Part 14 - Apologies
The next morning Matthias awoke in the partially constructed gatehouse. He had stayed there for the night, still too angry to sleep in his and Cornflower's dormitory. He found a note on the floor from Cornflower. It read:
Matthias-
I hope you will give me the chance to apologize for yesterday. If you are willing, I will be at the old chestnut two hours after midday.
Cornflower.
*******
That afternoon, Matthias went to the old chestnut tree 10 minutes early, hoping to get some time to think before Cornflower got there. He was surprised to see her already there, pacing back and forth and talking to herself. He cleared his throat to get her attention.
"Oh! Um, I, uh, hi, y-you see, it went l-like this, erm," she stammered, taking deep breaths in between every few words.
Matthias was surprised to see how nervous and upset she looked.
"I, um, just wanted to, um, " she took a deep breath before starting again. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I-I was only laughing at the irony of the situation. I mean, you're seen as a tough, un-emotional warrior, and there you were speaking so sensitively about me. I really appreciate the sweet things you said, too. Like I said before, everyone takes you to be a hard-hearted warrior, but you're really just a softie. W-well, not to vermin, but....." she dropped off, staring at the ground. Tears came to her eyes, much as she tried to stop them.
Matthias just stood there. He had already forgiven her. But he remained silent because he was trying to figure out if he had seen tears or not. He fervently hoped not, but if he had he knew it was only his own doing.
Cornflower waited for a response. She waited for a minute..... two......two and a half.......
"Why did you even come if you aren't going to say anything?" she asked coldly, mistaking his silence for anger. "It would have been better had you not come at all." With this, she left, running towards the abbey.
Matthias, knowing what she had thought, stood staring after her for a few seconds before chasing after her.
"Cornflower, wait!" he yelled, but to no avail. She ignored him, going through the main door.
By the time Matthias reached the door, she was out of sight. He groaned, inwardly screaming at himself for being stupid. After taking a minute to collect his thoughts, he went to all the places she would be.
"Infirmary first," he muttered, dashing up the stairs to the sickbay.
"Hello, Matthias," said Brother John, who was helping in the infirmary. "Anything we can do for you?"
"Is Cornflower here?" he blurted.
"No, I haven't seen her all day."
Matthias didn't respond, just turned around and ran to their dormitory. All he found there was balled up pieces of parchment with the beginnings of a letter addressed to him on them.
"Nothing," he murmured. He ticked off the places left to look for her. "The gatehouse, Cavern Hole, the library, and the kitchens."
He went running to the various places, coming out of almost all with no luck. It was in the kitchen where she was, helping Friar Hugo. Upon entering, Matthias was almost run over by many beasts that were preparing food for afternoon tea and supper. He reached the enormous Hugo, who was right by the door he had entered.
"Matthias, my lad, what can I do for you??" said the cheerful friar.
"Is Cornflower here?" Matthias asked. "It's very important."
Hugo looked immediately uneasy. "She's over there, cleaning dishes, but I wouldn't go talk to her. She looked quite upset when she got here."
Matthias ignored him, and weaved through the crowded kitchen to where she was candying chestnuts (A/N: is candying a word??? I have the bad habit of inventing words to fit in. heehee.)
As soon as Cornflower saw him, she turned her head away swiftly.
"Cornflower please let me talk to you."
She thought she heard a hint of desperation in his voice. "I'm listening."
"It's okay. I'm sorry I didn't respond, I-I was just trying to-to see if you were crying. I wasn't sure if I saw tears or not."
"Really?"
"Cornflower, of course! You are the only family I have every known, and I love you more then anything. Something as little as that is not enough to keep me angry at you."
She looked up at him, tears returning to her light brown eyes. He hugged her, not caring who saw.
"I love you."
The next morning Matthias awoke in the partially constructed gatehouse. He had stayed there for the night, still too angry to sleep in his and Cornflower's dormitory. He found a note on the floor from Cornflower. It read:
Matthias-
I hope you will give me the chance to apologize for yesterday. If you are willing, I will be at the old chestnut two hours after midday.
Cornflower.
*******
That afternoon, Matthias went to the old chestnut tree 10 minutes early, hoping to get some time to think before Cornflower got there. He was surprised to see her already there, pacing back and forth and talking to herself. He cleared his throat to get her attention.
"Oh! Um, I, uh, hi, y-you see, it went l-like this, erm," she stammered, taking deep breaths in between every few words.
Matthias was surprised to see how nervous and upset she looked.
"I, um, just wanted to, um, " she took a deep breath before starting again. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I-I was only laughing at the irony of the situation. I mean, you're seen as a tough, un-emotional warrior, and there you were speaking so sensitively about me. I really appreciate the sweet things you said, too. Like I said before, everyone takes you to be a hard-hearted warrior, but you're really just a softie. W-well, not to vermin, but....." she dropped off, staring at the ground. Tears came to her eyes, much as she tried to stop them.
Matthias just stood there. He had already forgiven her. But he remained silent because he was trying to figure out if he had seen tears or not. He fervently hoped not, but if he had he knew it was only his own doing.
Cornflower waited for a response. She waited for a minute..... two......two and a half.......
"Why did you even come if you aren't going to say anything?" she asked coldly, mistaking his silence for anger. "It would have been better had you not come at all." With this, she left, running towards the abbey.
Matthias, knowing what she had thought, stood staring after her for a few seconds before chasing after her.
"Cornflower, wait!" he yelled, but to no avail. She ignored him, going through the main door.
By the time Matthias reached the door, she was out of sight. He groaned, inwardly screaming at himself for being stupid. After taking a minute to collect his thoughts, he went to all the places she would be.
"Infirmary first," he muttered, dashing up the stairs to the sickbay.
"Hello, Matthias," said Brother John, who was helping in the infirmary. "Anything we can do for you?"
"Is Cornflower here?" he blurted.
"No, I haven't seen her all day."
Matthias didn't respond, just turned around and ran to their dormitory. All he found there was balled up pieces of parchment with the beginnings of a letter addressed to him on them.
"Nothing," he murmured. He ticked off the places left to look for her. "The gatehouse, Cavern Hole, the library, and the kitchens."
He went running to the various places, coming out of almost all with no luck. It was in the kitchen where she was, helping Friar Hugo. Upon entering, Matthias was almost run over by many beasts that were preparing food for afternoon tea and supper. He reached the enormous Hugo, who was right by the door he had entered.
"Matthias, my lad, what can I do for you??" said the cheerful friar.
"Is Cornflower here?" Matthias asked. "It's very important."
Hugo looked immediately uneasy. "She's over there, cleaning dishes, but I wouldn't go talk to her. She looked quite upset when she got here."
Matthias ignored him, and weaved through the crowded kitchen to where she was candying chestnuts (A/N: is candying a word??? I have the bad habit of inventing words to fit in. heehee.)
As soon as Cornflower saw him, she turned her head away swiftly.
"Cornflower please let me talk to you."
She thought she heard a hint of desperation in his voice. "I'm listening."
"It's okay. I'm sorry I didn't respond, I-I was just trying to-to see if you were crying. I wasn't sure if I saw tears or not."
"Really?"
"Cornflower, of course! You are the only family I have every known, and I love you more then anything. Something as little as that is not enough to keep me angry at you."
She looked up at him, tears returning to her light brown eyes. He hugged her, not caring who saw.
"I love you."