Floating Stars

Chapter 21: Memories

"A child born with the royal seal, born under the red moon. Eyes of violet, will bring forth the end of the light."

An excruciating beeping interrupted the quiet yet melodious voice that echoed in Astrid's dreams.

The morning sun shone through the gap in her bedroom curtains and highlighted the dancing specks of dust that floated by the window.

"What is that?" True's voice groaned by her side. She stretched and switched her alarm off.

"Have you not experienced an alarm clock yet?" Astrid giggled at True's scrunched up morning face.

"I have not, James did not have such a torture device in his home," True declared whilst giving an unimpressed glare at the small device that sat on Astrid's bedside table.

"Well, I don't have Naomi here to wake me." Astrid shrugged with an amused smile.

"I didn't much care for her waking me either!" True's words strained through a yawn and a stretch.

"Well you haven't changed at all, have you?"

It was within seconds of those words leaving Astrid's mouth that they got replaced by True's lips in a deep kiss. The hand that was not holding his lazy body up from the mattress made its way across Astrid's front and squeezed the top of her thigh. Electricity spiked her at his touch, making her pull him closer. She kissed him hungrily, in the nook of his neck. He then took over and made his way across her cheek, nibbled at her ear. Then left a trail of kisses down towards her chest.

"No," Astrid started to answer her own question. "You definitely have not changed!"

She glanced at the time and wished that she hadn't. There was practically no time for her to get ready for work.

"I have to get up," she groaned as he carried on serving her. "True, my love, I need to get up," she repeated, as she realised that he was paying no heed to her words.

Trying to get this man out of bed was close to impossible! She found it so strange that she could remember this about him, as well as so many other things, after eight years of not knowing who he or indeed she was before that day in the forest.

"Come on, True, I'll be late for work and Amber will also be late," she said as she pushed him off of her.

"What am I going to do whilst you're at work?"

"That's up to you, my dear," Astrid said as she grabbed her towel and clothes and made her way to the bathroom.

True managed to throw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up after rubbing his hands down his tired face. He pulled on his trousers, so to make himself presentable enough to venture into the kitchen. The last thing he wanted to do was traumatise his estranged, tween daughter.

A deep sadness pinched at his thoughts as they began to explore the lost years of bonding between him and Amber. When she looked at him her eyes no longer twinkled with happiness, instead a look of bewildered wonder sat on her face and this weighed down upon his heart.

"Good morning, True," Amber said with a friendly smile as she watched True study the kettle. She left him to struggle for a short time and decided to put him out of his misery.

"Are there no kettles in Natanstrelle?"

"No, I can't say there is," True said with a quick glance over his shoulder, "How do you? Erm..."

Amber could not stop the laugh that fought its way out of her as she came to his aid. She filled it at the sink, replaced it on its stand and pointed her finger at its "on" switch.