Fated to the Dark Elf Episode 3

Chapter 14

Delia

“Go in, Delia! The water is perfect!”

On her knees, Anulu leans down and flips her hand through the water a few times to make a point. Then, she grins at me with an eager glint in her eyes.

Hugging myself, I take a quick look at our surroundings. “Just by myself?”

“No one is going to find us,” she says. “Trust me. I’ve spent hours at this spot before and no one has ever noticed where I was!”

Turning my attention towards the waterfall cascading before us, I find it difficult to believe that there’s no traction to this area at all. It’s beautiful. Water trails down the jagged edges of sharp rocks until it spills into a large pond. Green grass and vine-covered rocks encapsulate the pond, making for a cozy escapade away from the boring daily routine that I’ve been subjected to.

My hand trails along the hem of my shirt, which makes Anulu nod with excitement.

“I’ll watch your stuff, don’t worry! Enjoy yourself!”

“What if someone catches us?”

“With a body like yours, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Stop it.” My cheeks burn bright red at that remark.

Still, I cave in and undress at the foot of the pond. Anulu accepts each article of clothing I pass along to her. Chills course down my spine and through my body as I take the first steps into the pond, allowing the water to lap up my legs and lower body until I’m completely engulfed by the ripples.

I gasp. “Anulu, it’s so clear!”

“I know!”

“Someone could catch me naked!”

“Oh, please,” Anulu replies, waving a hand. “You can barely see anything from here besides your silhouette. Swim under the waterfall! It’s going to feel amazing.”

“Have you done something like this before?”

I give her a knowing look and she bursts into a fit of laughter.

“No one needs to know what I do in my free time. That’s only for me to know,” she says, which is all the answer I need.

Swimming around, I relish the way the water feels on my skin. It’s warm, and coupled with the way the sun shines through the trees and spears down on my body, it makes me feel as if this is the pinnacle of relaxation. Brushing my hands along my hair and body, all of my worries wash away and disappear. Never to be heard from again.

At the moment, that’s what it feels like. It’s nice to have some time like this, all to myself. Anulu sits at the edge of the pond, watching me with a wide smile. I swim over to her, making sure the water remains underneath my chin so that no hidden eyes can catch a glimpse at my body.

“Why don’t you come in with me? This is fun!”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Delia,” Anulu says, tossing a glance over her shoulder. “Someone needs to be the eyes of this operation.”

“Can I show you something, at least?”

“What?”

I don’t know what’s going on with me. It’s probably this semblance of freedom that makes the walls around my heart come tumbling down for a moment, but I lift a hand over the surface of the water and cause water spurts to jet out of my palm like a fountain. Anulu gasps and flinches as the water comes tumbling down, back into the pond.

Her mouth opens and closes, but no sound comes out. I laugh.

“I wanted to show you what I can do. And that’s not the only thing.” I do a little trick in the water, which makes Anulu yelp as water splashes into the air again. “I can use magic.”

“Seriously?” Anulu’s eyebrows shoot upwards. “H-How is that so? I’ve never heard of a human who can use magic.”

“I’m not sure. I guess I’m rare.”

“Are your parents able to do the same things that you’re able to do?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

Anulu presses her lips into a thin line and shakes her head. Strange.

“Come into the water with me, please. This is the most fun I’ve had since coming to this manor and I want to enjoy it with someone.”

“I’m having a lot of fun just watching you,” Anulu reassures, wiping the hair strands that cling to my skin out of my eyes. “We may have to leave soon, so enjoy this while you can. We might be able to sneak here again sometime in the near future. I don’t know. It depends on what your husband might be doing.”

“Who cares what he thinks?”

Anulu sends me a pointed look. “Delia, he’s your husband. You need to respect him.”

I roll my eyes.

“I’m serious! He’s a good dark elf, much better than the others if I must say so myself. He doesn’t have those violent tendencies that make a dark elf want to completely dominate everything and everyone around him.” Anulu leans back on her hands, basking in the sun. “That’s what I think, at least. Now his father is another story entirely.”

“I don’t much care for Syress,” I admit, fluttering around in the water. “There’s something off about him. He kept looking at me in a way that made me uncomfortable.”

And then what he said in the hall that day…

“He doesn’t have a good relationship with his son. It’s probably because Thorne reminds him that he was able to overcome all of the abuse Syress put him through growing up and he became a better dark elf as a result.”

Abuse?

I hate to admit that Thorne fascinates me. Part of it stems from the appreciation I feel towards him because of how he treated me after our wedding party. I always held the belief that a dark elf would destroy me the moment one got their hands on me. Thorne is different, however. In so many different ways.

The main enigma that surrounds him is his reluctance to have sex with me. Not that I’m complaining, but it’s curious. It makes me think that something might be wrong with him. Is it an inability to function right in bed?

I don’t care at all. Not in the slightest. I just want to know why I got bought when I’m clearly not going to be used for sex.

Suddenly, Anulu jumps to her feet without warning. There isn’t enough time for me to realize what’s happening. I swim away on instinct, feeling a growing tension abruptly enter the garden.

My heart sinks. Thorne makes his way towards us, tailed by a servant who keeps a stone-faced expression at the scene. Anulu clutches onto my clothing tightly.

“M-Master.” Anulu bows low. “I can explain what’s happening here. Please, don’t punish Delia for anything going on right now. This was my idea. This was--”

“I don’t want to hear it, Anulu,” Thorne interjects brusquely, staring down at her.

She turns meek in his presence, which makes me grimace.

“Thank you for letting me know about this, Ussure,” he says to the servant at his side, who nods.

Ussure doesn’t have much of an expression. He doesn’t even look at me. It’s probably in his best interest to do that.

“Ussure, can you escort Anulu back into the manor? There is some work that needs to be done in the bedrooms. I want everything cleaned and polished.”

Anulu fumbles over her words, but eventually clamps her mouth shut and keeps her head low. My dress falls from her hands, landing beside the pond. My clothing is at an uncomfortably far distance away from my reach, which worries me. Thanks to my hair, I’m sure no one can see the way my ears are burning hot because of this situation.

“Right away,” Ussure says, gently taking Anulu by the shoulders and whisking her away from the pond.

Before leaving, Anulu sends me an apologetic glance, but a few nudges from Ussure makes her look forward again.

To my surprise, Thorne stays behind. He stands at the foot of the pond, right beside my clothing. Meanwhile, I’m taking refuge near the base of the waterfall, feeling the warm droplets shower my skin while I keep a safe distance between him and I.

What is he planning to do with me? Punish me? For having fun?

I could try to flee, but it’ll be difficult to grab my clothes on the way out. And there’s no way I’m going to prance through the manor naked. I would rather have the ground open up and swallow me whole. That sounds like a much more merciful fate.

Thorne clears his throat, thumbing at the fabric of his clothing. My eyes narrow, wondering what his next move is going to be. I don’t like this situation at all, and I silently curse myself for jumping into this pond in the first place.

I don’t blame Anulu for this situation, either. She knows how desperately I needed something to relieve the tension in my body and came up with a prompt solution. It’s a shame that things turned out this way.

Now, I’m under the intense gaze of Thorne. On instinct, my arms raise to cover my upper body as best as I can. Sure, he’s my husband, but I don’t want him staring at me like this. It’s not proper.

His eyes glint.

“I’m glad that we finally have the chance to spend some time alone, Delia,” he says, a mischievous grin curling the edges of his lips.

I pale as the realization sinks deep into my chest.

There’s no one around to help me. No one to hear my calls if something goes wrong.

And I stare into his eyes, his hands going to the lacing of his clothes, my heart thunders. What is he doing?