Ambition and Destiny

👑 Chapter Thirty👑

The silence fell between them again, and Felix's question was left without an answer. So, he repeated it.

"Tell me, what is the thing you have given up to the king?! "

She took a deep breath and hesitated, not wanting to reveal the story. "It's getting cold; let's head back to the mansion."

"Annie, you better tell me right now that you didn't agree to obey the king as his daughter just to secure my release!" Felix squeezed her arms, looking into her lapis lazuli blue eyes that were avoiding his.

Her silence was more than enough to confirm his worries. Felix's grip loosened slightly, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Why have you done something so risky?". He pressed, his voice tinged with concern. "Annie, you know you prevented yourself from living the old life you wanted."

He gritted his teeth, looking down. " I can't accept such a thing! I will go to the king myself and tell him to cancel the agreement so things return to normal."

"The king has always wanted me to be his daughter. I gave him what he wanted, and now he won't listen to you." Annie shrugged her shoulders as if it were not a big deal.

Annie flinched as he vehemently yelled "No!!" in refusal, his voice echoing with raw emotion that sent shivers down her spine.

Felix was struggling to find the right words to apologize to Annie for his outburst when they were suddenly interrupted by a woman's voice calling out Felix's name. Both of them turned to see who it was. The lady, who appeared to be of the same age as Felix, had a concerned look on her face and quickly walked over to them. Felix's expression changed as she approached, and he seemed to recognise her.

Felix turned back to Annie and asked, "Do you trust me?"

She answered without a single thought, "Yes, I do." As she attempted to ask the reason behind the sudden question, he requested, "Put your hand around my neck and hold tight!"

Annie nodded, and without hesitation, she followed his instructions, wrapping her arm around his neck and holding on tight, her fingers gripping the collar of his shirt.

"Hold on," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain.

Before Annie could respond, Felix swiftly lifted her off her feet, cradling her in his arms as he turned to face the woman approaching them. Annie's eyes widened in surprise as she realised what Felix was about to do.

"Felix, what are you?"

Annie gasped, clinging to him as they plummeted towards the ground. The rough landing sent shivers through her entire body, the damp earth softening their fall. Felix scrambled to his feet, setting Annie down gently. He gripped her wrist without a word and took off at a sprint, the lady's frantic calls fading behind them. every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, and every raindrop that tickled their faces.

As Felix made sure they were a safe distance away, he finally came to a stop. Annie stood beside him, her wrist still in his grasp, her chest rising and falling with exertion.

"Felix, why are we running away from her? Who is she?" Annie gasped, her voice trembling slightly with efforts to breathe.

Felix's expression darkened as he glanced back in the direction they had come from. "Annie," he began his voice grave, "that young lady who approached us back there; her name is Orquidia of Launceston. She's... she used to be my childhood friend."

Felix sighed heavily and continued, his gaze fixed on the ground. "Orquidia and I... We grew up together, and for a time, we were close. But as we got older, things changed."