It was midnight...
Cyrus laid against the railing of the balcony focusing his gaze on the crescent moon in the starless sky.
The freezing cold wind blew his long white hair causing it to sway from side to side and his eyes filled with nothing but blankness.
His head was filled with the woman who was now asleep on his bed. It was something he did not except, something he didn't like. He licked his lips tasting the sweet taste of hers lips that lingered on his and couldn't help but get amazed by her violent lust for him.
A frustrated groan erupted from his throat as his mind began to ask questions like; Did she lay with someone? Was she in love with someone? Was she always thinking about the person?
Cyrus couldn't believe himself. He bursted into a hearty laughter and shook his head in bewilderment at the same licking his lips.
"Am I bothered?" He asked himself with a mocking tone.
Suddenly, he heard a whimper and saw her approaching him with her eyes closed and snowflake on her head.
Cyrus glared severely at the nine tailed fox while Sage walked like a zombie and ascended the railing standing on it firmly.
"Quit this!" Cyrus roared at Snowflake who immediately jumped to the floor and fled back into the room.
"I will kill her, not you." Cyrus added with a hiss then pulled Sage down into his arms.
He returned to the room while still staring at her, laid her on the bed, and covered her with a blanket.
He sat beside her and glared at Snowflake who was standing in front of him, staring at him blankly.
"You want to kill her?" He asked raising his brows.
Snowflake sat down and titled his head to his side.
"You are not the one controlling her dreams?" Cyrus asked dryly and looked back at Sage who was now snoring. "The dreams links to..." Cyrus paused with a serious expression.
Snowflake walked away to the fireplace and sat on front of it while Cyrus looked furious, staring at sleeping Sage.
"Stay away from her at least for now." He told the nine tailed fox with a commanding tone.
Snowflake turned to look at Cyrus who still had his eyes on Sage.
Simultaneously, Snowflake's eyes and Cyrus's eyes blazed with silver.
"This is not going to be easy," Cyrus muttered. "The storm is coming and so is her death."
...
The next day was awkward for Sage.
As Ava led her to the dinning room, she received stares from the maids and from the guards present making it obvious that the news of she and Cyrus the previous day had reached their ears.
It was breakfast and she was thankful that Cyrus was not at the dinning room.
Eating slowly, her mind wandered to what had happened to the previous day.
Ava told her that Cyrus had not eaten on the table for a long time so why did he call her yesterday?
She sighed in frustration realising he did it because he wanted to humiliate her in front of Duchess Charlotte, Duke Sergio, Mirabella and Isabella.
They were at the table except duke Sergio. Mirabella focusing on eating her meal as usual and Sage could feel Isabella's killing gaze on her.
Only the sound of the cutlery meeting the plates could be heard and soon, she could hear Isabella breathing loudly in anger.
Sage remembered how she made Cyrus squeeze her butt, how her hand touched his covered member and lord! Did it feel huge.
She could feel her face burning up and her hands trembling.
"You um... You are serious.. and um.. hurried to bring a child," Charlotte suddenly said breaking the awkward silence and Sage almost fainted.
Sage looked at Charlotte with a forced smile. "I apologize for yesterday, your grace,"
Charlotte laughed and dabbed a napkin on her lips. "There is nothing to apologize for..." She cleared her throat shrugging her shoulders then continued, "Cyrus did not apologize to me, did he?"
Sage laughed nervously. "He is not the type to apologize," Sage muttered, her voice hard.
"Oh, you know him so well already." Charlotte giggled.
"When is the ball? He told me that the ball is his birthday celebration." And her death day or mating day.
'What did he mean by that?!' Sage screamed in her thoughts.
"In two months time.." The smile on Charlotte's face disappeared. "Wait! He told you that?" She asked surprised.
Sage nodded slowly. "Yes?" She asked curiously.
"The ball is actually to celebrate the eternal winter... Cyrus has never called the day his birthday even though it is," Charlotte explained looking shocked.
"Oh!" Sage exclaimed with a whisper.
"Strange, maybe he has a plan for that day which is why he told you that it is his birthday." Mirabella said focusing on her food.
'A plan to take my life force and to reverse whatever terrible thing he did.' Sage said in her thoughts and sighed in disbelief.
"Cyrus hates that word birthday and during the celebration, he never shows himself instead, father or Ashton takes care of everything." Mirabella added.
"Ashton?" Sage had never heard of someone named Ashton.
"Oh," Charlotte giggled. "You will know him sooner or later,"
Sage nodded.
She was curious why Cyrus's birthday was the worst day of his life and what terrible thing he did that made him need her fire core but she didn't want to inquire.
Mirabella smiled at Sage who was deep in her thoughts while Isabella maintained a deep frown and had broken six metal spoons out of rage.
"Are you free to go into town my queen?" Mirabella asked Sage who widened her eyes as she came out of her thoughts.
Sage couldn't help but admire Mirabella's calmness. She reminded her a little of....
"Katherine!" Sage shouted in shock and realisation.
She stood up and ran out of the dinning room only to sight Cyrus walking into a hallway at the opposite direction she was heading to, with his demon panthers walking behind him.
Standing still, she saw a black hooded cloaked figure walking in the same direction Cyrus and his panthers disappeared to.
"Who is that?" She asked curiously and took hurried steps towards the direction.
"My queen!" A familiar cheerful voice called behind her.
Sage halted and turned to see Arthur wearing his usual bright smile.
"Who was that?" Sage asked him.
"No one my queen, his Majesty will take care of everything." Arthur replied.
"Everything?" Sage was stunned. "Is something wrong?!" Her voice rose in fear.
Cyrus's voice echoed in her head.
"Who did you lay with, parrot?"
"No!" She exclaimed with a whisper and ran away to the direction where Cyrus, his panthers and the hooded person disappeared to.
Arthur stood there looking confused. "Huh?"