More introduction and a bit of plot buildup. Nuffin' much else.
"Are you ready for your riding lesson, Anaya?" Silas asked, the sound of hooves hitting the dirt ground as he led a paint mare towards the Duchess. Anaya's blue eyes widened softly as large mare approached her, ears twitching and mane gently blowing in the cool wind.
"Oh, my...can I start with the pony?" Anaya asked, Silas chuckling as he shook his head, flower petals and leaves being shepherded across the small meadow.
"No, I fear not, darling!" Silas grinned, firmly tugging the mare by her reigns, whistling.
"Say 'hello', Ada." Silas spoke, Anaya laughing as the mare nuzzled her, lips outstretched as she awaited for any food the human may have had.
"Hello, Ada. I fear I do not have any food for you." Anaya spoke, smiling as she stroked the horse's snout before pulling away as the mare began to nip at her hair.
"She likes you, Anaya. Well, now that the introductions are exchanged, shall we begin?" Silas asked, Anaya nodding as both smiled.
"Do not worry. Ada is a gentle girl, are you not?" Silas asked the mare, Ada snorting, as if to respond as the knight patted her flank.
"I am so glad it is spring. I miss spending these days with you." Anaya commented, smiling as Silas briefly looked at her before buckling the straps and saddle in place.
"Absolutely! It would do you well to be outside more than cramped in the castle walls." Silas agreed before muttering, "And do some work for a change." Anaya's mouth opened, the woman unable to speak as Silas laughed.
"Excuse me?"
"What?" Silas asked, feigning innocence.
"You are very rude!" Anaya stated, putting her hands on her hips in mock anger.
"And I do work, I helped when you built a chicken coop." Anaya countered, Silas crossing his arms over his chest.
"All you did was hand me that nails." Silas smirked, laughing. "Of course, I was fine with that. Your father would have my head if you so much as broke a nail."
"Oh, yes, because Father is such a slavedriver." Anaya replied, rolling her eyes, a smile permanently plastered on her face.
"Yes, I can see that it runs in the family." Silas dodged a playful smack, easily stepping out of her reach.
"Curse your tallness!" Anaya cried, laughing as she pursued him, the pair completely forgetting about the horse as Ada began to graze on the grass.
"Oh, terror! Flee from the Duchess and her iron rule!"
"Oh, dear! I fear you have found me out!" Anaya shrieked in play, kicking off her heels as Silas gently grabbed her attacking wrist, his canines showing.
"Oh, yes! Your reign of forcing my kin to do useless tasks shall not do unavenged!" Silas cried, Anaya snorting as she burst out in laughter again, her face beginning to heavily flush.
"You are the one that gives Berend useless tasks! That poor misguided child!"
"Berend is perfectly fine under my guidance. My useless tasks keep him out of trouble and away from us." Silas explained, Anaya playfully pulling her hand from his grasp.
"You horrible person! Is he still looking for unicorns in the forest?" Anaya asked, Silas chuckling.
"You are speaking of a boy who believes in dragons." Silas replied, Anaya's eyes narrowing as she smiled fiendishly.
"Truly? He sounds like a boy I once knew." Anaya purred gently, Silas grinning softly.
"Hmmm, truly?"
"Oh course! Haha! Except that boy was more of an idiot."
"Now you went and wounded my manly feelings. All one of them." Silas spoke, slightly rolling his eyes as Anaya stuck out her tongue.
"Awe, you poor baby!"
"Yes! A real Duchess you are! Such womanhood!" Silas exclaimed, teasing as Anaya mocked rage.
"My womanhood? What of your knighthood, Sir Adler?" Anaya asked, putting emphasis on his title as the man dropped his arms.
"What of it? I cannot help that my Duchess is so needy." Silas grinned, Anaya snorting slightly.
"Needy? I fear it is you that needs me."
"Oh? With all due respect, you lie, Dear Duchess." Silas replied, Anaya's eyes narrowing slightly, hands on her hips.
"Really, now? Do tell." Anaya asked, Silas smiling smugly.
"Do you remember the time that I became injured when a lance broke through my armor?" Silas asked softly, his voice suddenly quiet as Anaya's eyes fell to the ground, her soft lips slowly parting.
"Yes. Yes, I do." The woman responded, producing a smile laden with hurt.
"And what did you do?" The knight asked, his stormy eyes boring into the woman as she produced a soundless chuckle.
"I never left your side until you could get out of bed. Everyday, I would clean and dress your wound, cook you food, sing you lullabies to help you fall asleep despite the pain, to try and make you forget about the fever, and pain. W...When you would sleep..." Anaya paused, piercing her lips as crystalline tears began to fill her eyes. Silas' playful mood evaporated, his brow creasing in worry as he looked at the woman, his hand firmly clasping Anaya's smaller hand. The woman's eyes locked onto Silas' and she saw the mix of emotions that his eyes contained, whirling around like a storm. Love. Admiration. Concern. Nervousness. It was all there. Anaya smiled, but the smile quickly turned into a slight frown as tears slowly ran down her flushed cheeks.
"When you would sleep...I could never sleep. I would watch you, almost every night, and, and see you writhe in pain from the fever. I could not take my eyes off of you, because I feared that if I did, you would stop breathing. I watched every breath you took, and would pray to God that it would not be your last. Oh, God, Silas, I prayed so hard. I was terrified of losing you, and I still am." Anaya admitted softly, wiping her eyes with her free hand as Silas paused, digesting the words.
"Anaya...you did not have to do that." Silas spoke, at a loss for words as the woman looked up at him, shaking her head.
