CHAPTER 3 #4
The stillness of this forest is deafening, broken only by the soft patter of hooves on the ground and the birds flying above us through the leaves.
The Prince's quietness only adds to my growing apprehension.
I steal a glance at him finally as I ride almost beside him now, trying to gauge his thoughts, but his face remains expressionless.
His sharp jaw illuminates outwards from his neck, his veins bulging along down to his chest and as I catch one more glance to his eye, I see a slight flicker of ember that sparkles.
The moon casts an enthralling glow on his features, highlighting the fierce coloring in his cornea as they beam still in the night.
He snaps his glare towards me, our eyes finally meeting, but I rip away my gaze.
My throat tightens as I lift my chin high.
I ride forward, feeling his tense gaze still on me as I now trot pass him. My loose strands that tickle the back of my neck from the breeze are a constant irritation, but I continue to focus on eventually escaping from this prison I am in.
I must survive what awaits me in Eekatia.
I must.
I spy a flicker of light up ahead. We draw closer, and I realize it's a small cottage nestled among the trees. The Prince passes me and whips his reins, signaling with his hand for us to slow down, and we eventually come to a halt outside.
He jumps off his horse and helps me down. Our eyes continue to catch but words never leave our mouths.
We’re both stubborn as hell, it seems.
He takes our horses by the reins and ties them up to a nearby tree.
As he starts to separate from me, an elderly woman opens the door, who lights up when she sees him.
She sways out of the door, dancing and cheering to an unknown tune.
Her tethered dress paired with an olive apron sways in the light breeze as she claps her hands before squeezing the Prince tightly.
Her smile beams with happiness as he grabs her cheeks and hunches over to put his head on hers.
As they let go, her eyes glance at me and she greets me with a kind smile, waving me with her towel to come indoors.
The cottage is cozy and warm. The fire pit flickers with a metal pan over it for food, and plants hang down from the ceiling. I get a deep whiff of sizzled bacon making my stomach turn and growl. I’m starving.
She makes her way over to the kitchen, her shoes tapping against the floor. A high, circled wooden table is near her, engraved with the same symbol I saw when I was tied up in the back of the wagon through the first village. The circles… they must mean something.
She starts to pour us tea as she hums away, carrying on to what she was doing before our sudden arrival.
The Prince starts to pace around the small cottage, muttering to himself in agitation.
His golden hair still sways smoothly when he paces around, like it never tangles.
As if the wind can never unravel the perfect, slight curls around his jaw line.
Which aggravates me, knowing mine is knotted and frizzy.
He leans over the stoned fire pit, hovering over the fire with one hand gliding across his chin.
I take a seat on the chair and watch him carefully, waiting for him to make the first move.
Because even though I just met him, his body language is speaking volumes. His calm, cool demeanor is out the door and this man I am seeing before me, feels like a regular human, not a Prince.
He turns towards me, catching my eyes that study him. My eyes swiftly glance to the ceiling while my lips rub together in a panic.
“Tell me, Serene.” He starts to walk away but then snaps his head up to meet mine.
His eyes darken with such intensity that nerves flutter widely in my stomach.
“I need to know how you ride so fast and swiftly.
I've never seen anyone do it. Not here in this realm, not in any other. What hidden secrets are you keeping from me?”
I am taken back. I hesitate before answering. “I am confused. Was it not the horse who rode swiftly?”
His expression softens, and he clenches his lips together before turning his gaze away from me again.
“The horses fear what soars in the sky. They normally panic and pause in their tracks if the one who rides them cannot control them properly.”
“And what soars in the sky, Prince Florian?” This is the first time I’ve spoken his name.
His jaw ticks as he stares at the fire that cooks the bacon. The sizzling sounds of the grease popping is begging my stomach to devour it at last. But even if my insides are caving in, the fear of the unknown that was once chasing us, makes my hunger vanish with the thought of it.
We sit in an uneasy silence for some time, our faces never turning towards each other, until the woman offers us hot tea.
I smile as she hands me a silver cup, then makes her way towards the Prince.
We sip on our drinks quietly. My finger fidgets along the smooth, warm surface of the mug, waiting patiently for Florian to speak.
My eyes are now glancing over to him, waiting for him, my mind is screaming at him.
His finger taps continuously on his leg. Each tap annoying me more and more.
But my eyes glance upward, catching sight of the elder watching us but snapping her gaze away once she realizes I caught her.
“Tell me how you rode the horse the way that you did.” His chin rises, taking another sip as his brow lifts.
I set the tea down on the round wooden table next to my chair, placing my hands in my lap to keep my composure. “I am utterly confused by what you are asking me.” My doe eyes flutter, and I catch his lips roll between his teeth before he scuffs.
He tilts his head towards me, making his way slowly over to the chair in front of me and leaning back, taking a sip before speaking. “No one rides faster than me. No horse. No human. No creature.”
Creature?
Goosebumps form along my arms as I suck in a sharp breath.
Keep calm, Serene. Do not let him see any fear.
“When you say creature…” I pause intentionally, my eyes falling to my fingers fidgeting in my lap before rising to meet his dangerous stare. “What do you mean by that?”
His eyes darken. “How do you not know what creature I speak of? The curses that roam our lands and sky?”
“I am not from here. I told you.” My heart beats a tad faster as his tone of voice startles me. I can’t trust him. Something inside me is screaming I can’t.
