Tamed

Chapter 29

Mikhael went silent for a few minutes before reaching his hand to her but was rejected. 

"Let's go inside. It's cold."

"I don't want to."

"Then let's walk around together."

"How can I trust you?"

"My family is the Elias-zo house. You know where I'm from now. Can we go? Do you want to sit here alone?"

"Do you want to play with me?"

She held his sleeve with a puzzled look on her face. Mikhael nodded.

"Yeah. Let's play together."

Starting from then on, the two became close. They both went to the same royal academy with different grades. But as long as they both came, they would find one another and hang out together.

As the friendship developed, the sick Duchess's condition also became worse. The Emperor who made her so had stopped attending, went on with his life, acting like nothing had happened.

It was just two kids becoming friends at first but after two years of spending time together, everything started to feel different.
As the imperial little princess and a future successor, they both attended a lot of noble gatherings. Rowena would go to him and stick beside him and Mikhael who had seen how Rowena was treated by her sisters and father would always protect her.

She got beaten by her father most of the time and got discarded by the bigger sisters as always. As spending time with her made him feel at ease and easy, he wanted to give her the same assurance.
Unknowingly as time passed by, they needed and understood one another the most. Against the cruel treatment young souls like them shouldn't be facing, they had each other's backs.

"Mikhael, who would you get married to when we grow up?"

The lovely blonde little princess asked the bigger boy next to her. Even though he was older, she addressed him by name. Mikhael looked at her.

"Who do you want me to marry?"

"Me!" She jumped and raised her hand.

"You won't be a princess anymore if you marry me."

"It's okay. I don't care."

Mikhael chuckled but his expression darkened in an instant with the blue bruise on her forearm.

"Did he hit you again?"

Rowena looked to where his gaze was focused on then gave him a bright smile. Perhaps it was because she was young and her mind developed slower than Mikhael who was raised to be a leader, she didn't know how to hold grudges against people yet.

"It's because I did something wrong."

"What did you do?"

"I went to his palace to see father but father doesn't like it."

The light in his eyes sank at her words.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Rowena."

The little princess was too invested in joy to understand what he meant.

"I love mother, nanny and Mikhael."

Mikhael smiled bitterly. He couldn't even protect his own mother. Reaching his hand to her, he said.

"Someday… when I'm strong enough.. I will protect you and everyone precious to me."

Rowena hugged him with a full smile on her face.

"Mikhael, let's make a promise."

"Okay."

"Don't leave me, okay? I'll always love you the most."