6:12| Ruthanne ✦ finally
It had been surprising, that Thanasima spared them. Rather, Arcadius really.
There are two types of people in this world: the beloved and the loveless. Through the years, the loveless were often oppressed. Thanasima was believed to be a loveless, and was leading a ring of criminals to perhaps cause an uprising against the monarchy. It was also within his modus operandi to assassinate the soulmates of his enemies, as the death of one's soulmate could emotionally scar them. In all honesty, Thanasima was the very definition of vile.
Arcadius, for a brief moment, joined Thanasima's order. He apparently can't stomach the evil things they were doing and wanted out. And also add to the fact that he apparently stole something from the great evil himself, that Lord Thanasima personally hunted him down with a vendetta.
———————
Ruthanne was watering the gardens of Lady Lora, the goddess of Love. She was a newly minted west temple priestess, and one of her meager tasks was watering the daffodils. She felt the pricks of someone staring at her, then uncomfortably turned to that direction. From a good distance away, a man was staring at her, eyebrows furrowed. She placed the watering can on the ground, before walking up to him. The man apparently had not noticed her when she was standing in front of him, too deep in his thoughts. Perhaps meteors could've came crashing down on Earth and he wouldn't even notice.
"Hello there," She greeted amicably. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
She stared at his eyes and was mesmerized. She'd never seen blue so beautiful before she was drowning. She really didn't like the color blue, it was a bright blue day when her father passed on. And Thanasima's eyes were a fearsome shade of thundering blue. Blue for her was the color of death.
The man shook his head. For a hot sunny day, he sure was wearing a high collared coat that hid his face from nose down and ironed pants with polished shoes. His midnight hair was also curled and coifed perfectly. He appeared to be one of those posh nobles the encounters in uptown capital. But what could someone be doing at Lady Lora's capital?
"Then what are you here for sir?"
His stare was starting to get unnerving. It was as if he was analyzing her, dissecting her and opening her up from inside out. His eyes were swimming with a hundred and one questions that she could practically hear him thinking.
"Then are you mute sir?"
He shook his head again.
"May I ask— What is your name?"
Then, he gingerly took her hand and began to write on her palm.
"Thomas?" Ruthanne tilted her head to the side.
He nodded.
"What a beautiful name." She gave a disarming grin that could melt any man to putty in her arms, but Thomas ended up getting more annoyed.
"Then, Why aren't you speaking Thomas?"
He began to unbutton his coat, to reveal his face and neck. And Ruthanne was blown away— by heavens, he was beautiful! He looked as if Lady Lora took extra care in crafting him. He looked like an angel that had descended from the heavens. He sighed exasperatedly, before settling his gaze on her.
"I'm afraid of what would happen if I do." He whispered in a low voice then Ruthanne felt a stinging pain in her left arm. It felt as if someone was carving words with blade in her arm, but no blood was spilled. It was so unbearably painful that her vision turned pitch black for a moment.
When she came too, she was kneeling on the ground, with Thomas cradling her. Her head was on his shoulder and he was crouching on the ground with her, holding out her arm.
"I knew it." He sounded frustrated and forlorn at the same time, as he glared at the words on her arm as if by doing so it would disappear.
In her arms, the words were displayed fluidly : I'm afraid of what would happen if I do.
She stared, wide eyed, at the mark that surely wasn't there before.
"That's..... A soulmark...." She muttered idly, observing his reaction. Thomas had once again schooled his expression.
"Yeah," He agreed.
"So... You're my... Soulmate?"
"It appears so," He had been so lukewarm with his reactions, as if he did not want her. Ruthanne refuses to believe that he does not want her, or a soulmate for that matter. "I'm sorry Ruthanne. But I have to leave now." He declared abruptly. And before Ruthanne could even chase after him, he already disappeared within the maze of hedges.
She could only stare at the wisps of smoke without fire.
.....
You'll meet him for sure
Harriet, declared in certainty.
Sometimes soulmates don't end up together.
Her dear friend's words echoed in her ears. And it felt like a premonition that this would be no easy love.
At this moment, everything that she dreamt of when she met her soulmate had all evaporated. On one hand she was happy that she finally got to meet him...
But why does it feel as if Thomas was running away from her?