Romance: Bad Boy Romance: Rough Play - A British Football Romance (Alpha Male Romance) (New Adult Sports Romance) (20 page)

Chapter Three

He waited a day before heading to Hilda’s room.  She avoided him at all costs, which didn’t help in his case, but he did want to talk to her about it all.  He finally got the courage to head up to her room, and after trying to fight back the urge to just turn around and leave, he rapped at the door.

There was a pause, and Asch flushed.  He didn’t know what to do right now.  He wondered if maybe, just maybe she would ignore him.  A part of him wanted her to, but at the same time she did have an interesting way of thinking, so he wanted to discuss things with her.  He wanted to get to know her, but at the same time, he was scared.

She opened the door, looking at Asch with frightened, beady eyes.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked him.

“Relax, will you?  I’m here to talk.  Is that a crime?” he asked her with a sarcastic smile.

“No.  But please be quick,” she said.

“I’m not here to hurt
you,
Hilda.  In fact, I’m here to talk to you.  I think there was a misunderstanding, and we both need to understand what’s going on with the other.  I think we started off on the wrong foot too, which only made everything worse,” Asch explained.

Hilda nodded, unsure of how to feel about this.  “True.  But why?  Why are you like that?” she asked.

“
Well,
I think you
were
a bit too judgmental at the onset.  I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, or in the most fitting way, but I know that I would have to eventually.  I’m sorry about judging you as well.  I mean, it’s hard not to, but I’m not used to people like you.  My father chose you for a reason.  I don’t know what the reason was, but I do trust my
dad
’s
judgment
, so it’s only fitting that I trust you,” he told her.

“Okay.  But why are you like that?” she asked him.

“It’s a long story.  But I’m sorry for judging you so fast.  We should talk about each other, get to know one another. 
I am aware that
randomly running off and marrying a stranger is a bit scary, and we’re both not used to it, but I did want to spend a bit of time talking with you in order to iron out the kinks.  I think this is something that will benefit the both of us,” he explained to her.

Hilda paused.  As much as she wanted to be a hateful person, at the same time it wouldn’t get her anywhere.  She didn’t
wish
to think about all of the bad things that could happen
with
him, but at the same time, she didn’t know what it would be like to marry a dragon, and that’s what worried her.

“I’m still a bit scared of how things will pan
out,
to be honest,” she told him.

“Well then let’s get to know one another.  We started off on the wrong foot, so let’s at least try to get on the right foot with one another,” Asch said.

Hilda thought about it.  Holding back all of that hatred is not what they should do to one another.  It will only create bad things.  Hilda nodded, looking at him with a smile.

“Fine.  Tell me about yourself.  I realize I did judge you too fast.  I mean, if we are going to make this work, we should try to at least work together.  This isn’t fun for both of us, so we should at least try to do something about it,” she said to him.

He nodded.  “I’m glad.  And I’m sorry too.  I do want to talk about things.  It’s an element that is important to both of us,” he said to her.

She nodded.  “Well, I’m Hilda Thompson.  I’m 23 years old, and I live with my mother.  A while ago, my
mother
got cancer, and she’s had it for a while.  I’ve been working to pay for her treatments, but it’s starting to become a financial strain on me.  I was able to take three jobs and do some freelance art on the side, but now it’s getting out of hand.  It’s the primary reason why I chose to be a mail-order bride.  I know that it’s not the best idea out there, and I normally am not into forced marriages, but I did want to save my mother for as long as I can.  She’s the only family I have, and she’s the most
important
family I’ve got,” she told him.

Asch listened to this, immediately regretting his initial treatment of her.  She was just trying to help her mom, and he judged way too harshly.  Of course, he didn’t understand the struggle that was going on, and it hurt to think about.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Its fine, you didn’t know.  I mean, I’m not
entirely
comfortable with telling people about my mom, but I do feel like you should know.  I mean, the two of us are going to get married eventually, so you should know what is happening with me,” she told him.

Asch nodded.  “
Well,
I’ll work as hard as I can to help your mother.  What jobs did you work?” he asked her.

