Bride To His Darkness-Chapter 313: Through Her Cloak

Eventually, the day of her escape finally came.

Samantha had prepared herself to leave for the ship’s port, and Elara was kind enough to lend her the invisible cloak she could use as a disguise. Turns out, the people had planned a firework feast on the night of her escape, and due to this, Brian could not escort her further, as his presence would certainly raise one suspicion or the other. He was also placed on night patrol, and Samantha hated the feeling of having to burden him with her own goals– whilst she demanded he stayed to keep a safe eye on his people.

"You’ll have to move on from here," said Brian as he looked down at the determined woman. "No one will sense you as long as the hood of your cloak never comes off. Last time’s incident should be a lesson learnt, I hope you thread carefully."

"I will." Samantha lowered her head in a bow of gratitude, and she smiled at Brian before covering her head with the hood of her green cloak. Every part of her was instantly veiled, and Brian could no longer gaze at her pretty face. He knew she had left the moment she slipped the hood on, and the only thing he could do from here was hope she returned safely to her Kingdom.

The prophecy that had been disclosed to him may be true, but he believed, regardless of what it held, that this gifted Fae would be the one to stop Carmela from tainting the innocent lives in their Kingdom. If Carmela’s intentions are exposed to the people, his name would be cleared, and his people won’t have to seek shelter in the forest.

There was still a little bit of time left before the ship moved, and that meant she had to hurry.

"God be with you."

~

Under the shrouds of midnight, Samantha swiftly made her way through the Kingdom’s turf, her footsteps muffled by the rhythmic burst of distant fireworks.

The hooded cloak concealed her from prying eyes, whilst she navigated the labyrinthine alleys and bustling market square. The distant sounds of continuous fireworks proved she was getting closer, and Samantha had to build up her strength, cause there was no time to slack or act clumsy. Her situation presently didn’t give her a choice.

"You can do this." She emboldened herself and took a deep breath.

As she approached the heart of the kingdom, the air was thick with the scent of autumn festivities. All sorts of creatures and people thronged the path that led to the port, sharing smiles and indulging in conversations that could not be publicly heard. The sight made Samantha tighten the hood around her face, its enchantment shimmering to render her invisible to the revelers. But she needed to stabilize herself with the assurance that she could not be seen.

Fireworks exploded overhead, casting fleeting shadows that danced across the cobblestone path. The neighing sounds of horses and incoming carriages had Samantha weaving through the crowds instead, her movements graceful and surprisingly silent. The distant laughter and music served as both a mask and a challenge, concealing her intentions, whilst threatening to expose her if she faltered.

Unlike the last time she navigated through this same path, the people appeared more happy than usual, and that made Samantha wonder why there was a sudden change? These people could still be smiling and silently losing it on the inside, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that their reaction tonight was startling.

Veering into a quieter side passage, the ship’s port beckoned in the distance, a haven promising escape, and upon realizing she was close, Samantha inadvertently quickened her pace. The cloak responded to her will, adapting to the shadows and enhancing her elusive presence. As she neared the port, the distant sounds of ship horns and creaking rigging filled the night air.

Samantha’s pulse quickened, and she was sure she would have drawn Viney’s attention to what was happening, if only it wasn’t blacked out as a result of trying to reclaim its energy. Due to the season, her beast plant had already informed her that it’d go into rejuvenating mode more frequently than usual, as any little action from now on would drain it of its energy. She understood her beast plant, and she considered its health as this was a stage it had already hinted at even before today, but a part of her secretly wished they had made it to GreenHollow before he went into the rejuvenating stage.

Shaking it off her mind and reminding herself that she was presently alone, she slipped through the final stretch of the narrow alleys. However, it seemed fate had other plans in store for her, because as she stepped out of the corner to gaze at the ship and was meant to board, anxiety gripped her at the spot at the sight of Carmela’s guards who were stationed at the entry.

Fear tightened its icy grip on her chest, and she instinctively hid back in the shadows of the narrow alleyway.

"R.. royal...g...g...guards? Why are they–??" Samantha’s breath became shallow, her wide eyes surveying the scene before her. As if she wasn’t shocked to her bones already, the sight of Marius emerging from inside the gangplank with Captain Redbeard paralyzed her, each whispered words they shared sending shivers down her spine, and despite the distance, she could tell from Captain Redbeard’s expression that he was equally terrified.

Panic surged through her veins as she contemplated on the dire consequences of being caught. The rhythmic creaking of the ship in the background underscored the urgency of her situation. She silently weighed her options in the darkness, but the fear of capture overwhelmed her determination to flee.

How did they know about her attempts to escape tonight? Was someone secretly watching her?

"This is bad! What is he.. what is he doing here?" Samantha squeaked, unable to hide her tremor, but her heart stopped beating when Marius suddenly glanced in her direction. Her breath hitched autonomously, and a cold sweat formed on her forehead when he refused to avert his gaze.

Immediately, her hands reached up to feel the hood of her cloak, and it hadn’t slipped off her head yet. There’s no way he could see her through this cloak... could he?

Samantha instinctively met his gaze. He tilted his head her way, a slow, intimidating smile stretching his lips. In that heart-stopping moment, she made a swift decision and turned on her heels without a second thought.

"Your... Majesty, is there a problem?" Asked the captain after noticing Marius’s distracted stare. Marius’s lips twitched as he turned to face the captain, and he said.

"When I come back and find your ship still here, I’ll ruin it to nothing, then I’ll destroy you." He hummed and exited the ship, giving the captain a moment to catch his breath, and as if his brain could only process the warning of Marius, he yelled to his crew member.

"Didn’t you listen? Or do you all wanna fucking die?? Start the ship!"

"But... the girl..."

"If she isn’t here before we’re gone, her loss. Start the ship now!"

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