How could he meet her here? He came to this sacred place to seek for guidance, for enlightenment, for peace, for serenity. He had just prayed to God to deliver him from evil, yet the moment he opened his eyes, the Lord Almighty put this pure temptation right before him. Looked like the Holy Father had decided to keep putting him to the test. Heaven kept sending her again and again into his gravity. Dazed, he ceased to move and stood still as if his feet was rooted to the floor.
For a brief moment, she considered to curtsy or greet him with his title, but she decided quickly that it would be odd. She never curtsied nor greeted him from their first encounter. Looking back at it, she felt strange. What kind of relationship they had? From the first time, there had never been a usual formality between them. She observed him carefully, trying to decipher his reaction. He looked surprised, but there was no signs of irritation.
"I... I didn't expect to see you here." She finally broke the silence.
"Quite a coincidence." He managed to reply.
"Distinctly."
When he didn't move an inch, she forced herself to approach him.
Watching her walk toward him down the aisle, he couldn't help imagining her as a bride, coming toward him in a wedding ceremony. He shook the images off of his head. She halted just a feet away from him.
"Thank you, for the gift. It's beautiful."
"Do you like it?"
"Very much."
"Glad to hear that."
"I thought I would meet nobody here, since it's not Sunday." She couldn't believe she could do such a thing, pretending and telling lies. She had never done anything like this in her life.
"I'm coming in a day like this to have a moment alone."
"I thought the same way... Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."
"Not at all." He said. "I was just about to leave."
As if he was reminded of what to do, he said thereafter.
"Well, I won't bother you any longer. Have a good day."
He sidestepped around her and strode away. As the sound of his booted feet echoed in the walkway, she battled the doubt suddenly sweeping over her. She had to give it to him now, or she would never had a chance. She had braced herself to come to this place to see him, pretending it was a chance meeting, she had done this deceit for a reason.
"Wait."
He had reached the doorway when she called him. He stopped as he heard her footsteps coming over him. He turned around and she stopped a feet away from him.
"There's something I want to give you."
She pulled out something from her reticule and showed it to him. It was an antique Georgian block compass set in a hinged mahogany case.
"You gave me such a generous gift, I just want to give you something in return."
She passed it to him. He looked at her face as he received it in his unreadable expression.
"It's a lucky charm." She said.
"What?"
"It's not just a compass, it's a lucky charm. It was given to my grandfather by his wife when he was about to travel to India. It was said to have protected him from danger many times during the journey."
He stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. After a moment's thinking, finally he replied.
"If it's that precious, why are you giving it to me?"
"I think you need it more than me. You are under an obligation to protect your people, there's a chance you will be involved in some fights again in the future... and... it seems that you have many enemies."
"Not that many."
He smiled at her remarks, and her heart skipped a beat. She thought she would never see that smile again.
"I can't take it. It holds a historical value to your family."
"Please, I want you to have it."
"Your father wouldn't allow it."
"He doesn't care, I found it abandoned and when I asked him, he gave it to me rightaway. I bet he has totally forgotten about it now. He doesn't believe it holds a magical power."
"You believe it has?"
"Yes."
"You're a superstitious girl."
"My grandfather survived a seastorm during the sail and an epidemic of disease in a foreign country." She paused for a while, then she said.
"I pray God will bless you with good health and long life, and keep you safe from evil and harm."
Had he heard all of this from someone else, he might very well mock it, yet he felt his chest stirring with emotion. Painful and heartwarming all at once. It had been a long time since somebody gave him a heartfelt gift and good wishes.
"Do you bring it with you everywhere you go?"
"Yes." Another lie. But it hardly made a difference. This whole 'so-called chance meeting' was a lie, after all. But it was a totally harmless lie, she countered her damned conscience.
"Why give me something as important to you as this lucky charm?"
Because I don't want any harm befall you. Because only thinking about it make me feel terrible.
"Because... it will serve a better purpose in your hand, because this land and the people need you, and you are such a fair ruler."
Not the answer he wanted to hear, she made it sound almost impersonal, but somehow he knew it was anything but.
"And what will protect you now that you've already given it to me?"
"I still have my gun, remember?"
"Seriously?" He chuckled in amusement and she smiled in return.
"Thank you." He finally said. "I'll keep it."
He put the compass into his pocket.
"All right, then. Have a good day." She turned away and walk into the church again.
"Take care."
She heard him saying behind her. She sat somewhere in the middle row, held still for some time before she cast a glance over her shoulder. He had disappeared from the door. No one of them said goodbye today, and for some reason, it didn't feel like farewell. She got a feeling, it wasn't their last meeting and soon they would meet each other again.
"Listen, Polly. The day after tomorrow, I'm going to a neighboring town two days away from here to attend a House Party for a week."
Lady Byrne said as she sat in the small dining room, enjoying biscuits and tea.
"And I want to bring Ava with me, as my companion."
"No way."
Polly replied without looking at her, kneading the dough across the table.
"Find yourself another maid. I've got plenty to do here, who's going to go to the market to sell these?"
"You don't need to sell bread or eggs within the time. I'll compensate your weekly income."
"You must be joking!"
Polly stopped doing her job and stared at the lady in disbelief.
"Not at all. Ava has to come with me to the house party."
"There must be some kind of reason..."
Polly narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"He will be there, Polly."
"Who?!"
Lady Byrne said in a conspiratorial tone.
"Magnus. Magnus will be there at the house party."