“Well, I was an accountant for a long time, but then I messed up and got fired.  I then worked as a server, and that’s mainly what I did.  It was hard work, the pay pretty much ass, and I also worked in a warehouse as well.  I was losing my sanity, unsure of what to do, but the only solution at this point was to become a mail-order bride.  I hate it, but I know for sure that it’s something that I’m going to have to do.  I’ll make the sacrifices necessary, and if I find out that the one that I marry does love me back, I’ll be even happier,” Hilda said.

Hearing that made Asch realize that he did judge her way to freaking quick.  He should’ve been smarter about that, but the truth is, he didn’t know what to do about everything.  It hurt him to think that she was suffering this whole time, but he knew the best thing to do would be to accept her for who she was.

“Well thank you for telling me Hilda.  I’m glad that you came clean with it all.  But I’m not going to judge you,” he told her.

“Thank you,” Hilda replied.

“Well, for me, I’m the son of Gaius the Dragon King.  He’s also a dragon shifter, and he’s a very powerful man.  He was married to my mother, but she died in childbirth, even with the latest and greatest medical technology.  It
sucks
because I feel like my father would’ve been better with her, but I’m glad my dad is doing okay.  But with me, I’m just the son of the dragon king, and I’m also a fighter in the army.  We both fought in battles that happen, and we both have suffered, but we’ve kept the kingdom going.  My father wants to retire, especially since he wants to hopefully find another partner.  I told him when I was younger that whatever happens with that, I would assume the throne.  I never expected it to be this
soon,
though, I thought it would at least be in 10 years.  I’m only 25, and already I’m taking on such
a massive
position.  I’m still scared about how it’s all going to fare, especially with the way things are now,” he told her.

“Damn.  That’s crazy.  I never would’ve thought you were the battling type,” she mused.

“Yeah, well when you need to do it, you have to.  I mean, it’s not like I enjoy fighting, but I do it to save the kingdom,” he explained to Hilda.

Hilda nodded in understanding.  So he really did like protecting the people.  That explained a lot, and maybe that accounted for why he was such an ass at first.  Of course, she still felt like she could get to know him even better.

“So what about the dragon shifting thing.  What’s up with that?” she asked.

“Well, I’m a dragon shifter.  I’ve been that all my life, and I
was born
a shifter.  Gaius helped me understand what I was, and I was soon able to harness my power.  It was scary, that’s for sure, and I didn’t know what to do about it.  Of course, after a little bit of time, I got used to it, and soon I was able to shift at will.  When I was young, a lot of times it happened not on my own volition, so I didn’t know how to go about fixing this.  Of course, it was definitely something that I needed to control in order to do well, so I made sure that I harnessed it.  Now I mainly use it for battle and to communicate with other dragons, since it’s a faster mode of conversation,” he explained to her.

Hilda was interested in all of this.  It actually wasn’t too terrible when she learned about the truth of it.

“This is certainly unexpected, but I’m glad I asked,” she replied.

Asch nodded.  “I’m glad too.  My father was fine with training me to use this power, but I was always scared of what others would think of me.  I knew that I would’ve had to show you eventually, but I definitely wasn’t expecting this,” he told her.

She nodded.  “Well now that you’ve
told me
about it, I’m glad that you have.  It’s nice to hear about all of this.”  She felt like he was warming up to her as well.

The two of them continued to talk, and Hilda learned more about Asch.  She learned about his childhood, how rough it was at times without having a mother, and how his father had to play both roles.  She was interested in how he managed to control his power, and after a little while, she felt secure with talking about him regarding this.  It was certainly unexpected, that’s for sure but at the same time, she didn’t mind the unexpected.

After a while, the two of them realized that marrying one another wasn’t going to be awful.  In fact, it was probably going to be fine at the end of the day.

“I’m glad that we had this conversation,” she told him.

“Yeah, same,” Asch replied.  He really was happy, because he also got a glimpse into the life of Hilda, why she was like the way she was, and the past that she had.  It seemed like she had a pretty awful life, and she was just doing her best to make it better for everyone. The fact that she didn’t have a father due to the fact that he skipped out on both her mother and her when she was an infant made him realize that they would fit nicely together, and if they did get married she would have a father, and he would have a mother.

