Anastasia let out another muffled sob as she leaned closer to her dear friend. He wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulder, trying to still his own emotions as well. Night was setting and the stars were beginning to twinkle in the dusky sky. They had watched the funeral pyre burn for hours and were now staring at the hot embers of what used to be Antoni De Luca.
"You don't think he suffered, do you Rowan?" Anastasia asked through her tears. Her body shook with another wave of sobs as Rowan tried his best to comfort her. He ran his hand up and down her back, the other wiping away her tears.
"Shh, he wouldn't like you crying so much over him. The coroner said he died peacefully in his sleep, so don't fret. You need sleep too. Let's go home," Rowan said, gently pulling her up with him as he stood. His tall frame towered over her, and she looked even smaller as she bent her head to hide her crying face with her long, brown hair.
An idea struck Rowan as he helplessly watched her cry. Bending to one knee, he faced his back to her and held out his palms behind him.
"Hop on, princess," he said, a cheeky grin on his face.
"Rowan, we are not children anymore. I will not let you carry me like I am one," Anastasia huffed, her tears slowing.
"And that is precisely why you should! When we're old and rickety, we won't be able to do this anymore," he shot back at her with a smile brimming with pearly white teeth.
Anastasia sighed, a small smile playing at the corners of her own lips. She gingerly climbed onto his back and he stood to his full height. Anastasia let out a little squeak at how fast he stood, and then felt the low rumble of his laugh through her chest.
"Where to, my lady?" Rowan asked, his voice laced with sarcasm and humor.
"Onward to the castle, I say. And make haste! Lest we be late for the grand ball!" she said, giggling as she bucked her knees against his sides.
"As you wish, my lady!"
Anastasia let out another squeak and clamped her arms around Rowan tightly as he suddenly started to sprint toward the outskirts of their small village. She found herself smiling widely as she felt the wind through her hair. Her tears drying on her face as Rowan's long legs carried them to the fenced gate surrounding their meager little house. Anastasia felt panic rise as she realized Rowan was not slowing down. The gate was a few meters away, surely he was not thinking what she thought he was.
"Rowan!" she screamed in panic. Her only indication of a response was another low rumble through her chest as he glanced back at her with a sly grin.
"Don't you da-!" she screamed, her threat cut off by his sudden leap from the ground. She clamped her arms in a death grip around his neck as they went soaring over the low fence.
They came stumbling to a halt in the small front yard, as he dropped her gently to her feet. He was laughing like a madman at her disheveled hair and angry eyebrows. Walking back over to her, still laughing obnoxiously, he pushed his finger to her forehead.
"Keep scowling like that, Asa, and you are going to get wrinkles. Who will marry you then?" he said, his sapphire eyes twinkling under the moonlight.
She wanted to scowl some more but found her lips tugging up as she stared back at the stupidly sloppy grin on his face. "You scoundrel," she teased, punching him in the arm.
He didn't even wince, much to her dismay, as her fist was now throbbing. She didn't let him know she had hurt herself though as she walked to the door. He followed behind her, still rambling about how funny her face had been.
They walked into the empty house, the feeling of loneliness hitting Anastasia hard as she realized she would never again walk in to see her step father making dinner over the fireplace. Or tell him about her day as the three of them sat to eat his delicious cooking. She swallowed the new flood of sadness forming in her throat. It seemed no guests had bothered coming to their little ball, after all, she thought to herself. Rowan was trying hard to cheer her up though, and she did not want to make him worry about her. She knew he was grieving too.
She turned to him with a small yawn. "It's been a long day, and I'm not sure I can keep my eyes open for much longer. Will you be staying up?" she asked, watching as he lit a small fire in the hearth.
"Yeah, just for a little bit. I want to take care of a few things first," he said, fiddling with the poker as he tried to get the embers to catch. The site made her think of the funeral. Tears immediately welled in Anastasia's eyes. She turned quickly so Rowan wouldn't notice.
"Alright then, good night," she said, opening the door to her room.
