Yours Truly

Chapter 10 part ii

"These obscure houses of iniquities
Light up radiantly in the gloomy night
They welcome and open their arms
For whoever passes by

Certainly, this is the route for the lost
The smiles here are deceitful
The identities are shrouded
With long robes of dejection
Though these dwellings are flamboyant
Yet the inky loneliness enfolds it all

Yesterday among the forgotten blooms
Of these ominous alleys
There was a painful cry
The souls full of gloom
Yowled in anguish
Wandering aimlessly, searching for bliss
Searching for something, they have not ever seen before

Alas! This is the path for the ones gone astray
The pleasure here is hollow
Love has no meaning
Though these places are brilliantly lit
The existence of the abysmal darkness
Can be strongly felt

Amid the mêlée of dark and light
There breathes a secret
A misplaced secret I yearn to know
What made it desolate itself from this realm?
Oh night, please tell me
You must be aware
Of what I desire to know

Truly, this is the lane of the lost
A secret trails another
Secrets I'm not aware of
Because I soon apprehended
That I am gone astray in this enigmatic path too..." 

The princess continued to sing the enigmatic poem, one of those that were written neatly in the anthology of poems compiled by her mother. It was one of her favourite poems. She sang it whenever her mind was suffering from inner turmoil or felt restless during the night. It kept her thoughts away from her problems.

She continued to sing in a enchantingly soft voice (the only thing that she had inherited from her mother) as she took a stroll out in the meadows. The moon was playing hide and seek as it appeared and disappeared behind the clouds, while the soft breeze played as mysterious symphony of silence.

But it wasn't enough to soothe her nerves.

How could she keep calm when her father was nearly murdered by an anonymous?

She sighed as she stopped by the pool, staring at her dark shadow as sat down on the soft dewy grass, dipping her feet inside the cool water.

'Hmm... This felt nice.' She exhaled and closed her eyes.

The moment she started to feel drowsy she heard a rustling sound. Her eyes immediately shot open.

Fear? She felt a myriad of emotions but fear wasn't included. She decided to stay silent.

What if it was the guilty one, the one who attempted to assassinate her father?

And suddenly everything went silent. She could hear her heard pounding.

Before she could react to anything someone sprinted out of the bushes and dived into the pool.

She yelped and ran few yards away from the pool, hiding behind an apple tree.

"Who's there?" She asked rather boldly.

The man who jumped in the pool slowly rose out, his jet black hair covering one of his eyes that reflected the colour of the pool. Even the moon peeked out of the clouds to revel his beauty. The light of the moon made the water droplets on his body glisten, enhancing his handsome physique.

She didn't realise that her jaw had dropped open.

But she did realise that he was not wearing anything but his underwear.

She covered her eyes, blushing furiously.

"Princess...?"

"Go wear something first, you idiot!"

Matthew blinked in confusion before realisation hit him. "Oh Lord! Pardon me!" He yelled as he jumped out of the pool and ran back in the bushes to get his clothes.

'What a doofus you are~' His conscience remarked, rolling his eyes.

'Shut up.'

Modesty and shame had a noble position in that era.

After few minutes he came out, fully clothed. He saw Jenavive sitting near the pool. Her Ivory skin tinted with a soft shade of red as she stared at the pool. Her long hair flirting with the breeze.

Her simplicity had a certain beauty to it.

He took a deep breath before slowly walking towards her.

Matthew cleared his throat to gain her attention, what he didn't know was that he already had her attention.

"I apologise for... Earlier."

The Princess huffed, "Apology accepted."

Awkward silence enfolded them again once again.

"So are you going to stand there all night?" She patted the place next to her still avoiding eye contact.

He obediently sat down, keeping a little distance from her.

"I couldn't sleep." Matthew admitted ruefully.

"Me neither."

They both visibly relaxed.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?"

"I agree."

"So--" Jenavive was about to ask him something before they both heard another rustle.

This time it was even more violent.

Matthew tense up defensively while Jenavive's eyes furrowed.

Who could it be this time?

"Who's out there?" A loud voice boomed from behind the trees, Jenavive flinched as she grabbed Matthew's arm.

A man with greying hair and a lance appeared from the thicket.

"Ronald! You gave me a fright!" Jenavive's shoulders slumped.

"Pardon me, Princess. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just doing my duty."

"Your shift ended an hour ago, didn't it?" A pang of guilt shot through her chest. "Please don't tell me you are pushing yourself because of what I said earlier. I didn't mean to yell at you. I was too worried about my father and-"

"I know, Jenavive." The old man cut her rambling. "I'm worried about him too, I do not want anyone of your lives to be in danger." He smiled softly, sheathing his lance. "King Celio gave my family a shelter when we all lost hope. I cannot bear to see a scratch on him or on you, my child."

Jenavive smiled, rubbing her eyes. "You are such a gentleman." She chuckled, feeling a little drowsy.

Seeing them interact, Matthew still felt like an intruder at the moment. He realised that he was so trapped in the sorrow of his wife that he didn't have time to make friends to ease his agony.

Joseph was exceptional.

"Jenavive you should go sleep." Said Ronald smiling fondly at her as she yawned.

"I guess I should-"

"Shall I escort you to your room." Matthew offered.

She stood up. "I'll be fine." She stretched.

"Night, Ronald... Night, Mr. Reynard."

"Goodnight." They both said in unison, watching her shuffle to the castle.

"You both have a very strong bond."

"Indeed. From training to emotional support, I've been with her. Especially when King Celio had errands to run."

"Amazing."

"You know... You better take care of her... She's been accused for things that she had no concern with."

Matthew nodded, half comprehending what he was saying.

"Being bereft is better than being betrayed." The old man whispered before wishing him a good night and leaving him alone in the woods with his agitated thoughts.