Chapter 27: Chapter 27

DAHLIA:

I was still stuck in reverie on what happened during my wedding night with Tristan two months prior when a pair of arms came across my waist. I smiled without even looking to see who it was.

“You like the trees and flowers here so much, hmm,” that familiar raspy voice said in my ear.

I nodded. “I like summer time,” I said back, “that’s why I like you.”

I looked up to my left and saw Tristan’s smiling face. His eyebrows went up in wonder at what I said. “How am I related to summer?”

“You smell just like summer time,” I said, blushing a bit. His citrus and wood land smell always reminded me of the season, and today, it was the same.

Tristan nibbled at the upper corner of my earlobe a bit in an affectionate manner, and I blushed even harder. He started to kiss me heatedly on the neck.

“Ah, Tristan… We just got back. We still have to unpack,” I said nervously. It was still very early in the morning, and I knew where his kisses would eventually lead to if I don’t stop him right then and there.

He continued to rain kisses on my neck for a bit, pretending like he didn’t hear me at all. “Are you really alright with coming back here?”

“Yeah… I mean what’s there to fear,” I said back. I tried to show a brave front, but my cracked voice gave me away a bit. “Your business is in the capital, and you were summoned here by the council. My study will also start soon. I don’t think we should run away from our responsibilities,” I continued.

“You’re not fearful, not even of your father,” Tristan asked.

I moved away from Tristan and walked towards the piles of boxes containing our things. I didn’t know what to tell him…

Since we got married, there wasn’t a single day that I didn’t worry that my father wouldn’t send someone to kill Tristan or take me away. I remembered my last encounter with papa. The feel of his slap still burned so strongly in my heart. I don’t think he was a man who would sit still like so.

Surprisingly though, nothing has happened. I wrote some letters to papa, explaining my decision and that I had been nothing but happy beside Tristan. He never sent a single reply though. I guess his response was to completely forget that I had even existed…

“I’ll be alright, Dahlly. No one can harm me or you,” Tristan said, hugging me tightly again from behind.

“I guess you’re right,” I said, trying to feign a smile. “Anyway, starting tomorrow, you and I will be busy, so we better start unpacking our things.”

That’s right. About a month ago, I braved myself and submitted an application to the Department of Healing and Medicine at the locally-funded university. Tristan cheered me on and told me that I could make it.

I had little hope of getting a positive response though. Papa always objected to the idea of me pursuing higher education. He always told me that a woman’s place is in her husband’s house, bearing his children.

Thankfully, Tristan was an exact opposite of papa. He helped me complete the necessary paper works for my university application. He said that while he liked us to be together most of the time, he knew how it would make me even happier if I become a full-pledged healer. He told me that he’d support me in what I want all the way.

A week before we went back, I received the good news. The head master had approved my application! Starting next week, I will undergo their training program, and if I complete the two year’s worth of lessons and trainings, I could take the assessment exam and become a full-pledged healer!

As soon as Tristan and I received the news, we immediately decided to go back to Seymour Villa, his house in the capital. While he will be busy with merchant affairs and the council, I’ll be busy receiving my training. My life couldn’t get any better!

“Since you and I will be busy, why don’t we spend our remaining time together doing something more… substantial than putting away these boxes, hmm? After all, we’ll both be very, very occupied with something else soon…”

I wanted to laugh. Whenever Tristan said this, he’d only had one activity in mind…

Before he could kiss me again, we heard a bit of skirmish in front of the house. I could see some of the knights march down towards the gate in a hurry.

Before Tristan and I could check the whole incident further though, Lina knocked on the door and came in shortly, just in time as I struggled to unfasten Tristan’s tight embrace against my body. Lina carried a pitcher of lemon juice with her and two tall drinking glasses.

“Lord Abell, Gideon was just looking for you. He said someone’s here to see you. He said something about a top priority shipment.”

Tristan’s face changed into his colder, business-like exterior, something he’d only adopt when making business transactions.

“See you later, Dahlly,” he said, kissing me atop the head before he went out of the door.

There was no real danger in front of me, yet somehow, my heart suddenly beat quickly… What could it mean?

******************************

TRISTAN:

As soon as I set foot back to Seymour Villa, I knew this would happen. I had anticipated this, knowing Duke Hurst’s obsession with his daughter. However, his old, rotten tactics would never work against me. I had them all covered.

Right after our wedding back at Crohmwall District, the old snake had tried desperately to snatch Dahlia back away. At first, he sent several knights to the vicinity everyday for a month. Thankfully, the heavy dispatch of knights in the area had prevented them from even reaching our fief.

The army was always accompanied by letters with the old man’s handwriting, threatening me to produce her daughter and to make her appear in front of him. He accused me of kidnapping her and threatened to have me jailed if I do not comply.

I responded promptly by sending a copy of our marriage certificate to him and a copy of our marriage portrait. I also intercepted Dahlia’s letters and altered the contents a bit, saying instead that she never wanted to see him, and that he should just forget about her. At one time, I altered the letter to convey that he should go to hell. Sure enough, the old man’s letters stopped after that.

Now, just a few hours after we had arrived back at the capital, I immediately found him and his men making a scene in front of my house.

I already knew based from Gideon’s code who that important ‘shipment’ was. He was dressed in a splendid crimson armor, but his behavior was far worse than a lowly wolf.

“Open the gates! Let me see my daughter!” I heard him shout in a distance.

I looked back at his blasted face – the face that didn’t quite age since twenty years ago when he pretended to be injured in front of me just so that he could tear my whole pack down...

My heart danced in excitement as I looked at him scowl and grovel to the ground, desperately demanding to see my wife, the only wolf he treasured in his wretched life.

Now, my first act of subtle revenge can finally begin!