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Continuation from last page

"You know she is not yours Andrew. She belongs to someone else who is her mate" She said and I cut her off "And what?? Veronica... The man who will leave her after short period of time due to curse. I know I am not him but I know for sure I can always protect her and I will cherish her for rest of my life" I finished.

"Lie as much as you want Andrew... But we both know you have everything to do with her not being where she was supposed to be" She said and left.

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Ethan's POV

I was taken to a dark underground dungeon and pushed into one of the dark cellar prison and when my eyes go accustomed I could see there were around twenty more cells like this from my location and 4 of them had some people inside. I tried using my Vampiric powers to release myself but seems like they were lost and I was just a normal human here.

I paced in my room to find a pot of water and another for toilet and a shabby bed with dirty covers. I made my way to the corner and sat there thinking how to escape and find my sweetheart since it was going to be a long night.

I woke up with a jolt when I felt cold water was thrown at my face. I looked around when my vision was clear to find there were two men standing in front of me.

"Chief he is criminal" One of them said.

"Bring him at our town gathering and justice would be served tomorrow" he said looking at me with disgust in his eyes.

I was dragged in the middle of the gathering over a podium and tied to a pole. All eyes were looking at me and then he said "People of Kaemus we have gathered here to punish an offence against a lady. This stranger who is tied here had thought he can misbehave and insult the woman of our village. He is to be lashed until he loses conscious and then he is not to be fed or given any water till two days".

Soon a man of hefty build came forward with a leather whip and he hit me with it. The whip lashed and ripped my skin. I stayed calm trying to hold in the scream.

He continued hitting me when the chorus of people said "Hit him hard".

The man encouraged by them put in his full strength in his next hit and continued till I felt the skin broken and blood pouring out.

He kept going on till I lost conscious but before I lost myself to darkness I saw a figure in black coming near me and she lifted her veil to reveal the most beautiful blue eyes.

I looked at her and found an emotion that was near sympathy I gave a small smile and lost it to darkness.

"Warrior.. Warrior Get up" a sweet voice in my ears like music woke me up. I tried opening my eyes but it felt like too much effort but her persistence made me open my eyes but all seemed blurred. When my vision cleared and I saw that there was a person dressed in black in front of me.

"Who are you?" I asked her frowning.

"You don't need to know that. Come on now drink this, this will help heal your wounds and reduce the pain" I heard her saying.

When I looked at her face I noticed the same hypnotic blue eyes I saw before loosing my conscious.

"How do I know it's not poisoned" I asked to test her.

"Really you think I will come in middle of night to poison you. If I wanted you dead all I have to do is leave a wild snake at you" She replied mocking me "and I won't be risking my reputation for a criminal".

It amused me that she was risking coming to me in the dark hours and if anyone would know they will surely defame her.

"Tell me then why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Because unlike the people of this village I am not cruel" She replied while applying a cream on my wounds.

"Ah" I screamed. "Sh... you will wake the guards up. You don't know how difficult it was to come here to aid you. And if I am caught I will be shackled for my life in a marriage I don't want" She whispered near my ear.

She glanced around listen for any noise and then she removed her hand from my mouth.

"Drink this it and it will help heal the wounds and pain" She said.

I don't know but her voice, her touch and her eyes were reminding of Jo and I was wondering whether it was my state or being in this place that had me feel this.

Once I gulped the potion she retrieved a freshly baked bread and pieced it and lift to my mouth and the eyes that looked out at me from the veil urged me to eat. I did what I was asked while being in trance.

She brought the water to my lips once I had bread and got up and said "I must haste or else I will get caught".

She left and I stared at her disappearing figure and I don't know when I dozed off.

I again woke up when ice cold water was thrown at me in the morning.

"Look who is awake" said the guard who had caught me.

"River do not tease the man. He will not be binded forever and you know he has served half of his punishment" The second man replied.

"Dennis does it look like I care.. I want him to suffer to treat our woman like that" Dennis replied.

"Look you all got it all wrong. I did not misbehave with any lady. You people want to hit me but do not say I looked at another lady with lust because I did not" I yelled.

"Every criminal says the same thing. You are no exception" River replied.

Our conversation was interrupted when the village chief came and said "Looks like the man recovered too soon and doesn't seems to be in pain too".

It was then the River replied "I agree with you chief and came near me and he touched a place where my skin was broken and he then rubbed and smelled "Hmmm.. chief seems like someone got the healing oil for him".

This revelation made me worry for the unknown yet familiar stranger but seems like chief was very quick in noticing it.

"Dennis go and announce that criminal is to be lashed again and this time after the beating he will be kept inside fire and this will keep anyone away from him".

Again I was tied to the pole with tight bonds because I had lost so much blood I could not even stand.

