Happily Ever After... The Wizard's Game

Chapter Seven

Each step we took down the dirt path road gave us even more distance from the horrible Enchanted Forest of Regret. I just wish I could put some distance with my actual regrets, but they were stuck in my thoughts and my heart, and they weren't going away any time soon.
I glanced up at Hayden who walked ahead of Elowen and me. He hadn't looked at me once since leaving the forest. In fact he pretty much ignored me like I wasn't even there anymore. Or maybe I didn't mean anything to him anymore.  I was married and had moved on from him, so why did it hurt so much to think that maybe Hayden didn't care about me?
Turning my attention to Elowen I spoke slowly, "I'm sorry Elowen, about everything. I.... I know you didn't deserve what happened to you, and I'm sorry you had to go through that and loosed something so precious. I just wish..." I sighed, "I wish I could understand it all." I shook my head puzzled, "Dylan is a good King with a good heart.... I just don't..."
Elowen shook her head then she pointed to herself and shook her head again. Then pointed up to Hayden and nodded her head effectively.
"You're saying you're not the one I should apologize too.... That Hayden is the one I should?" I spoke slowly.
She nodded her head.
I glanced up at Hayden, "You heard his words though! He was so hateful and mean back there. He wished he had left me back in the dungeon and never kidnapped me. If he hadn't done that then we wouldn't have fallen in love, I wouldn't have had my child, break my curse of unhappiness or be here today!" I stopped realizing I had pretty much answered my own outrage. Hayden.....  I owed so much to him, pretty much my whole life really. He took me out of a horrible place I was in and gave me life. He had showed me what it was to feel happy and to fall in love, he was the father of my child although he didn't know that... and with out my child I wouldn't have finally broke my curse of unhappiness. Maybe just maybe I could make him see how he shouldn't regret bringing me into his life. Maybe he could understand that time had passed since he died for me even though it didn't for him, and that we could still be friends.
Elowen tugged gently on my creamy silky gown. I sighed, "You're right, I should." Giving her a quick hug I lifted my gown up and ran ahead to catch up to Hayden. I slowed as I started to walk beside him. He didn't even look at me as I approached, he just kept his eyes trained on the country side ahead like he had a better destination to be at than here with me. "Hey...." I said slowly, not sure what to say.
His face remained blank unreadable as he hid behind his dark facial expression that was full of emotions deep down. He reminded me of how he was when I first met him. A sturdy wall with all his secrets and pains buried so far down so nobody knew him. That's why I fell for him, he was so mysterious and secretive it made me want to learn more about him and to know all of him. 
"Hayden.... I'm... I'm sorry." I looked over at him but he refused to look me in the eyes. "Did you hear me? I'm sorry, that wasn't me back there in the forest and I said words that were hurtful. I know I can't put all the blame on the enchanted  forest for my choice of words, but it did have an impact on my heart at the time. You of all people should know how Enchanted Forests have the power to change how people act, what I'm trying to say is... I'm sorry, what I said clearly hurt you and I never meant for that to happen."
Hayden cleared his throat, "Did you mean it though? What you said about regretting me ever coming back for you, messing up your perfect royal life."
"My life is far from perfect, but yes I regret it, and no at the same time. I do have a wonderful life in Kalopsia, my curse is broken and I'm happily married to the King Dylan and have my baby girl." I stopped seeing the hurt in his dark brown eyes. "I know you couldn't help it though, for you no time has pasted since you died and when you woke all you cared about was finding me and knowing if I was alright. Your words in the Enchanted Forest of Regret weren't exactly the sweet icing on the cake either." I said carefully, "I guess we both hurt each other back there." I paused waiting to see if Hayden would say anything. "The thing is... Can we forgive each other and move past this to continue our journey?"
Hayden finally looked over me holding my gaze with his, "We've made it this far, we might as well." He was quiet for awhile as we walked side by side, "I'm sorry for what I said back in the forest too, I didn't mean it."
"No, but you do regret it in your heart."
"Yeah maybe at first.... I'm sorry, it's just dying, and coming back I thought things would be right where we left off. I never imagined you'd have a whole new world you'll be living in."
I gave him a small smile, "We can't live in the past, eventually we have to move forward."
"If only it was as easy as it sounds." Hayden murmured as we walked.
