Chapter 23: Ashton

"Aroused, I mean. Did you feel aroused? Because I am."

Hugo's words kept repeating in my head like a broken record. Even until now that we returned to the inn and I was about to sleep, it wouldn't go out of my head! All I could do was stare at the ceiling, holding my blanket over my shoulders.

"Did I feel it?" I murmured, touching the side of my neck where he kissed me. I could feel my face heat up at the lingering feeling that his moist lips left on my skin. It was surprisingly soft, compared to what was coming out of his mouth.

I swallowed a mouthful of saliva as I shook my head. "That's nothing," I muttered, convincing myself that it was really nothing.

"It's simply an enlightenment of what... he is feeling." I bit my lip, a little frustrated that my heart was still racing.

When Hugo pecked on my neck, there was this strange feeling it gave me. It was hard to put it in words, but it was more like... an invitation? And my body seemed to understand it more than my brain.

"What a strange feeling," I murmured while sighing, staring at the ceiling. "Hugo... do you really like me?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line as soon as I heard my inquiry. There were many reasons to like a person. I, for once, liked a person back home. However, it was more like I admired him. I also liked my friends. Does he see me as someone he admired? But there was nothing to admire about me. If he considered me as his friend, then that was strangely quick but understandable.

Still, the way he looked at me scared me and at the same time tickled my curiosity.

"He baffles me," came out a whisper as I closed my eyes to sleep. "I shouldn't think about that. We will set off tomorrow morning, anyway."

I kept my eyes shut until sleep visited me. I slowly felt like falling into a deep slumber.

*****

I had a dream that night. It was unlike the usual dreams of me and that pup. I was walking through the hallway and was about to turn when I heard the maidservants gossiping. I stopped on instinct and listened to their conversation.

"Did the Ronmin Empire really ask for the princess's hand?" asked one maid in panic. My brows furrowed, thinking that they were talking about one of my sisters that I never met. I heard some of them already got married and even my brothers were engaged.

'Will I ever attend such a wonderful occasion?' I wondered with a sigh. I knew a wedding was a wonderful occasion to be celebrated about, but I was never been into one. Mother and Father forbid me.

"Yes. Those savages want our dear Princess before they send out reinforcement," the other maid answered in a melancholic tone. "Our king wants to refuse it since the princess was his treasure, but..."

The maid didn't finish her sentence as she let out a deep sigh. I frowned as I wanted to listen more. The only sources I hear about what was going outside were by eavesdropping on their gossip.

"The Ronmin Empire is known for their brutality. How can the Princess survive in a scary place like that?"

"Our poor princess..."

"But if the king doesn't agree, the Hendrik Empire will succeed in seizing our kingdom. They already said that a war might break out, and the Hendrik was also working with the rebels."

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"That is just an assumption!"

"Shhh! Keep your tone down."

"But... did you also hear? The Hendrik Empire also proposed that they could settle this in marriage? Apparently, they seemed to also have an interest in the Princess."

"Princess." I jumped when a voice rang behind me. The maids also seized talking while I looked back to see Ashton, my loyal knight.

Ashton peeked at the maids behind me, and I glanced back at them. When I did, they offered me an awkward smile and bowed before leaving. I frowned as I set my eyes back on Ashton.

"Why would you scare me like that?" I clicked my tongue.

"I'm sorry, Princess. I tried calling you, but you ignored me." Ashton sighed apologetically. "By the way, were you eavesdropping again?"

I took a deep breath as I walked through the hallway, while Ashton followed behind me. "I heard they were talking about marriage. One of my sisters seemed she caught the eyes of some important people."

Usually, Ashton would tell me to stop eavesdropping, as it was a bad habit. However, he kept quiet. I stopped and looked back at him, furrowing my brows upon seeing the look in his eyes. I couldn't point it out exactly, but they looked strange. At least, unlike the usual warmness they held.

"Ashton?" I called while tilting my head to the side.

Ashton sported a smile and spoke in a quiet voice. "Princess, don't worry about it. I will be with you..."

*******

I snapped my eyes opened only to squint them because of the brightness of the morning sun coming from the window. I grunted and turned my head to the side.

'What a random dream,' I thought while blinking, processing the fragments of the dream I had last night. 'What did Ashton tell me back then? I somehow remember that from happening but... it feels like something is missing from that day.'

I tried to recall what happened that day, but my last memory of Ashton resurfaced in my head. My lips curled up bitterly, recalling the time he told me to stay inside the castle before he went out to defend it. Since the rebels managed to force their way in, that only meant Ashton...

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Are you awake now?" Hugo's voice followed the light knock from outside the door. "Come out once you changed. We will set off in an hour."

I shook my head and buried the sadness in my heart about Ashton's death. I could still see Hugo's shadow under the small gap of the door.

"There's no point in dwelling on that now. I will just keep them all alive in my heart," I whispered before forcing a smile and taking a deep breath. My grip on the sheet tightened before loosening it.

"Yes," I replied to the person waiting for me outside.. "I'm awake now."

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