The next day, Aiya noticed the entire castle was slightly quiet. She was on her way to breakfast when she was surprised by the king waiting at the table. Aiya quietly slipped into her chair, trying not to make any eye contact with him. Why was he here? She never in her entire time of stay saw him around in the morning let alone at the guests dinning room. A servant nervously set two plates of breakfast before them. Not sure what to do, Aiya picked at her plate even though she was very hungry. He was actually eating. She was shocked; apparently he never ate from what the servants told her. He would order food in his room and prepare it himself. This made her feel awkward and wondered if this new event had to do with last nights issue. She took a bite out of her egg and stared at her place as if the silence was holding her hostage. "You may go outside from now on. Only during the day, and you must remain close to the castle and village. The Lupe have brought back their lines, and our guard has tightened. " He said surprising her yet again. She didn't know if she should scream in joy or ask for a catch. She only could nod and smile to herself.
Immediately after breakfast, she excused herself and ran to her room to find cloths to go see Edan in. Slipping on one of her new red dresses, she ran to the front gate ready to surprise him. She stared at the two large pillars that once confined her to the palace. A soft breeze seeped through the door beckoning her to pass. The tower gate keeper nodded and opened the door slightly to allow her to pass. She was free, even though she had some boundaries, the feeling felt good to her.
The walk to the house was far shorter than it used to be because of the adrenalin rush coming from inside her. She wanted to see him so badly. Short visits before she slept were not enough for her. She even missed Beth and her delicious bread rolls. All of these thoughts made her heart beat through her chest. As she got closer to the house, she could hear Beth scolding Edan over something. Even the sound of her anger was slightly welcoming to her. As she stood upon the threshold of the door she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A short silence made Aiya feel slightly awkward before the door finally opened revealing a four covered Beth and a shocked Edan behind her. A smile stretched across her face before she practically tackled Aiya with a rib crushing hug. "It is so good to see you! I have missed you so much my dear! How did you escape? The king, he hasn't hurt you in any way has he?" She said examining her. Aiya smiled and assured her "He said I can go into the village during the day, so long as I return by night." Edan walked behind her and motioned his mom to let her in the house. Beth laughed and pulled her inside. They ate a well wanted lunch and talked about what has been happening while they were gone. She learned that the village had been moved back from the safety river a few hours after she left to the king. She also learned the Lupe have mysteriously been keeping low for the past few weeks. Aiya couldn't help but notice Edan smirking at her every time his mother looked away. This only made her blush making Beth slightly confused creating laughter between the three. After cleaning off the table, Edan surprised her by grabbing her wrist and leading her outside. He quietly led her away from the house into the valley by the forest. Aiya laughed as they ran through the long grassy field. The tawny leaves flew in all directions as they ran like small children. He finally stopped at the bottom of a large hill. He grabbed her hand yet again and smiled. She could only blush yet again as he looked at her like that. His smile was perfect; it was full of love and happiness. It reminded her of someone. It was someone important. She just couldn't remember who at the moment. When they reached the top of the hill, Aiya was surprised by a field full of strawberry blossoms. She gasped in awe of the spectacular sight. The field was covered in perfect white blossoms. Each blossom was perfect and in full bloom. Aiya said in absolute awe "Its beautiful.." He smiled and lifted her hand and kissed it softly. His eyes stared up at her while his lips curved into his perfect smile. Those eyes, why do they look so familiar to her? He released her and fell down to the plushy grass. His long torso stretched across the area making her feel slightly small compared to him. She felt slightly nervous when he looked up at her as if wondering if she was going to lay next to him or not. She blushed again and hesitated. Rolling his eyes, he sat up and grabbed her ankles sending her flying back into the soft grass. "Hey!! What was that for?!" She said laughing. He laughed silently. Even though his mouth moved in silence, she could only imagine what his voice really sounded like. She brought herself closer to him and gently kissed his silent lips. "I only wish there was a way I could hear your voice…"she said in her mind. The couple remained on the hill for hours until it was time for her to part. He escorted her back to the castle, making sure she was safe the moment she entered the gates.
Little did they know, the entire time they were on the hill; someone was watching them the whole time. Soren remained hidden inside the darkness of the forest as he watched this man hold the woman he loved. His hands turned into fists as he watched them embrace in a lover's moment. Those were his lips that he desired. Those were her eyes that he drowned in every time he saw her. That was his love that he should be holding this very moment. His master, Anastilus, ordered him to stay afar from her until the next stage of their plan has been completed. Master promised to retrieve Aiya from them if he became one of them. The moment he came out of the tree, all he could do was think of finding Aiya. Even if that meant giving up being human for her he was willing to do it. The change was painful, but it would be worth it. The revenge would be glorious for him. The feeling of tearing that man to shreds with his wolf claws would give him absolute satisfaction. He would have his Aiya back. Even if it means waiting a little longer to ready himself for such a battle, it was worth the wait. After he saw Aiya enter the castle, he followed the man who bewitched her. How he wanted to rip him to shreds that very moment. He was going to have his chance and when he did, he would regret even setting eyes on Aiya. After finding where this man lived, he grew bored of watching the old woman roll dough through the window. He left back into the forest to the village of the Lupe.
The sun was setting quickly, making his pace quicken. Finally making it to the hidden village, he was surprised to see all the council circled around the town square. Anastilus noticed him enter and quickly approached him "Soren! Where have you been? The moon is almost out and were about to start stage two!" Soren nodded and followed him to the large group. The eldest, Minao, stood and silenced the crowd when he saw Soren join them "Tonight, we will start the next step in our ultimate goal, to gain our new kingdom" The men roared in unison while Soren remain silent but attentive. "We will infiltrate the caste walls through the southern wing. Make sure you take out the guards on watch on the high tower. Once we have that, you will signal the rest of us to make our way to the front gate. You will kill the gate keeper and let the rest of us in. Do not use any weapons that create noise. We must remain stealthy as possible to make this operation successful. The moment the rest of the guards are alerted, we are all done for. I want you to take the guards clothes and disguise your self for the time being, so we can have a fluid escape. When we are ready to leave, we will call upon the gate." He said firmly. The entire clan stared at him as if they were picturing it happen right before their eyes. Soren could only think of what was on his agenda that night.
As they prepared to leave, Anastilus caught Soren by the arm while he was packing his things. "Soren, do not to go after her until we have the castle secure. Her wing is heavily guarded and we can not risk the entire plan for her until were all set in place. Remember, it is your job to kill the king in his slumber. Then you can go after her." He said making sure he understood him clearly. He knew his heart was very weak but he had to put his feelings aside for the cause. He nodded and assured him he would do as ordered. "Tonight, is going to be a very long night…"