Forbidden (Chapter One)

 

“Like this?” I asked in exasperation, pointing the arrow at the bright red target and tugging back on it a little bit, eager to release it.

“R-r-raise your elbow,” Kirk instructed nervously.

I didn’t take Kirk’s unease offensively—I was far too used to it by now. I did as I was told, raising my elbow a couple inches so it was parallel with the ground.

“Can I let it go now?” I asked him, trying to hide the impatience in my tone.

I could feel the nineteen pairs of eyes boring into my back: my classmates keenly watching me, urging me to make a mistake that would once again get me into trouble. We were all standing in the middle of a huge, green field surrounded by massive oak trees, facing the target forty yards away.  In the distance, the tall towers of the academy were visible, a smoky gray against the overcast sky.

“Don’t slip up,” Elisa sneered from behind me, and I tried to hide my scowl.

“O-okay,” Kirk said, his hands trembling a little. “You can let go—aim for the target!”

I released the arrow; my eyes concentrated viciously on the target, and watched it shoot out in front of me, towards the middle of the field. It zoomed invisibly through the air, and just as I thought it would pierce right through the middle of the bright red circle—

The target somehow repelled the arrow, sending it swerving back towards where the class was standing.

“Duck!” Kirk shouted, throwing himself onto the ground as the arrow grazed his auburn hair.

I turned in time to see the whole class drop to the ground, and let out my breath when nobody was harmed. The arrow zoomed through the air a couple more yards and landed with an audible thump in the grass.

It was silent for a moment as everyone took in what had happened. I was quiet as well; trying to figure out what had just gone on, chewing nervously on my bottom lip.

“How is that even possible?” I argued, glaring over my shoulder at the target.

“I—told—you,” panted Kirk, “not to concentrate too hard!” His large brown eyes were wider than ever.

I couldn’t help but think I was the cause of stress in Kirk’s life. Since he had come to teach here, he’d transformed into a fretful man that always dodged my path, afraid of the destruction that would come his way.

“Once again,” sighed Homer, a tall guy with a wild look in his eyes. “Why do you even bother, Kirk?”

Kirk wringed his hands for a moment, and then ordered the class to stand and start making their way back towards the academy. All the while I stood there, staring from the target to the arrow and back, trying to fathom what had happened.

“What happened?” I finally asked Kirk when he tugged on my sleeve. I walked by his side, peering over at his small round face.

“You were concentrating too hard,” he said, his hands still trembling slightly. “I told you not to do that, Scarlett. You made the target deter the arrow and sent it off course.”

I bit my lip. “Sorry.”

He didn’t respond.

In the classroom—a large but stuffy dark room lit by flaming torches in the corners—I sat in my seat beside Stephan Morocco, my best friend.

“Think I’ll ever learn this?” I muttered as Kirk started class. He was going over how to shoot a bow and arrow—again. Most of the class was tired of learning this, but because of my continuous failures and inability to pass the target test, we had to continue to repeat the lesson. Kirk had informed me that if I failed again, I’d have to take a private tutor, because most of the class had it down already.

“Eventually,” Stephan said, grinning widely.

Stephan was a thin guy with honey blond hair and sardonic gray eyes. He was silent, listening to Kirk and copying whatever he thought sounded important. I smiled at him. Stephan looked momentarily dazed before clearing his throat and getting a grip over himself. I’d always had that effect on people, and it had never failed to irritate me.

I sighed deeply and leaned an elbow on the dusty wooden table, doodling listlessly on the page labeled “notes”. Kirk’s voice seemed to drone on and on and I was becoming more and more fervent to leave my last class of the day.

“Are you taking notes, Ms. Castillo?” Kirk called in a thin voice, while I sat up like I’d just been electrocuted and nodded vehemently.

Once Kirk had finished with his archery lesson, the class was free. I hastily picked up my things and was hoping to sneak out the door—

“A word, Ms. Castillo.”

Cursing myself internally and glancing at the apologetic smile on Stephan’s face, I turned around and reluctantly strode to Kirk’s desk. His wide eyes were focused uneasily on me.

“Tomorrow, I’ve called for Mrs. Bellevue to teach you the proper way to shoot a bow and arrow,” he informed me, hands uneasily gripping the edge of his desk.

I nodded, pursing my lips. This wasn’t what I had expected—I had imagined another red slip.

