My wife. My wife. My wife.

Those two words echoed in Leon’s head like a cursed melody.

When did I start seeing her as my wife?

Why did I help her?

Why am I holding her right now?

A strange cocktail of disgust, intrigue, and anger churned inside him. Holding the Princess close, he was acutely aware of how much she trembled. She gasped softly, her voice low and trapped inside her chest. Leon couldn’t see her face, but he felt the two wet patches growing on his shirt.

She’s crying?

The Princess...is crying?

He wanted to push her away. Yell at her that it was nothing but his chivalrous instinct as the General.

But his arms couldn’t move. If anything, they tightened around her.

This was the first time she was this physically close to him.

She smells good...really good.

She’s so small too. I can crush her if I—

Suddenly, she wrenched herself out of his grasp and shoved his chest hard.

"Don’t touch me." She hissed, her voice shaky and soft.

Before Leon could ask what happened, she turned away so he couldn’t see her face. It didn’t take a super brain to guess, from the tremor in her shoulders, that she was struggling to calm herself.

"Is that the thanks I get?" Leon scoffed, his mouth moving before he could stop it. "You’re so ungrateful."

"Your highness, allow me to escort you inside,"

Leon had forgotten about Tristan’s existence. He turned, his anger cold on his face as he glared at Tristan.

"How about you stick to your duties and keep your hands off my wife?" He growled.

There. I said it again.

"I am merely making sure she’s alright, General. Your presence is agitating her."

"My presence?! You have some nerve saying—"

Anna ignored them. Rather, her brain couldn’t focus on what they were saying. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Villis’s blood was growing, inching closer to her feet. And they were just arguing. About stupid rubbish.

Anna felt numb. For a moment it was like everything was happening outside of her body and she was a mere spectator.

The blood got closer to her shoes. Terrified, she stepped back. It was so much and so shiny that she saw her reflection on its surface. Her wide black eyes brimmed with tears. Her hair falling over her body. Her terrified expression.

"If you ever lay a hand on her again, that will be the last day you have hands." Leon seethed, his voice starting to crack and fray around the edges.

Anna glanced at where Villis’s decapitated head lay. The look on his face was pure shock. His eyes bulging, red and bloodshot. His mouth hung open in a silent scream. He looked like he never believed this would happen to him.

Anna calmly walked over to his head and picked it up.

Leon and Tristan fell silent, turning their heads to her at the same time.

"What are you doing?" Leon questioned. "Put that down. I’ll handle the body, just go back to your room."

"Your highness, please don’t sully your hand with filth from that man." Tristan said. He walked up to her and held his hand out. "Here, let me help you. Do you wish to bury it where you can see it? Perhaps in a flower pot?"

"Who makes such a suggestion?!" Leon quipped.

Anna shook her head wordlessly. Tristan bowed and stepped to the side. She walked past them, barely glancing at Leon.

"Anna," Leon grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back, but Tristan stopped him before he could reach Anna.

"Leave her alone."

"Back off, Tristan."

While they bickered, Anna continued on her way into the palace.

As she walked through the halls, the servants screamed and jumped for safety.

They had seen a lot of strange sights in the palace. But no one had ever seen the Princess walking around with a decapitated head. With blood soaking the front of her clothes, her eyes vacant and black, and her face completely void of emotions, she was a terrifying vision.

Bella who was on her way to cleaning duties saw her. Fear gripped her heart and she nearly vomitted on the spot. That’s the Princess? She looks so scary! I was wrong when I said she was kinder! Oh heavens, what did that man do to deserve such a fate?! The Princess walked past her, and Bella felt the air drop by twenty degrees. I’ll never speak out of turn again or that could be me!

The servants whispered and soon word spread throughout the palace that the princess was back to executing people and this time she prefers beheading. Fear gripped the servants and everyone hurried to do their duties and avoid her.

Ray, who had been hanging in the rafters the entire time, heard the gossip.

But he also knew the truth behind them.

