Under the umbrella as it rains

비가 오던 우산 걱

-

His exhausted body slumped to the ground, tired and weary. I fell down to my knees, stroking Apollo's bloody and bruised face.

Tears began to blur my vision, but they were filled with relief. My shoulders sagged in comfort as I softly caressed his bloody cheek. His eyes were closed and he seemed so peaceful. His usual tense and rigidness was gone, filled with instead relaxation.

I clenched my hands at the scene around me. Dead bodies of men all around me and the stench of their sickening blood filling in the air. Death seemed to mock me and their evil souls seemed to waver around me laughing me and haunting me. I closed my eyes shut, but these men deserved to die. They hurt me and they hurt Apollo, yet I still felt an uncomfortable feeling in myself.

I would never forget the look on their faces as life left them. It was so quick and sudden it was as if this was all just a cruel nightmare. I knew these men were evil yet it felt so wrong to kill them. Nobody was born with evil, and something had made these men the men they were today.

I felt a small hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Jack looking at me hesitant. I sniffed, holding out a hand towards him. He looked at my hand in wonder, as if this was the first time someone had done this.

His clear bright blue eyes flickered towards me shyly, before he launched towards me. Jumping to me, he put his arms around me wrapping them around my neck. I blinked surprised by his sudden action.

A warm feeling bubbled in my stomach as I wrapped my arms around his small body. I felt a strange comfort inside of me and felt happy. There was a small urge in me to protect him and to be his mother.

There were footsteps approaching me, and my head snatched up towards the sound. My eyes widened slightly, and I hesitated as I looked up.

It was the man who had killed Muriel. I could feel Jack's hand tighten around my arm, and my heart pounded against my chest nervously.

The doctor, the bandits had called him. It was the man I had ran into a few days before. The red headed man stopped in front of me, a few footsteps away.

This was the first time I had seen him this close and he wore a charming gleaming smile on his face. Something about this man made me feel like he was a man who had suffered. Instead of feeling uneasy and nervous around him, I felt a strange sort of reassurance in me.

His dark reddish colored eyes, strangely resembled Sebastian's. He had the shadowy scarlet blood hair, and he a defined jaw. He was tall and slender and there was a strange marking of a bat on his neck. My eyes trailed down to the hand that had the murder mark I had seen a few days before. But to my surprise I could not see him, for the man was wearing gloves.

His cold eyes were guarded and dark. His harsh and bitter smile, was to cover up the pain and suffering he was facing.

"I'm sorry." he said to me stiffly, the gleaming tainted smile on his attractive face. He weaved his hand through his hair uncomfortably, "It is mainly my fault that you and you're friend were caught. I did not mean for you two to get caught into my mess."

I blinked, quite surprised by his statement, not expecting for him to be like this. To be quite frank, this was nothing of how I imagined him to be.

He raised a brow, not looking surprised at my reaction, "Did you expect me to kill you?" he asked plainly. He took off his glove, the branded mark on his wrist making me wince, "I suppose I am a dangerous man," he muttered calmly as he put the glove back on, "But who knows? I don't even remember what I did wrong."

I grimaced, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." I said softly.

He shrugged.

I shook my head biting my lip, "Thank you for helping us." I said sincerely making eye contact with him, but I was thankful. Without his help, we probably would have been killed.

Something inside his eyes softened, and he nodded curtly, "I needed to repay you somehow." he replied coldly, "I got you into this mess after all." he repeated.

I hesitated, "Where are we right now?" I asked carefully.

The man yawned lazily, quite bored not seeming unaffected by the scene around him. Dead bodied, blood on his clothes and the stench of blood seemed to be nothing to him. "We are nearing Queen Ava's kingdom. I know someone who lives there, we can rest there for a little while and then we can find the rest of your group."

"We?" I asked curiously unsure of what he meant by that.

The man smiled bitterly, "You don't expect me to leave a princess, a wounded solider and a child here in the forest alone. I may be a dangerous man, but that doesn't make me evil."

-

I shuddered slightly, wrapping the blanket around me tighter. The wind howled harshly around us, as the wagon cluttered on the rocky path.

Jack was leaning against me, his eyes closed. He insisted he didn't need a blanket and told me that he was hot. Yet when I touched him he was freezing cold, but he seemed to be fine.

Apollo's head was resting on my lap. He was covered with blankets and he was shivering slightly, but his head was burning. I grimaced knowing Apollo had a fever. I had done my best and had wiped off the blood from his face, but there were still bruises on his face.

The doctor sat in front of the wagon, holding the reigns of the horse as we rode. I could hear the cluttering of weapons and gold beneath me, hidden in a secret compartment of the wagon. We had let the rest of the horses go, except the biggest one. Which was the light brown color horse, the one that I had rode.

