Chapter 431: The Hunting Commences
The thing about life was that it always had different roads, and fate had the habit of leading them all to the same destination.
No matter how Xion tried to avoid it, the hours passed, and it was time for Darius to leave.
In less than a month, Darius had subjugated the main city of Suniva with his sword.
Even when the other families tried to rebel against the Archduke after the execution of the Gin clan, they couldn’t do much.
That was how ruthless Darius could be.
It would have scared old Xion into hiding. However, now, there was a flicker of pride in his eyes as he looked at the man dressed in his armor.
Forcing Darius off the bed, Xion had personally cooked breakfast, and he was also the one to help with the armor.
With every step, Xion felt something sharp slashing inside his chest.
Who would have thought that one day, he, a stupid healer, would have to govern the entire province while sending his beloved to the war?
"Do you need something else?" Xion asked for the umpteenth time. "Water, maybe? And food?"
"Yes," Darius smiled, grabbing the fluttering healer and holding him in his arms. "You."
"Then take me with you."
"You know I can’t love. I can let anyone die but you. If I see even a scratch on you again, I think I’ll lose my mind."
That was exactly what Michael wanted. For Darius to lose his mind and for the heavens to punish him for it.
But Xion refused to play at the hands of fate this time.
He was going to protect himself both for his own sake and for all of Eldoria.
"I’ll miss you," his voice came out muffled against Darius’ shoulder. "I am already missing you."
Darius laughed. A loud booming sound spilled from his curved lips.
"Is this a joke to you?" Xion leaned back, his watery eyes filled with anger, or maybe more of love that he had been trying to keep at bay.
"Oh no, love."
Letting his forehead rest against Xion’s, he sighed. "It’s just... no one was ever there to tell me that they would miss me. All this time, I’ve been going to wars and returning to empty rooms."
Those words made Xion shut his eyes.
"You know, I am truly happy. So happy that I am not even mad at Silas anymore. After all, it was also that stupid bastard who sent you to the northern lands in the first place."
A gentle touch of lips on his forehead forced Xion to open his eyes.
"I will just gift him a return gift and come back as soon as possible, okay?"
Xion hummed, cradling Darius’ bright, almost glowing face.
"You have to stay safe, Xion. And you can’t break your promise of writing to me. I’ve never gotten letters before."
Darius did. In fact, as the lord of the entire Northern territory, he had more letters piling over his desk than anyone else.
However, none of it belonged to his family.
Not once had he been thrilled by the notion of reading letters. However, now he was.
In fact, if he didn’t want to make Xion mad, he might have said it aloud. He really liked the war.
"You need to take care of yourself, too," Xion said in a low, barely audible voice. "You absolutely can’t get hurt, and you’d better kill Silas this time."
Another laugh rang in the room.
They remained inside the confines of their room for the entire time.
No one disturbed the Archduke and Xion. Not even the governor, who was passing anxiously in the hallways outside his room.
Raymond Eldritch checked the horse reins when Allen approached him.
"What, going to punch me again?" Ray threw a smile at the Alchemist.
As always, Allen was silent. Though this time, he wasn’t glaring at Ray for kissing him again or throwing itching dust on him.
He was staring at the feet of the saddle.
Ray followed the sight only to see the twig stuck in it.
"I’ll remove it, you clean freak," the knight commander grumbled as he leaned down to remove the dirt. "No, seriously, it isn’t like you are going to sit on it. Why do you have to worry about dust all the time?"
Allen still didn’t speak.
When Ray stood back up, the Alchemist let out a long breath he had been holding back.
"I can," he said.
"Huh? You can what?" Ray couldn’t understand. Well, it wasn’t like this was the first time he couldn’t decipher the silent language of this brooding Alchemist.
This was the very reason he stole Allen’s journal, thinking he might be able to understand him better, only to receive a punch on his face.
Shaking himself out of that scary memory, he focused on the young man. Those honey-brown eyes looked cold, and yet he found them sweet.
What a mess.
If someone had said he would actually fall for this damned Alchemist, he would have knocked that person out.
"I mean, I can ride your horse."
"I know you can-" Ray halted. His blue eyes widened, his mouth agape with shock.
"You mean... Really?"
Allen nodded his head. "If you come back alive, that is."
Ray blinked and blinked again.
This was his horse. His Crimson Wind.
In their household, there was a rule. They only allowed their beloved to ride their horses as it was a piece of them.
Allen agreed to it? Allen, the brooding Alchemist, who had been throwing punches at him ever since, agreed?
The knight was utterly baffled.
So much that it made the stoic Allen’s lips curl up in amusement.
He grabbed Ray’s neck and yanked the commander closer until their lips crashed.
A heated kiss left them gasping into each other’s mouths.
"You’d better come back, Raymond Eldritch."
"I will," Ray replied with a silly smile.
That was until they heard the fake coughing behind them.
Allen was quick to pull away, only to see the smirking Noxian.
"You two are sure having fun. If you are done eating each other’s faces, it is time to leave. Brother is already there."
The purple-haired brat only threw a smug smile at the two silly-looking guys before he returned to Xion’s side.
His brother had been nagging him for days. It was also Xion who helped him pack his luggage.
Despite being so tired from treating all the patients, Xion still took time to make snacks for himself.
"Eat them on the way and share them with others, okay?"
Noxian nodded his head, his curls dancing on his head. "Sure."
He looked the very picture of the model youngster, obedient and bright. Ray directly rolled his eyes as he tugged the reins of the horse.
"Don’t sleep in the snow. Don’t catch a cold."
"I know, brother." Noxian hugged his worrying brother, letting Xion kiss his forehead as a blessing.
"You just have to remember what you promised." Noxian threw a glance at the Archduke, who had his arm around Xion’s shoulder.
Even now, he wouldn’t let Xion step away from him. What a brute,
the young knight thought.Xion was partially amused by Noxian’s disgusted look and half by Darius’ clueless face.
Xion chuckled. "Alright. I’ll prepare a feast for you."
Noxian was quick to grin. Before he could throw another jab at the Archduke, someone called him away.
Xion looked at the long march of the army, dressed in bright armor, ready to set off.
He had no clue when he would be able to see his husband and his brother again.
"You’d better come back or I am marrying someone else," Xion said all of a sudden.
In an instant, Xion found himself facing Darius, trapped in his arms.
"Mind repeating that again, darling?"
Xion looked at the smile that didn’t reach those pale green eyes and shrugged.
"You heard me. I will really do it. So, you’d better come back fast."
Was Xion provoking Darius? Yes.
Was it working? Also yes.
"Name. Tell me the name you thought of... "
"I’ll tell you in letters," the healer smirked, perfectly mimicking Darius’ way of teasing.
What else could the Archduke do other than surrender?
He sighed, "Give me a kiss."
"I did." Xion had kissed Darius more than once, and his lips were still numb.
"But you kissed that brat."
Ah, there it was.
In front of the entire army, Xion smacked the head of his jealous husband.
"Lean down." He smiled helplessly when Darius immediately obeyed.
A kiss of an angel fell on the forehead of the devil.
The Archduke looked at the soldiers and only said one sentence. "The Hunting Commences Now!
Thus, the real hunting began. Because for Darius, this was no different than the winter ball they had been preparing.
Only the timing didn’t match, and the place was different.
Everything else was the same, wasn’t it?
Under his command, the war gongs roared through the province.
With one last look at smiling Xion, he kicked the horse into motion.