Spellbound
Chapter Five: Along came spring
Cherith
The weather grew steadily warm as the New Year and the first months of the year went by. My parents had been gone for almost three months but would be back soon. They were keen to spending part of the cold months at King Andre's by the sea villa in Seaside. Usually they only went for a couple of weeks, but this time they decided to prolong their stay to let Alec test his hand on the government.
Still, I don't know how mom and dad can stand being at the villa for SO LONG. I'd been there but never more than two weeks. Once the fist shock of awe at seeing the sea was over, there was very little to do at the beach other than walk around or ride, two things both Alec and I love to do… but it kind of lost it's appeal when it was the ONLY thing we could do with our time – being how our parents were most often than not 'elsewhere' and their bedroom door nailed shut in the middle of the day.
Anyway… spring was spreading gently and lovingly over the Valley, everything was coming back to green life after along white-winter dormancy… as always, this filled my heart with joy.
Changes at our valley and our city were slow and smooth in their happening… kind of like Alec's ever growing friendship with Amy. They made a nice pair, both of them liked to read and loved being outdoors, even when it was cold and Frog adored Amy and that was a path straight to my brother's heart.
Oh, I had seen it from the beginning!
Now I was just waiting for Alec to notice too… but knowing my numbnut of a brother… it could take a while… but maybe now that our parents were due back and Dad would be re-taking the reins of the kingdom and Alec would be back to having lots of free time, things would be a little different.
I mean… one can only hope…
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Alec
The sky was blazing blue and intense; the breeze carried a sweet, sticky smell, almost like caramel and the woods were covered with every shade of green and plants and flowers alike were blooming in every color of the Rainbow. Spring was finally here.
Amy and I were by the river in the Romney Forest, not exactly but near the place my father always took us to as the King's Festival drew near. I loved the forest and knew every last bit of it. It was Amy's day off work, and she usually spent said day with me and Cherry and Gerry and Callie, but today the three aforementioned persons were just missing… well, not missing, I knew where they were: Cherith had been postponing the fitting of her new Spring wardrobe for weeks, and she knew that if she didn't get it done before Mom's arrival, she was in for trouble. Callie and Gerry were called to duty because my Dad was to review the Guard once he was back and they were all practicing for the review.
So Amy and I were left alone to our own devices, which wasn't bad at all… she was more open and calm when it was just us or us plus Cherith. Gerry and Callie made her nervous, mostly because they spent every waking hour watching me like a couple of hawks and since I was with her, they watched her too, and Amy was still very self conscious when it came to people watching her.
I guess it was all because of her scar… though truth be told, I rarely noticed her scar anymore, it was just something I took in as part of her face.
Anyway, since the river had finally unfrozen and was tepid enough to actually get into it, I had decided I wanted to go fishing. My mother had taught me to fish since I was very small and I enjoyed doing it… the laziness of it all… Amy didn't know how to fish, so she sat on a big rock in the middle of the stream and dipped her feet and chatted with me as I attempted fishing and Frog wandered about, jumping into the stream's pools chasing frogs and crickets and whatever caught his fancy.
I had caught something with my rod and as I moved around to reel it in I slipped and fell down on my bottom, getting completely soaked and losing my catch anyway. I began to curse explosively under my breath but then I heard something… something so sweet and free that I couldn't be mad anymore.
Amy was laughing- a new free easy laugh that I had never heard before. Her head thrown back in artless delight.
"I'm sorry," She chuckled as she gasped for breath. "But it was just so funny!"
She attempted to control herself as I pulled myself up in the same rock she was sitting but when she saw me all soaked she gave up and let out another peel of laughter.
As a mean of vengeance I launched myself at her and caught her small body in a tight embrace, she squealed as her own clothes were soaked through with the water dripping from mine.
"You evil, vicious man!" She said in mock annoyance and pushed at my chest, trying to get me to loosen my grasp. "Now I'm as wet as you!"
"That will teach you not to laugh at me." I said very low in an attempt of menace that would have been all good if I hadn't spoiled it with a grin.
She shook her head. "You're so evil." She said but grinned as well.
Suddenly everything was happening so slowly. We were very close… closer than what was appropriate, our clothes all wet and all I could hear was her breathing… quick, shallow intakes of breath that were no better than my own… and our faces were so very close… it would have been so easy, just lean down a little… it's all a little pressure…
Do I dare?
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Amy
I could hear my heartbeat in every little last corner of my being; it was a fast, steady sound that almost drowned all sound… except for his breathing… I could feel his warm breath across my lips, we were that close…
Suddenly I realized I wanted him to kiss me.
That had never happened before.
For a moment I allowed myself to entertain the idea… and it was one brilliant spark of happiness that I hadn't felt in a long, long time… perhaps ever. I wanted it so much… but I couldn't.
Alec's arms were growing hard around me- Even though we were both soaked and the breeze was cool, I could feel the heat of his body all over me.
