Until We Meet Again

Chapter 16: Elinor Arabella

The comfortable silence hanging in the air froze like still water turning ice. Did I hear it wrong? Confused and worried, she stayed seated, numbing the bread in her mouth as if she did not hear anything. It felt uncomfortable hearing him say another woman's name.

It was the woman he presented to King Stefan a month ago. He clearly did not want the marriage between the 7th princess of Ibreotha and himself to proceed so he bravely declared to the audiences of the hall in front of the King that he refuses the marriage as he professed his love for the mystery woman.

Elinor Arabella-- that was her name.

Elena could recall her cold feet that were grounded on the floor. Her lips slightly trembled as if to reflect her heart that just suddenly was shaken out of will. Of course, an invincible man like him also had an ordinary side to him-- it's only human nature to fall in love.

At the darkened corner where Johan heed no attention, standing beside the rest of her half-siblings with her father seated on his familiar throne, she heard the name of the woman Johan has in his heart for the first time, loud and clear. She is a southerner whose family also had royal bloodline-- though, she was not a princess, but a cousin of a prince, she was a prestigious figure in the south, a territory that does not belong to any of the four kingdoms of Kleotera.

The House of Arabella took in the 12 years old orphan who had lost his family when Ibreotha's soldier invaded Dedum. The King of Ibreotha, who was in his early 30's at that time, had just started his reign and in his list of priorities, his objective was to kill all Ibreothan that had betrayed the Imperial House of Maximilla.
The boy fled Dedum and reached the northern border of Teabia, the continent of the South. In the province of Luton, he met Marquis of Luton, Teo Arabella, Lady Elinor's father and brought him in his manure as an errand boy. The boy's northern features could be seen through his pale skin-- but it was not something to be wary of as a mere 12 years old like him can be killed easily if he chooses to rebel.

Elena at least knew that much-- she knew that along the way, he had decided to leave Luton to start anew. Away from his former life of an errand boy who barely made a living, he became a mercenary that had enough money to buy land in Credon, a neighboring province without a lord, and settle.

Knowing all of these facts about Johan Antonov since he had set foot on Ibreotha for the first time in a decade as a 22 years old Knight who represented the High Priest, she had only learned of his heart a month prior to their wedding day.

Johan's refusal of marriage meant rejecting alliance with a once known powerful kingdom— It was humiliating news for her father, who still refuses to believe that his influence and the Imperial power had lost its former glory. It was only then, the card of deception was revealed  to Johan-- a knight of Saintshield was captured for trespassing the territory of Ibreotha and was sentenced to death.

The king knew that the Captain of Saintsheild already knew of this matter. Other than being commanded by the High Priest, it would be the only reason why he would be there.

With a device plan to bring Johan under the King's control-- The knights who came with Johan to the Palace were kicked out to bear no witness for King Stefan's scheme of drugging him and injecting Aprohdisiac in his system.

It has already been determined that Elena would be the sacrifice-- the now sole owner of Johan's revenge and anger once his full consciousness has been awakened when the drug wears off. The King's curse child had finally met her ending without him staining blood on his hand.

A drop of water came to view, her once wandering mind which was lost in the labyrinth of the dreaded future came into a halt. The cold water against the back of her hands brought her back to the present-- Johan scooping her up and turning inside the carriage brought her into a surprise. Elena only instinctively clung to his thick neck when the rain multiplied-- it was now pouring.

"You froze and I thought you were having hallucinations again...Did I scare you?"

Was it a hallucination when you called her name? She looked at him, meaning to say those words, yet could not dare to. Only with furrowed brows concealed by her leaning against his shoulder, she bore the pain without a word.

"Princess, I'm putting you down..."

The man leaned in his body and placed her carefully on the cushioned seat. She did want him to let her go just yet. Before the man could release his arms around her, she tightened her grips onto his neck in a wordless demand to make him stay.

"I am no longer a princess... I am the wife of Johan Antonov. Please only call me Elena."

If she was completely honest, she takes no offense from him calling her Princess. What she couldn't bear was how much this man was trying to remember Elinor, that even with the drug, known to powerfully deceive the mind and heart, he was still able to recall her. Though unconsciously, it only shows how much of him was of hers.