The Demon’s Bride

Elise looked on the window next to her left side. She watched how the villagers have left and how the sky that was once blue was covered with a veil of black. She could tell the blue sky was somewhere still there as the darkness bear the blue hint. 

While waiting, she found a new memory inside her where she was walking on the lake on the date of Elena's death. She didn't remembered how she was there, but she recalled that time she was waiting for Elena after managing to squeeze herself out of the shed from a small window that was built high. Then if she was there on the lake, did she saw what happened to Elena?

Now that she had calmed herself, Elise's thoughts were clearer and so was her feelings, she waited for Ian to come, so they could speak about what she found when suddenly the door of the carriage was opened and Ian entered. Was this what people meant by speak of the devil?

"Have you been waiting for me?" Ian asked when he entered and Frank closed the door hurriedly.

Elise saw how he looked, there was patches of blood on his face and shirt, the color had turned dark as two hours have passed from the fight, "Are you alright?" she questioned, "Was the fight difficult?" 

"Barely," Ian smiled as he sat in front of her. The lantern that was placed inside the carriage colored both of their faces in orange as shadow covered some of them, "You have gotten better to ignore my question do you?"

"I was waiting," answered Elise to his previous question. "Did everything went well with the Church members?" She didn't know how much Ian had told about the Church about what took place in her aunt's house and she wondered what he said. 

"Everything was smooth as a butter," Ian then patted the side of his seat. Knowing what he meant, Elise carefully stood on the carriage that moved stably but when the tire of the carriage stumble over a stone, Elise was pushed forward. Without having anything for her hand to touch and keep herself stable, her body fell and Ian caught her by her words. "Caught you," Ian whispered, and she felt him pulling her body to place her beside him.

"Tha-" Elise didn't finish her words when Ian leaned forward, his face descend and he stole a short kiss from her lips. When he pulled away, Elise's cheeks had turned all warm, "Is this the reward?" she asked, reminding him of what he said earlier before he fought.

Ian chuckled, "This small? I don't think this is my reward unless you give your kisses as a reward?" 

"That's not what I meant," whispered Elise, she felt her breaths quivered as Ian came nearer to her side.

"Of course I know," He pulled his hand from her cheeks to her neck, trailing down to her collarbone. "I want more of you. Reward is something that is more special, but your kisses, that is my privilege as your future husband."

Elise felt her cheeks turning all pink, "A-Are you serious about the marriage?" Elise didn't know about the marriage yet as they hadn't talked about marrying each other. It was a surprised but a joyful surprise for her. Somewhere Elise still couldn't believe how her life was moving on with Ian by her side, all happiness she didn't know she would ever have.

"Since the day you told me you love me, I have promised to give you all of me and by that I meant marriage," Ian pulled her fingers, and he took off the gloves that covered her hand. He then took her ring finger, "The mark is gone," he said, meaning of the ring mark he made by biting his teeth to her skin. "I will exchange the faded mark with a real ring soon. That ring would be a proof of my promise to make you happy of the life ahead of you," Ian heard her breaths hitch and his smile spread wider. "Are you happy?"

Elise nodded, "Very," somewhere she could feel her tears glazed her eyes and Ian as if knowing it rubbed her eyes gently.

"Don't cry, sweetheart, I don't like seeing tears sliding from your cheeks," Ian touched her with the gentlest touch that could have one wonder where his tenderness could come from a man who had been bloodthirsty a few hours ago. "Sheesh, why are you crying?" He asked with a soft smile when seeing how tears continue to drop one after another from her eyes. "Is my promise lacking?"

Elise shook her head, "I'm just too happy. I don't know that one day this could happen."

Ian listened to her words carefully, "What day?"

"That I would get married," she replied, closing her eyes to stop her tears from dropping which she didn't know why, but it couldn't stop. Her tears weren't tears of sadness but of happiness. Her heart was filled with an overwhelming emotion with the promised Ian whispered to her.

"In the past I thought I was truly cursed, that the people beside me would die. I know that it's not true, that people spoke the way they did because they don't know what I went through. It was easier for people to believe that my misfortune and the loss of people around me was a curse, and at some point I believed that way too— that perhaps I was cursed," whispered Elise, her voice trembled ever so slightly and Ian held her hand tighter. He kept his ears only to her words, somewhere feeling his heart ache as Elise didn't know that she was truly cursed for being his bride. "I thought to myself that perhaps I would be alone, without a husband and or children because I was cursed."

Leaning forward he took a peck at her knuckles, "Don't keep your ears to their words. You deserve happiness, Elise— All part of you, and I'm sure you are not cursed," Ian couldn't bring himself to tell Elise that she was indeed cursed for being a Demon's Bride and decided to tell her as soon as he could as keeping a secret would only hurt her. "Even if you are cursed, mark my words, I would do everything even selling my soul to help you break the curse."

Elise slowly nod, "I am only afraid that if that curse is true you would die. Out of all people, I don't want you to die. That's why if one day I ever tried to kill you-"

"No," Ian interrupted her, he could guess what she was about to say. "I will not kill you."

"But if I-" Ian leaned forward, his hand slide behind her head and he captured her lips, kissing her. Elise felt his tongue pushed in, trying to hush her as if wanting her to forget what she wanted to tell him earlier. 

When their lips parted, she saw how Ian's outer eyes had turned pitch black as his pupils burn redder then blazing flame which he used to burnt her aunt, "That will never happen, Elise. Do not put those words on your lips. Never. I will not kill you even if it was a matter of my death. As much as you want to keep me alive, I don't want you to die. You should keep your eyes to all possibilities, not everything end with your death, There should be a way and no mater how narrow it is, we should be able to push through it together without losing each other. Will you promise that to me too?"

Elise thought of how his words were correct. There should be other way and no matter how small the possibility was it was much better than them both losing one each other. Elise nodded her head, "I will." and she received a kiss on her forehead as if it was his praise.

"But what makes you think that one day you would kill me? Is it because you killed the Relic?" Ian asked as it seemed the thoughts of death continue to linger in Elise's mind.

She shook her head, "Before we left, I had a little talk with Karen. It was about something that I did in the past, and somewhere I don't have a good feeling about this."

"What is it about? Tell me," Ian coaxed her, holding to her hands.

"I think I have killed someone before," answered Elise and her words fell to whisper as the two looked at each other.