Chapter 9 #2
He was standing just in front of her, his hair wet and pushed back. She could see each of his facial features in perfect clarity: the long curve of his dark eyelashes, a light stubble across his cheeks, the soft flesh of his lips. He even had a light smattering of freckles across his nose.
He smiled, and she noticed that some of his teeth were crooked, but she only found it endearing. She knew she was staring, but she couldn’t help it.
At least he didn’t seem to mind. When he noticed, he lowered a bit into the water so they were eye-level.
‘Dip your head under,’ he said.
‘No!’ She was much too frightened.
‘Come on! It’s fun,’ he said. ‘I’ll go with you.’
Nerves spread through her, but she battled against them. ‘Okay, okay.’ She held his hands tighter and then, together, they both went under. The pressure was immediately too much and she came up gasping for breath.
‘That was not fun!’ she protested.
‘You have to hold your breath,’ Azam said, trying not to laugh. ‘Like this.’ He showed her, taking in a big breath, his chest expanding, and then he held. She tried to mimic him, doing it a few times before she felt confident enough.
‘Ready? One, two, three …’ They both took in a gulp of air and then went under. The pressure was still there, but it wasn’t as terrifying. Once she pushed past the initial discomfort, she felt awed by how quiet it was under the water. She could hear her blood pounding loudly in her ears.
Once her lungs began burning, she broke the surface again.
He grinned at her. ‘Good girl. Now, let’s try again, but this time, open your eyes.’
‘Open my eyes?’ She was shocked.
‘Just trust me.’
And she did. They went under and this time, she opened her eyes. It felt strange, but it didn’t hurt as she had expected it to. Things were blurry around her, but she could see Azam, shafts of sunlight beaming into the water around his hair, which made a dark halo around his head.
They went back up, and it was her turn to grin. ‘That was amazing!’
She was so excited that she moved forward just as the water pulled in the same direction.
A wave knocked Sonya from her tiptoes, and she gasped, head dipping before she had the chance to hold her breath.
She was under for barely a second before Azam let go of her hands and brought his hands to her waist, hoisting her up.
‘Hey, you’re okay.’ Azam’s voice was clear as she took in deep breaths. ‘Put your hands on my shoulders. I’ve got you.’
She did so as he continued to hold her waist. She felt weightless in the water and now doubly so with Azam holding her.
His fingers pressed into her skin, and her entire body felt liquified, as if she was just another part of the lake. Desire seared through her. When she looked into his eyes, they were dark, scorching.
‘You’re okay,’ he said again, but this time his voice was low, his face closer to hers. She felt untethered, in a way that she had never felt before.
Her feet were off the ground and she was floating, Azam her anchor. She could see his feet were still firmly on the bottom of the lake—of course they were; he was so much taller than she was.
‘Relax,’ he said.
After catching her breath, she did, kicking her legs a little.
They still didn’t touch the ground, and she smiled.
It was actually a little fun now that it wasn’t scary.
Seeing her relax, Azam smiled, his grip on her loosening slightly.
She tipped her head back to look at the clouds moving, and when she did, her body tilted back.
‘Don’t worry, I’ve got you,’ Azam said, voice still low.
He eased her onto her back, hands gentle as they shifted under her, and then she was floating.
The water was cold on her scalp, but she was used to it now.
She spread her arms, like a bird taking flight.
Closing her eyes, she relished the warm sun on her cheeks, the way it felt like a kiss.
She smiled to herself, delighted and utterly at peace.
When she opened her eyes again, Azam was looking down at her through lidded eyes, a tender expression on his face.
It made her feel a little shy, but he didn’t look away.
She felt his gaze lingering, even as she looked back up at the sky, and it made her feel like tiny little butterflies were fluttering in her stomach.
‘It’s amazing,’ Sonya said. She shifted forward so she could be upright, and Azam helped her until they were facing one another again.
‘I love it, but this is nothing,’ he said.
The ends of his hair were wet and curling.
‘When I was a child, my parents took me down to the Cliffs.’ Of course, she knew of the Cliffs.
They were on the southernmost end of the Crownley Province in the Kingdom of Fairendelle, while Castletown was in the middle of the province.
‘I was around nine years old, and it took almost two weeks to get there because we made many stops along the way. My mother was picking things up for the shop so we passed through Whitebridge, Stoneville, even Old Town, though there wasn’t very much there, except for that famous apothecary.
