Surviving the Death Hunt

Haven was dressed in a white gown, shoulders bare enough to reveal her collarbones, though a semi-transparent layer of fabric covered from there to her neck.

The gown was entirely white, with frost seeming to emanate from the fabric, as if woven from ice. Layers of silk and organza caught the light when she moved, though the cold radiating from her dampened the effect somehow. It was Edwardian-era ballroom style, fitted bodice with a flowing, wide skirt.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, decorated with a white flower. Though her skin looked paler than usual, she still stood out from the dress rather than disappearing into it.

She was simply breathtaking. If Scar didn’t know better, he would’ve assumed she was walking down the aisle on her wedding day, even without a veil.

He was thrilled to see the person he’d been anticipating all day had arrived. Less thrilled to see Arthur at her side, though.

This was Arthur’s doing, keeping Haven away until he could make this entrance with her. She’d stolen the entire spotlight from Scar now. He didn’t mind at all.

Scar stood frozen, astonishment plain on his face. Julien leaned in and whispered:

"Aren’t you going to meet her? She’s here just for you, isn’t she?"

Scar wore a taunting smirk. Before the etiquette training, he’d have rushed in immediately and probably shouldered Arthur aside. But noble standards meant waiting until Arthur invited him over or noticed him first.

Scar didn’t let Julien get away with it. He showed off his newfound knowledge and even called Julien dumb for not knowing.

Soon, Haven glanced in his direction. Remembering his training, Scar bowed slightly from where he stood. Once they reached the hall’s center, Arthur met his eyes, nodded, and stepped aside. The signal, and he knew it.

Scar moved forward elegantly. Up close to Haven, he hesitated. The cold radiating from her was overwhelming. He’d assumed it was just the dress’s aesthetics, but her entire body was actually freezing. He forced himself to speak anyway.

"May I have the honor of this dance?"

When Haven’s hand met his, the lights cut out and music swelled. The spotlight hit them. Scar was oblivious to everything but her.

He’d never trained for this, never imagined it would happen. Hell, he hadn’t even known nobles were supposed to do this. Yet here he was, dancing with the woman he cherished most.

He felt free, staring into Haven’s blue eyes. The innocence behind them made nothing else matter in that moment. His pounding heart was testimony enough, and from the soft smile playing on Haven’s lips, he was certain she felt the same.

Maybe this was how his parents felt. Maybe this was why they defied everything and gave in to their forbidden love. If so, Scar was lucky to experience it with the most beautiful girl alive. More than that, he was proud they’d never abandoned this feeling.

Something he needed to do, though. They led the dance now, but only for a few more steps. Then the spotlight would move, and others would join based on rank.

One problem, though: when to give Haven the badge. When was the right moment? And where the hell was her father? He needed to witness this. Scar had been too nervous to ask about protocol during the lessons. Stupid.

’I can’t give up, can I? This was meant for me, after all. I’ll do whatever I want.’

Within moments, other couples joined them in dancing. Haven spoke up quickly.

"You seem tense all of a sudden. Is something wrong? Are you tired?"

Scar smiled awkwardly.

"No, no, that’s not what I mean. There’s something I have to do, but I’m not sure when the right time will be."

Haven’s brow furrowed in confusion, but Scar looked even more bewildered as she attempted to step out of the dance.

"I didn’t know you were that tied up... go on and take care of it. I won’t stick around waiting."

Huh?

Scar guided her back into position without missing a beat.

"No, you misunderstood. I need to give you something, but I’m clueless when it comes to nobility and formalities."

Finally, a soft smile was placed on Haven’s lips.

"I know you’re new to this, and I have to say, I’m really impressed at how quickly you’ve become so good at dancing."

Tilting her head slightly with her expression filled with skepticism, she spoke again:

"What do you want to give me?"

Scar paused. The entire point was making sure Haven’s father couldn’t keep her away from him anymore. But the man wasn’t even present. After a brief internal debate, he made his choice. Karl would find out regardless.

"I want to give you my badge."

For some reason, she was caught off guard, blushing as she struggled to keep eye contact.

"Uhm... why’s that? What are your words?"

Scar had to wonder if she was alright. She looked ready to burst. Explosion or compression, hard to tell which would come first.

"Ah, Affection and Trust."

This made her even more flattered.

"What are your intentions behind that?"

Scar had no idea what she meant, but he needed to respond. He hadn’t really thought about it, so he just said the first thing that popped into his head when he looked at her.

"Love?"

Haven shook slightly, almost stumbling out of rhythm. Scar steadied her immediately, keeping the dance smooth.

"Are you okay? You feel unusually cold, and your skin is paler than I’ve ever seen it. What’s going on?"

Eye contact was impossible for her. The moment their eyes met, hers would flee elsewhere.

"Don’t worry about me. I will be fine."

