A Wild’s Tale Part 2

(Continued from A Wild’s Tale Part 1)

As she stepped out into the dimming evening sun of yet another city she was forced to tour, a heavy sigh escaped her. This was the sixth stop on a tour promoting “international relations” her father had sent her on. She wasn’t a fool though. She knew this was a tour to put her in front of every possible suitor in other kingdoms, with her father hoping she would catch their eyes. It seemed many from her own country still didn’t want to sully the reputation of her first betrothed since they had warped him into some kind of war hero. She didn’t care.

After her hysteric crying on the floor of her chambers she vowed she would be resigned to her fate. She didn’t cry again from that night on. She would smile when she was told and she would do the bare minimum that was expected of her. She didn’t hate her life, but she couldn’t help but feel something was always missing. Something that seemed just out of her grasp, but she dared not think too hard on. Instead she wrote in her book. She wrote mundane things, she wrote her feelings, she wrote her daydreams. She never mentioned him, but every time she opened her book she thought of her Advisor and tried to follow his wishes to fill her book with all the potential she could hope to. The pages had been filled, margins scribbled in, embarrassing things crossed out to the point that she had taken to writing on scraps of paper and inserting them inside as best she could. She knew it was only a matter of time, though. Before she left on this journey she had bundled the book with leather ties and vowed that it was time for her to find something new. She couldn’t bring herself be away from it though, so it traveled with her where ever she went.

Her hair fluttered in the cool breeze blowing in to the city, seeming to replace the sunlight that was starting to fade. She glanced around to the few guards around her – they didn’t frighten her after a lifetime of seeing the same uniform and nameless faces her whole life. She had never felt as safe or as utterly not alone in the world since she had last been around HIM, though… Her mind brought back the memory of the time they had shared a dance, an experience for just the two of them, a moment of silent understanding. She pressed her eyes closed and brought a hand to her temple – the same images flashing through her mind for the millionth time.

“I’d like to take a walk” she stated loud enough for the guards standing a few feet away to hear.

“Yes, Princess.”

She didn’t look at which one had answered her, but opened her eyes as she heard them start to move. It’s not like she got to really decide where they would walk. She assumed they would take a circular route around the main street of the city before heading back to the manor they were residing in.

She was surprised that she started to hear voices rise up the closer they got to the main square. Was there some sort of festival going on? The guards slowly began to close ranks around her as they always did when moving toward a crowd or a smaller walkway, but she waved them on to continue. Perhaps seeing people experiencing some joy would help her mood. Besides, no one really recognized her here, sure the guards of another kingdom would give her away but she doubted many would recognize their crests for those of the royal family. She hoped most just assumed she was some courtier sent to seduce secrets – as she was sure they often were.

However the closer they got she wasn’t so sure this was the happy festival she first assumed. Sure there seemed to a crowd of people and a sort of stage set up where some nobility were clearly shouting from, but the Princess wasn’t able to figure out the general mood of the gathering.

One of the guards held out a hand to stop her from moving any farther forward once they had gotten close enough to the stage to hear what was happening, to make sure their group didn’t wade into the gathered crowd. She listened as one of the men preached something to the people – she only half listened to his self-gratifying words while she scanned the crowd. They seemed a bit restless, like they didn’t fully support this man?

Just then her eye caught a shadow of a person disappear up on a rooftop. She squinted her eyes in the dimming light, but shook her head. Likely an animal of some kind.

But as she turned back to look at the man speaking she watched as an arrow stuck into his throat and blood erupt from his wound as he stumbled backward. She knew this wasn’t good for her. She started scanning the gaps between buildings as her guards started to usher her toward one of the side streets.

Before they could make it all hell broke loose in the crowd. People with weapons seemed to erupt out of nowhere and everywhere at once – she took a moment to stare at three that were making their way toward them. They were clad in strange wild clothing, but the defining feature was the ash and black stripes adorning their skin. The Princess gulped. She had never seen them in person before and they were entirely overwhelming in their intimidation.

