Serenades of the Desert Rose
Chapter Seven: Like the Granite Your Eyes Mock
Author Notes: Sorry guys. I've had a really bad last month. I haven't heard from or seen my best friend in a month because her mother is a bitch. My brother was in the hospital and his son has been sick too. Not to mention ALL of my friends birthdays are within the time frame of May 1st to June 20th so I've been trying to juggle time with all of them too. It's just been a long month. But, I'm finally updating. Here's chapter seven everybody.
~~*~~
Almost a week had passed, and Mina was far more than confused. Since their night of passion, Malachite had barely spoken to her and he had distanced himself even further than before. She sighed.
'Well, if that's what he wants, then so be it. He can have his distance.' she thought bitterly. It was well before dawn already and she couldn't sleep. She had her sword strapped to her waist, but she had left her hair down.
She had no idea what she was going to do, she just knew she couldn't stay here. She didn't belong here. She closed her eyes and sighed slightly.
"Something wrong, Mina?"
She stopped abruptly and stiffened. She turned to glance at Malachite. These were the first informal words he'd said to her in a week.
"Of course not, Lord Malachite." she replied evenly. She held her head high. "I'm leaving." she added, more as an afterthought.
Even in the darkness, she could see that her words caused him to flinch. "You cannot." he returned. She fumed.
"Of course I can!" she snapped. "I can leave right now, and you can't stop me!"
He looked at her evenly. "Do you truly wish to leave?" he asked. His tone was even, unemotional. He didn't even care if she said yes, she thought.
She hesitated. Did she want to leave? She wasn't sure. "Yes." she said finally. She couldn't see him everyday, when he paid her little to no mind. She would not stay here and let herself be used by him.
"Then so be it." he whispered after a moment. He turned and began to gather their camp. They were ready to ride in less than an hour.
He mounted and offered her his hand up. She accepted silently, the flame that passed at each touch staying her breath. She sat behind him this time and held his waist.
~~*~~
Malachite couldn't help but be distracted by her. Whenever she touched him, it sent his mind for a loop. He couldn't concentrate.
He knew that he felt something for her. But what? Was this love? He doubted it. He had serious doubts that he could be loved. Besides... why would she, the child of Venus herself, love him at all. He'd been rude to her and acted like an all about asshole, and he knew it.
He was defying direct orders by taking her back to her home. He'd never even considered doing something of this nature before. And yet for her he'd dropped everything he'd held important in an instant for her.
"Mina..." he began.
"Hm?" she responded. She sounded a bit drowsy, like she'd been asleep.
"I must tell you." he started, but hesitated. "King Darien has foreseen a great evil to descend on both our homes." She tensed.
"When did he see this?" she breathed.
"Before I'd stolen you from your home. I'd not cared about your home before now... but... I thought I should warn you."
She was silent. "Thank you." she said after a long moment.
"Mina..."
"Yes?"
He stopped. "Never mind."
~~*~~
She was worried about her home, now that Malachite had shared his knowledge. She hoped, and not for the first time, that the princess and her friends were alright. This was ridiculous, and she knew it.
She was in the middle of the desert, a place she'd always longed to be, and now she only wanted to go home.
Well, she could atone that to Malachite. She shivered at the thought of his granite eyes. So cold, like the stone they portrayed.
She would never reveal that they melted her heart every time they looked upon her.
~~*~~
They stopped a few hours after dawn and shared a silent morning meal before continuing forward.
"We can make it back to the palace before nightfall, if we hurry." Malachite told her. She nodded slightly.
"Malachite... what am I to you?" she finally asked him. He said nothing.
~~*~~
His mind almost exploded at the question and he had a hard enough time keeping his reaction from his movements. What was she to him?
He didn't have just one answer. She was beautiful and a very talented swordsman. She was the reason he smiled. She made his heart flutter and his knees weak with her laughter. Her touch brought flame, her smile joy.
Again he asked himself... was it love? He'd never loved before. He'd never even had time for more than required interaction with women.
He racked his answer for a response. He didn't have one.
~~*~~
Malachite had been silent for almost ten minutes and Mina was giving up hope that he was going to answer. She lowered her eyes.
Just her luck. The goddess of love falls for someone who doesn't think of her as anything at all.
Her vision blurred as tears filled them. She tried to blink the tears away, but nothing was going to stop them. They fell and spotted on Malachite's back.
~~*~~
He was startled out of his mind when he felt something wet on his back. He moved slightly and saw that Mina had rested her forehead against his back and was silently crying.
He wasn't sure why, but his heart felt like it had cracked in half.
"Mina, what's wrong?" he asked gently, far gentler than he'd ever been with anyone in his life. She shifted slightly.
"I'm fine." she lied. He pulled the reins back and slowed the horse. He shifted around and looked at her the best he could.
"You're lying." he stated. She avoided his eyes. He reach down and used two fingers to tilt her chin up. Streams of tears ran down her face. Even when her eyes were puffy and red from crying, she looked beautiful. "You asked what I think of you as." he reminded.
She nodded slightly, sadly.
"I think of you... as my friend."
It didn't truly describe what he felt, but it was a start. Only his cousin, the king, and his fellow lords had ever gotten that claim from him.
She forced a smile, one that still seemed pained.
~~*~~
'Friend.' she thought. She sighed to herself. 'Well, it's better than a nothing.' she tried to reason with herself. She sighed. 'And if I can only be his friend, then so be it.'
She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Malachite." she finally said.
He looked at her for a long moment. "Should we continue on?" he asked. She nodded, a small smile on her face when she looked up at him.
~~*~~
They reach the palace just after dark, both of them standing and staring up at the magnificent structure.
"You're home, princess." he said to her. She nodded. Now that she saw the palace again, she wasn't sure she wanted to be back here.
