing to ask.

"I am grateful, Your Majesty, that you are being kind enough to let me reside in this palace. Now, you also permitted me to travel outside. There is nothing more I can ask of you."

Seeing the sincerity in her face, Draven sighed inwardly and said, "If you have questions or concerns—-anything you need to talk about with another person— you can ask me first. Not to someone else, but me. I am your mate, and I shall be the one closest to you."

He heavily emphasized the word 'mate' but…

Ember had a blank stare on her face, nodding to his stern words without realizing his implied meaning.  'Oh, so this is what Morpheus meant when he told me a 'mate' is both family and friend. Isn't His Majesty showing me he cares for me? I should not trouble him a lot then…'

"If there is anything, I will ask Your Majesty first," she agreed with a polite smile.

'Why isn't she asking me anything? Isn't she curious about what mating meant?' Draven grumbled inwardly. 'This is that eagle's fault. I shall ban that eagle from the palace. Whatever he told her, I hope he didn't tell her anything misleading just to get back at me.'

Remembering that cheeky person, Draven grew more upset. It should have been him answering Ember's question. He should have been the person she needed to run to if she has concerns, not that damned eagle. He clenched his fists to control his anger.

"I see. Enjoy your stroll," he forced out from his mouth and turned to leave.

Ember somehow felt the rising anger inside the King though he didn't show it on his face.

'Why do I feel like he is angry about something? Did I do something wrong again?' she wondered and found the answer. 'Oh right, Morpheus said as I am the only family of His Majesty, I should always be with him. He looks after me so I should also look after him. Seems like I failed to do so and it angered him.' She took a  deep breath. 'Is he returning to his study? I should at least accompany him to the door. I need to be a good mate.'

With determination, she took a step forward to catch up to him when—-

Riiiiip!

The outermost fabric of her skirt was caught in the trellis of the bridge, causing her to lose her balance. She was about to fall and was bracing for impact, but then, nothing happened.

'Huh?' She found her body…suspended mid-fall?

The fact that a magic spell caught her shocked her more than the fact she was about to show her clumsy side in the presence of the King once more. The upper half of her body was leaning backwards while her feet were still planted on the wood plank, and it was the strangest sensation as if an invisible hand had caught her.

She gasped in shock as the next moment, she was pulled up by that unknown force, only to land in someone's warm embrace. Rather than magic, now, two strong arms surrounded her waist. It didn't take her time to realize who that was as she smelled that familiar fragrance, comforting yet intoxicating to her senses, the deep masculine scent of the forest with a hint of peppermint.