I tried to match Arashi's pace as he was taking long strides while walking through the palace's long corridors.

I huffed as my hand was in his grip and we both left the premises to his quarters. He was quite the whole time as my heart sped in my ribcages.

Behind us, Hiroshi and the others were following although their faces bore frowns and they felt like they were covered in a dark miasma. They all were serious and angry.

I knew I had disappointed him greatly...

As soon as we reached his wings, Arashi said with a cold voice, "Hiroshi, gather everyone around my chamber in an hour."

Hiroshi and others scattered to gather everyone while he dragged me inside of his chamber. The men who stood beside his doors bowed and opened the door. But even they could feel the anger rolling off of him.

As we entered, he said his men, "Go, gather everyone."

They nodded and dispersed as he closed the door and left my hand. I stood behind him, taking a short distance since I was scared. He was still facing his doors and stood still.

My chest rose up and down as he asked, "Why did you do that?"

His voice was so harsh and cold that I felt his wrath to my bones. I gulped and said, "I—I..."

He turned around and our eyes met.

Never had I seen a man that angry in my whole life as I faced with Arashi's bloodshed eyes. His eyes looked down at me and I could feel my heartbeat in my ears.

Cold sweat formed on my forehead and palms and I started to shake.

Now I knew the trial wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. It was Arashi's anger what I should have been scared of.

He took a long stride toward me but I had no courage to take a step back or hide from him. Running was out of options.

"I asked you a question!" He hissed as my lips quivered.

He had never been angry with me before. The few times he had were not much compared to this one.

I knew he wanted to discard the idea of the trial from their minds but I ended up agreeing to it. It was a stupid move.

"I thought—"

"You thought...!?" He repeated the words and I forgot what exactly I was thinking at that time.

I looked away and tried to come up with something to answer him but my head was blank.

"They were belittling you..." I mumbled in a low voice.

He didn't say anything as I kept my gaze down at the floor. The corners of my eyes had started to get wet. "I thought it would be better if I give the trial..."

He growled, "You thought if you could give the trial? Do you even know how deadly it is inside the cave! I said you that it's purpose is to eliminate the princesses!"

I shakily nodded and said, "I—I was just... They wanted to have an excuse to talk behind your back and I didn't want that..."

He hissed, "Do you think I care about them? They can talk all they want behind my back. They can call me a coward for it all I care. It's your life, Bianka!"

And I started to sniff. Hot tears started to pour down from my eyes to my cheeks as he scolded me.

I looked up as my eyes were red with tears. "But how can I see people tarnishing my husband before my eyes? You want me to sit and watch while they talk rubbish about you! Tell me, can you do that if they start to talk bad about me?"

Veins popped out of his forehead as if he was going to bet burst any moment. What I did maybe was stupid but I had no choice!

Even if he was trying to let people see the bad side of the trial, they weren't going to sit without making me do this. Especially his grandmother and his cousins.

"I would have killed them if they badmouthed you..." He hissed.

"Then what do you expect me to do! I can't even kill them..." I said.

He let out a frustrated sigh and said, "I know you just want to help me, Bianka. But you have to understand that they don't care about the trial. This is not about my reputation, this is about your life!"

"I am sorry..." I muttered as I cried and Arashi melted immediately.

He stepped closer to me and wrapped me in his arms as I buried my face in his chest.

"You know you are stupid..." He said and I buried my head more, feeling ashamed.

He said, "You have to learn that your pride won't always save you in this situation. Sometimes you have to stay as a coward so the enemy don't know your next move."

I nodded as he muttered in a low voice, "Well, I kind of knew this was about to happen..."

But before I could ask him anything, he patted my head and kissed on my hair as he said, "I apologise for getting angry with you..."

I nodded but didn't say anything as my tears were wetting his cloth around his chest.

He said in a gentle voice but it had sadness and worry in it, "I just can't bear to lose you. My life was always so gray and I had no complaints. But after you came to my life, I started to love it more. I started to live it. So, I don't care about what they say about me."

I slowly looked up and searched for his eyes. As our eyes met, I knew he was scared. He was worried and more than that he was sad. "I am sorry for my stupidity..." I said.

He gave me a faint smile and said, "I am sorry too..."

He bent forward to reach my lips and kissed me as I closed my eyes. His lips were smooth and his kiss was so gentle that I felt all the emotions he had for me. I knew I messed it and I knew I was still naive to think they would let me slide easily.

He pulled away from me and said, "You need to understand there is conspiracy in families too, for power, to show dominance or for some other silly reasons. And you can't always be played by their hands because of their own selfish reasons."

I looked away and said, "I know I have messed it up..."

He chuckled softly, "That you have certainly did...but don't worry, as I have promised you before, I won't let anyone touch you."

Butterfly fluttered in my belly as he said those words. It seemed I would have to keep relying on him. I wasn't much helpful to him and I hated it.

There was a knock on the door as Arashi went away from me and I wiped away my tears.

He said, "Come inside, Hiroshi."

The door was opened and it revealed that his men were gathered already.

He said, "Kairo, Hans, Honda, Jotaro, Kunida, come inside. The rest stay outside for my orders."

After Hiroshi, they came inside.

Arashi took his seat and placed his hand under his chin, looking at the table as he was trying to think something and I had no idea how would he handle the mess I created.

"Have you told everyone about the situation?" Arashi asked.

Hiroshi nodded and asked, "I did. Now, what will we do, Arashi?"

He asked him although he didn't adress him 'my prince' or 'your Highness'. I knew they talked like friends and Hiroshi would tease him occasionally by addressing him by these. However, the way he called his name, I knew Hiroshi was serious.

Arashi was still quite about it and wasn't talking.

He looked up and said, "We will proceed as we had planned before."

My brows ceased on my forehead. What! He planned it?

I looked between them with questioning glances.

"But that would be dangerous..." Hiroshi said.

Arashi nodded. "It is what they wanted. Let it be dangerous..."

I was confused as I intervened, "Um... Can—can I ask what are you talking about?"

Hiroshi grinned at me and said, "We were talking about how will we proceed the trial..."

I nodded. "So, you already have a plan...?!"

"Oh yes, we had already suspected that it might come to this so..." Hiroshi hung his words as I looked at Arashi with a wide gap in my mouth.

My head snapped at Arashi as I asked, "If you had then why did you...!"

Why did he scold me!

He looked at me and said, "Because you just played by their hands especially by Daichi."

He shook his head. "I knew if Daichi came, it wouldn't be smooth at all...but I tried my best to avoid the trial."

Now I felt enraged because of how stupid I felt. First, because Arashi knew I would be stupid to agree with their plan and second, he knew I was stupid so he had prepared everything beforehand.

I glared at him and said, "Alright! Now, I am going back!"

"I told you she would be angry..." Hiroshi muttered.

Arashi huffed and displayed an irritated face, "It wasn't the only plan I had planned... I just got a hunch it might happen..."

Hiroshi shook his head and said, "Arashi, my boy, you still are naive when it comes to women."

The men behind him were all to young as they got flustered but Arashi just glared at Hiroshi and said, "Says the man who still haven't found a woman yet."

The corners of the men's lips twitched as they tried to hold their laughter and Hiroshi said, "It doesn't matter!"

He coughed and added, "What matters is now that how will we proceed the plan!"

Arashi leant behind and gave a smirk, his eyes glinted devilishly. "The way I like it."

And all of them smiled evilly.

I was confused about their plan but more than that I was just so angry at him for not telling me any of this! What did he think I was a stupid!

----

14th November, 22
1722