It was a tense and quiet ride, nobody wanting to speak. My mind swirling with questions and thoughts, and my hands were clenched from the cold and cruel memories.

I looked up at the sky, the sun was still up, but it was cloudy. I wished that the clouds would go away so I could feel the warm rays of the sun on me.

I so desperately wanted to distract myself from the guilt that pounded into my mind and worry that swirled in my brain.

Was my brothers ok? Were the rest of the group looking for us? What would happen to Apollo? And who was this man that was helping us?

I cleared my throat uncomfortably breaking the stiff silence that lingered in the air, "Thank you again for helping us." I said softly, "And what is you're name?"

The man nodded curtly, "Like I've said, this was my fault." he murmured, hesitating, "My name is Julian."

I nodded hesitating, "How did you know that I was a princess?" I asked carefully tilting my head.

Julian chuckled coldly, a bitter aura around him, "Everyone knows who you are and who you're group is. Why I'm sure you already know that you're brother has offered a lot of money to the kingdoms and people for you're groups capture. Danger lurks everywhere. Many creatures are looking for you, the dwarves, trolls, goblins and the list goes on and on."

I paled slightly, not realizing early that we were in that much danger. I mean I had always knew that no where was safe, but the fact that powerful and dangerous creatures and monsters were looking for us made me frightened.

"What about the elves and werewolves?" I asked quietly, remembering that we were planning to go to their realms to seek for their alliances, "Do they want our heads?"

Julian shook his head, "I doubt it. The werewolves and elves absolutely hate dark and evil creatures like the trolls and ghouls. Since many of them are sided with you're brother, I doubt they would help him. But," he warned, "That doesn't make them not dangerous. Werewolves are highly territorial and don't like to associate with wars that don't matter to them as for the Elves many of them are greedy."

I became quiet for a moment my mind wandering back to the scar on his neck. Curiosity piqued my interest about it but I was hesitant to ask him, "Can you tell me about the marking on you're neck?: I asked softly.

He wore a grim smile, "Do you like it?" he asked sarcastically, bitterness sweeping into his voice, "Its a curse," he muttered, making my eyes widened, "I was born with it. Does the world really hate me that much to give me such curse?"

He became quiet so I decided that I wouldn't press on it anymore.

"So what about you're past?" I asked gently hoping to change the topic.

"Me?" he chuckled harshly, "Well lets see, I'm a doctor wanted for murder by Queen Ava for killing her husband. I don't even remember the past and I don't even know if I even killed him or not. This brand is a reminded to me for what I supposedly did in the past. Who knows maybe I did kill the king-"

I cut him off, "I'm talking about the good." I said softly.

He blinked, scratching his neck, clearly not expecting this, "I have a sister named Julia." he said quietly, but I didn't miss the hint of adoration and love in his voice as he said her name. He laughed softly, a small smile on his face, "She's stubborn and insists that she helps me carry this burden with me, but I don't want to drag her into my mess."

"It sounds you really love her." I said.

He nodded clearing his throat, "I do. She's so much better than me, she has such a good life you know? She's a lady in waiting of the Queen and the Queen adores her, but if the Queen finds out that Ava is hiding me then she might be hanged to for my mistakes."

"I have a brother too," I murmured, "Four to be exact. I love them all so much but yet we are fighting against each other. It wasn't always like this, I remember the old days when we would play with each other. I fear one day that two of us are going to die by fighting each other."

Julian nodded understandingly, "I'm sure they all really love you." he said his voice soft, "The want of power and revenge really changes people of who they are. People we love can all be blinded by power."

"You know," I said sighing, "Its hard to believe you are wanted for murder."

Julian stiffened a small forced smile on his face, "Perhaps I did murder the king." he said softly, an unknown emotion in his eyes, "Either way justice will eventually win."

His words repeated in my mind, if justice did eventually win what would happen to Brayden and Nathan?

I shook my head, "Whether you did or didn't," I said quietly, "I forgive you, Julian. Besides I don't believe you are a murderer." and it was true, my gut trusted Julian strangely and something was telling me that there was a hidden truth covered in lies and manipulation to hide what really happened.

"Foolish girl," Julian muttered under his breath, before his lips curved up slightly, "Thank you."

-

MERRY CHRSITMAS EVE!!!

I honestly cannot believe that 2017 is coming to the end... Time goes way to fast... Anyway I am sorry for not being able to post lately. I just got out on Friday so I was studying for Finals and yesterday I was just too tired to post and only felt like watching Korean Drama and eating.

Anyway I also want to thank liguidgold for the beautiful and amazing cover!!!! I love it so much!! You should check out her cover shop because she has some awesome covers.

Also I want to give a shout out to fallenmemrys because honestly her support has been amazing! If you want to get a shoutout, make sure to comment and vote on how you feel about this book.

Peace!

LOVE, NerdyWhale