A scream echoed through the stone walls of the dungeon as the knights of Rockdelia sat in silence. Their hearts thumped together in fear as their blood ran cold. Lord Irwin's whimpers resonated through the cells as the knights gulped, their mouths running dry.

They had never expected a child looking Prince was this merciless and it was a blessing that they had no knowledge of these ships that conducted illegal business. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss too.

"Now," Demian said, his deep blue eyes stayed on Irwin's face. Somehow after getting so many punches his smashed-face had restructured in a good way. One of his eyes was closed with a nasty swell as a tooth or two was missing. Blood and sweat mixed in the air surrounded him as he cowardly backed further back to the stone wall behind him.

Demian sat at a distance, his face bore no emotions yet he gave off something sinister that Irwin's heart howled with fear. He sniffed, hot tears ran down on his disfigured face and he begged, "Ha-have mercy on me. Please, your Highness."

Corners of Demian's lip curled up, "I told you," his hands rested on his lap in a clasp as he was sitting on a chair and in the darkness of the dungeon, he looked more terrifying than death, "If you say that word one more time, I'll make sure you forget how to spell it."

Two of his guards came near again, their eyes resembling dead fishes' eyes and their hands held various objects of continuing his despair. He shook in his place and immediately bowed down his head to the ground, "I-I will tell you everything. I will say everything you want to know. Please. Please make your subjects stop this. Please. Have mer-"

Demian put his hand in the air as the men stopped and he ordered, "Start talking."

Irwin looked up and released a sigh and spoke, "This happened two years ago when a man appeared. He proposed to give us gold to help build the city we desired."

"Who was the man?"

Irwin tried to remember the name and somehow even when the man had come two or three times, he could not remember his name which was strange as he never forgets names. He felt as if his memories were a bit hazy and tried to recall how he looked. But nothing came.

Irwin's eyes widened as he had done conversations with him while Lord Heartstone was present there but he couldn't remember anything. How could that be possible? Had the tortures made his memories hazy or was he hallucinating about everything about their deal? For a moment, he went still and doubted his own thoughts; however, an angry scowl from the guard snapped his attention.

"I see, still not enough..." Demian said, his face grim with passing moments.

"His name was..." Irwin tried to rummage through his memories. Filo. Fany. Fella. No! Nothing was coming to his mind. And suddenly, as if his mouth recalled the name, he said, "Felis."

"Felis? Where did he come from?" Demian asked.

"Pardon, Your Highness but that time I wasn't with Lord Heartstone." He informed but truth to be told, he couldn't remember his whole name and it seemed to be best to put all the blame on his master who wasn't in his capable mind.

"He appeared and proposed out of the blue?" Demian interrogated further, his eyes were devoid of emotions just like the man. Yes! He remembered his eyes. It was dark and dry as if they were dead for years.

"Err... Yes and no." Irwin's eyes drifted away from Demian, "He said he had been helping poor cities with his gold as he wanted to use his wealth in a good way. So, he was trying to lend his golds to those who were in need and he also said we could give everything back to him anytime we wanted." Irwin Slowly recalled the man's assurance as he said that they didn't have to rush things.

Demian's eyes narrowed down on him and he wanted to smash his face more than how smashed it was. Who takes gold from an unknown person?

Irwin began, "We made everything new and decorated it exactly like Dragon city. Lord Heartstone wanted to have it improvised so he called the famous architect. The citizens were happy and everything was blissful."

Irwin recalled the city flooded with wealth after having his gold and since the man hadn't appeared for more than a year, they thought, he must have forgotten.

Irwin resumed, "Until a few months ago he came back."

Irwin shuddered at the thought as if he had seen something awful. "He wanted every gold he had given us and with interest of two years."

The poor attendant's head hung low as how they had stepped into his traps. "But in these two years, we had used up all his gold and the taxes we had from the citizens were spent on its architecture."

In those days, Lord Heartstone was acting strange as he wasn't willing to save his wealth and as a result he had spent all of the funds they had raised.

"And we thought, with taxes we could cover the interest but it reached the sky." Irwin said

Demian's jaw clenched at their foolishness. In normal circumstances, he would have hanged him or worse, he would have cut all of his toes and fingers but it was a critical moment as whoever it was must have taken something from them.

"What have you given him in exchange for the gold?" Demian asked.

"Nothing."

Demian's brows creased and as an angry lion he growled, "Don't jest me, Irwin. I'm not very patient."

He immediately bowed and with a trembling voice said, "I'm not, your Highness. What I have said is true." His rigid body and fear coated voice somehow told he wasn't lying yet it was hard to believe a person would give them that much gold without taking anything in return.

"He-he came with his troops this time. And they weren't very good people."

Demian shot him a gaze as Irwin said his voice was low but it reached Demian's ears. "They had powers. Terrifying powers and we had no knowledge they were wizards."

****

Demian went for his chambers after they had acquired information from Irwin. As he took his steps, his mind entered a whole different world. He could not understand what was the purpose of the man? And why would he give him his wealth?

More than that it troubled him where he got that much gold? It was a city not a manor! If the man got that much wealth, was he a prince?

But how Irwin had described him, he was a wizard!

Somehow things weren't settling well within his belly as Alonzo said, "Your Highness, please take rest today. I will interrogate him further tomorrow."

Demian nodded as he felt exhausted after today's work. He had been tiring himself today and now his body screamed of exhaustion.