“You may go,” he muttered, scribbling something down on a book on his desk.

I nodded again and turned from him, dashing out the door and down the corridors. I passed Stephan, but didn’t need to explain, because he already knew where I was headed. I elbowed my way past the other students hording the halls, and they shot me glares for interrupting their conversations, that was before they noticed who I was. I shook my long hair out of my face as I ran. I heard my name being bellowed by one of the strictest lecturers here—Mrs. Wright, a nasty woman who didn’t mind getting students in trouble as long as she felt they got what they deserved. She was willowy with straight dappled gray hair and monotone gray eyes. I ignored her, but knew I’d hear from her tomorrow.

It took about twenty minutes to get across the school—half the reason was the heavy books loading my arms. When I’d finally made it past the Children’s halls, I dashed out the back door and to the field, towards the substantial castle right down the grassy hill. Surprisingly I wasn’t tired as I rushed past the guards who greeted me nonchalantly, or as I climbed the everlasting staircases up to my room. On the contrary, I was hardly panting.

I dumped my books on my bed and dug through my closet until I found my thin sword a friend had given me for my birthday—one I had been informed was called a Katana. I slid it into its holder around my waist and threw on a pair of sandals, then hastily checked my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t like what I saw—though everyone else seemed to. Looking back at me was a tall, slender girl with opaque light green eyes framed by long black lashes, waist long dark curly hair, and wearing a deep green long-sleeved gown that swept the floor. A sound of disgust escaped my mouth, and I turned from the mirror towards the door.

I walked subtly down the revolving staircase, through all the halls once more, fortunately not running into my parents or Lydia. I did see a couple of house servants, and others who lived in the castle: maids, caretakers, guards, etc. Once outside I drew in a deep breath and set off towards the forest.

I’d always loved it in there. While Lydia, my infamous, dazzling sister, spent most of her time trying on beautiful dresses and gowns, having people tell her how breathtaking she looks, I preferred to spend my time wandering the forests, though my father had warned me how very dangerous it was. My entire life, supernatural creatures had always been after me. My father constantly told me to stay away from anything untrustworthy or menacing-looking, because that hinted that they belonged to Zakynthos, the kingdom completely opposite of Messenia. He had never explained why these creatures had been after me—me, not my eminent sister—just warned me to avoid getting too far from Messenia and would immediately close the conversation.

Whatever the punishment, I wasn’t going to stay out of the forest. There was simply nothing else to do (being royalty wasn’t as exciting as it seemed to the villagers).

My eyes lingered on the giant beech trees that soared dozens of feet above my head, on the lush jade green grass beneath my feet, on the vibrant yellow sunlight peering through the thick canopy of hundreds of oak trees. Several animals scampered past my feet as I walked. I even noticed a small elf collecting flowers and plants a couple meters away. He didn’t notice me, so I didn’t make myself heard.

After a couple minutes I approached a small but comfortable cottage, right next to a lofting redwood tree that provided it with shade from the scorching sun. Smoke was billowing from the chimney on the slanted roof. It looked like the house of Snow White, though the occupant was far from any princess.

I knocked on the door and waited, listening to the light rustle of leaves around me and the chirping birds nearby, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.

The door opened and there stood Emril, a tiny Korrigan, which were creatures very similar to goblins or elves, though they were much more pleasant to be around.

“Oh! Scarlett, come on in,” Emril said in a thin voice, looking up at me admirably, smiling broadly and letting me through.

I took a good look around his small comfortable house—the round table in the corner, stacked with thick books, the fireplace with a pot sitting inside, the couch and the small kitchen sink. I sat down on the couch, sighing deeply.

“Something the matter, Scarlett?” Emril asked, cocking his head to one side, small childlike eyes widening. Compared to the size of his body, Emril’s head was large, as were his ears, and he had a long, thin nose and gristly skin. Perched on his head was a drooping leathery elf hat, his long untidy hair tucked beneath it, and he was dressed in a sleeveless shirt and old striped stockings. He had that mischievous impression most Korrigans had.

“Nothing,” I sighed. “Everything’s just very... chaotic over there. Here everything is...” I took another long look around his house, and then smiled at him, “peaceful.”

Emril smiled a toothy smile. “What I would give be pampered, just one day,” he responded.

I smirked. “You can take my place for me, if you want.”

