My Heart Bled Across the Sea
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I didn't want to breath that air, the entire city had a tint of enchantment that I didn't want to see. I wanted to sleep away the Summer, I wanted to wake up from a dreamless and instant sleep and be back home. I wanted to be back to normal. All I did stay in my room, alone, at the window. My heart bled across the sea and my eyes burned with desires I could no longer make into a reality.

Unaware of the situation at the time, I spent the summer of my seventeenth year of life at an inn in Termina. It was larger, at the time, and I could see the ocean from my third story room's window. My mother was ill and my nanny had died, so my seemingly nonexistent father said to leave me there until mother was in better health. I was abandoned.

I met no one and spoke no words to anyone in that Godforsaken town. No one even came to look upon me. Except one. The servant girl. She had brown hair, olive eyes, and was about five foot three. She was beautiful, about sixteen, her eyes were filled with worry. I wanted to worry. My life was "perfect", I didn't need to mourn loss of anything.

I was at the window, one day, when she came with my food. She tripped and the food went flying in all directions. Her eyes met mine. She brought herself to a kneel. "I... I am sorry Sir Norris. My... my... my.... apologies sir."

Then, she started crying. Oddly enough in my childhood, I had never seen anyone cry. I was sheltered. My father was general of the Porre army, and I was raised without him. My mother and nanny were the only people I ever saw. I was given the best toys and spoiled rotten. I never knew there was anything outside. I was outright shocked and horrified, and she noticed.

"I'll just clean this up and leave." She said wiping away her tears.

"No, I can get it, Miss....." I mumbled unsteadily.

"Shindra Keiri." She said with a smile, tears still on her face. Not too surprising since this was the Keiri inn, a family business I suppose.

"What are you so upset about anyway?" I asked not noticing how rude I was due to my lack of social interaction. "There must more wrong then spilling some food."

"I needn't burden you with the problems of a commoner." She stated picking up the plates.

"Please," I said quietly, "I think we could help each other." I sat on the bed and she was still kneeling there shocked. She had come to give me food and to clean my room at the small Termina inn at least thirty times, but I had never said a word to her.

She paused, then sighed. "We are losing our business. We will have no money and I will be forced to marry. It's that simple."

I was horrified. A young girl forced to mary due to a lack of money? That didn't make sense to me. I knew not of these kinds of circumstances, all I knew of love, friendship, friendship, and all emotional things like that were from what I read. "They force people to marry? Don't you have to be in love and that kind of stuff?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you ever been outside?"

"No......." I said wondering what was wrong with my lifestyle.

"Never?" she asked sympathetically.

"Never." I stated, puzzled.

"Then I can help you a lot."

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Months passed. Shindra showed me more then I had ever seen in my books and out my window. I saw fields of viridian grass and monsters, sunsets and marshes, cities and all kinds of places I'd never seen. I must admit, in time I fell in love with her.

It was love, the real kind. It wasn't like my storybooks at all. I met her, and I felt nothing but pity, but in time, I grew to love her. I didn't jump for joy and take her in my arms either, I said nothing for I didn't wish to lose her, to scare her away. I wanted to hold her, I wanted to show her all the love I that she alone had taught me, but I couldn't.

I was afraid.

At around late August..... I got a letter from my father. I was to join the military, for my mother had passed on. I mourned the loss of my mother, as well as the loss of my freedom. I was going to lose her, without a chance to tell her.

The night before I was to leave, we planned to go to the docks. By the light of a golden moon, I professed my feelings, and she felt the same. We spent our last night together knowing we might never look upon each other again, together reminiscing about the summer while the stars silently flew by. We knew our fates led us in different directions, but we would always have memories of our time together.

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All my years of training in vain, my heart bled across the sea. My heart longed only to know about what had happend to Shindra. I was so far away, and she had probably forcibly moved on. All I wanted was for her to be happy, even if I wasn't part of her happiness, she deserved happiness more then anyone in the world.

I was twenty seven the next time I went to Termina. The Keiri Inn was now under possession of another family. I asked around, and I found that Shindra lived down on the other side of the town. I walked to her house, and hesitated at the door.

What would she be like?
Would she be married, or not?
Would she remember me?
Should I interrupt her life like this?

The door opened in front of me. A little girl stood before me, startled. She was maybe eight or nine, with dark red hair and green eyes. "Mommy, Mommy! Some really tall handsome guy is at the door!"

"One minute Enna," a voice called from inside the house. "Ask him his name." The little girl looked back at me. She nodded at me.

"I am Sir Norris of the Porre army," I said knowing this must be Shindra's daughter, "But I'll be on my way." I turned my back, intending to go.

"Mommy, his name is Norris and he's some soldier guy!" Enna called to her mother.

I started walking away. She was married. She was living her life, and I was just a roadblock. I had no right to intrude.....

"Norris!" a familiar voice called from the doorway. I didn't turn around, I didn't want to lay my eyes on her, because it would just reawaken my pain. I began to run. I ran, with as much vigor as the God had granted me, away from my only love.

Pain is one of the most ruthless and indiscriminate forces. It hits all, sooner or later, and not one is spared. I lived my early life with no regrets, only to hit me harder when I grew older. In the end, nothing could have hurt me more, to have scarred my broken heart and leave a never healing wound.

~Fin~