To Bewitch a Devil

“I should ask a witch to come and see you tomorrow,” Zavian said but before he could complete his words, Neera had cut in;

“No, it’s fine. I don’t think it’s something serious. People have nightmares sometimes.”

Her heart beat loudly against her chest as she spoke, praying earnestly that Zavian would buy it. The last thing she wanted now was a witch seeing her dreams.

There was quiet in the room and then Zavian spoke; “If it continues, then you need to see a witch, it’s not okay to have nightmares every night.”

“Thank you, your majesty;” Neera said as she heaved a sigh of relief. If she met a witch, and they saw her dreams, they would kill her. She needed to find out what her dreams meant and find a solution to them before anyone got to know about them.

Neera did not know how long she stayed awake before she finally drifted off to sleep. The next morning, she was awoken by movements in the room and she opened her eyes; on the other side of the room was Zavian. He was standing shirtless, and some of his hair dangled down to his face as he cleaned his arrows.

Neera closed her eyes immediately but after a few seconds, she opened them and looked at him, her eyes peeking out of the duvet.

He was seriously cleaning the arrows as he placed them one after the other inside the arrow bag. Her eyes traced down his chest as she drank him in.

.....

Neera did not know how long she stayed gawking at him when suddenly Zavian looked up at her;

In a flash, her eyes shut tightly as she cursed underneath her breath. He had caught her staring!

She wished the bed would open and sink her in, as her cheeks flushed from embarrassment.

“Go in and shower, you’re coming hunting with me,” Zavian spoke and Neera’s eyes opened. Hunting? Why was he taking her with him?

Neera went to her room and bathed, dressing quickly, she returned to Zavian’s room, as she reached the doors, the maids who had come to prepare his bath walked out. Neera stood outside for a few seconds as she watched them leave, and then she went into the room.

Zavian was not in the bedroom, so she figured he had gone to bath. Her eyes turned to the bed, and she saw it was not dressed yet and she went to make it. As she bent over to dress the bed, the bathroom doors pushed open and Zavian stepped out.

Neera turned reflexively to look at him and she immediately regretted the decision.

He only had a towel on, as he walked out casually from the bathroom. Her cheeks burned as she turned back to the bed and made sure to pin her eyes on them.

She felt him walk around the room and she did not dare raise her eyes again, suddenly, she heard his voice from behind her. Neera jerked and fell on the bed; when did get behind her?

She had not heard his footsteps approach.

Zavian stared at her in surprise, wondering why she was falling over.

“Help me with this;” he said, pointing at the wrist of his garment;

Neera’s chin flushed when she remembered what happened the last time she did that.

Clearing her throat, she did the buttons without looking at his face. When she was done, she turned back to the bed and quickly dressed it.

“Bring the bow and arrows when you’re done and come to the dinette.” He said as he walked through the door. A smile stretched Neera’s chin when she heard him.

He finally asked her to join him to eat, which meant he was no longer mad about what happened.

She hurriedly arranged the bed, and joined him for breakfast. After breakfast, Neera carried his bows and arrows and followed Zavian out of the Castle. She wondered where they were going but she did not ask.

Outside, four of his men stood chatting as they waited for him. There were servants carrying their bows and arrows and Neera was the only woman. Neera wondered why he had brought her along when he could easily go with a servant.

Her eyes scanned through the men and she immediately recognized Azriel. Her gaze stayed on him when she remembered what Pen had told her.

He was like every other demon. Handsome on the outside but evil on the inside. The men stared at her curiously when they saw her with the king’s bag and she looked down at her feet, shyly. Zavian could have saved her from their piercing gazes if he had just taken a servant with him.

Zavian went to where they stood and chatted with them as they waited for the guards to bring their horses.

“I’ll win the gold today, sire. I met a soothsayer yesterday and she said the stars were in my favor.”

Ryan spoke and the others burst out laughing; “You said that the last time, and you did not even kill a squirrel, don’t you think you need to change this soothsayer of yours, brother?”

Azriel asked and the rest laughed louder;

“That was because it began to rain, I could not make a kill under the rain. But today, the sun is shining brightly, I will kill a boar today.” He emphasized, slamming his hand on his chest.

“And I, a lion.” Another added jokingly and they laughed. Just at that moment, the guards came with their horses. Neera was surprised when a guard brought a horse to her, and her eyes quickly looked at Zavian in panic.

His men had a thousand questions written in their eyes but they did not say a word. They just watched the scene unfold.

“You cannot ride a horse?” Zavian asked tenderly as he stared at her and Neera’s hands gripped the bag in her hands for comfort;

Her eyes looked at the men behind him, who were staring at her conspicuously and she turned to Zavian and nodded;

Zavian was quiet for a moment. The only option was to send her back and get a servant who could ride a horse to replace her, his men thought, but Zavian’s words the next minute shocked them;

“Come here...”