Chapter 7 – Revival of a Heart II
Abyss of darkness I befell
Serpentine webs woven from vines of night
Emancipation I was bequeathed
Manifestation of an angel of strength and might
I listen attentively to what my benefactor says, noting his careful enunciation of every single word and slight pause at the end, as if to savor what he saw in the skies.
"See? You can be romantic when you want to." I laugh, turning in his direction.
Unlike Cloud. I could not help but feel a wring in my stomach as the face of the man who was constantly the brunt of my troubles flashed across my mind.
Those cerulean eyes of emptiness.
Those eyes that always seemed to be looking for something or rather…someone.
My benefactor remains silent. Puzzled, I pricked up my ears to catch any sounds that might help me to identify where he was.
"How is your injury, Madam?" My benefactor's voice suddenly interjects the constant melody of the winds that whistled. It was as though his thoughts have wandered far off and suddenly came back.
"Nothing serious, see?" I raise my arms above my head to show him I was in exceptional condition just that an almost instantaneous grimace from me gave that away completely. I think my body must be telling me off for trying to exhaust it
"My lady, I do not see how a horrid wound like that, which is just about to reopen at this moment now, is something you would regard as not serious. Stop undertaking such vigorous exercises. Your body will not be able to take it." His voice is commanding as I feel his fingers moving over the length of the painful streak on my stomach. I think he must be inspecting it.
"Ouch." I yell.
"Are you all right?" his voice is suddenly concerned and more flustered.
"Of course!" I grin.
It is rather fascinating to be living in a world of darkness although I did not wish for this to be a permanent condition. Your ears, they suddenly become the most important thing to you as they receive the various sounds from your environment and your brain puts an image to that sound.
That was a …butterfly flapping past my ear as I heard the gentle fluttering of wings.
Sounds become more amplified as I take in the peaceful breathing of my benefactor, the rustling of the grasses and the touch of the winds on my skin. Oh yes, the sense of touch, I shiver at every human contact or even the gales that float pass. I suppose it must be like that when you are unable to see what was about to approach you.
"It is past mid-night, Madam. I think we had best leave." My benefactor reminds, in a firm but kind voice. I nod and proceeded to get up on my feet but my benefactor, once again, sweeps me off my feet into his arms.
"I can very well walk back on my own!" I protest in dismay.
"I worry about your injury, my lady." My benefactor chuckles.
"All right all right, seeing that you put so much time and effort here." I laugh good-naturedly, patting the wound.
Do you realize that everyone has an aura?
It is the way a person affects the air around him.
As the initial of my benefactor's walk back to his home with me in his arms caused me to push back further into his chest, I felt the lean and well-developed muscles on his torso against my left cheek. I feel the steady vibration of the air molecules as we swept past the area with graceful strides. The molecules are charged with an energy the moment my benefactor walks into them.
He has a strong and stable aura.
In comparison, Cloud has a gentle aura. The environment barely changes even if he should venture past.
Oh Cloud. I clutched tightly at the clothes of my benefactor. Warmness caressed me as my fingertips came into contact with his bare chest. My benefactor looks down at me wondering for a moment whether he should enquire what I was doing. I know, because I could feel the muscles leading to his neck shift.
"My lady, I will not drop you." His voice is reassuring.
"I know." Abashed, I quickly released my hold.
The silence after that was filling with the rustling of the bushes against the clothes of my benefactor. In my mind's eye, I visualized my benefactor.
The massaging session earlier that day had made me realize that my benefactor had rather long hair as I had brushed them aside to make my work easier. He had…smooth facial skin as I worked on his temples and the bridge of his nose. His nose is high and sharp from the feel of it. He must have donned a long coat or robe of something kind for it to be able to touch the low grasses.
"What is your name, Sire? I never knew." I suddenly realized.
The silence was deafening. It was as though my benefactor was having a mental debate.
"That's alright. Tell me when you want to." I said at last, smiling a little up at him.
"I worry that you might get frightened." He replied. I could not tell if he was teasing me.
"Oh right! Try me." I crossed my arms in pretend annoyance. What a sneaky way to get off answering the question!
Oh well. He will tell me when he wants to.
