The Painter's Amour

His Starry Eyes

"Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." – Robert A. Heinlein

5. His Starry Eyes (Julian)

The white mare was stomping her hooves in the ground as I tied a rope halter into her face. She seemed excited since I was about to bring her outside the stable. This horse was peculiar to me because she didn't like to stay in a single place for a long time much less in a place where there were only three horses including her, so it was a pretty lonely place if I say so myself.

"Eager are we?" I muttered to her as I caressed her muzzle and head.

This was my first day as a stable boy here in the Ashworth Family estate. I didn't have problem against this job because I liked taking care of horses since they were so energetic and a friendly mammal, only if you're not hostile to them, and I didn't hesitate to accept their job offer for I was also in need of money.

I was just your ordinary young man on the age of twenty who belonged to life of commonalty. To earn hard labored money had been my everyday battle but in spite of the hardships of my life, I was content and happy. I viewed life in a positive perspective and I find happiness in the simplest things such as good food, beautiful nature and affection from people I loved. Well, I lost my parents when I was young so that was maybe part of the reason why I was such an optimistic kind of person.

I pulled away from my thoughts when I felt the horse snuggled her face into my neck. A smile found its way into my lips and I simply stifled a chuckle.

"I like you too," I replied to her affection when the entrance wooden door creaked open.

"The mistress is here with Sir Scarfone," a maid imparted to me and I felt my heart leaped from its place upon the mentioned of his name.

"I'll be there, just give me a minute," I replied and she disappeared quietly from the door. I tightened the girth on the horse's barrel and I checked the saddle one last time for safety measures before stroking the mare's muzzle again.

"I want you to meet the love of my life," I said and she nodded with a neigh as I gently pulled the rope before leading her out of the stable. Sir Marcus had told me a while ago that his daughter will be spending time with her fiancé and that he would like it to be special so he asked me to prepare a horse for the two since they will be doing a horse-riding on a near forest.

Although, thinking about it, it brought this dull ache into my heart but I dismissed it for aught I knew well that my love was for him was wrong in the very beginning. Why, if anyone ask? Because I was in love with an engaged man and it was wrong no matter how I see it but was loving someone with your whole heart truly wrong? I wondered.

I fell in love in a wrong place and a wrong time, and I couldn't think any more worse than that. I was indeed an unfortunate man.

Once I stepped outside the stable, I saw them already in wait. Amelia was dress in one of her beautiful gown with a bustle on her long skirt and a bergère hat on her head. Sometimes I could never understand why they tend to dress so fashionable when they were only going for a horse-riding. Women are truly mysterious beings.

She hid a giggle under her folding silk fan but failed to conceal a blush on her cheeks as she flirted with her man. The mere sight of her happiness managed to break my heart piece by piece.

She was a daughter of a Marquess and she was the bride-to-be of the man I loved, and most of all she was a woman.

I turned my attention on the gentleman standing beside her. He was the most terribly handsome man in this world and his ocean blue eyes were the ones that had imprisoned me at first sight. Those beautiful pools that reflected everything it sees was what captured my heart and will forever held me captive. I was hopelessly in love with him and I was falling far too deep.