“Why not?” he considered, folding his thin body to sit by the fireplace. “’It’s not like I have anything better to do. Though I think we’ll have to work on our appearances.”

I smiled, sitting back into the sofa and closing my eyes. Emril was silent, letting me have my moment of peace. The fire crackled in the corner, baking an unknown substance.

“I had archery today,” I muttered after a couple minutes.

“How’d you do?”

“Horrible. Nearly took Kirk’s head off.”

Emril snorted a laugh. “Would’ve been good for him.”

I sighed. “I hate archery. And just about every other subject. They’re all so boring.” I opened my eyes, considering something. “Have you ever been to school, Emril?”

“No, Miss, Never. My parents left me here when I was two, with my grandfather. He taught me everything our kind need to know.”

I thought about that for a moment. “I just don’t understand why we need to know all that. What will archery help?” I sat up to measure Emril’s expression. He was twisting his frail hands, looking down at them as he thought.

“Everything comes in handy someday, Scarlett,” he finally said.

I pursed my lips, silent for a moment.

“Humph,” I grunted, distracting myself by looking over to the round window above the sink, watching a small flaming red bird peck at the windowsill.

“Want some?” Emril asked after a moment.

I looked over to see him emptying the substance in the pot in a hollow bowl, and saw it was ripe vegetables.

“No thanks,” I mumbled, looking down at the floor.

“You sure? I finally got rid of those darned gnomes in my garden,” he declared proudly, smiling. “Nasty little creatures, they are. Stealing my onions....

“Want some tea?” he added.

“Sure.”

He poured me a cup and then wiped his hands on a ragged dishtowel. I took a long sip of the hot liquid and felt myself calming almost instantly.

“Thanks.”

I watched Emril sit at his dinner table and eat his vegetables, and couldn’t help but wonder, “Do you ever get lonely around here?”

He wiped his mouth before answering. “Sometimes, but there’re many that come to visit, like you,” he smiled graciously, “and sometimes a couple centaurs or elves, and then there’s my mother’s family.” He scowled—the expression looked sour on his face—and a small shudder shook his scrawny shoulders. “Elves. The worst of them. Loud, obnoxious, and critical. Always talking about how poor my conditions are. Well, I don’t care. I’m perfectly comfortable where I live.”

“You tell ‘em,” I encouraged, grinning. “Next time you should tell me before they visit, so I can come over.”

He laughed. “That would be interesting. Not so ashamed of me when they find out I’m friends with Princess Scarlett! You’d scare the daylights out of them.”

I took another sip of tea, and then went over to place the cup in the sink. I glanced out the hazy round window at the forest again, wondering what it would be like to be a woodland creature. Far more serene than being princess of Messenia, I assumed.

I looked down and noticed how dirty Emril’s kitchen was—there was a rat in the corner scuttling into a hole, the edges of the stove were lined with dirt, the window looked like it’d break off at any moment. As a matter of fact, the whole building looked pretty unstable, and there were a couple holes in the roof.

“Emril, would you like me to help you fix this place up?” I offered, looking around and anticipating the opportunity to do something new.

He looked up suddenly, like I’d pulled him from some other train of thought. “Oh no, Ms. Scarlett, I couldn’t ask you to do that—”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Emril. How about next weekend? I’m pretty sure I have Saturday off.... I’ll tell my father I’m visiting the village.”

He hesitated, and I turned to see conflict raging in his eyes.

“Emril, it’s not a hassle to me. It’s a blessing. I’ve been dying to get out of that castle for ages.”

He sighed, but a smile spread over his lips. “Thank you, Princess Scarlett. You really do have a heart of gold.”

I stifled a giggle. “Where did you hear that?”

“Around the forest. One of the elves went down to the village, heard them talking about you, how you’re an angel with a heart of gold, when they saw how you saved that old woman from execution.”

I rolled my eyes at that. “Ridiculous. Anyone would’ve done it.”

I walked back over to the couch and sat down, crossing my legs. I threw my head back again, inhaling deeply to let that woodsy smell fill my lungs, listening to the hissing fire and the clinking of Emril’s fork as he ate.

“Any special boy around the castle?” Emril asked.

I opened my eyes. “What do you mean?”

He went over to the sink and began washing the plate off with a dishrag. “Well.... There’s been talk about your sister, how she thinks she’s found her guy, and I was wondering if you have.”

I pursed my lips. “There’s nobody.”

