His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 85: Poisonous Butterfly (3)

A snowy white butterfly wasn’t unheard of here but there was something different about this one.The tips of its wings are coated in a vivid red, and itsantennas and legs are the same colour.

"See, I told you it would attract others," I chuckle lightly.

"Butterfly doesn’t count," he gruffly says back, but he does not move his hand as we stare at the bug that only comes out during spring and summer. We hadn’t seen one with the fine red details on it before.

"Could it be poisonous?" We look at each other, and then I smirk, realising he has no idea either. "Well, we will soon find out."

Soren scowls at me, but the butterfly, after sunning itself on Soren, decides to then land on the top of my head. Soren starts to reach for it, probably thinking it could be a potential threat to my life, but I smack his hand away playfully. "Leave it be. If I die, I die," I sigh, trying to look up at the small creature that decides to jump and land on my nose.

"You won’t die," Soren murmurs.

"Oh?" My attention is still fixated on the butterfly that seems to have become a little too friendly with me. Nevertheless, I do not bat it away and marvel at what little I could see of it.

"Because I am here."

"That’s very sweet, Soren." I pat his hand, taking his words lightly.

"I mean it," his voice deepens in protest.

"I’m sure you do." Things can always change, though. I’ve long stopped putting my complete trust in anyone. I would not survive in this place if I believed everything everyone says.

"I’ll prove myself to you," he grumbles.

I sigh. "That won’t ever be possible. If you have not noticed, I am not exactly the most lovable person, and I cannot offer anything to those in my service. If you were ever in trouble, I unfortunately cannot help-"

"I would not expect that of you-"

"As your master, you should," I interrupt, still not looking at him. "There is nothing wrong with that."

"You speak like someone much older," Soren mutters, sounding displeased. "You act like I won’t be by your side for long."

I shrug. "It is the way of the world. Someone with more power or money will probably swoop in and take you to their side."

"That won’t happen," he whispers, and I can feel the weight of his stare intent on my face.

"Umhmmm. You are honourable... Others will still try and get between you and me, knight and princess," I say with amusement.

Soren doesn’t say anything, but the weight of his silence is too much. I know he doesn’t agree with me. He was once a commoner and must know how it works with the nobility and how power and titles are almost sacred, above everything.

"Fine, how about this... We should have a code word." I finally glance in his direction.

Soren’s brows raise at my comment.

"Something that means..." I trail off.

"Trust me," Soren mutters. "No matter what. No matter what has happened..."

I gulp at his words, wondering what the future might hold for us. "Yes... How about... Poisonous Butterfly." The butterfly lifts from my nose and flutters away towards the woods.

Soren arches an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything more. "Poisonous Butterfly it is!" I clapped my hands together and rose to my feet, ending the discussion and any embarrassment I felt. There was no way we would ever use it.

We dropped the discussion and forgot about it entirely.

Or so I thought he had.

"Princess," Cohnal snaps me back to the present, where we walk along the corridors, returning to the main palace. "I heard... everything."

My boots halt. Cohnal places his hand on his chest and bows his head. "I say this to you as... someone that respects you."

That’s a strange way to call me a friend, but I will accept it. "Go on." My hands fist by my sides, wary of the Southern Were.

"Do not trust him."

"I don’t." It still hurts, even the lingering images in my head of him on the ground begging for me to let him explain and to those in the summery field with that ’poisonous butterfly’.

"His life should already be forfeited," Cohnal almost growls as those dark eyes glint with malice. "Eryx will need to know of this."

"Wait..." I step closer, my hand already on his elbow. I drop it instantly as he glances at the touch. "This is my problem to handle, mine alone."

Cohnal frowns. "But you are not alone. Not now."

My heart clenches and twists at his words. My shock must have been caused by his soft expression, though his words were anything but soft. "Let me end his life for you. Take the burden from your shoulders."

I shake my head, forgetting that Cohnal and the others have a barbaric reputation. "I will give him a chance to explain... Until then, please refrain from telling the Alpha Prince."

"He could kill you in that time-"

"Not if I have you by my side," I interrupt his growling response. The vibrations instantly cease as he stares back at me in shock. "Can I trust you to keep this between us until everything is righted?"

I was putting my faith in a man who’d already thrown a blade at my head; I might as well add another possible distrustful person to the growing list that could potentially cause me harm. What was life without a little fear of dying? 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Cohnal bows his head. "If it becomes dangerous..."

"Then you may step in as you wish." Even as I said the words, my heart dropped at the idea of Soren losing his life.

My eyes clench shut. Soren, who’d been by my side the longest.

Soren, who I’d looked the other way when I knew Deyanira had approached him.

Soren... "Ugh... Poisonous Butterfly.’ I shake my head, putting all those thoughts aside and focus on the corridor leading to my brother’s quarters. I have other things to worry about, and nobody can get to me when I am beside the Alpha King and his trusted circle.