Chapter Two (part 3)

Echo didn't say anything as they slowly made their way back to the castle. Nor did Dymetri. The only sound that could be heard was the constant hoof beats of Atnela walking through the trees.



Speed wasn't needed to return home, so the black horse kept to a walk the entire way, taking in the peace of the forest and transfering energy to Echo. Atnela could still feel the girl drowning in her depression but there was nothing to do about it except for hope that the elvin prince could break down a wall and pull her to her feet.



In the silence, Echo sighed. It broke the quiet atmosphere enough that other sounds, less important sounds, entered in the little bubble. Birds could be heard from in the tops of trees, singing happily from their pearches. The girl envied them and their happiness. The wind could be heard, blowing harder now, rustling the leaves on the giant trees. But the brisk wind never touched them as they walked in the cover of the forest.



With her energy levels low and the temperature dropping in the shade of the green canopy, Echo began to shiver. Despite the warmth of the man holding her close, it wasnt enough to warm her core. She shivered.



"Are you okay?" Dymetri's worried voice sounded in the quiet. His gold gaze caught hers, eyes holding more worry than his tone.



Echo opened her mouth to speak, but the words got caught in her throat. Instead of attemting to force her voice from her, she nodded a little, eyes telling that she clearly wasnt okay, and shivered again. The golden gaze never left hers as the Dymetri pulled the blanket out of the saddle bag.



"Here." He wrapped it around them both, insuring that it would warm up quickly.

"You dont have to hold everything inside; locked up, you know. You can let go." He whispered into her ear. "You're safe now and you can just let it all go." He hugged her closer as she shivered in his arms.



Echo tore her gaze away from his molten gold orbs as she felt her eyes fill with hot tears. She shook her head, denying what he was saying.



Dymetri lifted his hand and turned her face towards him in time to see a single drop slide down her cheek. "You dont have to try so hard. Nothing will hurt you anymore. Prince's promise."



The girl found her voice, but it wavered from the sobs she was forcing back. "A promise means nothing to me. My parents promised to be there for me and protect me and look where I ended up now." She closed her eyes against the truth of his promise that shone in his eyes. "Everyone is the same. They all promise to take care of your heart, and then in the end, they shatter you. A promise doesnt mean anyth--"



Dymetri cut her off by holding a finger to her lips. "That was in the past. Things change today, change tomarrow. They wont always be the same things over and over. Just because a promise didnt mean anything yesterday, doesnt mean it cant mean something today." He leaned forward slightly.



Their faces were only an inch apart. Echo was breathing in the Prince's scent. His breath was warm on her lips. "I'd do anything for you." His voice was less than a whisper but she heard it like he had shouted.

Another tear rolled off her blue eye. Without thinking, Dymetri lifted his hand to her cheek and brushed away the drop with his thumb. He cupped her cheek in his hand, his eyes never leaving hers.

Echo closed her eyes, shutting away the baby blue, and leaned into his hand, cat like. When she opened her eyes again Dymetri was analyzing her reactions, hesitating on something. She knew exactly what he was going to do next. She wasn't ready. She drew in a breath, afraid of what he was going to do.

Dymetri pulled her in and held her close, wrapping her to his heart. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, remember?" He kissed her forhead. "I made a promise. And I plan to keep it."

Echo released her arms from inside the warm blanket and wrapped them around his throat, hugging him. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Always." He held her tighter.

Suddenly light flooded over them and the castle came into view. Echo gasped as she was blinded momentarily and Dymetri chuckled under his breath. "Is the big bad tiger afraid of the sunlight?"

Echo pulled back to glare at the Prince. But for some reason she was having a slight problem controling her facial expression. She laughed. He smiled at the sound, happy to see that feeling was coming back.

Suddenly she stopped laughing. It seemed foreign to her, like she hadn't laughed in years. It felt strange and her heart fluttered. She smiled. "I believe you." She whispered as Atnela made it to the bottom step leading to the castle doors.

There was a loud bang as the doors were thrown open wide and someone hurried down the steps.

Dymetri's eyes lit up at the girl's words. "I'm glad to hear it." He kissed her cheek. "Someone is waiting for you." He said, looking over her shoulder.