"Ouch!" The woman in the cloak cried as she accidentally hit her head while trying to move through the tunnel with the cat as their guide.
"Careful." The man, backing the princess, said as they continued to crawl in through the tunnel.
"How much further?" Her voice ached, as much as her legs, from crawling and walking. She'd grown weary, being guided by the fuzzy animal beneath her palms in the dark.
They'd been traveling down the tunnel for hours.
"We're here," his voice certain with a pinch of relief. The big cat made a sound that said the same. She sighed in relief, as she felt the breeze of fresh air, graze her skin, along the path. Her feet kissed the mouth of the tunnel, before it caressed the grass beneath, her feet.
She felt the man with her, tired from carrying the princess all the way.
"We can't stop now, this way."
She followed behind them with the big cat by her said, listening to its footsteps.
She stopped, when it seemed to roar merrily, running past her as if it as seen a long lost friend. A carriage laid in wait, for their arrive. Empty it was, except from the presence of a huge brawny man, in lion's skin, and green eyes. The panther charged at him, in happiness, as he bent down to pat it with happy hands, while it circled around him, and rubbed its skin against his feet. His eyes glowed green in the darkness of the night, and his aura was peaceful, yet domineering.
The young man, backing the princess approached the man with green eyes, while he stood tall as he closed in.
His eyes glowed a lighter shade of the green eyes man, as he looked up at him; "I've done as you've commanded."
"Put her in the carriage," he commanded, the young man, and as if under a spell, he went to do as he was told. His eyes didn't follow the young man as he walked behind him. They looked yonder, to see the other lady standing in the middle of the grassy distance. His green eyes faded, as he stared like a man cast under his own spell.
Her eyes were bound, by a cloth so tight, but her face was covered by the cap of her long grey cloak. She was barefooted, her hands wrapping around her as if lost on which way to go. Her hearing was wide awake, not mistaking what was happening around her. She heard footsteps approach her carefully, with boots so thick they could remove a man's teeth by a light pressure. She studied his hands swinging by his sides as he approached. The breeze blew his scent towards her way, and the smell of the cat, with a little bit of beer, registered in her mind.
Her body shivered, as her heart ached, once she felt his him towering over her, feeling his stare from above. Her breathing became unsteady as she slowly burst into tears.
"Laura," she heard his beautiful voice call. His warm hand grazed upon her cheeks, before he carefully pulled her into his embrace. His heart pounding with so much fear of the imagination of all things evil happening to her.
"Laura…"
He whispered, burying his face into her shoulder, as the hug tightened. She returned the hug, while he also began to tear up. After a moment, he pulled away, lifting her chin to see her beautiful face. Her eyes were bound because she was physically blind. He leaned in, with their foreheads in contact. They savored their warmth before she gasped the name,
"Levi-"
His soft gaze, turned sharp, awaiting the words next to come from her lips. Did he hurt her? Did he… TOUCH HER?
She touched his chest, feeling his rage rising. His eyes saw her wrist. He frowned in great dismay, taking her second wrist as he gnawed at them when she winced in pain. Her hands were bound again in tight cuffs, which had bruised them to the point, they were still red and bleeding from the wounds.
He refused to ask the question in his heart because he knew she knew what it was: What did he do?
"Sky… I'm married… to Prince Levi."
If a heart could break, and a promise could shatter, nothing could compare to the destruction of his world, at those words.
Married, to both realms sworn enemy?
"And… my other half… to Navi."
Interrupted by Jasmine's roar, the young man, ran out of the carriage and called out:
"Master! We have company."
In a scoop, his swooped her off the grassy floor and into his arms, waking to the carriage. A echo of quick trudging horses, began coming from the distance.
Strangely, the vines behind him began to move, like snakes on a tree. They wove together, covering the entrance of the tunnel as the crushing sound of rocks closed before being clothed with moss.
"Asta."
With a calm, deep voice, he signaled for the young man to get a move on. He swiped the reigns, ordering the horse to move.