Chapter 121

AVA was smiling when she arrived at the beach that was near the mansion that she was staying for the weekend. Or more than a weekend if she was reading the business that her father was conducting.
She sighed when the breeze was hitting her face as the cold air was giving some calming sensation to her body right now. I really should have done this earlier in the day, she mused as Ava was walking down the beach, holding her boots before she was smiling.
She was walking along the shore as Ava was looking at the sunset. It was magical and she wrapped her shawl around her body before she was exploring the shore again. Once in a while, she would be bending over the sand to get the shells that took her fancy before she put them inside her pocket.
“What a lovely sight,” a voice interrupted her, and Ava jumped back, ready to fight whoever it was that was sneaking up on her. Jesus, I could have killed someone, she mused when her killer instinct kicked in.
She was trained by martial arts masters from all over the world, given the fact that her father was a very important man and there was this incident when there was an attempted kidnapping when she was 5 years old.
Her parents freaked about it before they got her back and her father was paranoid enough that he wanted her to learn all the basics and killer skills that the money has to offer. So, here she was, standing like a ghost that was ready to take on anyone that comes after her but she was stunned to see who it was.
The auburn hair was burning her gaze like the sunset before she was breathing in the sight of a man in front of her. He was wearing black riding habits, his hair was auburn and it was shining under the faint sunset. When he turned his face to look at her, his eyes drew her in.
It was pale like mercury.
Ava has never seen anything like it before. It was so magical but also so mysterious that she did not lower her guard. Instead, she was stepping back from him as Ava knows this man might not have good intentions for her.
Considering IF this man knows who she was.
“Don’t you agree?” he asked as Ava was blinking her eyes at the man as she was lost in translation right now of what was going on. The man chuckled.
“Pardon me?” Ava said as she did not want to look like she was an idiot or something like that. She wanted to know if she was not delusional with this man. The silver eyes were twinkling with lights before the man was approaching her. Ava stepped back.
“It’s alright. I am not going to hurt you,” he said as if Ava was a fragile little thing. Her anger rose as she knew that she was not that fragile if this man knows who she was.
But what if he did not?
Ava has gotten used to the society where they knew who she was. The daughter of the greatest mediator of all time. She was an angel that needs to be protected at all cost. But what if, she was not that person? What if she can truly be who she was with this stranger?
Was it worth it? She mused before the man was clearing his throat to get her attention. Ava blinked her eyes before the man was smiling at her. Sweet Lord, she could die from that smile alone.
“My name is Marsh, what is your name?” he said as Ava was looking at him. He was trying to befriend her so it might not hurt to offer her name to him. Maybe, she can forge this friendship without worrying about any of the consequences that he might want to get close to her because of his father. And then, she did it.
“Ava, my name is Ava,” she said as she smiled at the man that was named the field, Marsh.

MARSH'S heart beat fast when he was focusing on the smile that was plastered to the maiden’s face. Ava, what a beautiful name, Marsh thought before he was looking around, there was no one here.
Where could she come from?
“Do you live around here?” he asked as Ava was nodding at him. Marsh furrowed his eyebrows as he was thinking of the houses that were near his manor. There was none that he knows.
“Where did you live? As far as I am concerned, I am the only one that was closed enough to this side of the beach,” he said as Ava was blinking her brown eyes at him. The wind was whipping her long hair before Ava was putting it behind her ears.
“I walked along the path that was coming from the south. I did not know that it would be leading to this side of the beach and when I was here, you came out of nowhere,” Ava’s sweet voice was stirring something inside him.
Something that wanted to claim her for himself.
‘Mine,’ it whispered before Marsh was clearing his throat to reign the demon that was inside him. Whenever he was in the field, he never felt like he has to control his demon.
But with only a moment with this woman, he has to control it before he would do something to shoo this lady away.
Bloody hell!
“Do you have any family?” he asked before Ava was nodding at him. He released a breath of relief, knowing that this woman was not alone and she was not wandering around aimlessly here.
“Can I take you home?” Marsh said before the Lady was arching her eyebrow at him, wary of his intention for offering such a thing.
“And why should I have you to take me home, my lord? I don’t think I have trusted you enough to let you know where I live,” Ava said as she was smiling mysteriously at him. Marsh could not help it when she smiled like that. He smiled back before he was shaking his head.
This woman is really something else.
“Well, if that’s the case, perhaps this is the time for us to get to know each other? I don’t see anyone else for you to take a walk beside the beach at the moment. If you would have me,” Marsh said before the woman was smiling at him. His heartbeat was beating fast.
“That is a very nice offer. Yes, we can get to know each other then,” Ava said as she was staring at the sun that was slowly dipping into the horizon. “Until the sun is gone. I have to go home after that,” Ava said as Marsh nodded.
“I would have to go as well but in the meantime, we can walk with each other,” Marsh said as Ava was taking his offered hand as they were walking along the shore as the wind was whipping their clothes and the cold was sipping through their bones.

I should have not to wear a thin gown only. What I was thinking, probably not, Ava mused as she was holding her shawl tight around her. She was very aware of the body heat that was beside her right now. She cannot explain it but she was blushing enough to know that it was not because of the cold air.
Marsh was a very charming person. They were discussing their personal information as they have known for years. Ava knows that Marsh was born and raised in the North Msallste and he adored art and theater.
One of the things that were her cup of tea as well.
Ava learned that Marsh loved to read about folklore and legends. In North Msallste, it was said that the legends and folklore originated here, some of them anyway. Ava wanted to know more as she was a skeptic when it comes to all of this.
One particular topic of the legends was that the gentry was born as Vampyre, immortal, and immune to the disease after they have survived the Porphyria when they were in their adolescence.
Ava thought on it for a second as she could not believe that the Higher court, the trusted advisors of the queen were all Vampyre.
Now that sounds ludicrous.
“Ava, did you hear what I just say?” Marsh asked her as she was blinking her eyes to the horizon. It was sunset and the sun was gone now. She has to be home so that she can prepare for her opera night out tonight. She turned to look at Marsh before he arched his perfect eyebrow at her.
“I am so sorry. I have to go and I would like to hang with you some time again, in the future,” Ava said as she was looking at Marsh. He smiled before he took her hand and kissed her knuckles, like a perfect gentleman.
Ava held her breath.
“Can we meet in town then? We could have some lunch together tomorrow if you’re up to it?” Marsh said as it was an invitation for him to court her. it would be nice to be out in public for the world to know that she was not as useless as her mother thought.
It would be a slap in the face for her mother.
“I will be waiting in the square then,” Ava said before she was stepping back from Marsh after he held her up when she was putting on her boots. He smiled.
“See you tomorrow then,” he said before Ava was stepping toward the trail that she had come from.
“See you then,” and with that, Ava disappeared through the forest that she came.