We finally made it to Seaview and, Sonya, you can’t imagine what it was like.
Endless water as far as the eye could see, and further beyond. ’
Sonya listened, enraptured, trying to picture it, but he was right; she couldn’t. She had seen a landscape painting of the Cliffs, but she was sure the reality was far more enchanting.
She couldn’t fathom how big the world really was. Even coming down from the castle into the Outskirts felt overwhelming, but more than a week’s travel to the edge of the province, the edge of the kingdom? She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
Azam continued, telling her how they took a trail down the Cliffs until they reached the beach, which had the softest white sands.
‘Like walking through a field of sugar! And the water, it was turquoise blue, as if it was poured straight out of a paint tube! The day was hot and we waded into the waves. They were gentle, much like the lake’s, but as you went deeper, they got stronger, and a riptide could have pulled you clear out into the ocean. ’
Her eyes widened. ‘Luckily, my father taught me how to swim,’ Azam said. He got a faraway expression, sighing. ‘I want to take Dania, one day.’
‘Will you teach me how to swim?’ she asked, even though she was afraid. Her words had the intended effect; Azam’s face brightened.
He spent the next hour or so teaching her how to kick her feet so she could tread the water and swim on her own a little. ‘It’s a good skill to know,’ he said.
‘I’m sure it is,’ she replied. She had never been close to water like this before. If her father and brothers saw her now, they’d surely all faint from the sight. The idea made her feel a bit guilty, but excited her, too.
They stayed in the lake until the sun arced behind the trees and the weather suddenly dipped.
Azam brought her back to shore until she was on her knees in the pebbles—she was still trying to stay covered while Azam got out first, though she couldn’t help herself from watching as he walked out of the water toward his clothes.
She couldn’t help it, her eyes were transfixed.
She had never seen the male form like this before, the bare skin and muscles.
It was true that she was surrounded by men constantly in the castle, but the soldiers were always in layers of armor, distant even if they stood just behind her.
This felt much more intimate, and she couldn’t get enough—as if she had been starving and had only just realized.
When Sonya got out of the water, Azam was a perfect gentleman: he didn’t look as she wiped the water off her skin before pulling her dress back on, lacing it up the front. She was glad he’d told her not to change; she didn’t mind the uniform dress getting wet or dirty.
‘Ready?’ he asked, a few minutes later.
‘Yes,’ she replied, and he turned back to her, smiling.
He held his shoes, the socks stuffed in.
Water droplets fell onto his collar from the ends of his hair, and she watched as one slid down the long column of his throat, disappearing beneath the open neck of his shirt, which was sticking to his skin.
Her heart raced, and she looked away, though not before a delicious thrill shot through her.
They both walked barefoot through the forest on their way home. When they passed a blueberry bush, they paused to pick the fruit, their fingers turning purplish from the blueberry juice. The berries were sweet. Azam tossed one in the air, catching it in his mouth, and she laughed.
They were at the end of the forest, heading toward the Outskirts, when they heard the sound of horses. A whole team of them, it sounded like. Suddenly, fear shot through her.
Sonya turned, and yes, there was the flash of silver. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest at the sight of the castle guards as they grew closer and closer.
She felt faint. She knew they were looking for her. They wouldn’t immediately recognize her with her new hair and the dress, but one glimpse of her face and surely they’d know it was her.
Sonya stumbled, then held onto Azam’s arm. She hid her nose against his arm just as the horses galloped past, her hair falling in front of her face.
She held her breath until the last of the sound of the horses receded. She released Azam’s arm, though she was shaking.
Azam watched her carefully, and she felt sheepish. ‘Sorry,’ she said, voice quiet.
Something crossed his face, and she braced for questions, but he didn’t ask her anything, which she was glad for. She was not a good liar, and she didn’t know if she could lie to him outright.
It was already difficult enough to not let him know that she was the princess. He was so open and honest with her about everything, and it made her feel guilty, but she could not risk it.
They walked home in comfortable silence, and Sonya released a long breath when she entered the warmth and safety of the cottage once more.
There was an unfamiliar pair of boots by the front when Sonya set her shoes down, which meant they must have a visitor. Apprehension ran through her once more, but after wiping her feet on the mat, she followed Azam inside.
