Back To The Castle Of Vallodisan, Isabella halted in her track when she heard the cold, emotionless voice from her back. She didn't expect him to chase her like a mad cow. She had a feeling like they were playing a cat and mouse play in where the cat was desperate to catch the mouse. Her breathing had turned irregular and by the time, she had turned around to face him, Silas had already taken several steps forward to her standing position.

His eyes were blazing like fire as if he was holding a silent anger for her. He continued without tearing his eyes from her face which had the expression of running away,

" Fate is inevitable just like our meeting is."

Isabella blinked at his words confusing. Keeping her eyes down from him, she muttered through her nervousness,

" I..I.. apologize..Duke Silas..I wasn't supposed to watch your trails. It wasn't an accident. I didn't."

" Why didn't you come to play with me when I called you?", came the irreverent response from Silas who wasn't bothered about her watching his deadly trials. He believed that being the closest sister of Cedric, she had seen much more of it.

This time, Isabella looked up at him nervously. Few days back, a maid had gone to inform her that Silas was expecting her visit. He wanted to play a round of chess with her but the queen was present right by her side. The queen responded on behalf of her and gave the excuse that Isabella was still not recovered from such tragic incident and she needed to rest as much as possible. But Isabella didn't disclose this matter to Silas. She was just an outsider and it wasn't right to create confrontation between a family.

Isabella gave a stiff smile and replied courteously,

" My apologise, Duke Silas. I wasn't feeling well at that time."

Silas gave out a laugh angrily. Looking back at her, he questioned raising his brows playfully,

" Then you mustn't be feeling well now because you almost flew away just now after finding me."

Isabella smiled embarrassing. Maybe she was acting too harsh on him without any proper reason. When she was engrossed in her own embarrassement, Silas had closed one step between them. Now standing face to face together, she could feel his green eyes on her blazing. His words resonated one by one slowly,

" I am not very bad person to get along with, Princess Isabella. You just don't want to try me."

Isabella pulled her eyes up to look into his eyes questioning. Sometimes his words gave her weird sense of humor but next time, his generous personality corrected her thoughts convincing that he was just being helpful to her because she went through a tragic incident. Isabella opened her mouth again to speak courteously,

" I am sorry if my behavior offended you, Duke Silas."

Then another eternity of awkwardness slipped past between them. Silas just kept staring at her without any words and saw through her mind which was panicking. After a while, Isabella opened her mouth to speak slowly,

" I...I should go back to my room now. The queen will be looking for me."

She turned around to leave but her forearms was grabbed forcing her to stop in her track. Looking back, she heard him asking with a smile,

" Didn't you come to see the lanterns in the sky? Let me show you a good view!"

He didn't wait for her response and immediately held her closer. In a blink of eye, Isabella gasped feeling her high in the air. Speechless by his sudden action, she kept looking down and saw him safely landing on the highest tower of Vallodisan Castle. This tower had no way to come in except flying.historical

When both of them landed down safely, she opened her mouth in rage to question him but she was immediately distracted by the beauty that the sky held. Thousands of lanterns were swimming in the air and created a magical sight of sky which wasn't often seen by others. Most of them were coming from Basarisk since it was their old tradition to fly the Lantern whilst Richalwolf Land followed different thoughts.

Isabella couldn't help but smiling at the scene. Silas came to stop by her side and smiled at her widely. Looking at her pure genuine smile, he found it worthy to wait for her for days just to steal a glimpse of her innocent face.

Silas suggested offering her a smile,

" Make a wish!"

" Huh?", came the confused answer from Isabella who was holding onto the railings.

Silas explained looking away at the lanterns,

" My grandma used to tell me that our wish gets fullfiled on the day of Lantern Festival. I have wished too many in these past few years. So I thought of asking you to wish now."

Isabella flashed a smile and compelled his words. She closed her eyes and prayed silently until she had spoken everything. Once she reopened her eyes, it was full of emotions. A bitter smile formed on her lips when she looked in distance at the flying lanterns.

Silas couldn't help but asking slowly,

" What did you wish for?"

Isabella took a deep breath first. Her palms rested together on the railings when she replied to him truthfully,

" I made a wish for Vincent. I wanted him happy wherever he is now and tell him that I will love him always and..."

Silas gulped the uncomfortable feeling after her words. It was painful for him to think that she was thinking about her husband right after standing by his side. It looked like he never held a position in her heart. Silas urged her to finish her words,

" And what Princess?"

Isabella continued smiling at herself miserably,

" And he will be the last and only one in my life in this life time."

Silas felt a sharp arrow had just stabbed deep into his heart. Without his consciousness, his claws had come out to leave scratch on the railings silently.

**********

An extra chapter can be posted within today to mend the missing update from yesterday's schedule but I can't promise as Doctor has advised me to less my work for two weeks at least.