I hear him calling out to his page-boy to release the latches of the entrance and then making his way up the stairs carefully, trying hard not to upset me much.
Placing me on the bed in as gentle a manner as possible, I hear him walk off as his footsteps trailed off and then returning steps as the soles of his boots or shoes clicked against the wooden floorboards.
"What are you doing?" I squeak as I felt the bed being depressed on the side as he took a seat beside me on the bed.
"Getting into MY bed, my lady." He teases me again, for the second time that day, "I am re-dressing your wounds. I do not like to leave things be. If you come under my charge, you had better be completely healed by the time you are ready to spread your wings to escape from me."
"You are cheeky." I wince as my benefactor expertly cleans my wounds and tended to it again.
"You are stubborn." Was his observation.
My benefactor stayed with me for quite a while vesting much time on my wounds before finally standing up. I hear him suppressing a yawn and the crack of his muscles as he stretched.
"Thank you. You are a kind man." I said sincerely, turning in the direction of where the sound of the yawn came from.
"You are the first to say that. Have a good night, my lady." Came the deep voice from the doorway before the steady and heavy footsteps that trailed down the hallway and slowly disappeared.
What? How had he moved so fast?
I concluded he must have really long legs before I felt my eyelids grow heavy and gave in.
The second sun since I had come to this house did a wonderful job of roasting my skin as I felt it radiating in through the windows. I strain my ears to hear more acutely the chatter of little sparrows as they sat on the window sill, arguing.
"How adorable." A deep voice from the far corners of the room echoes my thoughts.
"Yes. I love the little creatures." A little smile touches my lips, I could feel it as joy within me radiated.
"Little creatures? Where? " My benefactor sounded surprised.
"Oh Sire! The lesson last night in learning how to look at things did not work!" I scolded in mild annoyance.
He laughs and I hear him coming over to fetch me from the bed as his boots once again made steady thuds on the floorboards.
"Breakfast is ready." This time, he offers me his arm as support instead of snatching me off my feet. I am relieved.
"Glad that I am not assuming that you are a weakling?" he tries me.
"Yes." I clench my teeth, but also knew that the man was just jesting with me.
Breakfast was a scrumptious affair. We had scrambled eggs with lobster fillings, toast with cinnamon seeds and pure fresh mango juice. I made a mental note of the various tastes so that I could also prepare them someday for breakfast when I was back home.
For Cloud.
"Sire, I thank you for your kind hospitality," I said graciously and stood up from the table,"I should get going now. My uh..friend will be worried about me."
I waited for his response from across the table to excuse me but received none.
Turning my head to my left and right, I strained my ears to detect movements.
There.
It was getting annoying that I could not see. I hear the sound of his breathing more clearly as he stepped up to me.
"Is this friend important?" my neck skin tingles as I felt the warmth of his neck near me. The way he whispered in my ears, it was like two lovers telling each other secrets.
Unexpectedly, the vision of my mind burst into full color as the face of the most important man in my life flashed across. That golden mane of spiky hair, those aquamarine eyes, that…rare smile.
He stands aloof on the edge of a cliff, his clothes flapping in the frigid winds. He had his sword in his hands, as though he had been told that he would have to engage in an age-old battle.
And he is…alone.
To me, he was always alone.
He and I, we were two lonely souls trying to reach out to those who could help ease the loneliness sequestered in our hearts.
"Your boyfriend?" my benefactor continues.
"No. Not at all." I trail off.
"Why do you seem so sad, my lady?" the voice is insistent, as though expecting an answer.
I shake my head and move to head towards the door, preparing to feel my way across. A gasp escapes my mouth as I felt a strong and firm hand wrap around my right wrist.
"Stay." It is more a soft plead than a command.
"I can't, Sire." I reject his request.
"Give me a chance to bring you happiness." My benefactor's voice is gentle as it fades off like the sweet sound of bells ringing.
The weight of my heart suddenly lightened as I lifted my face to my benefactor in shock. I could feel his eyes studying me, awaiting my answer.
Maybe…just maybe someday, I could have that too.
That which my heart cries out for.
That elusive thing.
Happiness.