Polly tossed the dough and stared round-eyed at the lady."My goodness!!! Are you sure about it? How do you know?""I attend the party every year, and his family is always invited.""Go bring her, then! You don't need to compensate. Take her with you as long as you want!""My idea is brilliant, isn't it? But we must keep it a secret. I'm afraid she will refuse to go if she knows she will meet him there.""Agree." Polly nodded."Godspeed. Don't come back empty-handed.""Of course, I bet my plan will work," the lady said confidently."Or I'll compensate you, twice. No, make it three times. Pour me some more tea, Polly. These biscuits are really good.""Agree! Though I'd prefer you to win."Polly got up to fill the cup."Looking forward to hear
He dashed up the narrow road in rapid speed. His mind rioting and his heart pounding. The thought of losing her was extremely terrifying. He expelled a sigh of relief as the sight of her back in a distance caught his eyes. A sudden realization came upon him like a lightning. He thought he had accepted that he had to leave her alone and go on with his life, a life in which she had no share. And he thought he could do perfectly fine with that. But at the very moment he was realizing for the first time, he would only be able to do perfectly fine as long as she was within his reach. He never considered if she was really going.She was strolling along the sidewalk leisurely, no signs of her being in a hurry. She looked around and stopped a few times to see through the shop window.Following her in a relatively safe distance, Ashton battled his own conscience. What the blazes was he doing here? If she really left his to
"This one." She said again. He tried to perceive it but he didn't get it."What?""The mirror..."She looked confused. He just realized she was showing an oak frame mirror carved with leaves and acorns to him."What do you think?"It took a long while for him to recover from the momentary lapse."Lovely. I'll take this one."He took the mirror from her and pretended to scrutinize it."Thanks for your help. Really appreciate it.""You're welcome."She felt a bit nervous after the awkward situation a moment ago, so she made an excuse for leaving."I have to go back to the inn now.""Where are you staying?""Magnolia Inn. And you?"&nb
Oh, dear. He didn't care about it.The man turned toward them and looked down at the ground immediately. He groped beneath the fabric of his pocket reflexively as he saw the chain watch lying on the ground.The boy's eyes widened in fear, his mouth gaped open. The boy waited in pure terror, but the man who captured him said nothing more.The older gentleman glanced at the urchin in suspicion."Thank you, sir."The man didn't shift his gaze from the boy as he came near and bent down to pick the chain watch. He studied them in silence for a while before asking."Tell me, sir. Did that monkey try to steal it?"The boy suddenly quivered in his hand. Ava glanced at him, catching her breath.
Her cheeks turned rosy and she avoided to meet his eyes."Here." He passed the basket of roses to her."Thank you." She said as she took it, suddenly feeling awkward and a bit embarrassed."Not at all." He said. "I bought it only to make the girl happy."Even though it was so, but she felt like she was caught in a beautiful dream. Strolling down the street with him in a fine afternoon, and he bought her a bunch of roses. Unbelievable. They said nothing as they sauntered along the way, in a companionable silence when words were no longer necessary, as if their minds talked to each other in a train of hidden thoughts.It was a beautiful dream indeed, so beautiful it was almost painful when it had to end. The sight of the seaside street where their inn located came into view. The dream receded into reality, and sh
Magnus had everything he could only wish for, anything he could never have. Magnus was the one who had her heart. Magnus was the man she truly loved. Magnus had a little more freedom to do what he really wanted. He had a father and a mother who loved him unconditionally, and his parents loved each other as well. He had a real family.From the corner of his eye, he noticed his uncle was talking with his wife with a disapproving look. Despite the couple's relentless arguments every single day, somehow he knew, they couldn't live without each other. His uncle was a cold, calculating man, so it surprised him the first time he knew that his uncle didn't allow his wife to bear another child after her long, suffering hours of giving birth to Magnus. Aunt Cecily survived a dangerous loss of blood at the time and his uncle swore never to make her pregnant again. He wondered if he could have such a fortunate union with Selene.It was funny how a perso
Beyond the massive rolling green grassland loomed Lord Waldorf's Elizabethan Palace. Three stories high, the mansion stood gloriously against the background of sheltering trees, faraway mountains and clear blue sky."Look, here we are at last! Beautiful, isn't it?"Lady Byrne opened the window and leaned out to have a better look. A sudden gust of wind blew her untied bonnets out of the window."My hat!!! Oh dear!"The hat flew by several yards away and caught in a branch of willow tree. Fortunately it trapped in the lower branch, the pink silk ribbon hanging down and rippling in the breeze."I'll get it."Ava alighted from the carriage after the lady ordered the coachman to stop. She rushed to the tree by the edge of the road. Ava stood on her tiptoes and stretched out to reach the hanging ribbon, but it was still too far. She tried again, once, twice, suddenly a leather-gloved hand ca
She braced herself to look back at him. She knew certainly the purpose of this flirtatious game, and she was not the least bit interested in playing it. However, she didn't want to make a fuss, she had to get through it in the most unobtrusive manner."I am Miss Ava Banks of Evergreen Valley.""A beautiful name, although not nearly as beautiful as you.""Thank you, My Lord. Now if you'll excuse me~""Why hurry, Miss Banks? Do you have to go somewhere else?""Yes,"She thought of a more open space."I'd like to see the garden.""Ah, I have a fondness for gardens."A glint of mischief sparked in his eyes."Let me come along with you. There are so many interesting spots there I can show you."Her breath caught at the wicked promise implied in his polite words."I'm afraid I have to refuse your kind offer."