I stomped down the stairs. I'd had enough of Lady Millicent! She was cruel and nosy, always trying to find out everyone's business, even though she would find out somehow anyway!
I sneezed, grabbing my cloak. Over the past few days, I hadn't been able to see Leo very much thanks to Madame Nosey.
"I'm going out," I muttered. Lady Millicent barely looked up from her stitching.
"No. It will probably rain, as it has been for the past few days. You've been sneezing. Being out in that awful precipitation will do things to your health. Your father would hate it if you got sick," she stated icily. I shook my head.
"It won't rain. I'll be fine. My father trusts me, although he oughtn't worry about me so much," I replied. I walked out the door, not giving Lady Millicent a chance to protest.
It did rain, although that wasn't surprising. I was kidding myself, saying that it wouldn't. I walked calmly to the gardens, not entirely oblivious to the pile of black fur that kept following me around. It was getting closer, too. The first day, it was twenty feet away. Now it was only about five feet away. The tip of the Yethid's tail was silver, and he was now close enough for me to see his silver claws and the flecks of red in his fur. Tongue panting like a dog, the Yethid gleefully followed me everywhere.
Since it was raining, I sat inside the gazebo. The Yethid continued to stay outside, whining. I chuckled.
"I'm sorry, pup, but you can't come in. I'd love to take this charm off, though," I commented. I heard a quiet, deep laugh behind me.
"Talking to the air again, Mari?" asked the owner of the laugh. I turned around, smiling.
"Leo! I'm not talking to the air, just myself. You should be used to this by now," I teased. "No, it's just the baby Yethid that follows me everywhere. But thanks to this charm from Allodia, he can't come any closer," I replied. Leo frowned, finally spotting the pup, who playfully barked at him.
"Remind me to thank Allodia. I don't want you dying anytime soon," he said. I rolled my eyes.
"I'm not going to die. Allodia only said that 'bad things happen' when they're around. That doesn't mean I'm going to die. Besides, I think it's cute," I answered. Leo shook his head.
"Did anyone ever tell you that you are absolutely insane?" he asked. I smiled innocently.
"You," I replied, shoving him playfully. "On a topic completely unrelated to my questionable sanity, have read my letter yet?" I asked. Leo shook his head.
"There was nothing in the willow tree, Mari. Are you sure you left it in the right one?" he asked. I sighed.
"Positive. I just don't understand how my letter could just disappear from the tree like that. No one knows about that. No one knows about our adventures here, except Allodia, that is," I remarked. Leo nodded.
"It's a mystery." I put the letter in the willow tree. I know I did. Yet somehow, it had disappeared. I filled Leo in on everything that the letter said, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the letter's disappearance. What would we do if we couldn't trust the hiding spot? Worse, what would happen if we weren't safe in the gardens anymore? It was our secret hideout, where we could both be together without any disruptions. It was our own little world, where we could forget all of life's duties. What if it was no longer safe? I decided not to think about that. Instead, I focused on the unusual rooms in the castle where we were exploring.
Later, the clock tower rang five, and I rushed home in the rain.
I left the house the next day under similar circumstances. The Yethid continued to follow me, only a few feet away. I really wished that I could pet it, but the charm kept it at bay.
Once more, I was sitting in the gardens, waiting for Leo. Now that he was growing older, he faced more pressure about ruling the kingdom and getting married. That was a situation he did not want to face. That would have to come later.
Ten, twenty minutes passed. Finally, I checked the willow tree. A letter! I took it out and unfolded it, the rain threatening to ruin the newest one. I sat under the gazebo, reading it.
Dear Mari,
I can't come to the gardens today. I've been banished to my room for never being in the castle when I should be. I'd rather be with you than with my stuffy, old tutors. On top of that, my mother has been entirely badgering me about ruling the kingdom, keeping peace with the surrounding countries and creatures, especially the fairies. Hopefully I will be given my freedom tomorrow.
Leo
I smiled. Leo would rather be with me. It made me feel somewhat hopeful. I was almost to the point of admitting my feelings for him to myself. I sighed, folding up the note. Despite that small hope, I still couldn't see Leo today, which disappointed me. I looked up at the Yethid, who was still sitting out in the rain. I felt bad for the poor pup, always sitting in the rain due to my charm. I looked at the charm, and then yanked it off, setting it inside the gazebo. The pup wagged its tail, and I walked out into the rain, ready to pet it. The Yethid jumped up and down, excited for the attention. I bent down, petting the small pup. It rolled upside down and I scratched its belly. It looked so happy and adorable!
The Yethid licked my hand. I stood up. I'd have to get home, soon. It was getting cold out here in the rain.
The Yethid followed me while I walked. I sneezed and shivered in the cold. I hadn't felt this cold in the rain before, which was odd, because I had been walking in the rain for the past week. Why was it suddenly catching up with me now?
I ordered the Yethid to leave, and it reluctantly did, although it sat in the bushes. I walked inside, and Lady Millicent smiled.
"Welcome back. You're home earlier than usual," she commented. I shrugged.
"It's cold and rainy. I guess I'm just not feeling all that well," I replied. Lady Millicent shrugged.
I did not know that she noticed that my necklace was gone.
"Well. I certainly hope you feel better. We'll eat dinner in about a half an hour," she stated. I would have been suspicious of her sudden kindness, but I was quickly developing a splitting headache. This was so odd…feeling ill all of a sudden. Did the fact that I had taken off Allodia's charm have anything to do with it? Frankly, I didn't care. I felt sick.
I did not eat dinner; I was not hungry. Rather, I lay down and slept, my dreams haunted with visions of dark magic as I slowly slipped into delirium.