“Nobody? Really? What about that Stephan boy you mentioned the other day?”

“Stephan’s only a friend.”

“Think you’ll ever find him?”

I considered that for a moment. “....Maybe. But probably not in the castle.”

“Where, then, do you think?”

“Maybe the forest.... or the village.”

“Why not the castle?” he asked, turning his wide brown eyes on me, long thin nose swinging in my direction.

“Because every boy there seems too arrogant for my taste,” I said simply.

“Stephan’s not arrogant, is he?”

“No, but I don’t see him that way. Does it matter, Emril?”

“I guess not, I was just wondering...”

I spent most of the evening at Emril’s house, helping him clean up for another visit from his mother’s relatives. I could tell he was particularly crabby about that, but glad I would be helping him straighten his house up before they saw it. We talked, as always, and I immersed myself in one of his stories. It was when I was sitting on his couch sipping another cup of tea that I realized something.

 

I straightened suddenly. “Oh—Emril, what time is it?” I asked out of the blue, scanning the house for a clock.

“Eh, six thirty,” he said after checking his wristwatch.

“Oh, I have to go,” I said hastily, getting up and heading for the door. “But I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” I called over my shoulder, rushing out his door towards the forest.

“Miss Scarlett, look out!”

I crashed into a wall of flesh and looked to see Lydia standing there in a lacy, deep blue gown, looking smug and beautiful. Lydia had a waterfall of soft, straight golden hair flowing down to her waist, and magnificent jewel blue eyes. She was as tall as me but thinner, less curvy, although I always saw her as far more beautiful than anyone thought I was.

“Scarlett, how nice to see you,” she murmured in her silky voice, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked over my shoulder at the small cabin where a horrorstruck Korrigan stood in the doorway.

“Who’s that?” she asked, looking Emril over with disgust.

I struggled to control my anger. “None of your business. What are you doing here?”

“Father asked me to come and look for you, and since you’re always fooling around in the forest, I decided to check in here.” She placed her hands on her hips, looking like a dangerous ice princess.

We stood there for a moment, facing each other off, me trying to control my temper and Lydia looking superior and overconfident.

“You’re not telling him about this,” I said firmly through my teeth.

“Oh?” she raised a pale brow. “We’ll see.”

“Lydia, he won’t let me in here again.”

“Maybe that’s good for you! Off in the forest, alone? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is in here?” she said gravely.

“Now you’re starting to sound like him.”

“Then maybe you should listen. I’m telling him, Scarlett, but it’s only for your own good.” She turned and stalked off into the woods, while I stood there, shaking with fury.

I looked over my shoulder at Emril, who still stood frozen in the doorway, and nodded for him to head back into his home. He disappeared behind his door. Though Lydia could be an incompetent snitch ninety-five percent of the time, I knew she was only worried about me. I watched her walk off into the woods, and then stop abruptly when she noticed I wasn’t following.

“Coming?”

I growled a curse under my breath and strode past her, not slowing my stride to let her catch up.

“What’s so interesting about visiting a bunch of pesky creatures, anyway?” she asked after a few minutes.

I took a deep breath, walking faster. “What’s so interesting about having a conversation with your own reflection?” I asked, mimicking her innocent tone.

I saw her roll her eyes. “Honestly, Scarlett, you have much better priorities than to spend your time with those vermin.”

I didn’t respond, because I was too steamed. By the time we reached the castle some of my anger had subsided, but I still wasn’t speaking to Lydia. I stormed noiselessly through the corridors and up to my room, slamming the door in her face just as she opened her mouth. I plopped down on my huge king-sized bed, staring up at the high ceiling.

After taking a long bath, I was told to dress formally for dinner—as if I’d ever done otherwise. I grabbed the first things my hands touched in my huge closet and threw them on, and ended up in a long strapless red dress with a lace-up back. I left my swirling hair loose around me, and then exited out the door and down the hall without a glance in the mirror.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Lydia really was going to tell our father about me visiting Emril. Not knowing had me on an edge, and I ran into Dolores, a household servant, who was carrying several thick blankets that piled so high that she could hardly see.

“Oh! Princess Scarlett, my apologies,” she said immediately, her face flushing deep red.

“No, no, it’s fine,” I said, helping her pick up the scattered cloths.

“I’ll pick it up, dear. You hurry off to dinner.”