She was correct; there was, in fact, a visitor. A handsome old man with dark skin and a white beard sat with Kiri on the couch, the pair of them drinking tea. The garden door was open, and Sonya glimpsed Dania outside.
‘Caden, what a lovely surprise!’ Azam said, going to greet the man. Caden stood and they hugged.
‘Just thought I’d pop in,’ Caden said, squeezing Azam’s shoulder. His gaze turned to Sonya.
‘Caden, this is Sonya,’ Azam introduced her.
‘Ah! Like our princess!’ Caden said. ‘Pleased to meet you,’ he continued, shaking Sonya’s hand with both of his.
Sonya froze, but Caden’s tone wasn’t suspicious. He was just pointing out what he thought was a coincidence. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
‘Y-yes, I was born shortly after the princess, so my mother named me for her,’ she replied. The words were heavy in her mouth. She felt truly horrible lying.
And they all believed her so easily. Her stomach twisted.
Sonya went to the kitchen to wash her hands, hoping they wouldn’t notice her downcast expression. A moment later, Azam came to wash his hands as well.
Checking to make sure Caden wasn’t looking, Azam leaned in close to Sonya and whispered, ‘He has a crush on Grandma Kiri.’
Sonya giggled, surprised, until Kiri came over and swatted Azam’s arm with a tea towel. ‘I heard that,’ she said.
Azam held up his hands, then turned to Caden. ‘You’ll stay for dinner, won’t you? And where’s Butterscotch? Outside with Dania?’
‘Yes, they’re outside,’ Caden replied. ‘As for dinner …’ He trailed off, looking at Kiri.
‘Of course Caden will stay,’ Kiri said, a soft expression on her face.
‘Wonderful!’ Azam smiled. Just then, a dog came bursting in through the garden door.
That must be Butterscotch. He was a border collie with a white and brown coat.
His ears flopped as he ran, his brown snout panting as Dania ran after him.
Butterscotch settled on the rug by Caden’s feet, and Dania sat with him, cuddling.
‘This is Butterscotch,’ Caden said, petting the dog’s fur. ‘He helps me with my shepherding.’
‘Oh! Are you a shepherd-witch?’ Sonya asked.
Caden nodded. ‘I knew Azam’s father; I used to deliver wool from the sheep to the factory he used to work at.’
‘Caden and Kiri are on the festival planning committee together, as well,’ Azam told Sonya. ‘They have been for the past decade.’
Caden smiled warmly at Sonya. ‘I hope you’ll come and visit me sometime. I’ll take you out to the pasture, if you’d like. You can meet the sheep! Dania here loves them.’ His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘Though I can’t say the sheep love her very much in return.’
They watched as Dania tried to tie a ribbon into Butterscotch’s fur. He barked, running away from her chubby hands, and she chased after him with an exasperated cry of ‘Scotchie!’
She and Caden laughed, and soon got to talking while Kiri prepared dinner. Then it was time to eat, all of them sitting round the table for a meal of a spiced chicken and chickpea stew with thin flatbread.
‘Kiri mentioned something about re-opening the shop?’ Caden said.
Sonya felt guilty for having brought it up that morning. Perhaps Azam wasn’t ready but he was so kind, and he did so much for others, she wanted him to have this one thing for himself, too, to see him as happy as he made others.
‘I’ve been considering it,’ Azam said.
‘Well, I think it sounds like a brilliant idea,’ Caden continued.
‘Why not? Everyone misses Bunto and her store. There is another seamstress in town, of course, but she does tasks more akin to mending or stitching basics, while Bunto’s designs—those were for special occasions!
Pretty dresses aren’t just for princesses, you know. ’
‘I agree wholeheartedly,’ Sonya said, grinning.
Azam looked at her with mirth in his eyes, shaking his head a little. ‘You don’t give up, do you?’ he asked.
The funny thing was, back at the castle, Sonya gave up very easily. But perhaps she had never found something important enough to fight for before.
‘What about your job?’ Caden asked. Something strange crossed Azam’s face.
‘I’m not needed there right now, not for a few weeks,’ he said. Then he took a deep breath. ‘Perhaps we can see what happens in that time.’ Sonya and Kiri exchanged a glance, both of their eyes wide. ‘If it works, it works, if it doesn’t—’
‘It will work!’ Sonya said.
‘Okay.’ Azam smiled. ‘We’ll start tomorrow.’