The Ugly Prince

The Green Man's Warning - Part One

Chapter Thirteen

The Green Man's Warning - Part One

The lanterns from the carriage gave off a rosy warm glow lighting the bumpy path ahead, lighting the dark green hills as they slowly passed by. The road was baron and endlessly long stretching towards the dark empty horizon, the night was quiet and peaceful as not even a breeze could be heard or felt. Only the clucking noise of the unicorn’s hooves could be heard as well as the occasional thumps as they pulled the carriage along the stones making the carriage bounce. The whole day had remained quiet since Drake and Juliana had returned to the carriage for dinner they had remained mute to one another. Every time they looked at one another they didn’t know what to say, as they both tried desperately to think of something to say, when one or the other tried to say anything they were disturbed.

It had only been a few hours it seemed that they left the forest but time had decided to make haste as they night had come quickly. Alone inside the cosy carriage Juliana sat with a purple cushion on her lap fiddling mindlessly with its golden tassels as she stared through the glass of the carriage door watching the silhouetted thin trees in the distance disappear as another was replace another, while the twinkling stars that covered the night sky like white glitter being sprinkled on to black paper. While the crescent moon shined brightly in the sky, Juliana felt that the moon was like a spy watching her cheeks turn into a rosy blush when her mind would drift and think about Drake and how he held her hand warmly in his. Every time she blushed she hoped that the moon was not secretly a mirror reflecting and revealing her feelings to Drake who was outside driving the carriage with Rosa. She tried desperately to control herself but thinking about him made her cheeks even warmer and a smile come on her face. There was something about him that made her heart flutter and pound when she thought of him or if he was around her, but when he was not she felt utterly alone as her heart ached wishing to be near him.

Although she found the scenery that was just on opposite the window looking calm and undisturbed by nature’s unexpectedness wildness, making the world just outside look so dazzlingly perfect. But even this enchanting peaceful scenery could not distract her from her curious thoughts about Drake’s true face. For her heart longed to know what lies beneath the mask that covered his disguised face, but every time she thought about him all that would enter her mind was his mesmerizing golden eyes that seemed to control her heart and  make her feelings grow and flourish strongly towards him. Thinking about his extraordinary eyes that she loved to stare at as if his eyes could take her to another world within its golden depths, she looked down at her lap staring into the lifeless purple cushion as she continued to fiddle with its thin silk golden tassels in between her fingers as she sighed to herself. As she felt utterly alone for she had sat in the empty carriage since they had left the forest, sitting on her own in silence made her think about how her parents that she had left behind in the village. She began to wondering if they were well, and how they were. Whether they were awake or asleep, or if time were different where they were. Was it morning in the village or was it tea time or maybe they shared the same night sky at this very moment?

Thinking about her kind parents and home made her feel even more lonely and homesick, what dangers was she meant to encounter? And what does the Queen want with her, for she was an ordinary girl like any other?

As she thought in silence see did not notice a long deep line embossing appearing on the wall above her head behind her, going across the wall and up a few inches before going across again forming a rectangle. Once the last embossed line reached the corner from where it started the rectangle started to shimmer as parts of the wooden wall started to come out and replace itself into another direction before engraving itself as if an invisible hand started to crave rose patterns along the border of the frame. Once it was done the wood inside the rectangle begin to slide slowly to the other end without making a sound, where bright golden eyes wondered about looking inside the carriage searching for her. Once they had spotted her sitting just below the small hidden window the golden pair of eyes gazed upon at her in silence with caring eyes as they observed the way she sighed with loneliness. He slid the wood back into place quietly while his eyes continued to watch her until the window halfway closed did he look away, once the window was closed he slide around on the perch and gave out a small silent sigh of his own. Before turning to Rosa who held the golden reins driving the carriage, he said in a worried voice “she’s homesick.”