“I’ll help,” I muttered, picking the blankets up and handing them to her.

After helping Dolores clear the mess I’d created, I continued through the hall to the dining room, a stretched room with a very long dining table, candles lining the middle and expensive plates and silverware at each chair. A beautiful golden chandelier hung right above, its lights twinkling brightly.

I noticed a house servant, Maggie, a stout woman with short brown hair, placing napkins beside each plate, humming carelessly to herself. 

“Hello, Maggie,” I greeted her, picking a random chair and sitting down in it.

She nodded politely at me. “Princess Scarlett.”

I looked away to hide my scowl. How strange those words sounded, so unfamiliar, and yet I’d been hearing them all my life.

A couple minutes later, Lydia came strolling in, dazzling in a soft yellow dress, and sat down across from me, an arrogant expression planted vigorously on her face. I didn’t look at her; instead I watched the trees swaying to a light wind outside the large rectangular window behind her, wishing I was out there. Then came my mother—a short, petite woman with a kind gleam in her eyes. With soft blond curls and a flawless complexion, she could pass for Lydia’s twin sister. My father followed closely behind. He was a tall burly man with hard, severe gray eyes and a sort of superiority in the way he carried himself.

I watched him carefully, his face mostly, to see if there was any sign of anger, but he looked perfectly calm and a bit tired. To my displeasure, he came to sit facing me. I held my breath, waiting for the blow, but it didn’t come. Apparently Lydia was waiting to ambush me once dinner had started.

And that she did.

As soon as the plates were set in front of us, and everyone dug in, talking every now and then—of course, when their mouths weren’t full—Lydia smiled at our father.

“What did you do today, Father?” she asked innocently, jewel eyes blazing.

“Stayed mostly in the library,” he said gruffly. This was nothing new—he was always in the library reading whatever he got his hands on, which was why he was so stern about my grades. “And you?”

“I was out with Peter,” she murmured, speaking of course of her fiancé-to-be. “Do you know where Scarlett was?”

My mother’s eyes flashed worriedly to me, and my father stopped eating to look at me, wiping his mouth on a napkin and setting those piercing gray eyes on mine. I pretended not to hear and continued to eat, but shot Lydia a warning look.

“Where?” my father said distantly, and my face reddened as his eyes landed on me again. “Not in the forest, I hope?”

I didn’t respond. I took a long drink of whatever was in my cup without tasting it, noticing my mother looked disappointed as she always did when she heard of this.

“Exactly there,” Lydia murmured. “You told me to go fetch her, and she was at some mangy elf’s house.”

My father took a deep breath.

“I’ve lost my appetite,” I said hurriedly, and pushed away from the table, hurrying past my mother, who tried to gently catch my wrist.

“Scarlett,” my father warned in a dangerous tone that told me to stop dead.

I skidded to a halt but didn’t turn, preferring not to look him in the eye.

“Why were you in the forest, again?” he asked calmly. This alerted me. His coolness was a sign that told me he wasn’t angry, he was furious.

“Because I’d finished my schoolwork,” I replied feebly, “and there was nothing to do around here.”

“Nothing to do?” His voice rose in pitch a little. “You know Margaret has been dying to hear your opinions on the theme for this year’s ball! You have to continue to study for exams, not to mention you’re failing archery! You have tons to do, and that doesn’t include strolling around the forests visiting elves!” He was beginning to get angry now. My mother reached over to place a hand over his.

“Calm down, dear,” she whispered urgently.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Sophia!” He looked at me. “Young lady, you have responsibilities—”

“Yes, and I know that. But just one day can’t I do something I enjoy?” I tried to keep my temper under control, but fury was leaking into my voice.

“Well, I’m sorry, Scarlett! I’m sorry that you’re royalty and have to be pampered every day! How horrible it must be, to have everyone adore you!” His face was turning a shade of red with rage, but I was too infuriated to care.

“Yes, it is! I can’t have one moment to myself! Every time I turn around it’s ‘Scarlett, do this,’ or ‘Scarlett, come here.’ I can hardly breathe! If I’m not struggling to catch up in school, I’m hearing complaints from the villagers, or having to do something about the ball or plan a party for the king of who-knows-where!”

“You ungrateful little—”

“Lysander!” my mother whispered, tugging on the sleeve of his coat.

My eyes flashed to his hands. He was wringing them, twisting them together, the knuckles turning white from strain.

