the strings that bind us..

Chapter 10: The many 'new-thing's'

It was warm.
It was a new thing, a feeling actually. Something new and then .... A sweet anguish.
I stopped moving and stood still, i could sense he was being careful. He caught my arm with one hand and cupped my face with the other.
He was hesitant, now I should do something about that ...
I lifted my free arm to clutch his shirt and started to move my lips. Well now that ought to do it.
He took it from my start and started to evoke such things in me that was new to me.
"hmm.. ",he hummed against my lips and move away from my lips to rest his forehead against mine ."that was something and definitely worth the wait."
"Philip....", no words, i had no words.
PHILIP.
He backed away from me.
"I am sorry."
"what no... Why..??".he had to ruin the perfect moment.
"It was.... I can explain ."he said backing off more.
"JULIA...!!!",Charles..!!
I could hear him shouting from somewhere .
"what are you doing here.??".coming back to reality, what was he doing here ."this is a closed compound, if the guards find you they'll hang you. You must hide ."I said shooing him from me.
"I wont get caught, I must talk to , well ,I missed you."
I froze. I couldn't reply .I could hear my heartbeat in my ear and was afraid he would hear it too.
"JULIA..!!",I turned to see if the guards were coming in our direction.
"go.... I'll meet you tomorrow......ahh".
"no I will come ."he said looking behind me and walking backwards. He locked rather irked. A new something from to day , rather many 'new something's' from him today.
"how..."I turned to look what was bothering him so much....
"Julia...have you lost your mind". Charles shot his hand out and caught my arm and shook me hard.
"I...",cant people just leave me alone.
I turned around and noticed that Philip had disappeared into thin air.
"are you fine?, you look red ."I turned to face him, he was staring intently at me.
He looked beyond me and i had to distract him before he would find anything suspicious.
"I'm fine ."I said impatiently and started to walk around him.
"wait, what happened..??I told you to come some while ago. what happened Julia..?" .he caught my hand and spun me around.
"excuse me, let me go.",i snatched my hand away and he let me.
"I'm sorry. "both of us were quiet.
"no I am sorry ,i got lost actually."
"ok, lets go fast before it becomes dark." he said ,now leading the way.
I walked along with him.
Not once he turned back to acknowledge my presence.

It was a long ride back to the castle.
A slow and quiet ride.
Just when I thought we were getting on well. Its not like I wanted to pick this 'not-so-fight-fight'.

My horse stopped .I looked around to notice we have entered the castle grounds. Also Charles got down and was waking towards me.
"it's dinner time, we better hurry inside. "he said stretching his hand towards me.
I took it calmly without an other word and we slowly walked towards the castle.
The soldiers we going on about there work as if their future king was not walking among them.
Must be how uncle treats them , all the same, be it son or stable boy, country before blood.
I missed home, the liveliness .

"ah..!! Both are back, I got worried ."aunt May called onto us and was hurrying towards us.
"what took you both so long.. ?"my mother followed aunt slowly.

"good evening mother and aunt Eliza. We lost track of time near the lake. ?"he answered smoothly as is nothing else had happened.
"lake..??".
"Umara" ,both my mother and aunt asked simultaneously.
"yes the lake mother .I'll tell you all about it aunt." he turned towards me, "you must get ready for dinner now. "he said to me gesturing towards the stairs.
I bowed to all of them and walked towards my room.

Today was a...... New day.
A very new day, he actually kissed me.
I mean kissed me, that's sounds so different .I even wore the dress that was meant to worn for him.

I opened the door to find me father leaning on the window sill.
"father. "I said formally." what are you doing in my chambers father..... again."
"well, why don't you sit down and we shall talk about my reason to come here ."he said still not looking at me.
"ok. "I said sitting on the chair beside the bed.
"something in the sense like... Responsibilities .. Duties ... You know the usual."
Oh god..!!
"father I understand. "In fact, I don't.
"no you don't. You don't understand anything ...!!",he finally turned towards me ."you think your smart wits will get you out of trouble YOU get into every time. "ya ,he had to stress on my 'bad-days'.
"what happened now father.??",I asked.
"Julia you are my daughter , my heir, someday in your future you will get into trouble because of the decisions we made .I don't regret my actions ."he said while slowly walking towards the bed and sitting on it.
Father is a complicated man ,that much knew.
Even uncle Armstrong mentioned that after death of grandmother he could never become the man he was let alone my father. Not until few years before I was born that Thristle retained its former glow and self.
That war had killed and destroyed lives of people that matter to me the most at one point of time which took a lot of time to rebuild. I do not understand how people of Kratus can even sleep with so much blood on their hands.
"father you are not making sense. "he seemed a bit out of balance but still the usual.
"not now child but soon, when you get to know things , things that has happened and that is going to happen.... I just want you be strong and put the country before your desires."
"what..!!",he seems a bit emotional, if not for his now stern face ,it would seem as if he was to breakdown and cry ."your not making sense."
"your are still a child ,the things , the things that have happened till now before your birth...", he trailed off.
"none of you ever share anything and yet ask me to brace myself, I don't get it father, in fact I don't want to ." I stood up ..
He caught my elbow and I cringed away .I could see the hurt look in his eyes but decided to maintain my nerve.
"Julia..".
"father make up your mind .either tell me about this fate that's going to befall me in the future as you so casually put it or just leave it. You are my everything . You and mother. Thristle .I don't understand what capability of mine you doubt .Is it that I am a girl?"
"no ."he immediately replied ."never, we never were partial an we never will be."
"then..??" ,i asked raising my voice.
"Julia...",both of us snapped our head towards the door , where the voice came from.
"May , is that you." we could see aunt may's head peak out through the door, as my father called out.
"are you not ready for dinner yet Julia.??. I must insist, get ready fast ."she turned towards father,"Eli is expecting you at the table. "she gave him a pointed look and left.
"then I shall take my leave now dear."
"yes father ."I replied begging to all the gods there were and are that he would just leave but no....
The gods had to do it then and there......
He turned towards me as he half stepped outside.
"stay away from him...",with a glare that made me tremble ,he left.