He mused on this, but then suddenly there was a knock at the door.  Hilda looked at Asch, nodding in assent.

“Come in,” he barked.

It was Gaius.  What was he doing here?  He looked at Asch, a worried expression plastered on his face.

“There’s been an attack on the kingdom.  I’m sorry Asch, but we need you in battle right now.  Our military strategist has already been hurt,” Gaius said.

Asch looked at Hilda, an apologetic face.  She nodded in understanding, although she hated that she understood it.

“It’s fine.  Go save everyone,” she said.

“I’ll be back for you.  I have to protect the kingdom,” he mused.

She looked at him, and suddenly, everything started to change.  Hilda thought that Asch would be okay, but doubt was present on her face.  Asch and Gaius stormed out of there, heading to the window nearby.  The maids already had it ready for them, and soon they flew.

She watched as they roared through the skies, feeling sad that they were gone, but also wondering when they would be back.  It was obvious that things would be stressful for them, but Hilda hoped that they would still be able to be together when the time was right.

She went back inside and stayed there for the rest of the trip.  She didn’t go outside, she just sat inside and wondered how Asch was doing.  She was a bit worried about him, and she didn’t know what to do.  She hoped that he would be back before she left,
but, unfortunately,
that wasn’t the case.  When she left, he was still gone, and Hilda wondered if marrying Asch was the right thing to do. 

Chapter Four

Hilda went back home, a bit upset about it all.  She wished that he would’ve at least came back to say goodbye, but there was no word on him.  She didn’t even know if he was alive.  She was scared of it all, but she knew that she would have to go back to reality.  Until Asch and she got married, she would have to work to help her mother.  Even if she did get married, the problem would still be there.

She wondered what Asch thought about her situation.  It was probably pathetic as all hell, but it’s not like she could avoid this.  She loved her mother, and she knew that she needed to do something about this, and she was scared about the future.  When she got back, she knew that she needed to help her mother soon.

Her mother was in the hospital due to a relapse that happened a few days ago.  Hilda was late to leave due to the fact that she wanted to make sure that her mother was stabilized, but when she got there, her
mom
looked at her with a grin.

“How was the
meeting,
Dear?” she asked Hilda.

“Good mom.  I heard you’re doing better,” she told her mother.

“I am.  I’ve been better, but hopefully I’ll be okay in due time,” her mother replied.

Hilda nodded.  Her life was pretty much a nightmare come true in most cases.  She didn’t know what to do
about
her
mother
since it was obvious that she would need more fitting medical treatment eventually.  She wasn’t able to pay the bill for the last time she was admitted, and it was starting to worry her.  But she didn’t want to stress her sick mother out.  It would only make everything worse.

“It was good.  We would have to iron some things out, but it was nice to finally meet him.  It was
strange
because at first we were at each other’s throats, but I think once we sat down and got to know one another, things went better.  I think it’ll be okay,” Hilda told her mother.

“That’s
good
, Sweetie.  Just remember that it will probably be awkward for you at first, but if you’re smart about it, then you will hopefully work out,” her mother replied.

Hilda nodded.  Her mother didn’t know what it was like.  She ended up having a kid with a man who ran off.  Hilda wasn’t going to say
that,
though, not while her mother was suffering.

“Thanks, Mom.  I’m still trying to come to terms with how he acts.  He’s a bit of a rough one,” Hilda explained.

“Well just do what’s right for you.  Why did you come back so early?  I thought that you would be there for longer,” her mother stated.

Hilda wanted to tell her that it was because of her, but at the same time, she didn’t
mean
to make her mother feel bad.

“I was worried about you, and he had a couple of personal issues to attend to,” she replied.  She didn’t want to tell her mother either about the fact that the man was a dragon and had to run off to battle.

