Enthralled By You

44| Rueful Lullaby

                                                                       
She won't last long...

Lurking shadows of the dark had started to uprear. They're on a hunt chasing the dwindling light away as if they know they can roam everywhere since light had weakened.

Lord Ronin's brows furrowed when Yenaery hissed from plucking some berries in a brambly bush. The prickly vine crept and twined in a low hanging branch, shrouding it with its dense leafage and thistly thickets. It formed an impenetrable wall of tangled thorns that probably pricks her skin.

She didn't care of it anyway since she was elated from her harvest. She's been foraging and became oblivious from getting deeper into the woods. Upon following her trail, he can't stop smirking every time she gasped in wonder while munching with delight at a handful of berries she picked. She ate with passion, savoring every taste on her palate as if she hadn't eaten it for years.

She hadn't eaten a decent meal but her long endurance and persistence is truly remarkable.

He had never expected her being resilient with great sense of purpose to persevere. It wasn't his intention to watch her all day but he needs to keep his eyes on her. And doing it becomes bothering because he seems to know her even more. He began to notice her meritorious traits that apparently aren't there before and of course—her unusual manner of eating that made him gaze with fascination.

Wondering what it tastes like, he picked a berry and popped it into his mouth but he spit it out right away. He darted his eyes on her for fooling him—it's disgusting! How could she eat such acidulous thing as if it's the sweetest succulent she had ever tasted?

But she seemed contented. She even smiled like a child holding a bag of candies. But then, she hadn't eaten a good meal throughout the day, she consumed everything she find delectable to nourish herself—

She smiled?

She looks enchanting. He noticed a pair of dainty dent each side of her plump lips. It bothers him and had barely held himself not to raise his hand and wipe that deep purple extract that totally stained her bow-shaped lips.

He shakes his head and smirks upon realizing what he just tried to do.

He looks away. He need to clear up his mind, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to carry out his duty. But he can't deny it anymore, there is always a strange pull that made him fall into trance and forgot his sole purpose. There's a sense of contentment while watching her—a sense of peace that made him doubt his main responsibility anymore.

He wanted to end everything as soon as possible. He didn't like it when things are reeling out of his hand. He has to pull himself together but doing it became a heavy burden in his part because something within him had opposed and bugging him every minute.

"Aren't you tired watching that sleaze all day and night?"

Lord Ronin smirks slyly without leaving his eyes at Yenaery. "Does it matter to you? You must be tired sitting at your shrine to tread on your toes and stroll with your acolytes at night?" He darted his eyes at the Deity of Prophecy who came out along with her cortege of three disciples. He didn't expect her to waste no time. This sharp-witted deity is too cunning for his taste. "It's wonderful to see you, Azthea. I'm totally thrilled seeing you maundering outside your great shrine."

Her cerulean eyes glinted with mirth. "Did I miss something?" She purred and gestured her disciples to leave and keep some distance. "If not for your duty, I would have said you choose to stay with that chit rather than sparing your time to visit me in my shrine. You descended few days ago yet you seemed no plans to see me..."