162: Carried on the back

Carried on the back

Anastasia was woken up by the cheerful chirping of small birds. As she opened her eyes, her gaze fell on the tall plants that provided both her and Dante shelter, despite the sun having already risen to greet another day.  1

"Good morning," Anastasia greeted when she saw Dante open his eyes, and it appeared that they both had enjoyed a restful sleep beside each other. 

"Good morning." Dante returned the greeting with a contented expression. 

Using her elbows, she inched closer to him and then kissed him before a smile graced her lips. She expressed, "I cannot wait for the forests to return to Versailles," so that they could spend their time like this without a single worry. 

"It will be something to look forward to," Dante hummed, and he gently placed his hand on the side of her face. He then reminded her, "We should head back to the house before I lose the credibility that I earned yesterday."

Anastasia nodded, saying, "You are right; we should. I wouldn't want to get you into trouble." She pulled away to allow Dante to sit up, and she followed suit. Her eyes looked around the beautiful and magical surroundings, and she said, "There is a place here, a door that leads to the past. Would you like to visit it?"

"How interesting. Perhaps we can explore it some other day and time," Dante responded before rising to his feet and offering his hand to assist her in standing up. With a warm smile, he added, "Right now, I want to spend my time with you and your family. As much as I miss the past, I don't want to chase it when there's a present that I can embrace and cherish."

Anastasia accepted his hand and stood up, their hands clasped together. She responded, "I understand."

Dante gently raised the hand he held to his lips and placed a kiss on the back of it. He then asked her, "How about you, little rabbit? Would you like to go for a stroll?"

Anastasia's lips pursed, and she replied, "Later, when you are done helping my father." She felt a subtle twinge of discomfort in her body as she shifted one of her hands. She said, "It's been a while since I've slept on the ground."

However, Dante noticed her eyebrows had furrowed deeply, as if there might be more to her discomfort than just their sleeping arrangement. Before he could offer to massage her muscles, something unexpected sprouted from her back. 

The discomfort that had gripped Anastasia suddenly dissipated, and she noticed Dante gaze intently behind her. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, and her eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of large, white, translucent wings. Intricate golden lines outlined their structure, weaving through them, and subtle traces of light blue adorned the wingtips, as if they held the very essence of the celestial universe within their form. 

"Dante, I have wings!" Anastasia exclaimed with excitement at the sight of them. 

Dante chuckled at her joyful astonishment when he saw her taken aback and noticed her eyes transform into a vibrant shade of green. He complimented, "They are truly exquisite. Now, you are a full fae." He had encountered them in the past, and he knew the wings were one of the distinctive features of forest faes. It was only a matter of time before they emerged from her. He added, "While all faes possess wings, the timing of their appearance varies depending on the abilities and experiences one accumulates throughout their lifetime."

Anastasia admired the translucent and delicate wings, noticing Dante moving to stand beside her. When his fingers traced the surface of the wing, her heart rate quickened. 

"Looks like we have stumbled upon yet another pleasurable spot," Dante hummed, noticing the sharp inhale of breath from Anastasia. When his fingers moved closer towards her back, she quickly hid her wings by making them vanish from her back. 

"It tickles," Anastasia murmured, feeling her toes curling beneath the grass. 

Their attention shifted when the distant tolling of the tower bell reached their ears, breaking their gazes and causing them to turn their heads in the direction where the sound came from. Anastasia asked, "Could it be another attack?" 

Dante's ears strained to discern something before he said, "It is another ship, but I don't think it is another attack." 

Upon hearing the continuous ringing of the tower bell, the villagers displayed a different response this time. Unlike yesterday, they didn't seek to hide themselves. Instead, they armed themselves with pitchforks, prepared to confront the pirates even before they could reach the village, as the ship had only just been sighted.

Anastasia and Dante also joined the group of villagers, and once they had covered more than half the distance towards the ship, they caught sight of four men from Versailles carrying trunks, and in the front walked Gabriel. The four men grew slightly apprehensive at the sight of the pitchforks, uncertain whether they should drop the trunks and unsheathe their swords. 

"Gabriel is back! That's him, isn't it?" someone inquired, pointing in his direction. 

"Gabe, is that you?!" the village head called out loudly, a smile forming on his lips before he opened his arms wide in greeting. 

Gabriel's face lit up with a wide, joyful smile, happy to be back home, and he made his way towards his father, taking in the presence of the villagers. But then, his eyes fell on a strangely familiar-looking couple, and his footsteps gradually slowed down as he approached his father. 

Carlos wrapped his arms around his son, stroking his back, and spoke with heartfelt relief, "I am so glad to have you back, Gabriel! We have been eagerly waiting for you since Anastasia told us you were on your way."

"Why didn't you come with them?" someone from the crowd inquired. "You would have arrived earlier."

Gabriel was confused upon seeing Anastasia and Dante standing to the side, with the king dressed in commoner attire. How did they even arrive so soon? 

He had hoped to never see this man's face ever again, yet here he was, and his blood began to boil at the mere sight of him. 

"Gabriel, did you bring a ship with you? And such a massive one?! Have you become a pirate?" Benson asked Gabriel with furrowed eyebrows. "Who are these men, and what's in those trunks?" 

When Dante's men spotted him in the vicinity, they were about to bow and offer their greetings, but he placed his finger on his lips to prevent them from startling the villagers. Finally, Gabriel pulled away from his father, whom he hadn't seen in several years, and apologised. 

"Forgive me, Father, for taking such a long time to return to you."

Carlos shook his head, expressing, "I am just happy to have you back, Gabe. It has been so long, and you seem to have grown." Tears welled up in his eyes, and he confessed, "I feared I had lost you, just like your sister."

"I promised to return, and I am back," Gabriel said with a smile directed at his father. He continued, "These items are from the palace. They belong to Anna," and as he finished his sentence, his gaze returned to Dante. 

Mr. Flores noticed Dante and Gabriel staring at each other in tense silence. There was palpable friction between the two, leaving him wondering about the cause. Unbeknownst to him, Dante had omitted a few details when he explained things to Anastasia's father. This included the time when he had severely injured Gabriel by melting his skin. 

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