Chapter Seven: Like the Granite Your Eyes Mock
Author Notes: Sorry guys. I've had a really bad last month. I haven't heard from or seen my best friend in a month because her mother is a bitch. My brother was in the hospital and his son has been sick too. Not to mention ALL of my friends birthdays are within the time frame of May 1st to June 20th so I've been trying to juggle time with all of them too. It's just been a long month. But, I'm finally updating. Here's chapter seven everybody.
~~*~~
Almost a week had passed, and Mina was far more than confused. Since their night of passion, Malachite had barely spoken to her and he had distanced himself even further than before. She sighed.
'Well, if that's what he wants, then so be it. He can have his distance.' she thought bitterly. It was well before dawn already and she couldn't sleep. She had her sword strapped to her waist, but she had left her hair down.
She had no idea what she was going to do, she just knew she couldn't stay here. She didn't belong here. She closed her eyes and sighed slightly.
"Something wrong, Mina?"
She stopped abruptly and stiffened. She turned to glance at Malachite. These were the first informal words he'd said to her in a week.
"Of course not, Lord Malachite." she replied evenly. She held her head high. "I'm leaving." she added, more as an afterthought.
Even in the darkness, she could see that her words caused him to flinch. "You cannot." he returned. She fumed.
"Of course I can!" she snapped. "I can leave right now, and you can't stop me!"
He looked at her evenly. "Do you truly wish to leave?" he asked. His tone was even, unemotional. He didn't even care if she said yes, she thought.
She hesitated. Did she want to leave? She wasn't sure. "Yes." she said finally. She couldn't see him everyday, when he paid her little to no mind. She would not stay here and let herself be used by him.
"Then so be it." he whispered after a moment. He turned and began to gather their camp. They were ready to ride in less than an hour.
He mounted and offered her his hand up. She accepted silently, the flame that passed at each touch staying her breath. She sat behind him this time and held his waist.
~~*~~
Malachite couldn't help but be distracted by her. Whenever she touched him, it sent his mind for a loop. He couldn't concentrate.
He knew that he felt something for her. But what? Was this love? He doubted it. He had serious doubts that he could be loved. Besides... why would she, the child of Venus herself, love him at all. He'd been rude to her and acted like an all about asshole, and he knew it.
He was defying direct orders by taking her back to her home. He'd never even considered doing something of this nature before. And yet for her he'd dropped everything he'd held important in an instant for her.
"Mina..." he began.
"Hm?" she responded. She sounded a bit drowsy, like she'd been asleep.
"I must tell you." he started, but hesitated. "King Darien has foreseen a great evil to descend on both our homes." She tensed.
"When did he see this?" she breathed.
"Before I'd stolen you from your home. I'd not cared about your home before now... but... I thought I should warn you."
She was silent. "Thank you." she said after a long moment.
"Mina..."
"Yes?"
He stopped. "Never mind."
~~*~~
She was worried about her home, now that Malachite had shared his knowledge. She hoped, and not for the first time, that the princess and her friends were alright. This was ridiculous, and she knew it.
She was in the middle of the desert, a place she'd always longed to be, and now she only wanted to go home.
Well, she could atone that to Malachite. She shivered at the thought of his granite eyes. So cold, like the stone they portrayed.
She would never reveal that they melted her heart every time they looked upon her.
~~*~~
They stopped a few hours after dawn and shared a silent morning meal before continuing forward.
"We can make it back to the palace before nightfall, if we hurry." Malachite told her. She nodded slightly.
"Malachite... what am I to you?" she finally asked him. He said nothing.
~~*~~
His mind almost exploded at the question and he had a hard enough time keeping his reaction from his movements. What was she to him?
He didn't have just one answer. She was beautiful and a very talented swordsman. She was the reason he smiled. She made his heart flutter and his knees weak with her laughter. Her touch brought flame, her smile joy.
Again he asked himself... was it love? He'd never loved before. He'd never even had time for more than required interaction with women.
He racked his answer for a response. He didn't have one.
~~*~~
Malachite had been silent for almost ten minutes and Mina was giving up hope that he was going to answer. She lowered her eyes.
Just her luck. The goddess of love falls for someone who doesn't think of her as anything at all.
Her vision blurred as tears filled them. She tried to blink the tears away, but nothing was going to stop them. They fell and spotted on Malachite's back.
~~*~~
He was startled out of his mind when he felt something wet on his back. He moved slightly and saw that Mina had rested her forehead against his back and was silently crying.
He wasn't sure why, but his heart felt like it had cracked in half.
"Mina, what's wrong?" he asked gently, far gentler than he'd ever been with anyone in his life. She shifted slightly.
"I'm fine." she lied. He pulled the reins back and slowed the horse. He shifted around and looked at her the best he could.
"You're lying." he stated. She avoided his eyes. He reach down and used two fingers to tilt her chin up. Streams of tears ran down her face. Even when her eyes were puffy and red from crying, she looked beautiful. "You asked what I think of you as." he reminded.
She nodded slightly, sadly.
"I think of you... as my friend."
It didn't truly describe what he felt, but it was a start. Only his cousin, the king, and his fellow lords had ever gotten that claim from him.
She forced a smile, one that still seemed pained.
~~*~~
'Friend.' she thought. She sighed to herself. 'Well, it's better than a nothing.' she tried to reason with herself. She sighed. 'And if I can only be his friend, then so be it.'
She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Malachite." she finally said.
He looked at her for a long moment. "Should we continue on?" he asked. She nodded, a small smile on her face when she looked up at him.
~~*~~
They reach the palace just after dark, both of them standing and staring up at the magnificent structure.
"You're home, princess." he said to her. She nodded. Now that she saw the palace again, she wasn't sure she wanted to be back here.