She hadn’t realized she was backing up until she smacked into a wall and nearly stumbled as her guards moved forward in anticipation of the fight to ensue. She couldn’t believe this was happening.

Just then her vision was pulled again by something moving on the street to her left. Someone had just ran by and she didn’t know what made her do it – if it was the flash of impossible recognition, or the fear making her flee her guard, or simply pure stupidity… but she ran after the figure.

Her shoes were quickly flung off her feet as she stumbled to run after the figure and she gathered her long dress up in her hands to minimize tripping over it. She didn’t know where the figure was running to – or if they were simply fleeing, but as the lights in the city started to be lit – she could see he was dressed similarly to the attackers. Before she could think she called out, “Wait!”

He didn’t stop, but she thought she saw him turn his head slightly toward her. It gave her a slight hope. He knew she was there and he didn’t turn around to attack – that had to mean something. Despite the small hope, her frantic flight was starting to drain her and her mind started to catch up to what she was doing to rethink this whole mad dash.

She started to slow as she watched him run into a building. Wait. She recognized this building. It was the manor she was staying in. She quickly tried to redouble her efforts to follow him and similarly burst through the door, but the manor was eerily silent. Where had the maids and butlers gone?

A glimpse of him rounding the corner of the upstairs landing had her dashing forward again – she could have sworn she had seen the side of his face again. She wondered if this journey had simply made her crazy instead. Maybe she should have never kept that book. Maybe she shouldn’t have kept any secret hope….

She saw a door swing and she grabbed it before bursting into that room too before freezing in her tracks. Her chest heaved as she stared at his back, at the weapons strapped to him. Suddenly she was sure this would lead to her death. She slowly released the tight grip she had on her skirts and let them fall back to the floor, the throb in her feet starting to catch up to her.

He turned and their eyes caught. She could feel her jaw slacken in awe of the man who stood before her. It… it was HIM. Right? He was different, the look in his eyes hard and unflinching – but his face, even under all the ash and stripes she had been picturing his face in her mind almost daily since the last time she saw him.

“You…” she started, but flinched back when he moved. It took her a moment to realize he had bowed to her. She recognized that bow… The few brief moments they once shared came rushing back. She slowly sunk into a curtsy, praying she was reading this right – she feared it was her death if she wasn’t.

When he made the next move in the dance she wondered if this was how he had felt when she had initiated their dance during the gala. Was he afraid for his life if he displeased her or crossed some unwritten line? She followed the movements shakily at first, but as she watched his eyes soften and the tiniest of smiles to grace his features she grew more confident.

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his as they continued. She couldn’t believe he was alive or that he still knew this dance. Was it because of her? She didn’t dare dream…

A noise from downstairs interrupted them and his face grew hard. She froze in her movements and felt the fear again. She couldn’t deny that where once he made her feel safe he now had an air of something that terrified her. Suddenly the realization of this being her only chance settled over her. Again, the feeling that she would never see him again shot through her bones. It was now or never and she knew she couldn’t express everything she wanted to even if she tried. She wasn’t even sure he would care to listen.

She ran to the desk in the room and yanked open a drawer. It was right where she had left it. Her book. She wondered if he had ever gotten the one she had wanted to give him. When she turned back to face him he had a weapon drawn, but was still facing the door. She gathered her courage and walked to his unarmed side and held the book out to him.

He glanced down only momentarily before he reached out and crushed her body to his while he captured her lips in the most passionate and explosively exciting kiss she had ever experienced. Dazed, she felt him withdraw almost just as quickly.

When he rushed out the door she scrambled to call out one last time before the door closed, “I love you.”

The click of the door locking into place resounded in the room as she stared down at her empty hands. He had taken the book. Her eyes filled with tears as she sunk to the floor and mourned his loss for a second time.

She glanced over to the mirror and watched as tears streaked through the gray and black smeared across her face. He was alive.