CHAPTER 476: BOUNTY

Who travels alone and decides to spend the night at a rundown inn? During his journey to the duchy capital, Kaiden told himself repeatedly that he wouldn’t bother about Ariel she had chosen her fate.

Still, he knew word must have already reached the king one way or another. The king didn’t trust his two remaining sons and suspected one of them might plan a coup to usurp power. That was why he had spies watching them.

Kaiden knew the people who worked for the king but didn’t pay them much attention.

He had offered Ariel an olive branch his protection under his shield but she chose to run away.

Upon arriving at the duchy capital, Kaiden, unable to stop thinking about Ariel, began investigating her whereabouts. It wasn’t hard to find someone with her striking features, and he was glad he decided to look for her.

It was good he found her before it was too late.

Kaiden discovered that she had arrived at dawn and was staying at an inn close to the ports. The crazy part was, Ariel already had a bounty on her head. If he had been any later, she would’ve been dead. She had chosen an inn swarming with bounty hunters.

The bounty hadn’t been placed by the king, which was unusual it would have taken at least a week for such a command to reach Vitalis unless magical means were involved.

Kaiden’s thoughts drifted to Claire’s death. The bounty had to be related. Ariel was in more danger than she realized.

"What chaos? You can’t barge into my room however you please, Your Highness. If you want to help me, as you say, then pretend that I’m already dead." She was rambling. It felt like he was a shadow haunting her, and she was completely caught up in her complaints. She didn’t expect him to seal her lips with his.

It was a short kiss, but it left her dumbfounded. His lips were soft—and possessive. In that single moment, she was left breathless.

"You love to talk a lot, Ariel," he said smoothly. "But unfortunately, time isn’t on our side."

She stared at him, stunned, her face flushed. "Why did you do that? You can’t just go around kissing people as you please!" she blurted, cheeks burning as he smirked smugly.

"I can kiss my fiancée however I wish," he said with infuriating ease.

Her brows twitched. "I’m not your fiancée. I never agreed to marry you!" she snapped, chest rising and falling with frustration. Still, the cocky bastard looked amused.

Kaiden sighed. He really didn’t have time for this pointless conversation. Honestly, part of him enjoyed making her angrier it was strangely satisfying. Everything she did stirred something in him.

Without warning, Kaiden bent over and, in one smooth movement, scooped her up from the bed ignoring her flailing protests. He had waited long enough. Thankfully, she’d woken up just in time he hadn’t expected her to stir so soon after she’d dealt with the bounty hunters.

Ariel’s heart skipped a beat and began racing as he carried her out. Instinctively, her hands wrapped around his neck, afraid he might drop her.

What was wrong with him?

It took her a moment before she began to scream. "Put me down! This is abduction! Just because you’re a prince doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!"

She tried to wiggle out of his hold, but he didn’t budge. Ariel felt humiliated by how weak she was. If she knew at that moment she was a goddess, Kaiden would’ve been fried. Fortunately for the prince, Ariel had no idea who she truly was.

"Why are you ignoring me?!" she screamed.

Kaiden carried her out of the room, under the scrutinizing gaze of his knights who all pretended like they didn’t see anything.

As they descended the stairs to the tavern, the pungent stench of blood made Ariel’s face go pale. Then she saw the massacre or what remained of it.

She struggled in his arms, staring in horror.

Blood was splattered across walls, floors, and tables. Though the bodies had been cleared, the remnants were enough to send a chill down her spine. Her heart rate dropped. Something terrible had happened here.

Her stomach churned, and she subconsciously clung to him.

"Everything’s fine now," Kaiden murmured, sensing her inner turmoil. His hold tightened around her, as if to reassure her.

Her eyes darted around, trying to piece together the chaos. Was this the danger Kaiden had warned her about?

He carried her out of the inn. The cold night breeze struck her skin, raising goosebumps. The salty air from the sea swept past them as they stood before the desolate building. It was close to midnight. The streets were deserted.

Ariel was surprised she had slept that long.

Kaiden’s carriage waited out front. He stepped inside with her still in his arms. She shifted uncomfortably, his closeness suffocating.

"I can sit on my own," she said stiffly.

"What are the chances you won’t run away again?" Kaiden asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Ariel’s lips tightened into a thin line. She wanted to escape him. Every fiber of her being told her to but her gut said otherwise.

"I won’t run from a moving carriage," she said honestly.

Kaiden narrowed his eyes but relented. He let her sit beside him but not without tying their wrists together with a strip of white fabric.

It felt disturbingly symbolic. Like a marriage knot.

Ariel said nothing, but she stared at the knot with unease. A quiet restlessness stirred in her chest.

"What happened while I was asleep?" she finally asked.

"There’s a bounty on your head," Kaiden said flatly. "Ten thousand gold coins. Dear princess, you were sleeping in a trap."

"Ten thousand gold coins?" she gasped. Her eyes narrowed, staring hard at him.

Kaiden understood her suspicion. "It wasn’t placed by the royal family. I’m certain it’s connected to your mother’s death. Someone out there wants you dead."

His unspoken words hung in the air: you don’t have the luxury of rejecting my protection anymore.