To His Hell and Back-Chapter 214: It Isn’t Boredom-I

Arabella watched as Princess Marissa placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes, a dreamy smile blooming across her face. There was a rare softness in her expression, an unmistakable glow that spoke of a love newly found. No doubt, her thoughts were with Hans, the human man who had brought color back into her world. Just the memory of him seemed to lift her with pride and quiet joy.

"I suppose I never truly understood how lonely life could be," the princess murmured. "But now I do. And it makes me wonder how did I manage to live for so long without knowing what it was to truly love someone? All this time I believed love comes as a payment and I could only be loved if I give up something from myself but Hans- Hans had never asked me to do anything for him. Instead, he was the one who had always given me more than I could return. When I met Hans, I finally understood what it means to feel alive. The anxiety, the emptiness... it all began to fade. My heart finally feels full."

"That’s wonderful," Arabella whispered, her voice touched with reflection. "Life is lonely, indeed."

"Isn’t it?" Marissa turned toward her with a knowing smile. "But once you meet someone who makes the world feel less cold, you begin to feel real happiness. The kind that washes away that quiet ache. I used to worry about Cassius... his loneliness. But now that you’re here, I don’t think he’s alone anymore." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Arabella lowered her gaze to the floor, her thoughts turning inward. She had always known loneliness. Even with Ariel by her side, even on better days, there was a part of her heart that remained hollow... silently aching, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain. But that space had begun to shift, quietly and without warning, since Cassius entered her life.

"The book of life is brief," Princess Marissa continued, "but when you share it with someone you love, those pages don’t feel so short or so empty."

Arabella looked up and reached for the princess’s hand, holding it gently but firmly. "You don’t have to worry anymore, Your Highness. I know leaving the castle can’t be easy, especially in secret. You must be carrying so many burdens. But Cassius and I... we made a promise."

Marissa tilted her head slightly, curiosity softening her smile. "A promise?"

Arabella nodded. "That I’ll stay by his side, no matter what... unless he leaves me first, or betrays me."

For a moment, the princess simply stared, admiring Arabella’s steady green gaze and long, fluttering lashes. Perhaps this was the secret behind her brother’s growing affection, this quiet strength wrapped in gentleness. It was easy to see why someone like Cassius, who had known only power and pain, would be drawn in.

Marissa returned the gesture, squeezing her hand with warmth. "Then I’ll stop worrying. My brother would never betray someone he truly cares for."

"Of course," Arabella said gently, her voice full of calm reassurance. She wanted the princess to walk away without the weight of fear or guilt pressing down on her shoulders. "When will you be leaving, Your Highness?"

"Of course," Arabella answered to the Princess, wanting her to feel less burdened so she could leave the castle with a lighter shoulder. "When will you be leaving your highness?"

"I wish for it to in three day’s count, at dawn," she answered, "Hans himself had planned a way to leave and the best time is at dawn as the guards are people who he is familiar with and would help close an eye to us leaving."

"And you will not tell Cassius at all?" Arabella inquired and for moment a look of hesitation appeared on princess Marissa’s red eyes which she close and shook after a moment of reflection,

"No. I have planned to simply leave him a letter. That will be all."

Arabella nodded in an understanding as the princess hastened her pace, "Would you want to see Hans, Bella? I could arrange a time for you two to meet. Perhaps tomorrow? Today Hans would like to visit his remaining living family."

"He has a family?" Arabella asked and the Princess nodded eagerly.

"A brother, older than him with a family. He’s a human who lives in a village not too far from the castle. Though they weren’t too close after a certain argument, Hans still cares for him. I thought his brother would be against our elopement but after hearing everything, he agrees," said Princess Marissa, "He said he would be helping us to escape for good. Since he has a group of friend in the trading, he would help us leave the border with a new identity."

"I see," Arabella wondered what kind of argument did Hans have with his brother? But that wasn’t much of his problem so didn’t prod, only nodding as she received her answer. "Three days... that is close to the human hunt isn’t it?"

Princess Marissa stared at the window Arabella had turned and followed her line of sight, finding a small bird in the bright blue color resting on the tree branch staring back at them before it soared to the bright sky behind the tree.

"Indeed. I was worried it would make a mess of the hunt but I suppose it won’t matter anymore. My father won’t care that I leave and Queen Morgana would be happy to see one of her burden leaving for good."

"What about your aunt? Lady Genevieve cares for you," she said and Marissa chuckled.

"She cares for the son," Marissa answered, "Not the daughter who won’t be any help to acquire the throne to the bloodline but the son which is Cassius. It sounds bitter as I say this myself but no one else care about me in the family other than Cassius. Sometimes it makes me resentful of him but now I have matured I understand that he too- suffers- from the burden and responsibility those people placed on him."

"Do you need any help on leaving princess?" Arabella asked, reaching out to the princess who in turn refuses her request politely.

"I know you must have burden on your own so don’t worry about me Bella," Marissa held her hands tighter, "I pray that no more burden would ever come to you. I say that I wish that you would be beside Cassius forever but if he were to hurt you, don’t hesitate to leave. My brother is strong, I’m sure he will... well, that is for the future isn’t it? He was fine when I left, I suppose if it was his fault, he has only himself to blame for."

Arabella chuckled, "And I pray that you will have a happier life outside the castle, Your Highness. A calm and peaceful life, a gentle and happy life, and that you and Hans would stay together for a long time."

Princess Marissa’s eyes crinkled, happiness all over her face that melted Arabella’s heart.

"Thank you. Thank you, sincerely, Bella," Princess Marissa held her hands, "I have made up my mind that I will stay with Hans forever regardless the future, until death just like all the humans promised during their marriage."