Hilda stayed with her mother for the rest of the day until she went to work.  She spent the next few days working to make a tiny bit of money, but the only thing that she could think about was Asch.  She didn’t get
why
because up until now she was able to ignore him, but as soon as she got back home, she was starting to feel nervous about what to do next.  She didn’t know if it was because of the uncertainty of the situation or what, but she felt like she needed to talk to Asch.

The feeling that she felt
was certainly worry
, and she was worried about him.  She also realized as well that she did judge him way too fast, and that was her biggest problem.  She realized as well that the main issue that she had
was
the fact that he was off in battle, and she didn’t know if Asch was even alive at this point.

After three days, the worry overtook her.  She needed to see him, and so she called out of work to head over there.  She didn’t tell them she was going to visit the man she was supposed to marry, but rather she said that she wasn’t feeling good.  It was the
truth
because she was feeling sick the last few days.  Of course, it was sick with worry, which was something that she wasn’t used to.

She went to the castle, heading
for
the doorway.  The guards let her in, all of them happy that she was here.  Did something happen to Asch?

She went inside the castle, and immediately one of the maids grasped her hand.

“Are you here to see Asch?” she asked.

“Yeah.  Is he okay?” Hilda asked.  She was expecting the worst.  After all, it’s not like she wasn’t already dealing with someone who was in pain.

The maid ran her to his room, and when she got there, she saw Asch.  He was battered and bruised, but he was alive.  The doctors were tending to his wounds.  Asch looked at her, smiling.

“Hey there,” he said.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” she asked him.

“I’ve been better.  Got a couple of stab wounds while in my dragon form.  I thought I would’ve died, but the doctors helped me.  I was rushed back here.  My father helped defeat the enemies without me.  I don’t know if I’m ready to be king
yet,
though,” he joked.

Hilda felt like crying.  She was happy that he was alive, but she didn’t want to see him suffer.

“I’m glad you’re okay.  I’m so sorry that I didn’t come sooner.  I was with my mother, and then I had to work.  I know those are pathetic excuses, but I’m glad that you’re alive,” she told him.

“Thank
you,
Hilda.  I’m
glad
to be alive as well.  Will you stay with me until I recover back to
excellent
health?” he asked Hilda.

Hilda nodded.  She needed to stay with him.  She was worried about him, about the fate he was about to be given, and she didn’t like to think about how bad things could’ve been, but rather she wanted the reassurance from him that everything would be okay, and that’s what she needed now more than ever before.

She stayed with him for about a week, and Asch recovered to full health.  He recovered very fast, and Hilda was happy about that.  It seemed almost like a miracle in a sense because of the fact that he was able to survive all of that and still recover.  The nurses and doctors were working hard.  Gaius was also near him as well, making sure that his son would stay alive.  He was able to quell the war, taking over the other kingdom and getting rid of the insurgents who did defy the
kingdom
.  Gaius was
unyielding
, and Hilda hoped that one day Asch would realize that he was that strong as well.

After Asch had
recovered
, he looked at Hilda with a smile.

“Thanks for staying with me.  I know that you’re going through a lot, but I really appreciate it.  I really do,” he said.

“You’re welcome Asch.  I’m glad that I did as well,” she replied.

There was a pause, and then Hilda looked at Asch with a nervous glance.

“What’s up?” he asked her.

“I’m just
euphoric
that you’re alive to be honest.  I was
anxious
about you.  I’ve been worried for a while,” she admitted.  It was hard to say, but she did feel that way about him.  Maybe it was because he was really a nice guy at the bottom of it all.  Asch smiled at her, a
loving
glance that said it all.

“Well thank you for worrying Hilda.  Say, would you by chance come with me?  I wanted to talk to you,” he said.

She looked at him, pausing for but a moment.  She wanted to go with him, to see what was out there.

“Sure, I’m game,” she replied.

Asch smiled getting out of the bed and heading to the window.  He changed into a dragon, and for a moment, Hilda was shocked she was even doing this.  He then pointed to his back, looking directly at her.

“Get on,” he said.

She did so, and soon they flew off to a mysterious land.  Where were they going?  What was it that Asch wanted?  There was only one way to find out.