An Invitation To Love

Eighth chapter

Davian was sitting in his tent with a group of generals celebrating their upcoming victory.
It wouldn't be long before they would overthrew the king.
Davian was worried about the princess who had given him countless sleepless nights over the past five months.
He ordered everyone not to kill the princess.
They were supposed to hold her captive and bring her to him.
But her father, Davian was going to burn him alive, he would not listen to Ciel. Kair deserved to get killed in the worst way. He hoped she wouldn't hate him for that.
The thought brought him to Ciel, who was unconscious for the past two days because of the dangerous stab is his chest.
Ciel was a great help, within four weeks they had conquered the entire country. This man was truly a genius.
"Your majesty we have the princess" one of the guards reported.
That was all he needed to hear to rush out of the tent.
Davian stood there glancing at the petite figure standing between two soldiers, who were holding her arms.
The first thing he noticed was how thin she was. Was she this petite when he first met her?

Her face was unrecognizable. The holes in her cheeks were unmistakable, the circles around her eyes were dark and her hair miserable.

Her huge brown orbs gazed at him with no feelings.
No hate, no shock, no fear. Nothing.
She was like a porcelain doll, lifeless.

Her hands were tied with chains, the fingertips had turned blue.
The white dress no longer white since they dragged her around the place. She wasn't wearing any shoes, her feet covered in dirt and blood.

"Let her go" his rough voice came out.
The solders panicked and let her arms quickly.
She was about to fall when he caught her.
He put an arm under her knee and one around her shoulder lifting her in bridal style.
Walking inside again he dismissed all the generals.

"Can you please stop the war, my father is dead, and I will give you the kingdom, please just stop it" she said hysterically as soon as she recognized him as the king of Sanctus.
"I'm willing to do anything, I will even be your slave but please the people here don't deserve what is happening" she spoke quickly holding his collar.
She got away from him to stand on her own feet and was about to kneel.
"Oh god" Davian held her arms and looked at her, anger in the eyes "don't ever do that" he tightened his grip around her.
"Promise me you will stop the war please" she was just worried about the others, did she not look in the mirror, she should be worried about her herself first. Davian was angry.
He reached for her hands to free her from the chains, while she was just looking at him waiting for an answer.
"I will, I promise" he finely said, and she took a deep breath and fell on her knees on the floor wrapping her own arms around herself.
She cried so hard it was hurtful to see.
What had this girl been through? If his soldiers had done something to her, he would kill them.
Davian had no idea what to do, he was in a shocking state with wide open eyes and the girl in front of him was sobbing hard.
Suddenly everything stopped, and Allora lost consciousness.
His heart twitched.
"Get the fucking physician" he commanded his voice filled with panic.
Davian quickly lifted her body and walked towards the bed putting her in the sheets.
He kneeled down and caressed her forehead checking her temperature.
"Your highness" the voice of the old man reached him.
There were a lot of medical men and women around here, but he didn't trust anybody that's why his physician never left his side, despite him being extremely old.
"She is..." he didn't know what to say, she was what? What was wrong with her?
"I will examine her, if possible, my lord."
"Please do that" he stood up and pinched the bridge of his nose.
The man did his job. Davian had no idea what he was doing.
"She is starving, and it looks like she leaks sleep."
"Tell me something I don't know" Davian sneered, sarcasm dripping of his words.
"I'm sorry your majesty."
"No, I'm sorry, I don't seem able to control myself" Davian groaned "I'll be waiting outside" he said walking towards the entrance.

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The southern king wasn't the king who would hide behind his army.
He stood at the front line and that motivated his soldiers the most. If the king was ready to die, then they were too.
That's why Ciel was laying on the metal bed of the medical facilities, which was basically a tent, with torn clothes and a muddy face, his chest bleeding and parts of his body bruised.
Regaining consciousness he could hear what was happening around him, such as the talking of the army, but he did not have the strength to move. He opened his eyes and all he saw was a nurse standing beside him examining his wound.
Ciel gradually began to get up and held her wrist pushing her away.
He touched his chest that was tightly wrapped with a white cloth.
"Tell the king he regained consciousness" she shouted to the guards outside.
"Don't be loud" he groaned.
"Oh sorry" she covered her mouth and minutes later Davian stormed inside and walked toward Ciel "my dear friend you are still very much alive" the mocking tone was undeniable.
"I see that you are still alive too, why don't you take a knife in your heart and die" Ciel's hoarse voice came out.
"you're really heartless" Davian put his hand on his chest sounding dramatic which made the people inside the tent laugh while Ciel shook his head.
Davian was a really good actor, he could easily be hired in a circus or theater.
"Who is the heartless one?" Ciel said and Davian smirked devilishly.
"You seem fine, please come to my tent, we are discussing what to do next" he stated while walking towards the exit and turned to Ciel again "by the way, how did you get stabbed?"
"The only thing I remember is a group of people attacking me as if they knew I was the king. This is a little weird considering I was wearing the same thing as my soldiers."
"Yes, it is, but don't worry anymore we won the war" Davian didn't seem happy.
"How about the royal family?"
"We have the princess, come to my tent for more details."