"Good night, princess," Rowan replied, standing up from a now blazing hearth. The night air was chilly, and she was glad the house would be warm for at least a few hours. She kicked off her boots and plopped face down on her bed. Her tired eyes forced themselves closed as she drifted off into a sleep plagued by callous embers and taunting fires.
~~~~~
Anastasia awoke the next morning to the lovely smell of bacon. She shuffled out into the living room, wrapping her shawl tightly around her shoulders. The morning chill was enough to have her teeth chattering, but the scent of spring was right around the corner. She couldn't wait.
Her head felt heavy with sleep deprivation. Nightmares plagued her all though the night. Rowan looked just as bad as she felt. She could only assume her appearance was just as miserable, if not worse.
"Late night?" she asked. He turned to her, bags under his usually vibrant eyes. To say Rowan was a morning person was an understatement. He was the epitome of everything unholy to night owls, like herself. Today, however, his smile did not reach his eyes as he greeted her.
"Morning, Asa. Yes, you could say that," he said, turning back to deal with the sizzling grease threatening to burn his hands.
"You didn't go to sleep at all, did you?" she asked, taking a seat at the dining table.
His blonde curls bounced as he nodded to confirm her suspicions. She let out a long sigh. She supposed everyone grieved in their own way. She cried and Rowan did... well, he did whatever it was that kept him up all night.
When the bacon was finally done, Rowan divvied out two portions, one much larger than the other, and handed her a plate. He gave her a slice of toast and a boiled egg as well. She muttered a quiet thank you and began to eat. They sat in silence, the only sound in the small house was their chewing. Anastasia could feel the loneliness creeping into her skin again. They never had quiet breakfasts. Her step father was always cracking jokes and keeping their little family smiling before they started their days.
When they were done eating, Anastasia stood to clean the dishes. She began washing their plates in the washbasin when Rowan finally broke the silence.
"Anastasia, there are some things we need to discuss," he said with a heavy tone. His use of her full name made her pause for a moment. She turned to look at him as she placed the last dish in the drying rack. His face was creased with stress lines. Despite his seemingly carefree attitude, he worried way too much for a man of only twenty-four.
"Very well then," she said, drying her hands on her apron and hanging it up on its hook next to the washbasin.
He stood from his chair and she followed him to her step father's room. It was just as they had left it when she had found him, unmoving in his bed. She looked over at his desk, which was normally neat and tidy. Instead, there were papers strewn all over it and a candle had been burned down to a stub, spilling wax all around it. Rowan followed her gaze and sighed heavily. He walked over and gathered up the papers, organizing them before handing her a single sheet.
"This is addressed to you," he said. He watched her carefully as she gingerly took the papers and sat on the edge of the bed. Anastasia could feel the tears begin to well in her eyes just by seeing her step father's hieroglyphics that he liked to call handwriting. She quickly wiped away her blurry tears and began to read.
My Dear Anastasia,
I am so proud of the woman you have grown to be, and I know your parents are beaming down at you from the heavens. I have not been able to provide you with the life your heritage and prestige deserve, but know that I have always tried to keep you safe. Your kindness will get you far, but your blind trust may put you in some dire circumstances. Rowan will protect you in my place. Trust his guidance. And do not fret over my absence. It has been much too long since I have seen my dear friend and I look forward to catching up with him. However, even though I have departed the living world, I have one last request of you, if you would indulge this old man. I would like you to find a dear friend of mine in Gamaliel. His name is Syran. If you ask around, you should be able to find him without effort. While I have asked you to place your trust in Rowan, I am afraid he will not be able to protect you alone. There are stirrings in the underground and I fear evermore for your safety. That is why I ask you to seek out this man now. I love you with all my heart, my dear princess, and have been blessed as a father to have a daughter like you. May the Gods keep you safe.
Antoni
A sob wracked Anastasia's body as she crumpled the letter to her chest and leaned over to rest her forehead in her lap. She could feel Rowan's hand gently rubbing her back as he sat next to her. After a few moments, she was able to compose herself and stared back at the tear stained paper in her hand.
