Chapter Three
~~Snowden's Point of View~~
She stepped back and smiled brightly. Jon's mother looked so proud of herself. Getting me into the outfit she brought in with her. "Don't you look just beautiful that will make my son faint." She giggled but I didn't.
Moving me in front of a mirror, she moved to stand behind me. "See, don't you look heavenly." Heavenly? With my dull and lifeless dyed black hair that screamed that it was threatening to fall off at any moment. My eyes that held no sparkle and was nearly black in color instead of it's proper color of icy blue-grey.
No, I was far from heavenly.
The door opened and Jon walked in with the older man he calls Uncle B or Bastian. Upon seeing me, Jon stumbled for a moment causing Bastian to get a hold of him. Jon's eyes trailed the length of me where I could see in the mirror.
My eyes went back to my outfit as I took it in again. Nothing really special about it. A white cotton batiste gown that gathered around a empire waist band. A few white pearl beads decorated the band in a swirl pattern. Just a hand full of silver crystals dotted among the beads and within the gathers of the fabric around my bust.
"Doesn't she just look beyond gorgeous?" His mother shifted a few curls she made in my hair. It still looked lifeless no matter what she did to it.
Jon came over as his mother stepped away. "Very much." His eyes looked into mine using the mirror. His hand slipped around my waist. "I have our breakfast ready down on the patio. Lets see if you'll eat today."
It had been a few days since I woke and tried to jump from my balcony. Every night Jon has watched over me to make sure I didn't try to kill myself. Bastian has been sedating me in order to make sure it didn't happen even though Jon watches over me. When I wake in the morning, Jon is right there looking down at me from the edge of the bed.
Downstairs and out the back door of this cabin, Jon helped me sit in a seat on the padded chairs of the patio furniture. He even took the napkin off the side of the plate and placed it in my lap before he took his seat. He repeated the process with his napkin for himself.
The three started to dish out the food and I just watched. When done, the three took their hands as Jon and his mother took one of mine each. They all bowed their heads and gave thanks. My eyes just went down to Jon's hand as it was in mine. His hand warming not just my own hand, but something within me.
After grace, they began eating. Jon's mother having let my hand go, but Jon didn't. He keep ahold of my hand the whole time he ate. Warmth continued to come from our joined hands. This was something he didn't do the other mornings or other meals.
About half the way through his breakfast, Jon put his silverware down turning to me. He smiled while he reached over gripping my silverware. Scooping up a small piece of food, he offered it to me. "Just one bite."
His smile widened as my lips parted partially for him. Just enough for him to put the food in my mouth. His mother covering her mouth trying to hide the small "awe" that slipped passed her lips. As if this was something more than Jon making sure I ate.
I let him feed me till I snapped my mouth shut with a click. Bastian sigh with relief. "She must have reached her limit."
Jon lifted up my hand that was in his and gave it a soft kiss. "But she accepted my help."
"That she did, shall we help her with what else her body needs?"
Both Jon and his mother nodded. His mother placed her hand back in mine with a smile. Bastian nodded wiping his mouth with his napkin before rising from his seat and coming to stand behind my seat. He first ran his fingers down my face closing my eyes and moving to lay my head back. Then he placed his hands on my shoulders.
That was how we were as warmth wrapped around my mind and more towards my core. The core of my being. The place that was the coldest. I no longer felt singed with this sensation, but just heated. As if I was getting used to the feeling.
My body slumped in my seat after Bastian moved his hands away. My conscious wavering to remain awake. The only thing I was able to be aware of as I fell asleep was Jon lifting me up from the breakfast table and walking back inside with me.
~~~
Days turned into weeks as I slowly felt like killing myself wouldn't help me. I felt more puzzled as to why I felt like that in the first place. Sure I blamed myself for my parents' deaths, but they would never want me to die like that. Even if I felt guilty about it. No. I was going to live on for them like I always promised my dad.
Jon has been amazing. Everyday he would pull me out of the cabin for a walk in the forest that surrounded it. The forest was one of those older ones. A true forest with glorious gnarling trees that twist and turned in strange ways.
Everyday his hand cupped mine as we walked. The warmth I always felt when his hand was in mine seeped farther under my skin and I felt at ease. I wonder if he felt the same and that's why he loved having his hand in mine all the time.
Jon looked down at the water blow us flowing along a stream. "My mom would kill me if I slipped and fell into that stream."
I looked at him as a wicked thought came to mine. My heart beat picked up as I quickly slipped my hand out of his and pushed him into the stream. As he fell the short distance into the stream, I took refuge behind a thin tree and peaked out to see Jon's face. My hand that had been in his covered my mouth to stop myself from laughing.
