Page 31 of Heir Of Sun And Moon
Thunder cracked so loudly that I wondered if the tower might fall. I bolted from the window and ran upstairs to crawl under my blankets. I wasn’t sure if minutes or hours passed by, but I stayed under the covers, curled in on myself, willing it to stop. In between booms of thunder I thought I heard Alexi’s voice, but I was too scared to lift the blankets and check. A few moments passed when I heard booted steps coming up the stairs.
“Little One, are you up here?”
I yanked the blanket off of me, my hair a tangled mess as I forced it away from my face to see him clearly. He was drenched from head to toe, dripping water onto the wood floors.
“I didn’t think you would come,” I whispered, jumping as another clap of thunder rang out through the air.
Alexi stared at me, his face reassuring as he took in my terrified state. “I brought you a surprise. Come see what it is.” He reached a hand out, helping me from the bed. Grabbing a towel from the washroom, he dried himself off as best as he could before we went downstairs together. I knelt down by the supply box, lifting the lid and looking at a cloth-wrapped item on the very top. Carefully, I unfolded the layers until the gift was revealed.
“You brought me a new book!” I exclaimed happily as my fingers traced over the engraved title on the front.
“It was my favorite story when I was a boy,” he replied, squatting down next to me and unloading my supplies. “You might find it boring though. There are a lot of fight scenes and dragons.”
I laughed and hugged the book into my chest.“I like those things too,” I said as I rolled my eyes at him. “Does it have any princesses?”
“It does. Her name is Armina, and she isn’t a regular princess,” he said, reaching his hand out to take the book from me. He turned and walked to the couch, and I followed—the two of us sitting side-by-side, my legs crossed in front of me.
“What kind of princess is she?” I asked, startling as thunder shook the tower again, my eyes darting to the balcony windows. By the time I looked back, Alexi had already lit the candles that sat on the tea table, illuminating the living space as he opened the book and turned to the first page.
“She is fierce and brave, unafraid to follow her own path. She uses swords and fights boys—”
“She does?” I interrupted, eyes wide as I stared at him. I couldn’t imagine a princess using a sword and fighting boys. Maybe because I was a princess and unable to do either. His chuckle drowned out the storm outside, and I relaxed a little more into the couch, scooting an inch closer to his side.
“She even rides a dragon,” he said with a wondrous look in his eyes, like he couldn’t imagine such a thing. My own awe had matched his, as dragons were my favorite of the creatures I had learned about from other kingdoms.
“Like the fae do,” I said, looking at him in excitement. He nodded, a small smile gracing his lips, before he began to read.
I feel a crack in the ice surrounding my heart as the memory recedes in my mind. I imagine reinforcing that frozen wall—layer after layer—coldness seeping in and snuffing everything else out. The boxes in my mind shake as they try to break open, shadows surrounding them in every corner, but I squeeze my eyes shut, not allowing anything to reach the surface. Feeling these things won’t change anything. Crying serves no purpose. I have to stay numb. So I do.
The sun has refused to come out for almost an entire week, making it difficult to rouse myself from bed. Today however, I finally bathe and get dressed, washing a reluctant Bella as well. I find that my appetite eludes me these days and I barely have the energy to move. If it weren’t for Bella needing to be tended to, I imagine I would stay in bed forever. At least I have my library and the stories and fables that distract me from suffering in reality.
Bella’s head pops up from where she’s laying next to me on the window seat, her gaze going to the living area. My body tenses, fear that the king is back making nausea burn in my stomach. I hold my breath—waiting for the door to open and his boots to pound across the wood. But he never comes in. I look back at Bella and see her head now resting back over her crossed paws. The last time she reacted like that was when the guard had dropped off the note and flower.
A gut feeling has me moving off the seat and through the library, passing the shelves of books as I make my way to the front door. My steps come to a halt when I see a piece of paper lying on the ground. My fingers twitch at my sides as I slowly step towards the paper, not exactly sure why I’m hesitating. I blow out a breath and finally grab it off the floor, gently unfolding it. A smile threatens when I see the handwriting.
MY LADY,
I MISS THE SUN. DO YOU? I’M NOT MUCH OF AN ARTIST, BUT I DID TRY DRAWING A SUN FOR YOU. YOU CAN TELL ME IT’S BAD; IT WILL ONLY HURT MY FEELINGS SLIGHTLY.
SINCERELY,
THE GUARD WHO IS COLD AND TIRED OF THE RAIN
At the bottom of the note is a crudely drawn sun and three scraggly looking clouds. My lips faintly pull up on one side. Quietly, subtly, within the frozen layers that surround my heart, a tiny fracture appears.
Chapter Eighteen: Rhea
Icouldn’tsleep.Mymind was plagued with unwanted memories every time I closed my eyes, so I came out onto the balcony for fresh air. Leaning forward on my elbows, I watch the water of the lake ripple in the wind. The scent of flowers and earthy grass from the rain travel on the breeze, surrounding me with fragrances that I don’t know the names of. I’m lost in the headiness of it, eyes closed as I finally start to relax, when there is a knock on the door. I whirl around—the door to my tower directly in my line of sight from where I stand on the balcony. Keeping my steps silent, I slowly walk to the door, my heart curiously pounding.
“Hello?”
“Hello, My Lady,” he says. “I have another gift from Tienne and Erica for you.” My eyebrows draw up in surprise at the, once again, thoughtful gesture of the two maids. “I’m happy to leave it out here for you, if you’d like,” he adds.
I chew on my lip, unsure of what to do. It’s not that I exactlywantto talk with him, but even I must admit that these days of complete isolation are beginning to wear on me. Yes, I have Bella, and I am so grateful she is here, but a part of me yearns to hear another voice. Even if it is just so that I don’t only have to hear my own. I’m tired—so, so tired—of this aching, heavy feeling that threatens to pull me under every minute of every day. Maybe talking to this guard can somehow reset my brain so that it doesn’t keep haunting me nearly every night.
“Can you,” I start and then pause, clearing my throat before trying again. “Can you wait a moment?” I ask awkwardly through the door as I stare down at my nightgown.
“Yes,” he answers in a slow drawn-out drawl. Before I can second guess myself, I quickly run up the stairs to change into something more appropriate. I grab one of my more plain dresses, the light blue color and cut of it unremarkable. When I finally come back down, I rush to answer the door but don’t see anyone at first. My brows draw in as I stick my head out past the door frame, disappointment at the guard no longer waiting threatening to bring me to tears. Turning my head left, I yelp when I see him leaning against the wall next to the door, his eyes closed and arms folded over his chest. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he says, opening his eyes and straightening back up.