"What does this even mean, Rowan? Surely no one has found us out all the way in the country? We keep our heads down and live a modest life. How can father just expect me to travel to another country looking for someone I do not even know!" she said, confusion etched into every word as she stared at him expectantly with her stormy grey eyes and furrowed brows.
Rowan sighed and placed his face in his hands. "I don't know what Antoni is thinking. Or rather, was thinking. If you do not wish to go, I will not force you. None of this makes any sense," he said, muttering the last bit more to himself than to her.
"But," he continued, "He has a letter addressed to this Syran person as well."
Rowan handed her an envelope. It seems this was the only letter he had not opened. She assumed her step father had written one to Rowan too. She took the unopened letter from his hand and turned it over. She dared not open it if Rowan hadn't either.
They sat in silence for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Anastasia chose to speak.
"I think I will go," she said, still staring at the unopened letter.
"What? You can't be serious," Rowan replied incredulously. "This is a mad idea, Asa! I can keep you safe just fine here!"
She stood from the bed and began to pace the small room. "But Rowan, listen to me for a second. If I've been found out, I cannot drag you down with me. They will not hesitate to kill you and you aren't even a part of all of this to begin with. You learned my secret by mistake!" she said frantically, waving her arms and the papers in every direction as she spoke.
"If we leave under the dark of the night and sleep during the day, we can get to Gamaliel in a just a few days' time without the risk of being caught," she continued, stopping to look at him to see if he was even considering her proposal.
His eyes were as tumultuous as the raging sea as he stared back at her. "If you choose to go, I cannot accompany you," he said finally through gritted teeth.
Anastasia sucked in a breath as she unconsciously grasped the chain necklace around her neck, needing something to busy her hands with as she processed what he was saying.
He chose to keep talking as he studied her confused expression. "My letter... the letter Antoni wrote for me says that if you choose to go, you must do it alone," he said quietly. She could see his hands shaking from anger as he averted his gaze to glare at the floor.
She let out a shaky breath and sat down next to him on the bed. She placed a gentle hand on his knee. He turned to look at her with his stormy eyes. "Father is no longer with us," she started, her own emotions surfacing as she tried to force them back down. "He will not know if you come with me."
She had whispered the last part. She was talking of betraying her step father's trust. It hurt her heart to even think about, but to have said it out loud was so much worse than she had anticipated.
However, what she had hoped would calm Rowan's nerves only seemed to make him angrier. He stood abruptly and turned to her with a fire in his eyes she had never seen directed at her. In a booming voice, his fury filled the room, "You do not understand! The rules of the chev-... I cannot disobey Antoni, even if he is no longer here! If you go, you go alone!"
Anastasia felt tears well in her eyes as her own anger rose in her chest. He did not need to yell at her! She was only trying to make the best of the situation that had been dealt to them.
"Fine! I will! Since you choose to follow the words of a dead man rather than the living person standing in front of you!" she screamed back at him before marching out of the room and slamming the door in his face.
She had taken one last glance back at him before leaving only to see his face no longer etched with anger but, instead, sadness and pain. Guilt stabbed at her heart immediately. What had she just said? Was she so despicable to slander her own step father's name just to be hurtful to Rowan for no reason other than raising his voice at her? Shame filled her as more tears spilled down her face. No, she would and always will honor her step father's memory and she would protect Rowan from her own cruel past. She looked down at the unopened envelope in her hand through blurry eyes. Her resolve hardened as she stared at the name scratched onto the front. At nightfall, she would leave to find this man named Syran.
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Hello all, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I'm really excited about this story and I hope I can entertain you too! I'm open to any suggestions, criticisms, inquiries that anyone may have, good or bad, so please share! I have many of my own questions I'd love to have answered too - Are things moving too slowly? Is there enough action, romance, comedy? What could be better? Among others. So let your hearts spill out if you want! I'm always looking to improve my writing and story-telling, and the best way is to get some feedback. :) But I'm rambling now, so I'll stop. In any case, I hope you stick around and enjoy the story!
<3 Ensanya :)