The Giant named Harper came and began whipping me and this time the whips hurt much more than last time.

I lost consciousness and when I woke up I found that the people have lit the fire in circle around me so that no one can come in.

I kept staring at the fire and then suddenly I saw fire was extinguished and the place was filled with smoke.

Again I heard the same musical voice "Warrior Wake up".

"Please go away... if they see you have applied healing oil again then they will whip me again and moreover I fear you might get caught and will be punished" I said.

"For a man who is in a worst condition you worry too much about another" She said chuckling.

"I don't want you getting punished for your kindness lady" I said.

"Shhh.. " She shushed me and started applying the medicine and I noticed the medicine she was applying this time was not an oil it was a semi liquid and I felt it got soaked in the wound and no one could even trace that there was anything applied.

Then like yesterday she fed me and left as she had come. Next day again chief came and looked at me and the suspicion he had confirmed when he found me in a better condition.

Then he said "River and Dennis announce that this man is going to be executed".

Soon I was taken to gallows and it was announced that someone was helping me to recover from my punishment and since I was supposed to undergo suffering and did not fulfill the condition I was to be hanged.

The crowd gathered and soon they were staring at me. Then I saw another giant Marcus coming to blind fold me to hang me when I heard the same musical voice "Stop... Don't do this. It's me you should punish not him".

When I looked I saw the lady running towards me when Dennis stopped her and said "Myra you are not supposed to be here".

"Why won't I be here Dennis? You are punishing a man without any reason. You whipped him not once but twice had it not been me he would have died" She said.

"Don't utter a word Myra you know you are ruining your chances at marriage" Dennis replied.

"Marriage... What marriage are you talking about Dennis I am a ruined woman and no one in this village or in neighbouring will take a ruined woman as their wife" She replied.

When she tried to get out of Dennis grip, Chief said "Dennis release Myra instantly and let her speak".

"Myra what is it that you want to say" The chief asked.

"Sir, the other day when the ladies were at well and as soon as he approached they screamed and ran leaving their pots because women of the village are not allowed to talk to men much less strangers and all the ladies there were unmarried. For the fear they will be considered outcast they didn't even hear what this man here has to say he was yelling at them that one of them have dropped their anklet but none of them heard him and seeing the chaos the men and soldiers caught him and locked him in dungeon and when you arrived you whipped him and I could not bear to see an innocent punished so I helped nurse his wounds and fed him the first night but seems like you were not happy and again punished the innocent man and again I nursed him but somehow again you came to know of it and are now hanging him and I could not stop myself from stopping this injustice" She said.

Once the lady or Myra told the events that happened chief looked at her and said thoughtfully and said "How do you know he did not misbehave and he was just trying to give back the anklet".

"Sir because it was me who dropped it and when I went to fetch it I saw this man yelling for woman to hear him out" She said.

"Ok so I hereby understand Myra that it was you who dropped the anklet and this man being the innocent one got caught in this trouble because of you and so you thought by helping him you would reduce the guilt am I right?" The chief asked.

"Yes sir" Myra replied.

"Then I think it is you who must be punished for being careless and not speaking up when you could have" Chief said 

"But sir" She was saying when chief interrupted and held his hand high to stop and said "Since there is no proof of the story you just told and the proof that this man is innocent, I would punish him and since he already got punished I will spare him his life but in the light of new circumstances wherein you got him into trouble you too need to be punished".

"I am ready for the punishment sir" She said.

"No... Myra stop this madness" Dennis said.

"Hold Dennis let me complete" Chief said and said "Since you admit your mistake so as a punishment you are to be betrothed and wed to this man because though you have got him in trouble but you had also taken care of him as a wife would of his husband, needless to say you spent night with a man who is not your relative and that will make you unfit for any respectable proposal so as a chief of justice I command you to marry this man".

"No Sir I don't want to get married" She cried.

"The assembly is dismissed. Dennis prepare for her wedding and People help arrange the celebration" Chief said.

All I did was watch how the events turned so unexpectedly even though I would have supported the woman 's decision my mouth was gagged and then I was taken and bathed and dressed and taken to the place where ceremony occurs.

I was made to stand on a high rock on a wooden chair and I saw a sheet hiding her from vision and then chief made the announcement.

"People of Kaemus, we gathered here to celebrate the betrothal of one of our Woman Myra who is our healer to this foreigner Named Ethan".

The crowd cheered up and I sat there fuming because I was tide to the chair via chains so as not to escape.

"People today Myra will show her face to her would be husband. Let's cherish the moment".

I was trying to wriggle out but soon I saw the sheet removed and the woman in black who  I assumed was my savior stared at me with those hypnotic eyes and was staring me.

Soon someone pulled off her veil to reveal the face----------the face that is imprinted in my heart and I whispered the name of my beloved "Jocelyn...."