“In Seattle, Washington,” he takes a breathy pause, “do you not have this creature?” One thick brow of his lifts.
“Tell me what you are speaking of, and I will tell you if we do.”
“Explain how you rode, and I will tell you what you are asking.” The fire behind him crackles and brightens as the woman puts more wood into it.
“I cannot tell you what I did. I just pleaded to the horse to ride faster,” I say, my voice rising. His body leans in, elegantly allowing his elbows to rest on his knees before he casually sips on his tea. “I don’t even ride!”
His eyes darken, placing the cup down against the side table before a deep growl burrows in his throat.
“Who are you?” His eyes bore into mine, flashing a hue of fire.
Unsure if it’s from the flames in the fireplace, or what I saw in the night when we fled.
“I am not taking you to the Queen unless you tell me exactly who you are.”
I pause, shocked at his vehemence. He stares me down, eyes filled with suspicion and unvoiced questions. A look I haven’t before seen. I take a deep breath to compose myself before speaking up again.
“My name is Serene, I swear. I am from Seattle, Washington. I was on a journey with my friend, Alice. We were trying to find my sister who has been lost, Tilly. When I touched these stones… I…” I tell him quietly yet firmly as though that should be enough of an explanation for my presence here.
. Even the thought of this makes me feel as if I have truly gone mad.
But he still doesn't buy it. He narrows his gaze further if possible, and his chest rises. He grips the sides of the chair tightly before rising to his feet.
“What do you mean you touched stones?” His voice deepens.
“No, I told you who I am! You tell me about these creatures in the night!” I scream at him as I lift myself from the chair.
The elderly woman rushes to the kitchen, leaving us alone as she starts to hum another tune.
Florian and I stare at each other, glaring as if we have been rivals our whole lives.
I am baffled on how I have been treated by these men I have met.
I’m over the interrogation. The tone in his voice makes me seem as if I am an enemy of his lands, but I am not.
“I am no one,” I mutter under my breath.
I am alone.
My heart pounds and adrenaline rushes through my veins as he stares me down, trying to intimidate me.
He moves closer, towering over me, and I can feel the heat of his breath as he exhales raggedly.
I challenge his gaze, lifting my chin higher, never once breaking eye contact.
We freeze in this moment, in silence, for what seems like an eternity.
Finally, he takes a step back and speaks again. “I don’t have time for this nonsense.” He snarls with a loud and imposing growl. “I must take you to the caves. You being here without an order of the Queen is treason.”
I freeze for a moment and it seems as if the whole world holds its breath.
In this moment of fear, I know he will not let me pass until I have provided evidence to prove my trustworthiness.
But just as I go about to speak more of the stones, the elder’s hum starts to louden and it is the same tune from the caves.
I pause as the words of the Prince are now muffled as he still aggressively interrogates me.
I slowly turn my body, my face turning away from him, and take a step towards her.
His hand grips my shoulder to pull me back, but I push him away, still in a daze by the tune coming from her lips.
I know he is screaming at me, but nothing flows into my ears besides this melody.
This chill takes over my body even though the fire still stays lit.
The space around me blurs as if time has slowed down and gravity is pulling me towards her.
She continues to hum, without a clue that I am walking towards her. She is lost in her own little world as she folds some dough repeatedly. I lean over the wooden table and place my hand on hers to grab her attention.
“May I ask how you know that tune?” My fingers grip the edges of the table while my heart slams against my chest.
A slow grin spreads across her face as she keeps her hands moving. “My child, how do you know this tune?”
A shiver rushes through my body as goosebumps take over my arms. My throat tightens as if a rock is lodged inside of it and I cannot swallow. My child. Her voice seems so familiar. Florian still shouts but I tune him out.
“I heard this in a cave. It led me to these stones…” I whisper, hoping what I speak of doesn’t put me back in captivity.
I feel a warm breath on the back of my neck, and I turn around to see Prince Florian standing there, his face flushed with anger as he hovers over me. He has finally stopped yelling at me, but his clenched fists and the burning fire in his eyes tells me he is seething inside.
I turn my body away from him, not caring how pissed off he is, and grab the table. I fear they both might feel I am making this up and truthfully, I even fear the words leaving my mouth sound ridiculous.
The woman stays silent, ignoring me to continue batting at the dough.
My patience is running dry. I need some answers.
My hands grip the table tighter as time drags on watching the dough flip around.
I lean over the counter more. My hands curl around the edges, my wounds stinging with pain, but at least I am not bleeding anymore.
“Hello?” I plead out to her for an answer.
Her eyes drift up to me as she still grins ear to ear. “Why are you in such a hurry, my child?”
“Why do you keep saying my child?!” I yell and as I do so, Florian yanks my shoulder back.
“You do not speak to her that way.” His ember eyes enlight with fury as he glares into my soul. “Speak to her like that again, and you will never take another breath. Do you understand, woman?”
The floorboard creaks as the woman walks over to us, removing his hand and placing hers on his shoulder. “You have no idea who she is, do you, my boy?”
She smiles at the both of us and walks to the smoldering fire. The Prince and I stand still, shoulder to shoulder, until she lifts her hands for us to sit.
“Our Prince, I know your parents have told you about the traveler, the Queen, who would return to us.”