Royal Academy Diaries I

The Orphan Princess ⚜ Ch. 6

That evening Sririta decided to wander the gardens after supper. The sunset cast a soft golden glow over the rich green landscape, creating a dream-like atmosphere. She wandered through the greenhouse, the statue garden, finally reaching the garden wall. The old stones looked almost ancient, with beautiful masonry along the top. Following the wild looking roses that lined the base of the wall, she came across a wrought iron gate.

Sririta wasn't sure if she was allowed past it, and decided on a whim to take the chance. She found herself on a well worn path that she assumed led to one of the other Academies. But not far from the garden wall, she saw a fainter path leading into thick foliage at the edge of the forest. Despite the strange force that had emanated from it earlier, the sound of water piqued her interest, and she started down the path.

Not far from the main trail was a meandering stream, and up the bank was a rope swing. The scene was so enchanting she couldn't resist sitting down for a bit just to admire it all.

At the same time, she realized that her foot must have caught in the stirrup when her horse spooked earlier, as her ankle was a bit sore. She decided to take off her shoes and wade into the shallow stream, hoping the cool water would calm the ache. When she took the first step, she gasped at how cold it was, but forced herself to not jump back out. After a minute, her body adjusted to the cold, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the soothing effect it had.

When the cold again started to be uncomfortable, she made her way back to the bank and sat on the swing again. Her movement made the leaves rustle, which somehow added to the serene calm. She swung languidly for a while, just enjoying the sounds of the forest, until something made her stop. A sound like footsteps roused her from her daydreaming, and she looked around.

"Is someone there?" she asked. A twig snapped behind her, and she gasped, looking over her shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, Princess," Takeo assured her, coming off the path.

"Takeo! What are you doing all the way out here?" she inquired, suddenly wondering if he had been following her.

He leaned against the tree the swing hung from and tucked his hands in his pockets. "I was in the gardens and saw you go through the gate. I'd wanted to ask if you were alright from the incident earlier."

"Oh, I'm alright. Just a sore ankle is all. I'm sure it will be fine by morning," she shrugged, trying not to appear nervous.

His brown eyes searched her. "Are you sure, Princess? You seem... on edge."

Sririta looked away. "Do I? I must be tired, I suppose. It's been an eventful day."

"So it has. You ought to relax." Smiling, he walked up to her, taking hold of one of the ropes. "May I?"

She nodded and looked back to the stream as he stepped behind her. Takeo pulled the ropes back a bit and then gently pushed her forward, settling into a slow rhythm.

"It's so beautiful out here," he mused.

"Yes," Sririta replied quietly.

After a moment he inquired gently, "Are you sure you're alright?"

She sighed, not sure how much she wanted to tell him. "It's just a big adjustment, coming here. There's so much riding on my performance in school. My kingdom's future depends on my success."

Takeo stopped swinging her and walked back to face her. "I know it's a lot, Princess," he began quietly. "But you are more capable than you know. Tell me, do you have the support you need? Friends, family?"

Her hand automatically went to her locket, and her silence answered his question.

"I'm so sorry." He knelt in front of her, holding the rope to steady himself. "How long has it been?" he asked gently.

She suddenly realized the forest had gone quiet. The relative silence set her more on edge. "Not quite five months."

Takeo's eyes never left hers, but she couldn't look at him. "The tsunami..."

All she could do was nod.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just glad you were safe, Princess."

Sririta didn't know if she could speak without crying, and he quickly realized.

"I'd love to hear about them, when you're ready. In the meantime, just know that you can turn to me." He smiled gently. "I'm happy to offer a shoulder to cry on."

She tried to muster a smile. "Thank you, Takeo."

He nodded and stood. "It's getting late. Would you like me to walk you back?"

"No, it's alright. But thank you."

He bowed, and she wasn't sure what he was looking for in her eyes. "Of course, Princess. Be safe."

As he began walking away, she remembered. "Takeo, where are you from?"

Looking over his shoulder, his lips quirked in a grin. "I'll leave it to you to guess."

Sririta stayed there for a moment, processing what had just happened as she put on her shoes. The sun was almost set, and the forest was still quiet; the shadows and the silence urged her to quickly get back to the wall.