His mind went to Seraphina as he recalled making her stay in the room forcibly. She must be very upset or worse, angry at him.

As they reached in front of the door, he saw the guards were there, still guarding without even blinking. As he neared, they bowed.

"Is she still inside?" Demian asked.

"Yes, your Highness." They answered.

He nodded as he dismissed them and told the guards behind him to stay alert. It would be better if he divided his men into keeping a watch everywhere. While half of them took rest, half of them worked.

He entered as Alonzo bowed, "I take my leave, Your Highness. Tomorrow I shall resume my work."

Demian nodded and opened the door. He saw Seraphina had changed into her night gown and she was doing something with her sword which he couldn't get to see. As she felt him coming near, she put the sword back to its sheath and turned around.

She indeed was angry...

Demian closed the door behind him as he started to pull off his coat and vest. For a long time, he hadn't had a good rest, he felt as if his body became stiff and wanted nothing more than to lay on the bed.

"Did you have your dinner?" He asked which Seraphina ignored and flopped on the other side of the bed angrily. He could feel her pouting as the corner of his lips twitched.

"I see, you don't want to have a conversation with me." He said and took off his clothes wearing only his trousers. He added, "Then I shall go take another room if my wife can't give me any service."

Seraphina jolted up and looked at him with anger dancing in her eyes but as soon as she saw him without clothes, her face flustered as colours took residence on her cheeks. "Wh-what kind of service?!"

She turned around and grumbled, "And why are you not wearing your shirt? Wear something!"

"Ho! Why would I?" He teased as he got up on the bed, the bed sunk in with his weight and he could tell her heart was leaping in rounds as she felt him on the bed.

"What do you mean! I-" she hesitated, "Because a woman is here."

"And that woman is my wife." Demian finished and by now he was certain, he could hear her thundering heart. He laid down on the soft mattress and asked, "Why would I have to hide myself in front of my wife?"

Which made Seraphina go rigid as he teased, "I thought we were married and besides, we can do it now while we stay on the bed, won't we?" His voice was almost like a whisper which made her stiffen.

"Do-do what?" She asked.

"What else, what does a couple do after marriage..."

His sentence made Seraphina jump out of the bed and went to a safer distance as she took a chair as her defense. Her face was heated as she looked at him warily. He resisted the urge to laugh as he said with a deadpan face, "I was talking about sleeping, which we have been doing together a lot lately. Why? What else you think?"

"I-" Seraphina's eyes drifted everywhere avoiding looking straight in his eyes as she stated with a nervous chuckle, "I was thinking the same."

"Ho. Then why did you run?"

Seraphina flinched and moved her eyes around to find an excuse but it seemed her mind wasn't into forming an excuse immediately. He laughed.

Which made Seraphina's jaw to hang low as she growled, "Why are you laughing?"

"You are adorable sometimes," and he laughed more, feeling all of his worries slowly chipping away. He certainly needed her to keep his cool as he felt he was becoming someone else if he went back to his previous self. "At least, you are not angry anymore."

Seraphina's face twisted with anger and she said, "I am angry!"

"I know." Demian said as he made himself comfortable in the bed.

"You-you know?"

"Yes. But don't stop talking with me, Seraphina," he said as he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent that was Seraphina's. Strange how it helped him to calm his nerves. After a long time, he had to torture and it made him feel satisfied yet wary of his own self. If she had witnessed him, she would, no doubt, run away. "Don't stop talking as it might be the only thing that would keep me sane."

Seraphina's brows knitted together as a worried face crawled on. Why would he say that? Her stomach tied into a knot.

"I'm angry because you don't tell me anything and you don't take me with you as if," Seraphina's face fell, "You don't trust me enough."

Demian opened his eyes and looked at his wife who still stood further. "Come here." He ordered as she slowly obeyed him and hopped on the bed, her eyes still low and face engraved in sadness.

He took her hand and pulled her toward him as she flopped beside him, surprised at his action. He placed his hand on her waist and looked deeper into her eyes as her cheeks heated.

"It's not that I don't trust you with information. I trust you most after my brother, Master Valentine and Alonzo." His eyes stayed unblinking as if promising the truth he held deep inside of his heart. Seraphina's heart thumped loudly at his touch.

"Then what is it?" She asked weakly as she felt thunder rushing through her body from where hand was placed.

"It is that..." He took a deep breath and then released before saying, "You will get scared and might distance yourself after seeing me in my poor character."

"I would never-"

"I know." Demian gave her a small smile, "It's just, I don't want you to see that side of me. For it's never an amusing sight."

"I don't care." Seraphina said determination danced in her eyes, making Demian shocked as she added, "I don't care if you become a completely different person. I just want to witness it and want to know everything about you even if it is not amusing."

Seraphina looked into his eyes, not faltering at the darkness of it as Demian said in a breathy voice while his hand reached her lips, caressing, "Seraphina, stay with me forever."

Seraphina sucked on her breath as his face became dangerously closed and she felt his breaths fanning on her skin. Her heart pumped all the blood to her cheeks as she closed her eyes, not able to take all of the excitement together, "I will."

As she waited for what was about to come next, she heard soft snores. She opened her eyes and saw Demian had already gone into his slumber.

Her palms twitched and somehow she felt betrayed and it made her uneasy at why the hell did she feel that way? What was she expecting?

She turned around and grumbled, "At least hear what I have to say!"