The Weapon, The Crown and Spring

20

Kailah

Did I mess up? Is that what happened?

I wanted to run back to Nadia and have her answer all of my questions, but the very logical side of me knew very well that I couldn't do that.

Nicholas had walked me back up to my room a while back, and since then everything has been eerily quiet. I busied myself re-potting the narcissus in the ivory painted clay pot I had brought up from the garden. Honestly, I didn't pay much mind to my surroundings. I normally love flowers, and the different colored buds, but tonight, I just felt like they were dull. I didn't even eat. Nicholas recanted the notion of course, but I argued, saying I simply wasn't hungry at all.

Here I am, still sulking. At this point, I knew much better than to act so stupidly. I knew the little girl inside of me looked at Eden and gawked in admiration. He was tall, he was handsome, he was insanely capable of handling his own, he's potentially everything a woman would want in a man. Who wouldn't gawk at him the way I do? I didn't blame myself for doing it. I blamed myself for knowing that it's been 2 days and I had a crush on a man I just met who, for all I know, could be married to a princess or something.

I heard a faint knock in my head, or at least I thought it was in my head. It took another one for me to realize it was actually someone outside my door. I expected it to be Karin, I mean of course she'd be worried and come hurriedly to check up on me, so I didn't ask for whoever it was. Instead, I just walked right over and opened the door.

I knew I was dreadfully wrong when the door opened and my view was blocked off by a man's chest. Broad shoulders, grey sweatshirt, even if I tried hard to ignore it, I couldn't lie to myself and not know who it was.

"Hi." Was all I managed to squeak out. My eyes were wide with both regret, and embarrassment. I suppose I would have had to face Eden again eventually. I may as well get it out of the way now, rip off the second-hand embarrassment like a used band-aid.

"Can I come in?" He asked scruffily. His voice sounded tired, exhausted. Not to say that his voice doesn't always have this texture to it, but right now, it sounded more like a plead than anything else.

"Please, come in." I invited, stepping to the side to allow him to walk in comfortably. Behind me, the moonlight was beaming. It was eclipsed the second Eden entered the room. It was like standing directly behind the shadow of a mountain. Still, I couldn't help but stare at him. He was, majestic.

I watched as he looked around the room, taking in a deep breath. As if this room was a challenge to him before, and here he was facing it again.

"We need to get you some more furniture in here. There's no place to sit." I pouted at the realization that perhaps he was only in here to take notes on my arrangements.

In my opinion there wasn't anything that needed to be fixed at all. It had a separate bathroom, walk in closet, some drawers, end tables, an ottoman at the end of the bed, light fixtures, and of course, my bed. It was far more than what was necessary to have in an everyday room. I had nothing else to ask for.

"I—I think it's perfect. It has more than a bedroom needs. I'm very grateful for all this thank you."

He stood facing the windows, facing the moonlight, his shadow casting behind him and onto me. He looked at me with some kind of solace.

"Sure. It's fine for yourself in here. But where am I going to sit when I stop in?" He squinted at me. And I didn't know whether that was an actual question or not. My lips moved subconsciously, in an attempt to answer, but I failed. I kept quiet once more.