Being in the Enchanted Forest of Regret had brought so many regrets to my mind that it had taken my thoughts of how much my feet hurt. Now that we were out of the forest and walking the country side I was reminded again of my aching feet in my five inch heels. I winced with each step we took limping as I tried to not put as much weight on my feet. Why had I worn heels in the first place? Because they looked good with my cream color gown? I knew how much walking we would be doing!
I sighed with relief when Hayden announced we would stop for the evening and continue on in the morning.
"We should reach the last Enchanted Forest by mid day tomorrow. Then it's a straight path to the plain forest where the Great Wizard's cottage is nestled at the bottom of the hill."
A thought came to my mind that I never really took to thought before. "How come all the forest around here are Enchanted except on the one the Great Wizard lives in. It's just a regular forest."
Hayden shrugged as he prepared a fire with the wood he had picked up from the side of the dirt path, "Who knows, besides it's not the only plain forest. There are others." He blew on the small fire as it cracked and came to life. Flames dancing all around as we each found a seat around the fire.
Elowen stuck her hands out to warm them by the fire while I sat down by the fire across from Hayden. Light from the fire moved across his face as he watched me carefully sit down. He noticed my limp and the way I tried to hold the pain back. "Are you alright?"
I froze I had tried to not let him know I was in pain. I didn't want him commenting how I should have worn heels for walking in. "I'm fine." I said quickly.
"You know Amaya, you never were a good liar." He stood up and walked around the fire to me. Before I could know what he was doing he grasped my ankle and pulled my heel off my right foot.
Red blisters full of a white fluid covered my foot, and that was just one. I didn't want to know what the other one was like. I winced looking down at my injured foot.
He looked up at me, "Why do you do this to yourself? Why didn't you tell me you were in pain?"
I bit my lips, "Why does anyone hide pain? They want to seem stronger than they are."
We caught each other's eyes then he looked away. "Get my burlap bag."  He motioned to Elowen who quickly obeyed handing it to him.
Hayden opened it and pulled out his rum, along with his dagger, and mermaid oil that was in a small tin. "I can't believe you kept all this." He murmured looking down at his belongings which I had brought with us.
"Yeah." I said quietly.
"We need to get the fluid out of your blisters so it doesn't cause any infections." He spoked with confidence as he removed my other heel. He picked up his rum and biting the cork off the top with his teeth he opened it. Gently he poured the alcohol over my blisters to clean them.
I winced closing my eyes, when he was done I grabbed the rum from him and downed quickly so I wouldn't taste the burning sensation.
He watched me amazement showing in his eyes that twinkled by the fire light, "When did you become a rum drinker?" He asked.
I wrinkled my face as I handed him back the rum. My fire burned from the rum, "After you passed away, I worked in a Pub for awhile. I got used to the smell."
He chucked, "Who would have known." He turned to Elowen, "She may need you to hold her hand." He picked up the dagger.
"Woah hold on you can't just!" I behind but he took the tip of the blade and opened one of the blisters. "AAAAHHHH!" I cried in pain grasping Elowen's hand. I squeezed my eyes shut tight as Hayden opened each blister up with the tip of the dagger. Then drained the white fluid that had built up underneath.
By the time he was done my face was streaked with tears from the pain. "Sorry, almost done." He took the mermaid oil which was a thick oil and spread it over my wounds. He glanced up at me as he rubbed it into the bottom of my feet. "This is very familiar isn't it?" He flashed me a smile.
I smiled back remembering just as well what he meant. I had injured my feet before and he had taken care of me cleaning them and dressing them with the mermaid oil. "Yes, I've got to stop hurting my feet." I said flushing.
Hayden looked down at the small tin can, "Yeah or we're going to need more mermaid oil." He held open the empty tin.
I glanced down at me feet that were covered in the mermaid oil. Already I felt the oil working, "If it's anything like last time my feet should be better by morning, I don't think I'll need anymore. Thank you for helping me."
"Of course." Hayden backed away, he brushed his leather pants off as he stood giving me space.
I stretched my legs out smoothing my gown over them as I got comfortable on the dirt ground.
Hayden moved to the other side of the fire where he laid down as well and stared up at the dark blanket sky that stretched for miles and miles in al directions.
Elowen laid down beside me so that we could share my cloak.
I watched Hayden from across the fire that danced between us until my eyelids drifted close.