"I have an inkling of how you all must be feeling for having filth as your Lady of Honor." Knox presented his deep concern before tens of Shadowvalor residents. "Perhaps this was what we get from showing mercy and kindness to a wench." Knox earned earnest nods from the villagers.

If he was testing the blind belief of the town towards him, then he was doing just right.

No doubt the town were so blind to see his vicious self motives.

"We are still quite astonished to reason out why Lord Knight would take her as his wife." The villagers voiced out their displeasure, mostly envy that Ella succeeded to ensnare a Lord as her husband and dancing over their head with power.

What were they supposed to do when 5he Lord himself was so smitten by her?

Words do travel fast. The word that the Lord had given the power of looking over the affairs of the whole Knights castle has travelled fast from mouths.

Its was also heard that the cold and beastly Lord has nothing but proven to be a love struck fanatic who couldn't help grin whenever he looks at his wife.

The town couldn't yet comprehend how in the name of almighty the Lord would go for Ella and what had he ever seen in her to pursue her in a good marriage no less. Supposedly a love marriage.

"But we have nothing we can do, yes Town head?" The question made by one of the enraged young maiden hung in the room, resonating the suspension in everyone's mind.

"Not if we have her dead." Knox suggested stealthily. Killing Ella was not an easy task when she has the Lord and the guards protecting her every moment. He needs the town help to distract and send the Lady to hell for making him and his daughter suffer.

By now Knox already understood one important fact that the Lord has his heart and life wrapped around Ella's fingers and the only way to break him and make him like he wanted was by killing Ella.

Killing two birds with one stone.

"But Mr. Garrick, There is not a way to eliminate her, now do we?" A villager expressed in displeasure. Displeasure regarding the fact that a girl whose life they destroyed so with ease has been nothing but a puppet in their hands has now had so much power over them not to forget she could destroy them with a snap of her fingers.

"There is. There is nothing impossible if we held hands jointly and toil on it as one." Knox reassured the crowd thinking of plans to get Ella alone.

"I guess you are right, Town head. But there is another issue currently haunting us. Our burnt houses!" Knox still couldn't comprehend how the town was burnt. After long time of facing odds of floods, Knox did not prepare for fire to burn their new establishments.

Though there was his evil interference with the floods that swept the towns and villages, he did not understand why and how the houses were burnt.

Knox couldn't help but suspect everything around him now that the revelations he was encountering were beyond his outlook.

Was it natural disorder or was it something intentional?

~*~*~*~

"And he gave you this ring after he kissed your under the magic of full moon?" Gode asked Ella for the twentieth time looking at the large ruby stone sitting elegantly on the platinum band. If this was not an ideal fantasy romance then Gode doesn't know what was.

Ella nodded her head with red color tinting her cheeks. She did not expect her husband to kiss under the magic of moonlight and gift her with the valuables of ruby.

The previous night after the amusing supper, Xander had taken her to the waterfall deep in the woods which, Xander told her, was still undiscovered by the locals yet. He wanted her to show the beautiful waterfall under the full moon night and accurate to his description, it was breathtaking.

Xander sat on a high rock and pulled her into his lap enjoying both the beauties at a same time. Was it due to the pleasant climate or was it the magic of nightly nature or was it due to the stunning lady in his arms, Xander found himself failing to resist his attraction so he leaned in and took Ella's lips into a passionate kiss.

He did not leave her for hours and made love to her on the very same rock with no one but nature as the audience to witness their love. By the climax, Ella felt something hard on her find only to find the glistering red stone embedded beautifully on the metal.

It was a stunning ring with the red diamond crafted as a blossomed flower and Ella couldn't help but gaze at it lovingly every other moment.

Ella was not a material person and it was not the diamond that made her happy, but it was the person and the method he gave the ring.

It was magical like a theatrics of a romance play.

"Yea, and he whispered he loves me several times. I was so peaceful, Gode. I had never felt such peace and satisfied and somehow I had this underlying trust within me that Xander would keep me safe no matter what may come." Ella forced herself not to smile widely. Slowly enough, she started for Xander's presence with her every moment.

She could only think of him and could only talk of him. She was so deeply feeling for Xander that anything but him looked dreary and monotonous. Xander has become a mixture of tints in her life. She was appalled at the fact that a person who forced her into marrying him and who possibly do not know anything much about her has become her source of life.

"And he will. He will never let pain or hurt anywhere near your shadow." Gode squeaked at the glowing face of Ella and pecked her cheek. Gode could now die peacefully now that she could see her best friend glowing brightly.

She had no qualms now. It was as if the heavy weight from her heart was finally gone.

"I know. Xander is dangerous and might as well be evil accord to the gossips I heard long ago but one aspect I can completely trust is he is not dangerous to me. I can see it in his dark eyes, Gode." Ella looked outside the large window in the recreation chamber and smiled at tow birds feeding each other on the top of a tree.

"Although I am yet to be at ease to express this to him, I can still tell you that I started loving him. Everything in him, good or bad, vulnerable or deadly, light or dark; I accept it without a thread of hesitation, for he can be lethal but not to me. He was like an angel sent just for me." Ella chuckled reminiscing the pure adoration in her husband's eyes for her whenever she looks into them.

Where has this person come from? He was like a storm that flooded all the pain from inside her and harvested new sprouts of love, belongingness and freedom.

"I am so much deeply in love with – " Ella cried stumbling back from the window with unsteady steps.

Gode looked up from her sitting position towards Ella's flattering steps and stood up, running hastily towards her.

"What happened? Ella – Oh my God! Ella." Gode gasped horrified at the small needle arrow pierced into her neck.

Ella started losing her breath huffing out the air with much difficulty. Gode stood up and looked out of the window to see if she could find anyone there but there was no one.

Ella tried to keep her eyes open but something hot was spreading in her body which was jamming her conscious.

"XANDER!" Gode yelled for her friend's husband struggling to herself in senses. She pulled Ella's limp body in her arms shaking her into awake.

No, She would not let anything happen to Ella.

"Ella, wake up. ELLA! XANDER!"