castle runaway. ˡᵉᵉ ᵈᵒⁿᵍʰʸᵘᶜᵏ

SIXTEEN

Monique's POV

My head was spinning when I felt myself wake up into consciousness. I tried to remember what happened before I fainted and my mind was still regulating.

I still have my eyes closed as I recalled the events before my fainting. I saw a hut, I ran towards it and I blacked out on the terrace.

But why do I feel like I am tied down to something?

I slowly shook my head and I blinked repeatedly, slowly opening my eyes. When I first opened them, my surroundings were blurry, but I could make out a silhouette in front of me.

My heart raced. What if someone found me and knows that I was wanted? My fear ate me up while my eyes adjusted to the light of the place around me.

The first thing I noticed is that I was tied down to a chair. It looks old but was still able to stand. I was tightly tied to it and I can hardly catch my breath. My skin that touched the rope hurt, and it was slowly digging into it.

I swallowed my breath when I saw a boy, I can't say he's a man because he still looks young, maybe going to be an adult. He has dark purple hair, soft-featured eyes but it was giving me the sharpest glare, much sharper than the King's and Queen's.

His lips was almost shaped like a heart and he has brown, tanned, melanin skin. He was wearing a plain black shirt with mud on it and beige, crumpled khaki shorts. He wasn't wearing any foot wear.

He suddenly cleared his throat, taking me by utter surprise. "What made you come here in my house, lady?" He asked, his tone annoyed and curious. He was tapping his left foot impatiently on the wooden floor boards.

I was scared to answer when I saw he was holding a cross bow on his right hand. He faced it to me. "Answer me or die." He threatened and I stumbled on words for an answer.

"I-I happen to find your house.. in the woods and-and I thought I might get some h-help. I've been wondering the woods for days. I don't know w-where to go." I replied and looked down my feet, bruised and dirty.

He sighed. "Well, you came in the wrong place. I am no saint and I don't let anyone live here rather than me," He raised his cross bow again. "I think we had a proper introduction, although I didn't introduce myself. It's not necessary since this is also goodbye."

"Kill me, then." He froze and he looked at me, shocked.

"What?"

"Kill me," I repeated. "I should have just stayed in the woods if I knew I was just going to die here too. The past days were upsetting enough, including a death of a close friend of mine. I would be more than glad to see him." I muttered.

I saw the boy lower his cross bow. He sighed again and I heard him place the weapon on top of something, probably a table. I saw his feet appearing in front of me and he bent down, hands behind the chair.

"Be thankful I'm Good." He mumbled and I felt the rope getting loose. He let me go. Just like that.

He pulled the rope away from me and dropped it on the floor. "Forgive me for threatening you," He scratched his cheek with a finger. "We should get your wounds patched up."

"Oh, these?" I noticed how blunt my tone is. Didn't know I was actually serious on dying. I looked at my legs. "They're nothing crucial." I said.

"Uh, no," He walked behind me and he touched a wound on my back. I winced. "I was talking about these." I slowly pushed him away. "How did you know I had them?"

"My dog saw you lying on the porch when we came back. He kind of sniffed you and he barked to tell me he smells blood. These looks like weeks ago but no water made the wounds open back due to dirt and dust."

"N-No, it's fine." He gave me a plain look. "You winced when I touched it. Come on, I'm not going to hurt you." I don't know why, but my tears started to build up in my eyes. "Why should I trust you?"

He suddenly smiled softly, and it was reassuring. "You would have been as dead as Jack's Giant." I gulped and I let him pull me to his kitchen. It was just small but cozy. All the things are well-organized.

He gently pushed me down a chair again. "I say you bend a little later so I can patch 'em up. They look bad.. really bad." He said and he opened a cabinet, taking out leaves from it.

"Herbal leaves. They might hurt your wounds on your skin for the first three minutes but they will eventually cooperate and heal your wounds. Would only take three days or a week to heal." I heard him say.

Using a mortar and pestle, he placed the leaves there and crushed them to small pieces. After a minute, he walked back to me with the mortar of crushed leaves.

I leaned my head on the table and he went behind me. "This might hurt." He quickly said and before I can respond, he placed piles of crushed leaves on my back and it hurt like hell. I grabbed on the end of the table as he spread more crushed leaves on my back.

He always says sorry everytime I wince and howl in pain. "Done," He finally said. I was going to sit up but he immediately added, "Wait!" I did as I was told and then he started bandaging it. "So the leaves won't fall."

He handed the rolled end to me. I understood what he meant and I covered my front with the bandage. We repeated it until my body was wrapped around the bandage. He tied it in the end and softly tapped it. "Done. Like done-done."

He pulled the zipper back up and I smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you so much. Even though you threatened to kill me at first, I was glad you helped me with these," I motioned on the wounds behind. "They were a nightmare."

We stayed silent for a while. "A past too hard to tell?" I slowly nodded. He crossed his arms and smiled. "I understand. We just met so it's not necessary," Another silence fell between us.

"Should we introduce ourselves? It's fine for me to be acquainted with you even if you'll send me out again." He chuckled. "There is no way I'm letting you out in the woods, young lady. From what you look like right now, you don't have much experience."

"I have no experience, good sir," I held out my hand. "Name is Diamonique, but call me Monique." I tried to give him a smile that would not look too scary. He shook his hand with mine.

"Haechan. Pleased to meet you."

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