Author's Note: Ok, so I'm not sure if this is considered a Sequel to Time or not. Thank you to those of you who reviewed and favorited Time, it has meant very much to me. Thanks to all of those who read no matter if you leave a review or favorite or not. By you simply reading gives me reason to smile :) I hope you enjoy this, especially you Compa16, you did request it after all. I am not ready to have them be in a real relationship yet so... I hope you enjoy.
Work
For a while now it seemed he had worked harder. Getting just stable work seemed easy now. He had gone up to Sir Theodore, finally getting the courage to do so, and asked for the more arduous jobs around the castle. His excuse was that he wanted to challenge himself. The older man could see through the lie, but being the gentleman that he was, he didn't question him. His reward, a cup of water every day with a whispered "Thank you". She knew. That only made him want to work harder.
Comments
Everyone in town was rumoring, the castle had not welcomed such talk, but there was still comments here and there. Gunther's father had started looking for a maiden that his son could marry. His father had become worried that a good deal could pass him by so he started looking for arrangements. But it seemed that when word of this had reached Gunther, he'd exclaimed he didn't want to marry, especially not someone his father found him for money. The comments were mainly about who was the reason for such reaction. A fellow knight.
Field
The castle's younger staff members knew very well where the two knights ran off to each day. They covered up for them. Beyond the castle walls, to the direction of the sea there was a field, looked beautiful in every season. The knights denied anything happened there except talk. That was what excited their friends the most, them talking. The more they talked the closer they got. The more often times they went to the field, the longer they were away. It was a cupid's arrow in the shape of a field.
Air
It was easier to breath, they had come out to their friends about their relationship, a rare kind of courtship if you might. Their parents were unaware, at least that is what they thought. Her father was quite observant, but he hadn't said anything. Gunther bumped into him, the man smiled and looked him in the eye. "Don't hurt her, please." Gunther was then left to himself. He told her later that day, she smiled "Seems the air is even easier to breath now, don't you think?" He actually agreed with her.
Table
They had become friends, or at least as close to friends as they could become. The boy with the silly hat had asked him to meet him today after dark where they ate everyday. He knew what the topic was going to be. "It's time to set things down on the table," is what he said when the night was still young. "She's happy with you and that's all I could ask, for her to be happy." is what he said when the sun was about to rise. Gunther had looked at him, he knew they were friends now, really friends, Finally, after laying their hearts down on the table.
Fight
She'd smacked him. Kicked him. Punched him. Screamed at him. Then dropped to the ground crying. He'd broken it up with her. His dad found out about the field. He'd been told to break the friendship off or he'd be disowned. He made the wrong choice, he couldn't go back on it now... Could he? He wanted to go get the boy in the silly hat, have someone console her. She hated him, but what else could he have done. He already did feel like he belonged anywhere, he didn't need it to make it official. He had no will to fight, no reason. Even when that reason laid at his feet sobbing.
Emerald
It was lonely, he missed the field. He walked by his father's storage space looking for a place to be alone with his despair. He went in. Took a look around, and he found a small necklace. It was a plain silver circle metal piece enclosing a small gem, an emerald, it reminded him of her eyes. It was so plain, yet so beautiful, he put it in his pocket and left the room. That necklace found it's way to her room, laid on her bed with a lavender stem. That day they both knew they were in love.
Today
She hadn't spoken to him in four months, not since that day in that field. Today they were shooting arrows in the yard. She was concentrated on hitting the bullseye, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth, her eyes looked sad but focused, the sun hit her in such a way that Gunther couldn't look away. She let go of the arrow and it hit close to the center but not quite there yet. He couldn't take it any more and before either knew what had happened he took the arrow from the target and walked all the way home, not paying attention to her shouts to return the arrow. When he arrived to the house he walked in and slammed the arrow on the table in front of his father saying "It appears I am no longer your son and you are no longer my father." He walked out to see her shocked face and walked away with a simple "I'm sorry for being a fool..."
Us
She didn't help like the others did when he moved within the palace walls. She was there, he saw her several times, she just... wasn't there. That night he roamed the castle alone and quite upset. He had lost his family name, not that he really wanted it, it was built upon lies and dirty business with the kingdom's enemy. It was the idea of belonging that he'd miss. That's when he saw the shadow. He chased it, thinking it was an enemy, it wasn't. She turned and he could see the tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry" he took her in his arms "Don't be, I did it for us..."
Friends
The castle welcomed him with open arms, he already was a part of it before, he had just not realized how much that was true until now. This was his home not that house with that wretched man. He had fixed things with her, they still weren't how they were before, but they were good. He made friends, he was happy for the first time in a while. He had friends, but they weren't friends, not really. They were more like family. A dysfunctional but loving family and he was happy and glad to be the newest member of said family.
Cry
He didn't care about that old man. He didn't care, he wasn't even his dad anymore. But he couldn't stop the tears from flowing. The anger, the regret. He died in his sleep, found by a neighbor who hadn't seen him in two days. Now Gunther would never get answers he always looked for. Who was his mother? Did he have more family? Why didn't his father love him? These would all go unanswered for the rest of his life now. She heard him cry, the whole castle did. Yet, they pretended not to hear. That would upset him more. Instead she left food by his door and let him cry all he needed to cry.
Should
He should talk to her about their feeling for each other. They weren't children any more. They weren't squires anymore. They were both knights. Two knights in love. He had nothing to offer, but did that really matter? He should go up to her and kiss her, but that wasn't honorable. Instead, he did what he should have done a while ago, since he moved into the castle. He asked her to go back to their field. That field that had seen so much of them. Now here they were, talking, laughing like if the past year had never happened. They knew they shouldn't be here, but who cared what they should or shouldn't do?
