He turned and faced her as she once again offered to help him. “I am not ill.” He said simply as he sighed, it was the truth, he wasnt ill he had just not been having as blood as he should be for one of his kind, he unlike the others in the fact that he did not gorge himself on blood every day, he only fed maybe once a week, and that was if he even remembered. “What makes you think I am ill?” He asked walking back to her and dismissing his staff for now, though his persoanl guard who never left his side gave him a questioning look. “I said go.” He told the man sternly as he was now left alone with Sakura.
“Why are you here instead of the girl I was promised?” He asked her with a frown, it wasn’t that he was unhappy with her being here but he had been promised someone else and they had not delivered her to him. “I could just go and get her…” Axel pointed out as he leaned against the door way.
The moment he had dismissed all his staff, a chill ran through her and she became very conscious of the the direct order of her king to never be alone with Axel if she could help it. Despite her concern, Sakura schooled her features into indifference and tried to sort out how exactly she would answer all his questions. It was obvious to her (and even someone who hadn’t trained to be a healer) that his coloring was off, but as she really looked at him now something felt terribly wrong about him.
His coloring for one thing, but the way he held himself and the way she couldn’t seem to see him breath… Sakura quickly pushed aside those thoughts, realizing she had been quiet for some time now and brought her hands behind her back so he couldn’t see them shake, “She was engaged to another and as her friend I couldn’t watch her leave behind love. She’s married now and far away so that you couldn’t get her even if you tried.”
Her words came out meaner than she intended, and knowing her place she quickly checked her tone and inclined her head slightly in respect,’’If you did there would be another war that I’m not so sure you or really anyone would want to fight. So, here I am.”
He scoffed at her answer and looked at her, his eyes now hard. “You really think that her being married off could stop me?” He asked as he moved closer to her. At her words of another wart he jsut huffed and looked away, she was right, his actions if he chose to go after the girl he was promised would put the country back into war and he didn’t want that. “Fine…I guess you will have to do then.”
He was less than pleased and it showed. “She was scared of me, wasn’t she? Just like you are…..Because of the rumors?” He asked as he started to walk away from her, already knowing the answer.
It had happened all too quickly, the introduction and her failure of an attempt to speak with him- truth be told even though the castle was beautiful she wasn’t really able to pay too much attention to her surroundings and just spent the entire walk up to her room in shock. Not even an hour in and she had already made a fool of herself- so much for being the hope of her kingdom… Outwardly, she kept her exterior pleasant enough, smiling and nodding as the man prattled on about the history of the halls and rooms they passed- but the moment she was in the safety of her own room and was by herself- she let out a loud groan and covered her face in embarrassment as she flushed bright red with recollection of what had happened moments before.
…
A variety of expletives had come to mind the moment she heard that name– and it didn’t take her long to realize just who it was that stood in front of her. Most people would have groveled or apologized, but realizing it was much to late to act as anything she wasn’t raised her chin and looked him directly in the eyes, “I can say the same about you, but I am very glad you are not nearly as terrifying as rumor suggests.”
When he turned and left, she had half a mind to be sharp with him- but recalling how ill he was Sakura had taken a step to follow before deciding against it and simply called out instead, “Your highness, my advice still stands. No matter who or what was happened I don’t like to see anyone ill. If you would like, maybe I could tend to you?”
…
She must be some kind of fool, because only an absolute idiot would talk to a man who could call for her own death along with all her people like that…
He turned and faced her as she once again offered to help him. “I am not ill.” He said simply as he sighed, it was the truth, he wasnt ill he had just not been having as blood as he should be for one of his kind, he unlike the others in the fact that he did not gorge himself on blood every day, he only fed maybe once a week, and that was if he even remembered. “What makes you think I am ill?” He asked walking back to her and dismissing his staff for now, though his persoanl guard who never left his side gave him a questioning look. “I said go.” He told the man sternly as he was now left alone with Sakura.
“Why are you here instead of the girl I was promised?” He asked her with a frown, it wasn’t that he was unhappy with her being here but he had been promised someone else and they had not delivered her to him. “I could just go and get her…” Axel pointed out as he leaned against the door way.
