Chapter 2
Tristan answers the door and I step in hugging him in a friendly manner. I had always imagined him hugging me, not like this but with the same feelings as me. I love him and I don't judge him...why can't I tell him. "Angela, I'm glad you're here. I want to show you something." He rests his arm over my shoulders as he walks me to the table. A picnic basket lies there with a bottle of fancy champagne and some treats. "I'm taking Victoria on a picnic." He cheers rubbing his hands together.
"Wonderful." I mutter but he's too excited to hear the misery in my voice.
"Angela?" Mr. Thorne greets walking downstairs. "Tristan was about to leave." I smile and suck my breath in through my teeth.
"I know, isn't it nice. Better go Tristan, it'll be too late soon." I shove him out the door and watch him go, my heart sinking into my stomach.
"You love him don't you?" I turn back to Mr. Thorne and nod.
"Promise not to tell him." I beg and he nods in agreement. "I'll be leaving Mr. Thorne. Nonna will have a fit if I don't get home soon."
"Give her my regards." I smile and leave. Only a few feet down the street do I stumble with my eyes blurred from tears and my chest aching.
"Tristan you fool!" I grunt kicking the road sending rocks scrambling. I turn to my door and crumble before the fire. Nonna's cat, Biggle, collapses beside me and begins to purr as I stroke him. His ginger fur absorbs the warmth of the dying fire. I wipe the water from my eyes with my sleeve and carefully put two more logs onto the fire. I pack away the groceries setting the basket by the fire.
Nonna is sound asleep as I crawl into bed and cry. Victoria and Tristan are probably kissing by now, God knows what Tristan wants to do. "Why?" I whimper burying my face into the pillow and crying myself to sleep.
After morning calls me from sleep I climb from bed and wash my sticky face. My eyes are red as I wipe the sleep from them and rub lavender oil onto my skin. I dress into the same outfit I wore yesterday only having two and rush downstairs before Nonna can get there. I serve her porridge with honey and a cup of sweetened milk. She smiles and pulls on my skirt to get me over.
"You cannot hide from me, Angela. I see the look on your face." I hug her tightly. "You tell that Tristan Thorne how you feel, he may feel the same way." I pull away and let her finish her continue eating.
"It's not that simple Nonna." She pinches my cheek.
"Nonsense. I know Tristan, he is shy." She lectures suddenly dropping out of the conversation.
"I must leave Nonna." I say as she finishes.
"You must eat Angela." She orders and I take a bite of bread.
"I did." I chew on the spiced bread as I walk to Tristan's. I knock and he answers with a slab of meat on his face. I smile and cover my mouth with my hand before I burst out laughing. "What happened to you?" I ask as he lets me in.
"I lost a fight to the Wall Guard." I furrow my forehead confused before he sits me down and explains. "I tried to cross the Wall so I could get a star for Victoria, as a gift on her birthday. When I tried to cross he fought me off."
"Tristan, he's almost ninety." I whisper leaning forward.
"That's given him loads of practise then." We laugh and I move the slab of meat from his face.
"Should be alright in a few hours, I suppose." Down the stairs comes Mr. Thorne who looks from me to Tristan curiously.
"What happened to you?" He wonders looking at the meat.
"Wall Guard." Tristan repeats.
"Why were you trying to cross the wall?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Tristan answers Mr. Thorne. I look back at him and he sighs gesturing us upstairs. He helps me into the attic as sits on a bench neatly placed in the dusted room.
He hands Tristan a basket. "That's the basket your mother put you in. And here," he adds handing Tristan the white flower.
"The flower my mother gave you?" Tristan smiles.
"She said it would bring me luck, and here, I never opened it, it's addressed to you." Mr. Thorne clarifies handing Tristan a rolled letter. He reads and his face shifts from emotion to emotion.
"Do you have a match?" He asks taking back the black candle and taking my hand. "Angela, I want you to be with me when I meet my mother. Think about her, my mother." He says as Mr. Thorne lights the candle. I feel the wind gust up my skirt as I'm slammed into a tree.
When I wake it's early dawn. I wake in forest, in a camped area more specifically. I spin with a gasp looking at the sleeping men around me. "Hey!" I jump and run at the man's yell. I hear them saddle up as I lift my skirts and run as fast as I can, ducking and diving, over and under fallen logs and on either sides of trees. Suddenly I feel the leather coil around my ankle and Im slacked onto the ground. My ankle stinging from the leather whip.
"Who are you, girl?" A man asks leaning on his saddle as his horse stops. He is young, maybe his early twenties. His hair is a lush brown and his eyes a dull auburn. His skin is more tanned than fair and his face overall is handsome. He wears the same uniform as all the others. He wears black, boots, cape, everything is black except his horse is a Chestnut.
"My name is-"
"What's happened?" I hear a man with a deep voice yell as his white horse almost tramples me. He isn't handsome and nice like the others, his hair is black and his expression cold.
"We found her in the camp." The other explains as the man with black hair stares down at me with a new expression of anger.
"Why were you in my camp, girl?" He asks and I grit my teeth together trying to keep my fear buried.
"I didn't mean to turn up there." I say truthfully as I stand.
"That didn't answer my question." He hisses losing his short temper.
"I don't know." He slaps me, his hand burnt onto my cheek as I turn back.
"Last chance, why were you in the camp?" I gulp and breathe out my cheek stinging more than my ankle.
"I wondered off the road. I was looking for some food and found your camp. I was spotted before I could get away." I lie and he relaxes back convinced. "Tie her up and saddle her, she may come in useful." The whip uncoils from my ankle as I'm hauled onto the back of the Chestnut.