I lifted my wide eyes to his face. “What, are you going to hit me? Go ahead! Make it quick! I don’t belong in this family, why don’t you make me a servant? Maybe I’d have a better time—”

“Don’t you ever say that!” he snarled, striding towards me menacingly, until he was right in my face, gray eyes murderous, his face beet red. “What has gotten into you? Why can’t you behave more like your sister?”

“Of course!” I shouted, incompetently furious. “Why can’t I be more like perfect, innocent Lydia? Why can’t I be a model child like her? Well, I’m sorry I’m not perfect enough for your taste!”

“YOU ARE NOT TO VISIT THAT FOREST AGAIN, SCARLETT!”

“OR WHAT? You’ll lock me up? Throw me in prison? Do what you want! I don’t care, anymore! Anything is better than being held captive in this hellhole!” I threw my hands up into the air in fury.

At that moment, the glasses on the table behind my seething father burst into a shards of glass, flying everywhere. The curtains hanging around the large window just behind Lydia erupted into flames of orange and red, and the golden chandelier hovering above the table began to rattle.

Lydia shrieked, and my mother pulled her out of the way just as the chandelier plunged down onto the table, leaving a mess of glass in the middle of the counter. My father shot out his hand, aiming it towards the curtains, and bellowed a single word in Greek. The fire was put out, but it left the expensive burgundy fabric in ruins.

I stood there watching it all with tears in my eyes, unable to hold them back. The anger had evaporated from me, leaving behind a hollow emptiness and an utter despair.

“Scarlett, dear,” my mother whispered, reaching over to comfort me. I wiped furiously at the tears on my face and backed away from her. Lydia sat trembling in the corner, watching the chandelier with wide eyes as if it would spontaneously combust at any moment, which I didn’t doubt.

“Scarlett!” my father shouted after me as I continued towards the door. I broke into a run down the hall, pushing my hair out of my eyes. I heard my father bellow my name from behind, but I didn’t stop or turn; I was mortified at what I’d done.

Once in my room, I slammed the door shut and locked the deadbolt, and threw myself onto my bed. I sobbed into a pillow, feeling the worse I’d ever felt in my entire life. Worse than I’d felt today when I’d nearly taken Kirk’s head off.

I cried myself out; ashamed I was such a misfit, that I couldn’t be as perfect and harmless as Lydia. I cried for everything that was wrong with me. I cried for all the times I hadn’t.

When I heard a knocking at my door, I didn’t answer, even when it was my mother’s voice calling from the other side.

“Scarlett, dear, please open the door,” she pleaded softly, sounding quite distraught. When I didn’t respond, she knocked again. “You know your father doesn’t blame you, hon. It’s not your fault.”

It’s not your fault. What an absurd lie those words were. It was my entire fault. I was the source of disorder in their lives.

I heard her leave when I didn’t move to open the door, and buried my face in my pillow to cry again.

What I didn’t expect was a visit from my sister.

“Scarlett, open up, it’s me,” I heard her call; just moments after my mother had gone.

I stayed put, my fingers tightening around the pillow.

“I’m sorry I told him,” she sighed. “It wasn’t right. I’m sorry,” she repeated, more genuinely this time.

I heard the clatter of her heels hitting the floor as she walked away, and relaxed into my bed again. I wasn’t expecting a visit from my father, and he never came. I knew even my mother couldn’t convince him to come and try and comfort me when he was so incensed.

When I felt moonlight spilling over my hair I lifted my head to look out the window. The silver, full moon was gleaming, a silver disc in the dark sky. I walked over and forced the window open. I sat down on the windowsill, hugging my knees to me chest and resting my head on them. I closed my eyes and let the cool night’s breeze caress my face and ruffle my hair.

I tried, for once, not to think about my parents or Lydia, or how horribly destructive I was. I thought back to my visit to Emril’s, which seemed a lifetime away, and remembered what he’d said this afternoon.

There’s been talk about your sister, how she thinks she’s found her guy, and I was wondering if you have.

The Heart’s Desire. I recalled Lydia herself telling me about it one afternoon that classes were canceled because of a storm outside...

“Look at this.”

I’d looked at the book she was holding to see a large heart bordered with vines and roses, and written across the middle it said: The Heart’s Desire.