Even being as determined as she was, being told she wouldn’t even meet her future husband was a serious disappointment. Sakura had set her expectations low, but this was ridiculous- he had made such a big deal to get a wife and he couldn’t even bother to see her. She did her best to stay upbeat , and offered a kind smile to the woman that had warned her, “Thank you for telling me- but I would still like to meet him. Can you tell me where he is so I can?“ She wasn’t going to be deterred that easily.
Just then an approaching figure caught her eye, and as he grew near she saw how terribly sick the person looked. Terribly pale and thin with dark circles under the eyes. Acting instinctively, she moved away from the other staff and went towards him- digging around her bag until she found what she was looking for. Now in front of the man (who she guessed must be another member of the staff, as his clothes were simple) she held out a small cloth wrapped package, "You look like you might have a virus- I may not look it but I helped a healer from time to time where I was from. Just chew on a bit of this every day for a week and you’ll be good as new! Make sure to drink and eat as much as you can as well.”
As she spoke, Sakura simply placed it in his hands with a gentle, sympathetic squeeze, “I’m sure you know, but I believe in introductions- my name is Sakura Tsubaki; it’s nice to meet you.”
He looked at her with a slightly frown before looking at his staff he were all basically standing at attention now that the king had come down to see what was going on. He took the package and looked at it. “Thank you I guess…” He mumbled before putting it in his pocket and looking at her again.
“Axel Alrikson..” He said simply as she shook his hand. He figured that she must be his betrothed but he had been expecting someone a little different. “You are not who I was expecting…” HE told her as he headed back to his room, leaving the staff to show her to her room. The man that drove her there took her bags and led her upto her room which was just as lavished as the rest of the house, it was decorated in blues and golds much like the rest of the house.
Getting married was something- even when her parents had died- that Sakura knew she wanted. Growing up, her parents were the perfect example of the power love has- unfaltering in their loyalty and trust in one in another they had been a powerful team. True, they had only been modest bakers- but somehow their bakery had always seemed to her to be filled with life and light. When they died, she had mourned their loss but had done everything she could to keep the light of the bakery- even in the midst of a war.
A war that was now over.
Now, she was getting married but it wasn’t anything like she had ever hoped for. She didn’t love her betrothed- in fact, she had never even met him- all she knew about him was that he had conquered her home, killed her people and wasn’t human. She should have been scared out of her mind, but as she left behind the only home she had ever known- she only felt a steady determination.
She didn’t want this- but she had chosen it. When the decree had been spread, shortly after the war had ended- their new ruler wanted a wife and one woman must be sent, whether of noble birth or not- there had been absolute chaos. No one- girl, mother, father, uncle, aunt, grandfather or grandmother wanted to send any one. She had been delivering bread to the castle when her former king had decided to send his daughter- a girl Sakura had grown to be friends with and knew she was in love with another- when Sakura had volunteered herself instead. She hadn’t been sure in that moment exactly why she had done it, but now that Sakura had time to think she knew why. It was partly because she hadn’t wanted to see her friend suffer, but also another part of her had always wanted a way out of her sleepy town. Admittedly- it wasn’t the best decision she ever made, but it was one she had made herself.
Sakura didn’t know if she could love him, but she would do her best to be his equal and be a representation of her people.
She had hope for peace and for more out of her life. Hope, even when she saw the large foreign castle looming ominously above her, that remained constant.
He had been cursed because of his father and the deeds that the dead man had done, hos sins had been past down onto his son, making it so tha the never aged, wasn’t able to go out in the daylight and that he never aged.
It had most of his subjects afraid of him, no woman would look at him without disgust on their face and when the word broke that he was looking for a wife, no one came forward or even volunteered their daughters to him. It had made him grow even more depressed and withdrawn leaving the task up to his staff to find a woman for the lonely king.
They had looked far and wide till getting word back that a former king had put his daughter forward to be married to Axel, but when they got there they found another in her place and was told that she volunteered to go in the daughters place, they had not minded and simply took Sakura instead.
Even though he had heard that they had found someone for him he didn’t venture out of his personal quarters, having his food delivered to his door. Once they arrived with her, one of the members of his court pulled her aside gently and explained that she probably wouldn’t see her soon to be husband much as no one in the castle did anymore.
As he heard the commotion of people arriving he slowly made his way down from his room, dark bags under his could be seen but no one mentioned it as the king stood in front of them.
the-solitary-monster 