He frowned. She’d been avoiding him, and now she was keeping things from him? The old Haven would’ve told him straight, harshly, maybe, but honestly. Now she was hiding things.

Even so, he had faith in her. She’d always had so much weighing on her, and she’d always endured. She’d get through this as well.

"By the way, I’m sorry for keeping my distance earlier. I didn’t want to, but it was necessary. You’re weak and need to grow stronger. Me too. I thought stepping back might help both of us."

Scar’s expression went flat. He knew he wasn’t strong enough yet, but why point it out? And distance? How would that help anything? Someone was feeding her this bullshit.

"Don’t worry, Haven. We made it here, didn’t we? The important thing is that we’re together again."

At his words, they locked eyes and held the gaze for several heartbeats. Then Haven started blushing again.

"Now, go on your knees."

Scar was taken aback.

"Huh?"

"You wish to give me your badge? Then kneel and present it to me properly."

It was a little awkward since Purple hadn’t gone down on one knee when presenting hers. But it didn’t matter, he didn’t know about noble protocols anyway. Maybe she’d just been casual about it.

Without hesitation, they stopped dancing. Scar knelt on one knee and drew out a badge, the Rover family crest emblazoned across it, his name beneath in gold lettering.

Some words were engraved on the back, but Scar hadn’t read them. Too small to bother with.

Everyone around them paused their dance as well, all eyes fixed on them. Even Purple, dancing with Julien, couldn’t help but smile awkwardly.

"What on earth is he doing? And what’s he mumbling about?" Julien asked, genuinely confused.

Purple shrugged.

"This isn’t how I planned it. Who could’ve imagined he’d do something like this? How incredibly naive... oh, poor Scar."

The smile stayed despite the clear disappointment in her expression.

Julien turned to Purple. He knew she was behind this somehow, whatever she’d said or done.

"What did you do, Purple?"

Purple released a long breath. When Haven accepted the badge, applause filled the hall.

"I think we can still make this work."

She grabbed Julien’s hand and stared up at him innocently. Her eyes went so wide and pleading that even Julien struggled to meet them.

"From this moment forward, you and I are engaged."

Julien was shocked. His words came out jumbled. They had an agreement that technically made him her servant, but he’d never agreed to romantic affairs.

Before he could stammer further, Purple grabbed him by the collar and kissed him. Julien nearly exploded. He knew she was using him to cover her mistakes, but he couldn’t help feeling flattered. His first kiss, after all.

Purple grabbed Julien by the hand and told him to follow her.

Meanwhile, after Scar gave Haven his badge, they engaged in one more dance. Haven took the opportunity to ask something, and Scar’s response changed the atmosphere completely.

"When did you learn about this formality? I highly doubt your training went that far in just a few days."

To which Scar responded with:

"What formality? You mean the badge? I didn’t learn it myself. Purple gave me hers a while ago for some reason. I figured if I did the same, your father would allow us to meet again, since I’m a Rover."

When he spoke, Haven’s expression darkened instantly. Her eyes scanned the room, hunting for something or someone. The killing intent was unmistakable.

She’d seem fine to anyone watching, but Scar knew her too well. Something was bothering her. She cut him off before he could say anything.

"So you weren’t serious about what you said?"

For some reason, Scar knew his answer would determine whether Haven pierced his heart with an ice blade or not. This made him uncomfortable, even though he had no intention of lying.

"I didn’t lie. I may not understand all these things, but I know my own feelings. I didn’t realize a badge carried so much weight, yet my words were pure and honest. I just want you and me to be together, that’s all."

When he answered, Haven trembled again, more violently than before. This time Scar couldn’t smooth it over. He kept her from falling. The moment he felt how cold she’d gotten, her breath literally freezing in the air, he knew something was seriously wrong.

For a moment, he was frozen, unsure what to do. Then Arthur and several cadets rushed over to help her up.

Scar was in a standstill beside Arthur, confusion plain on his face, wondering if Haven would be alright as they led her away.

Arthur patted him on the head.

"Don’t worry, Scar. She’ll be alright. She might have overexerted herself and just needs some time to recover."

Arthur locked eyes with him.

"I wasn’t expecting you to hand her your badge. And from the look on your face, I don’t think you even understood what it meant."

Arthur said and began leaving.

"By the way, you’ll need to stay until the event ends. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her for you."

Scar nodded. With Arthur looking after her, Haven would be fine. He hadn’t expected the day to end like this, but still, he’d gotten to see her, dance with her. The thought made him smile.

A few hours remained before the event ended. He needed to occupy himself. Before his thoughts could spiral, his cousin Amber approached, asking for a dance.

She’d been struggling lately. At least she was smiling now. Scar would use this dance to cheer her up, maybe strengthen their connection. They were master and guardian now, after all.

[ End of Volume 1: Child of the Wanderer ]