Kira Broadbent – S0019789
Once Upon A Time…
It was a dark grey, miserable afternoon when Sally Walker entered a small coffee shop in Scotland. Her weekend business trip had slowly gone from bad to catastrophic as her superiors questioned her skills as events manager. And to make matters worse; it had been raining all weekend long. Sighing at the thought of how she looked, she finally took in the appearance of where she was.
The faded sign outside the door held the remains of a once bright, inviting welcome, naming the coffee shop as 'Ye Olde Fairytale'. Sally had smirked at the childish title, but chose it for the fact only the owner was inside. After a hard day's work, Sally needed some peace and quiet with no-one asking her questions.
Ancient, driftwood tables in the shape of mushroom tops were dotted around the square shaped room like a meadow. The backs of the chairs were crescent moons, curving to the star cut bottom. Pictures of fairies and fantasy creatures hung mismatched along every space on the walls. Soft red and green tea-lights were held from the ceiling on different length strings, creating a relaxed and mysterious atmosphere. Overall, Sally was happy with her choice.
The small bell above the door alerted the only waiter to her presence, his head shooting up with a smile etched in his face.
"Hello miss, how can I help?" The man asked her, in a thick, strong Scottish accent. Sally smiled back, walking over to the long bar with cakes and coffee behind it.
"Black coffee please," she replies, putting her handbag and coat on the stool next to her while she sat down. The faint melody of an old folk song could be heard in the background and she slowly had her eyes closed before the smell of fresh coffee filled her surroundings, awakening her once more.
"Hard day?" the man asked, stood watching her every move. Sally inwardly groaned, her hopes of peace crushed. Although, the man did seem genuinely curious for her answer. Her cheeks reddened as she noticed his intense green eyes peeking out underneath his dirty blonde fringe. What the hell, she thought before answering.
"You could say that," Sally mumbled, relishing in the kick the coffee had. The man smiled in sympathy and moved to a jar under the till filled with multi-coloured biscuits inside.
"Here, pick one, on the house," he said, and seeing Sally's hesitant smile added, "Each colour means something will happen to you. It's up to you to choose the right colour." She looked at him suspiciously before reaching in and taking a light blue biscuit out, holding it in her palm for him to see. The man looked at her, smiling gently.
"That is the best colour you could have picked. That particular colour will mean when the sun rises next and the sky is blue, your life will have changed. Go on, eat it," he explained, seeing how she was still staring at it in wonder. Carefully and gently, she nibbled into the delicacy, slightly curious as to why it tasted of lavender.
"My name is Eudard," he added after Sally had finished the biscuit. She looked relieved to finally put a name to his face.
"What does that mean?" she asked, not familiar with the name. Eudard stared at her, and she was able to return the gaze this time.
"It means guardian or protector," he whispered, making it sound like a caress. Despite never hearing that name, Sally shivered as if in remembrance, but soon let it pass.
"I'm Sally, Sally Walker. I apologise; I don't actually know what that means," she smiled and he quickly answered.
"It means princess," he blurted, as if he knew already. Sally was surprised that he knew that, but supposed he knew a lot about name meanings. She smiled gently at his red cheeks of embarrassment, finally seeing an emotional reaction from him.
"Trust me, I've never felt like a princess," she joked, loving the small chuckle he came out with. Glancing outside, she noticed how the rain still hammered down on the pavement. "I'll have another black coffee please, Eudard," she added. He stood for a moment, seeing her once again downcast face.
"May I suggest something a little…different?" he asked, faltering on the last word. Sally nodded, a little excited as he grinned and turned to make the drink. As Eudard worked, he mumbled some words, as if singing. But, as Sally noticed, it didn't seem to match the song already playing. And for some reason, Sally didn't care.
She had already realised she wasn't supposed to look at him the way she was; he was a complete stranger after all. Although he was hard not to look at.
Eudard was tall, even as she sat on the stool he still towered above her. He must have been about 26; a year older than Sally was. His long, choppy blonde hair was constantly being moved out of the way of his eyes, and Sally found it oddly entrancing. Eudard's entire black outfit made him look dangerous and intimidating; the complete opposite of his personality and shop.
Sally suddenly frowned, noticing how quiet the coffee shop actually was. Odd, she thought, every other coffee shop she passed had been overflowing.
"Do you get many customers coming in?" She asked as he turned and placed a tall steaming mug of liquid in front of her. It smelled of chocolate and cinnamon, but wanted to hear his answer first.
"We aren't as well-known as other coffee shops. Most people prefer something familiar than something different," he said, but didn't seem bothered about the lack of customers. Sally looked around, understanding what he meant as she noticed the odd theme.
"I think this place is wonderful," she complimented before taking a sip of the drink. The hot chocolate had a taste of fresh mint in it; the whipped cream dusted with more chocolate and cinnamon. Her eyes closed in pleasure. "And that is a lot better than black coffee." She added, with eyes still closed so she could only hear his deep laugh. When she opened her eyes again, she instantly locked onto her eyes.
It was like she knew those green eyes from somewhere; as if from a dream or a past life. The way that Eudard was looking at her made her think that he knew her as more than an acquaintance.
A picture behind Eudard caught Sally's eye. It was a hand-drawn portrait of someone, and had a layer of dust on it as if it had been there for decades. Noticing how her face had changed, Eudard followed her eyes to the portrait.
"That was an old friend of mine that I drew. Would you like to see it?" He said quietly, even though it was a question. She hesitantly nodded, a sudden bad feeling creeping over her. Eudard moved carefully to the picture and slowly lifted it down. Moving back to where she was, he blew the top to get rid of the dust before passing to her. For a moment it was silent, until Sally whispered a small "Oh".
The picture was of her. More specifically, it was her in a medieval, floor-length dress. Her lips were curved in a small smile, and by the looks of her clothes she was clearly a rich woman. Even though it was a portrait, you could see the happy glint in her eyes as she locked eyes with her own brown ones. A small inscription at the bottom stated in long, curved writing, "Her Highness Sally of the North, the princess of the forests".
It was silent for a moment before she slipped from the chair, moving to look at each photo on the walls. Eudard moved to follow her, coming from behind the bar and standing next to her.
"Each are hand-drawn by myself. Some are actual places and creatures while others are from stories I've read," he explained quietly. Sally remained quiet, noticing familiar places in a few drawings. She finally stopped at a very familiar drawing of a small wooden cabin in the woods.
"That's the hide-away we found after my father discovered us. We spent a whole month there before he found us. I never saw you again after that," Sally whispered, surprised to find the words coming from her mouth. She slowly turned to face Eudard, whose eyes were glistening with un-shed tears. Reaching up, she placed her hand on his cheek in a comforting way.
"It's good to see you again, your highness," he said, smiling into her hand. Locking his eyes on hers, Sally blinked once and remembered everything.
"Eudard," she said lovingly, before reaching up to kiss him.
And they lived happily ever after, for immortal soul mates always find each other.
The end…
P.s – The sky was blue outside