Maybe I should allow myself to be weak… just this once, heaven knew when I would get a change – if ever – to be this close again.
I was about to let go when an image of Dionne with her auburn hair and mulberry eyes shot through my mind… she had destroyed everything I had ever loved… I didn't know where she was but I couldn't bear the idea of endangering Alec. Not even the smallest bit.
"I- I…" began brokenly. "I think I'm as wet as I'm going to get, you can let me go now." I said attempting a lightness I didn't feel.
"Yes… of course." Alec muttered but her arms lingered around me for a moment longer and I took a chance to catch on the sent of his skin, warm and fresh and a little soapy with the barest hint of something crisp and masculine… spice… or maybe cinnamon….
He let me go and we sat in silence for a while… growing awkward by the second.
It was, finally, Frog who saved the day as he came splashing about and hopped on the rock between Alec and me. He held a fish between his jaws and was patiently shaking his tail and waiting for his well deserved praise.
"Aren't you smart, Frog?" Alec said and petted him, his large hands weaving through the wet coat of gleaming fur.
I joined the petting and Frog stood up to lick my face and then went to nuzzle Alec. He was chewing at something on Alec's neck; it looked like a cord of chain… "Frog, settle down." He said sternly and Frog immediately lay down again and began to eat his fish.
I looked up to Alec, wanting to tease him about his stern tone but when I looked up I saw that there as indeed a leather cord around his neck and dangling from it was a wooden ring too small to be his, it must have belonged to some lady he held close to his heart. I couldn't see all that well, but the circlet seemed to be made of oak and was craved with tiny leaves and acorns.
Alec caught me looking at it and before I could ask he explained. "It's a magic trifle." He explained. "Jadzia gave it me when I was, like, three years old or something like that. She said that only the woman I was meant to marry, my soul mate, could wear this ring."
"Isn't that something weird to tell a three year old?" I asked, glad that there was no awkwardness between us now.
Alec nodded and then grinned. "I asked for it." He said and shook his head as if trying to figure out why he had been so foolish. But then he looked up, over to the horizon where the river twisted and turned out of sight into a more dense part of the woods. "My Aunt Emily – mom's sister – and her husband… Uncle Adam, I suppose – he has never really been close to us – had just come for a visit, I don't remember why. But I do remember all they did all day long was argue, and if they weren't arguing they were just coldly polite to each other… which was so unlike the way my parents acted around each other. I was too young and didn't understand why was that…
"Later I found out that they didn't love each other, they were never even close to the way my parents are completely, madly infatuated with each other. And probably never will. Some gossip has it that my uncle was really in love with my mother when they were younger, way before she married my dad. But anyway, as a young boy I didn't understood or knew anything about it, so I did what I often did when I had a doubt, I asked Jadzia –because, as everyone knows, she always has all the answers even if she doesn't always chooses to share them – and she told me that my aunt and uncle were like that because they weren't soul mates like my parents were… and that it was a precious thing indeed to find one's true mate… that few people ever accomplished such task.
"And then I asked how could I be ever sure that I had found my true 'mate' – I didn't even knew that the word really meant back then – and she gave me this ring and said that only the one who was the other part of my heart would be able to wear it. It's a silly story, but I think it would be pretty neat if it turned to work out in the end." He finished and grinned.
"It's a lovely story… and if you ever find Ring-Girl that will be some story to tell the grandkids." I joked… because it felt right to joke.
He faked annoyance. "You're earning a trip into the water, missy." He said with all the weight of his noble blood… and I had the gall to laugh.
He shook his head and reached once more of his rod and attempted fishing for an hour or so longer. Then he gave up and produced a small basket he had brought along in case he didn't manage to catch lunch – implying we were supposed to eat the fish he caught, which were none – and we had a nice little lunch there in the middle of the rock And then we played cards for a little while and lazed about until the sun went down and it was time to go back home.
And as we walked back towards the Palace, I couldn't help to think that this was simply the most perfect day ever… ever… ever!
Sadly, I couldn't also help to think that it might be a while –if ever – before I had the chance to experience such a happy day again.
And by the sky, how I hate it when I'm right…
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End of Chapter Five
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Notes:
Thanks to everyone for reading this!
In the next chapter things start to get complicated…
You'll see:
Alyssa Pires: Heheh, thanks, it was the only name that fitted him, oddly enough.
Helen:sighs along: Thanks for reading!
Connie: Heheh, yep he likes her …
Katty: Thanks, lovey, you're a precious darling
Nuriee: Thanks! I'll try to write faster J
hoolihoopgrl131: Thanks so much! J I hope you keep liking this
Bratsie: Precious! Thanks so much:D I hope you like this chapter too!
li'l bling bling: Thanks!
Masked Dragonfly 0926: Heheh, this author can only say that lets say that Jadzia knows it all…
EreshkigalGIrl: Thanks for reading!
THANKS!
Love,
Clavie, Master of the Universe