His jaw was dropped as his arms kept him propped up from being flat on his back in the rushing water. His eyes wide with shock. His legs spread apart slightly with his jeans drenched. His shirt splattered and half soaked with mud and water.
Then his head flew back as he laughed. That laugh caused me to giggle. His head snapped to me and his breathe caught as a smile lifted his lips. Slowly he rose not caring he was completely wet. His eyes on me the whole time and he climbed up the embankment.
He stopped on the other side of the tree and placed his hands on mine. I bit my lip from matching his smile. "Did you really just do that to me?"
I nodded which made him smile even more. "Giggle again for me." As he wanted, he got another giggle from me. His eyes closed as he savored the sound. "Thank you."
Quick as lightning, he rounded the tree and then held me from behind. My clothes soaking up the water fomhis own. "Now I had to pay you back for soaking me." I squealed and wiggled in his hold. He laughed the whole time not releasing me having fun repaying me in kind.
We both gasped as we accidentally tripped over a root. He twisted us so he hit the forest floor and I landed against his chest. I lifted my head up to look at him. His hand came up to my cheek. "Are you okay?"
I blushed a little as I nodded. "Thank you."
He grinned as he plucked a leaf out of my hair. "It's nice to finally hear you voice." A sigh of happiness came out of his mouth as his eyes closed again. "And it's nice to see you with life now."
I placed my chin on his chest looking at his face. "Sorry if I worried you."
He smiled. "I don't mind if it means helping you."
"Why?"
Looking at me, he brought his hand back to my cheek. His eyes turned to something that pained him. "Someone took your good emotions away. I hate that they did because you are so beautiful."
I blushed. "But you don't know me." My eyes looked down. "I'm a stranger to you."
He coaxed my eyes back up to his. "Then lets get to know each other." He smiled. "Hi, my name is Jon."
A giggle came out. "Snowden, but you could just call me Snow." My smile slipped. "My dad used to call me his little Snowflake."
"Sorry. I never knew my father myself but my mom said that I'm a lot like him." His ran his hand through my hair. "I apparently look just like him."
I looked at his hair and touched it. The golden red locks were soft. "Your hair reminds me of a flame."
He chuckled. "That's what my mom says all the time. She says that our hearts are so full of goodness that our hair caught fire." He looked at me. "It runs in the family on my dad's side. My grandfather is the same way."
Laying my head on his chest, he wrapped me in his arms. "I miss my family."
"Well, you have us now to help you."
We both were shocked off the forest floor when we heard a branch snapped. "That was most likely one of the royal guard who are keeping watch." He smiled at me. "Anything to keep you safe."
Rising quickly when there was another snapped, but much closer. Jon moved to stand in front of me as he faced the direction the sound came from. "I, Prince Jonas of the great Demonic Kingdom Dementia, demand you show yourself." I gulped as my face flushed hearing Jon's status.
The bushes we were facing shifted and the first thing that emerged was the tip of a shining arrow head that was laid in a crossbow. The body attached to that crossbow made my skin feel cold as the feeling from the man was deadly. His face partially obscured by the hood of his cloak.
"Forgive me my lord, but I must complete my task. If you will step aside, you don't need to be harmed." The man stepped fully from the bush. He was completely clad in green and charcoal grey to mask himself among the trees.
Jon growled. "Who sent you for her?"
"That I never ask from those who need my services."
"Well, you can't have her. I will never let anyone hurt her again."
"Then I am sorry about what I must do now." The man hunting me closed one eyes as he notched the crossbow higher.
Jon gasped as the man pulled the trigger and the arrow soared in the air right at us. He pulled us downward as he darted to the side. His arm automatically going to my waist to guide me where he wanted us to go. The man cursing as he gave chase after us. The arrow having missed us just barely.
"If you think you're headed toward your guards closest to you, I've eliminated them before presenting myself." The man laughed as Jon growled.
We darted through a thicket of twisting trees to a path along a steep mountain path. Jon had always held me close when we ventured along this path. The path was narrow and dangerous. Now he held even tighter to me as we raced down the path to the wider end. This being the quicker route back to the cabin.
I gasped as something grazed my leg. The pain pulled me off balance and my footing on the solid path faltered. Jon tried to keep a hold of me, but everything happened so fast that his hands just slipped across my clothes without being able to get a grip.
"SNOW!" His voice shouted as nothing seemed right side up. The world twirled and rolled as I rolled down the hill. Roots and branches were like razors as they sliced and clawed at my clothes and skin. The ground grating into the bare flesh that touched it.
~