The Princess was carrying a severed head, but inside her heart, she was crying.

Ray knew she didn’t kill anybody. But where was she going? He dropped from the ceilings and stealthily followed her.

Anna, oblivious to the whispers circulating about her, kept walking till she got to a secluded room somewhere in the palace.

The room was massive, several hundred feet tall, with giant windows and in the center of the room was a huge water tank. The tank was made of glass, so Anna could peer inside. However, every time she had visited, he always remained hidden. The tank was so large that it could fit a whale comfortably. The smell of sea water was strong here, salt caked into every molecule of air. Anna didn’t mind it, it was one she’d grown accustomed to by now due to frequent visits.

At the foot of the tank was a basket of strawberries left to rot. Anna ignored how her heart snagged at the sight of the strawberries.

Inside the tank, the water rippled.

Anna walked up to the tank and gently tapped on the glass twice. "Kai? Are you in there?"

The water rippled again, sloshing around like something was moving inside.

Then a face appeared in the glass. A shark face.

Anna bristled, her shoulders coming up to her ears as she took a cautious step back. This was the first time she’d seen him in his shark form. Sure Princess Orchid saw this form a lot, but Anna didn’t.

He was magnificent.

His body was a healthy blue, a color that matched his eyes. And his shark beast was huge, bigger than any sharks she’d seen in any nature documentary.

He grinned, showing rows and rows of razor sharp teeth.

Teeth.

Anna recalled the first time he’d given her fifteen of his teeth, presenting data on how long they took to regrow.

Her gut fluttered and hot tears rushed to her eyes. She thought about everything he’d endured at Princess Orchids hands...and yet he liked her.

Why did he like her?

Anna shook the thoughts away and held up Villis’s head. "I...I thought you might like this?"

The shark snapped its jaws shut. It swam around, pressing one giant eye into the glass. Anna held her breath, holding the head up even higher for him to get a closer look.

"I...I don’t know the history you have with him but...he won’t bother you anymore." Anna said attempting a smile that fell flat.

The shark vanished, swimming back till it was lost in the blue water.

Her shoulders slumped and her head dropped. Her heart felt like it was shrinking, heaviness settling over her.

He doesn’t like it. I have to find another way to win him over.

Just as she turned to leave, she heard the water moving again.

She turned. Kai, in human form and fully naked, stepped out of the tank and landed on the floor with fluid agility.

Anna’s face flamed and she immediately pinned her eyes on his face, avoiding every other part of him.

Water droplets cascaded down his skin, and hair as he walked over to her. Anna swallowed, looking up and up till he was mere inches away from her. Close enough that she smelled the salt on him, and the scent that was uniquely his, something spicy and warm.

She didn’t think she missed him, but seeing his face up close made her almost burst into tears.

"Hey," she squeaked. "How have you been?"

He nodded but didn’t reply, his eyes dropping to the head.

"Oh," she held it up for him. "It’s all yours. I don’t know what you plan to do with it but...have fun."

He reached out and took it, cold slender fingers brushing hers. Electricity raced down her spine and she thought about their kiss. The heat. The passion. Heart crept up her neck and settled in her cheeks and she shyly turned her head to the side.

"It’s good to see you, Kai." She said, her voice tender.

He didn’t reply. When she looked back at him, he was staring intently at her.

For a few seconds, they remained that way.

Anna pictured him closing the gap between them and kissing her again. She wanted to taste the salt of his lips. She wanted to feel his body pressed up against hers, this time with no clothes in between—

"No way!" She gasped with horror. "I have to g-go. I’ll see you later!" She said and hurriedly ran out of the room, her hands slapped over her face.

Once she was outside, she pressed her back against the walls and exhaled deeply. Her body tingled and warmth bloomed between her legs.

I must be crazy. I don’t know him enough to start imagining...

A sound cut through the air, slicing cleanly through her thoughts.

At first she didn’t recognize what it was till she heard it again.

Crunch!

Like teeth biting into something hard...something like

bone.