Bride To His Darkness-Chapter 308: Another Guard Encounter

It wasn’t long before the moon took its place above the Midnight blue sky, and Samantha had gotten herself ready to leave with Brian. After a few advisable words from Elara, who had guided her on how to stay safe out there, Samantha quickly draped the thick cloak over her body, whilst concealing her features in just one swoop, a testament to how small the cloak made her feel.

When she was done, she exited the cottage with Brian and after an hour walk trying to maneuver their way out of the forest, they eventually made it to the main city. The city’s atmosphere hummed with an eerie blend of mysticity and mundanity, and as they moved along the cobbled stone path, Samantha’s visuals remained in the cloak, her golden-blonde hair peeking out from the hood.

Just as Brian had told her, the path was less crowded than she genuinely hoped it would be. Despite the enchanting surroundings, the people appeared like ordinary folks, their attire providing no hint of the magical potential that lay within them. The people seemed to be more familiar with themselves, as they had stopped on several occasions to offer greetings, and a few passed some of their greetings to Brian.

As they meandered through the cobblestone streets, Samantha’s concealed presence allowed her to observe the city’s denizens more closely. Unlike the people of GreenHollow, she visibly noted the absence of ostentatious robes, or sparkling accessories that often signified magical prowess. Instead, these people, whom she suspected to be from the witches and warlock’s clan, were dressed much like poor commoners, their magical ability hidden beneath a cloak of normalcy.

"These people... they don’t seem to be well taken care of." Samantha looked up from the depths of her cloak to gaze at Brian, and she wondered if he could see her regardless of the cloak. She noticed how his eyes surveyed the smiling people, when deep down, they were slowly being broken under the entrapment of the kingdom.

"It’s more painful when I come to the realization that she intends on feeding these innocent lives the result of her dark arts." He murmured with slight pity, "I keep wondering how they’ll react when they finally understand Carmela’s ploy; will they still offer her their support after finding out she kills innocent children and uses their blood to make herself stronger? Or will they show some hate when they learn she fed the blood of innocent children to them? I... really want to know." His chest heaved as a sigh escaped his lips, but that didn’t deter Samantha from asking.

"I get your point, but is it a normal thing for the citizens to wear rags in their own land? Why such a stark difference in their clothing?" She frowned at the divide, but then Brian let out a peal of laughter, and it didn’t sound like a happy one.

"This isn’t the North, things are done differently here, and the people don’t complain because it has always been that way– what could be normal to them, can be considered abnormal to you." Brian’s eyes held a somber intensity as he began to explain the peculiar rules of his kingdom, "in this realm, power comes with a price, and it’s not always it seems. The ruling class, those who wield substantial magic, dress extravagantly to showcase their authority and abilities. On the other hand, the impoverished wear rags, a deliberate choice to maintain a sense of balance and humility– according to them."

Samantha remained understandably quiet, scrutinizing the people who passed her by, whilst unhappy about the obvious disparity. Some of the people were closing their shops for the day, others were walking home with their family and children, and she could see behind that facade of theirs that there was no happiness instilled inside of them.

As they strolled through the narrowed lane, a sudden commotion caught Samantha’s attention, forcing her to come to a halt with Brian, and before her eyes was a guard on patrol.

He was adorned in a uniform, indistinguishable from that of his fellow citizens, but that didn’t stunned Samantha. What left her rooted to her spot was the fact that the guard was presently dragging a hooded individual away, whilst her gaze curiously followed them. The air was charged with a palpable tension as onlookers averted their eyes, unwilling to intervene.

"Shouldn’t they be on break? Or has an hour passed by so quickly?" Samantha asked as she watched the guard drag the hooded individual into a dark corner.

"Yes, but sometimes, unwarranted actions may lead to them taking action regardless of their little break. Whoever was being dragged must have violated one of the kingdom’s rules. It could be a seemingly minor offense, but the consequences are rather... strict. The society thrives on order and sometimes, that order can be harshly enforced."

Samantha couldn’t believe her ears as she absorbed the information Brian had to give, and she was glad Ivan didn’t have a mentality that was similar to this. She wondered how the people were okay with being treated like this, and yes, she sort of sensed they weren’t, but what bothered her was why they were being so silent about it. She wondered if Marius had something to do with this, considering he was a Demon and Demons are capable of doing anything.

Her mind inadvertently wandered to the illustration in the book, and that Demon that had been drawn standing before the defeated Fae... could it be Marius?

"We’re here." She heard Brian say out loud, snapping her senses to the present. When she looked up, she hadn’t been aware that they had taken a turn through one of the corners, and in front of her was a bustling dock, adorned with flickering lanterns.

The scent of salt water filled the air, and the distant creaking of rigging added a maritime symphony to the surroundings. As they approached further, massive supply ships with intricate designs moored along the wooden pier, their sails fluttering in the cool breeze.

Samantha took off her hood as Brian led her towards a ship named ’Sea Serpent’, its name boring countless journeys across the mystical sea. As they stepped onto the gangplank, a figure with a weathered tricorn hat and a coat, adorned with various nautical accessories emerged from the shadows. He was busy assigning duties to his crew members when he noticed Brian and had stepped forth to welcome him.

The captain simply smiled with eyes that gleamed visibly with a mix of shrewdness and mirth. "Well, well, if it isn’t Young Brian! Back for another adventure, are we?"

Brian grinned slightly, his silver hair catching the moonlight, "Captain Redbeard, a pleasure as always." He greeted, and Samantha, who was standing behind Brian, pondered on the name he just called the man. She would have been surprised if his mustache wasn’t red in color.

"Actually I’m not here for me today. I want you to meet Samantha." He introduced, "she seeks passage to the Northern borders, and I heard that your ship will be taken the Northern route for its next shipment. She is a traveler who ended up on this side of the Southern Kingdom, and I was hoping if you could aid her to the Northern borders without anyone knowing."

"Hmmm..." Captain Redbeard subconsciously stroked his mustache, as if thinking of the risk and he said, "I heard the Northern borders are securely tightened due to some issues. No one gets in, and no one leaves... if it will be possible to drop her off I cannot guarantee you with that assurance."

"If you can take me there, then you have nothing to be worried about." Samantha spoke up, her soft voice ringing out as she came to stand in front of Brian, whilst gaining the attention of the captain. "I can assure you that everything will be fine as long as you get me to the Northern borders safely. If you’re up for it, then I will personally ensure the safety of you and your crew. All I need is your help to get out of here." She spoke with conviction, intriguing the captain who eyed her from head to toe.

He glanced at Brian who remained quiet, as the lady had already said what needed to be disclosed. When the conversation with the captain came to an end, Samantha exited the dock first, a smile painting her lips after the captain agreed.

"In two days, you’ll be whisked away from here." Brian noted, and Samantha could feel her heart flutter at the thought of returning to Ivan again. She turned to look at Brian as they were now away from the ship’s port.

"You do not need to worry, I still remember our deal. You can trust that I’ll...ah! Oof!"

With an unexpected collision, Samantha stumbled backwards, nearly losing her footing after failing to notice the figure looming in her path. Regaining her balance with the help of Brian, her delicate features turned pale at the sight of stern-faced guard standing before her.

Samantha’s hand quickly reached for the hood of her cloak, and she came to the realization that she wasn’t wearing it, and that meant, the guard could see her!

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆novelkiss