Gloria

Chapter 1

AN: Just wanna thank Roxazza for doing my book cover!  

Bright blue eyes, long silver hair. That was my Gloria.

A kind smile, a gentle sent. That was my Gloria.

Born in a castle, lived in a slum. That was my Gloria.

I will never forget her for as long as I live. My love. My light. My Gloria.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the first time I ever felt like that. Joy. Joy beyond any words. Longing. For the first time I had realised my loneliness. For the first time I felt what is was to see someone with eyes of love. Seeing her was like the first breath of fresh air after living underground for 100 years.

Her beauty. Her elegance. Her kindness. It was love at first sight.

I was the apprentice of a traveling merchant. We often passed through this particular slum to get to a small farming village. I felt sorry for the beggars but I never paid them much mind. There wasn't anything I could do, so I just pushed it to the back of my mind.

Usually we don't make any stops in places like this but there is one place we always stop in this slum. It was the orphanage. Whenever we pass through we stop by and give the orphans shoes and blankets. As well as a barrel of dried meat if we have a spare.

I like seeing the orphans. They are always so happy even though they have no good food to eat or any good clothes to wear. Most of the orphans here lost their parents to murder or decease. I don't know how many of these children will make it to adulthood but the ones that do will probably die the same way their parents did. That is the way of slum.

I was helping my master carry a box of shoes into the orphanage when I saw her. She wore a ragged, almost threadbare, brown dress. She had no shoes on and the dirt stole the shine of her hair. Her, beautiful, long, locks of silver hair, that lightly dances at her waist. There was dirt on her face but that only made her eyes sparkle more. Her gorgeous, round, cobalt blue eyes.

She was lightly sitting on the ground as a group of children danced around her. I do not know how long I was lost in her beauty but the children stopped dancing and ran into the orphanage. When they were gone she quietly got up and walked towards me. She walked so smoothly it almost seemed like she was gliding across the ground like an elegant swan flying through the sky.

Then in an instant she was by my side. She looked me directly in the eyes. I was lost. Lost in the infinite blue pools of her eyes but before I could sink to deep I heard a voice.

"Hello."

Like gentle chimes whispering in the spring breeze. So soft. So gentle. I was afraid to speak. Afraid that I would shatter the gentle voice that greeted me so kindly.

"Umm. Would you like some help with that?"

The girl looked down at the box thoughtfully and I snapped back into reality.

"N-no! I-I mean no thank you! It's not heavy at all! Really!"

The girl flinched. I accidentally yelled in my nervousness.

"O-oh..... Sorry for bothering you...."

The girl lowered her head and started to walk away.

"H-hey! Wait! P-please!"

The girl turned around and looked at me with her glistening cobalt eyes. I knelt down on the ground and got a pair of shoes out. I gently grabbed her foot and slid it into the shoe. It was a perfect fit. I then grabbed the other foot and slid it into the shoe. I grabbed the box and stood up only to drop it on my feet.

She was crying. The small glass orbs ran down her soft cheeks in an endless stream. I was utterly shocked. I didn't know what to do. Did I make her cry? Did I hurt her? I will never forgive myself. Unable to keep eye contact I looked down.

"S-sorry. I-I. *sniff*"

I looked up to see the girl wiping her eyes with her hands, smudging the dirt on her face. Without thinking I pulled out my handkerchief and gently whipped her tears while staring into her eyes as she stared back into mine.

When I was done I took a step back and folded it into my pocket. A few seconds of silence passed then at the same time.

"I'm sorry."

I looked up at the girl and she was looking at me. I decided to go first.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Or scare you..."

"No..."

The girl raised her hand and held my face.

"I'm sorry. You didn't hurt me it was just... Just that no one has even been so nice to me. I-I was just so happy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

I smiled at the girl. I was about to say "your welcome" but I was interrupted by the unmistakeable throat-clearing of my master. He was obviously tired of waiting for my help.

"Sorry, I have to go. Bye."

I grabbed my box and ran off.

Even though it was a short moment, it was an intimate moment. I knew she felt it too.