She’d read aloud from the book: “‘The Heart’s Desire is the conjecture that every living being has another half. Their souls were fused together in Heaven, and when given a body the souls were parted. Once together again in the human world, the souls reveal an infinite connection they would never comprehend.’ How cliché,” she’d said.

Lydia had found her other half in Peter, a boy of eighteen who she was never away from. Would I ever find mine, if I had one? I’d never felt any sort of connection with Stephan. Though he sometimes looked at me like I was something more, and he was a nice, handsome guy, I knew he wasn’t my “heart’s desire”. But it all sounded pretty ridiculous. It was only a theory, after all, and maybe Lydia explained it as her Heart’s Desire because she loved to make others jealous.

I glanced down at the swaying grass far beneath me, just simply wondering. I noticed a couple guards talking around the gated entrance to the castle, either bickering or just having an intense conversation, because a large bulky man was speaking animatedly to the other, imitating explosions. My heart turned to ice as I realized what they were speaking about: the incident this evening. It had already spread across the castle. My stomach churned, and I deeply considered ditching class tomorrow. But why risk getting into more trouble?

I sighed and stood, looking down and noticing I still had on my gown, which was crinkled from lying down for so long. I went to change into my white silk nightdress, then hurriedly made my bed and slid under the covers. I pulled the thick burgundy blankets over me, staring out the open window at the starlit sky, still thinking pensively. I closed my eyes, hoping to trigger some lethargy.

I dozed off, listening to the wind howling through the trees...

 

I was in a large, jade green forest. The sunlight glittered off the leaves, turning the trees a beautiful shade of olive green. The grass beneath my feet swayed with a light breeze. The sky was a clear, cobalt blue, perfectly cloudless. I looked down to see I still had on my thin nightdress, and crossed my arms over my chest.

It was so incredibly peaceful here. There was serenity to the way the wind moved through the trees, the sun was a glowing golden sphere in the sky and somewhere nearby a stream was bubbling. The air was rich with novelty, and I took in a big gulp to fill my lungs.

Suddenly I felt a hand settle on my shoulder. I gave a small gasp and turned to see a guy who looked around nineteen in front of me—a very handsome guy. He was tall and lithe, while strong and muscular. His hair was a deep, inky shade of black that shone like silk in the sunlight, and his eyes were a stunning shade of mysterious deep blue. His skin was a smooth and perfect caramel and the sensual shape of his lips had my own mouth watering.

Though I was positive I’d never seen him before, he was looking at me like he’d known me all his life, with a tenderness in his eyes that left me speechless. He was standing so close that I could feel him exhale. I tried to speak but the words were lodged in my throat; I was plagued by this stranger’s perfection.

He took my face in his hands like this was the most normal thing, pressing his lips gently to my forehead. I felt my heart give a distinct lurch and speed up, and felt my face grow hot.

“You’re so beautiful, Scarlett,” he whispered, his voice as impeccably smooth and irresistible as his appearance. He gently reached to rest my head against his chest.

My eyes closed instinctively, and I relaxed into the stranger’s embrace. I faintly realized I still had on my nightdress, which was a bit revealing, and felt myself blush again. Warmness spread over my body, followed by a profound feeling of security.

“Who are you?” I managed to whisper.

He pulled back to look at me, drilling those dark blue eyes into mine again. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he whispered. “I love you so much.” He tightened his arms around me and pulled me to his chest again, and my head came to rest on his shoulder. I felt his lips skimming through my hair, and my eyes fluttered shut—again, unconsciously. I felt very, very calm in this boy’s arms, though I’d never known him before this moment. Once more warmth spread through my limbs, and my heart reacted wildly. My face was turned to look toward his neck, and I could see his sharp jaw line.

“I’ll see you soon,” he sighed in disappointment, dropping his arms.

I stepped unwillingly out of his embrace to look at him with confused eyes. “What do you—?”

He placed a hand on the side of my face and planted a kiss on my cheek, then pulled back with mournful regret in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said in that overwhelming voice of his. “I have to go.”

“What? Wait—”

I heard his voice once more: “Bye.”

Then I searched for where he’d been standing but could only see the trees bathed in golden sunlight. I scanned the forest frantically for him, but he was gone.

A shape on the ground caught my eye, and I looked down to see a single black rose in his place.

Reviews

[Pepsimax]

10/10, loved it. I could applause my laptop after reading that piece and infact I'm gonna'.