"I did what I did to help you. All my life you have been there for me, ever since we were children, and it was the least I could do to help you, perhaps even save you. You need not worry about me anymore, Silas. It is my turn to protect you." Anaya stated, the woman suddenly looking at the ground as she shook her head.
"Please, stop lying..." Anaya begged, suddenly breaking down into sobs as she desperately grabbed onto the man's arms, her nails digging into his skin.
"A-Anaya? Wh-"
"Stop lying to protect me, Silas! Please, just stop! I know it is you! I know! I do not care if my life ends for it is of my own actions, but I shall not have one I love die for me! I-" Anaya was cut off as Silas suddenly grabbed her face, his weight causing Anaya to step back a few steps, faces mere inches apart.
"Do not say that! Never say that! If anyone shall die it will be him! Do not throw your life away for a bone conjurer! Cut him off, cut him off! Your business with him is over, Anaya, it has been over since you aided Creedy! He is but a loose end! Please, please, I implore you, not as a knight but as a...a friend!" Silas begged, Anaya shaking her head, the stream continuing.
"I cannot, Silas, I cannot. I am too far in his dealings..."
"Once! You aided him once! Anaya, cut him off before something terrible befalls you or he both. If you do not then I shall!" Silas cried in frustration, his breath beginning to quicken.
"No, Silas...he is a good man!" Anaya stuttered, Silas' mouth agape in slight shock.
"A...a good man? A good man? The man is a blasphemer! Summons the dead-desecrates corpses-commits sin and you call him a good man?! How can you not see that he will be the death of you?!" Silas roared, Anaya beginning to shrink into herself.
"I know...I know, Silas, God I know..." Anaya broke off, voice faltering as her breath hitched.
"Is death what you want?" Silas asked, harshness leaving his voice as the woman looked up at him, her eyes piercing into his. Anaya hiccuped as she felt the knight wipe away her drying tears.
"No. I do not want this. I know...that is I die, Silas...I know you will try to protect me. And I know that you will most likely die trying. I can...I cannot...be like that. It kills me, it kills my soul to know that I will be your reason for death. Even now, I can see the pain that I have caused in your eyes, and I cannot bear it. I cannot if it means you being in pain." Anaya whispered softly, the pair quieting as Silas released a shaky sigh.
"What do you truly want?" Silas asked softly, Anaya's lip trembling as he asked. No one has ever asked her that simple question.
"Freedom." Anaya's voice was barely but a whisper, "I want to be free from rules, free from statuses, and roles. I feel like I am trapped, like I cannot breathe, like I am a bird in a stone cage where I can do nothing but waste my life away and watch the world pass me by. What I want...is to see the oceans that I have only seen in paintings, to see cities that I have only read about, to...to climb upon the highest mountain peaks like I have in my dreams, to meet new people and travel to strange lands and have adventures. But more than that...I want you to be happy, Silas. That is truly all I want." Anaya smiled, a genuine smile as hope and love filled her eyes. Silas' eyes softened, a weak chuckle escaping his lips.
"I think we should focus on traveling to the ocean then. I have never seen one myself." Silas admitted, Anaya looking upon him with confusion.
"Truly? But...what of your happiness?" Anaya asked, frowning slightly as the man smiled.
"Anaya, are you blind? Being with you...well, that is all I need to make me happy." Silas spoke softly, the woman's eyes widening in slight shock, before Anaya began to bounce up and down with excitement.
"Oh, happy days!" Anaya cried, Silas grunting as he was pulled down by her short height from her arms wrapping around his neck, delivering a tender kiss. The pair parted, a goofy grin plastered on the woman's face, now a deep shade of scarlet as Silas froze, flushing. Anaya could feel his heart pulse in terror, or was it nervousness? Anger even? No, not anger.
"I love you, Silas." Anaya suddenly blurted, a foolish grin still on her face as the man looked at her, eyes wide.
"I..." Silas stuttered, looking at the woman for any signs of distrust. Surely she meant as a friend, yes? Or...something more? Was that it? More? Silas could feel his heart pound wildly against his ribs, and as much as he wished to speak he found himself frozen. He couldn't bring himself to say those few words that meant so much. It appeared that the imprint of society upon him was keeping him silent. A knight that was the son of a slave in love a Grand Duchess? Impossible. His blood would only cause her ruin.
Without warning, Silas embraced the woman, Anaya yelping as he hoisted her off the ground slightly. Silas buried his head in her nape, inhaling her scent as she felt the woman return his embrace.
"Silas? Silas, what is wrong?" Anaya asked gently, feeling the young knight's shoulders heave slightly. He was crying.
"Shhhh, it is alright. It is alright, Silas." Anaya soothed, feeling her heart break. She had never seen Silas cry. The man that she had known from childhood was too honorable, too brave, too strong to cry. She was always the one crying, and Silas would always be there. No matter what, he was always there. Now she had to be here for him. Just like she had to protect him.
"It appears that I am not strong enough to break my bonds that I am chained in." Silas spoke, sighing as he kissed the woman's hair before pulling away, Anaya regretfully obiding.
"Do not say that, Silas. You are strong." Anaya responded, the knight shaking his head.
"I fear you are wrong, Anaya. But I promise, when the time comes for me to break those bonds, I shall not fail you. I promise."
"I do not doubt you, Silas. I shall never doubt you."
"I am glad." Silas replied, smiling softly as Anaya mimicked the facial feature.
"Now, then...shall we actually start your riding lesson?"
Thank you for reading and supporting!