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"She's going back with me! I have the right to take her" Ciel stated.
"Ciel, you can't fucking do that to me" Davian slammed his hands on the table where the maps and some letters were.
"Davian I can, and I fucking will. She is Lily's sister, and I will not risk her life."
"What do you mean risk her life?" Davian was fuming.
"To me she is an alliance but to you an enemy" Ciel added.

"Well, you are literally fighting on the enemy's side you fucking hypocrite" Davian roared and Ciel's eyes darkened and he stepped towards Davian holding his collar.
"Don't fucking call me that. I did that for you, because you're my friend" he let him go.

"Ciel, I don't care about anything alright? You can take the whole country and all its property. I don't care, damn it. I just want her" Davian sounded desperate and broke.
Davian never looked this angry and Ciel realized it and his eyes widened "Davian you have a wife."

"I know Ciel, I know, but I can't control it, you think it's easy" he went through his hair.

"What about Vivian?"

"What about her?"

"Davian, she loves you."

"Ciel I never loved her, for how long must I live a life I did not choose."
Ciel knew that Davian was forced to take the throne and marry Vivian, Davian had no say in any of that. His controlling father made sure of it.

"Alright!" Davian's features showed how shocked he was and Ciel laughed.
"Give me a glass of champagne, we should celebrate, and I want to forget the pain, whoever injured me, they were good fighters."
"Give me a break, I lost my voice because of how much I screamed" Davian was back to his old self.

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It had been weeks since Ciel was gone and Lily, who was tired of waiting for Caelum's arrival had to attend the minister's meeting instead of the king. She didn't want to wait any longer. Lily sent Asena to search for him, perhaps he had forgotten about it.
She stood up from the embroidered sofa and headed towards the balcony. She was distracted by the shapes drawn by the smoke emanating from the center of the city. Kian's wild entry into her suite surprised her, so she quickly exited the balcony "quickly, take your thickest coat, they are attacking the palace."
Kian looked around and asked panicking "where is Asena?"
"I sent her to search for Caelum." he massaged his temple and added "alright, I will look for her later." Lily ran to her closet to get a coat and walked out to find Kian blocking the ward's secondary entrances.
"Where are the guards?" Lily asked frightened.

"That's an act of rebellion, we have a traitor in the palace" Kian continued "it's dangerous, so everyone has to go to the palace's underground bunkers."
"But Asena and Rawon."
He interrupted her, pulling her to run with him, "Someone will find them and bring them to the hideouts. Just run."
"Why are they doing that?"
"Because they somehow knew that the king was absent."
She swallowed hard and squeezed Kian's hand as he dragged her behind him, "Kian, I can handle myself. Search for Asena!"

Suddenly they heard a sound, an explosion, so the other let go of Kian's hand and closed her ears. Inside the castle there was chaos. She saw the servants running madly to save their lives. She also saw from afar Asena and Caelum running towards them.
Caelum was holding Asena's hand.

"The bridge leads to the bunkers" Caelum spoke quickly and looked at Lily and Asena" You have to continue the journey on your own now, go there."
"I can fight with you, you need more support" Asena insisted, and Kian held her shoulders turning her towards himself.
"Look at me Asena, I don't want you to get hurt, alright?" he held her cheeks as she pouted and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Asena was in shock. Nobody saw that coming.
Not in a hundred years could she think that Kian loved her.
The boy gave her no reason to ever think otherwise.
"I fucking adore you" they were holding eye contact in their own world when Caelum interrupted them "Kian we have to go."
"I have to go now but I promise I will come back and explain everything to you" Kian said softly.
Lily turned her gaze to the bridge and looked back to Caelum and Kian who were going in the other direction.