Never Let Me Go Chapter 1
Solomon followed two girls to a large garden near the farms. He had decided to get up early to prepare his gift for Sheba, but he had no clue what to get her. Arba and the others were still asleep, so he took it upon himself to search for something meaningful. Eventually, he decided to pick out his own flowers from the garden and hand them to Sheba. The girls had offered to lead Solomon there, since they were going to help their mother prepare the stand at the market.
The garden expanded for several acres, and was properly fenced off to keep the land separate from the farmland. Other women were in the garden, tending to the flowers and bushes that lined the pathway. Everyone looked up and bowed their head towards Solomon. Some offered him flowers, but he politely rejected them. He knew that they were offering the flowers in a way a commoner would offer something to a king. He didn't need that; not now, not ever. Solomon reached a part of the garden where several flowers were in full bloom. Red, purple, yellow, and hues of different colored petals painted over the greenery. Solomon knelt in front of one flower. It was a small, pink flower with two or three layers of wide petals. He took a whiff, taking in the sweet fragrance. Solomon stood up and turned to a nearby woman.
"Do you have more of this?" Solomon pointed to the pink flower. The woman walked over and knelt by the flower. She hummed.
"I think this is the only flower we have that's blooming, Lord Solomon."
"I see." Solomon rubbed the back of his neck. "Can I have that one, then?"
"Of course. Is it for someone special?"
Solomon only smiled in reply. The woman carefully took the flower from it's home and got it ready. Solomon watched as she nipped the extra leaves on the stem. Before she could put it in a vase, Solomon stopped her.
"No vase."
The woman nodded and handed the flower to Solomon. He held the stem between his thin fingers and twirled the flower in a slow, careful manner. He could easily make more flowers bloom, but this one.. This one was special. Solomon took a deep breath and looked up towards the city. Sheba would be waiting for him, and he pictured how she would respond to his gift. He smiled to himself and made his way towards the market square.
Sheba stared at her reflection in front of the mirror once more. She had checked her outfit, her hair, and her general appearance at least a dozen times already but she had to be absolutely certain she looked decent. Sheba placed her hands on her hips and sucked her stomach in. Her cheeks puffed up as she held her breath.
"You need to breath at some point during your date." Behind her, Arba leaned against the doorway. Sheba yelped and turned around.
"Why do all of you scare me like that? Is it a trait the resistance has?"
"It is a good trait to learn how to sneak around undetected," Arba approached Sheba and placed her hand on top of her head. "You're going to be fine, Sheba."
Sheba blushed and looked down. "I'm nervous. What do I do from here?"
"You enjoy yourself, of course. Solomon is a good man, and he needs you. Remember what I said before, and the promise you made with me."
Sheba looked back up, staring into Arba's kind eyes. She had a genuine, pleasant vibe that was almost motherly. Finally, Sheba found her words.
"I will protect Solomon, and I will always be on his ally. No matter what."
Arba nodded, feeling reassured. "Good. Now, lets get you ready for your big day."
Arba helped Sheba in a comfortable attire and braided her hair. Sheba looked at herself from the mirror and this time, she felt confident she would do well. I'm going to make sure Solomon doesn't regret choosing me.
Arba walked Sheba out of the compound, her silent company calming Sheba's nerves. When they arrived at the entrance of the market square, Arba looked at Sheba.
"You're going to be fine. Go out there and remember to have fun."
Sheba nodded and took a deep breath. You can do this. She walked down the steps and made her way to the market square. Humans and other species wandered the square. There was still some tension and hostility, especially after rumors had started to spread of the other magicians taking advantage of the situation for their gain. But being so close to the center of the resistance, many of the beings in the market square kept a more jubilant vibe. Sheba greeted those she passed by; it was becoming second nature to her to greet everyone with kindness. Normally, she would be with Solomon when she did this, but she had to prove to herself that she could handle these duties, too.
At the center of the market place was a large fountain where most of the social gatherings took place. Today, Sheba used it as a landmark for Solomon to find her. She sat on the edge of the fountain, her hands folded on her lap. She looked around, wondering if Solomon would be able to actually see her. While Sheba never openly admitted it.. There was no refuting that she was short compared to everyone else. It was becoming a running joke that Tess may actually beat her in terms of height, and she couldn't help but grumble at that. Of course, she could easily use magic to make herself taller but she wanted "nature" to take it's due course. Magic was good for many things, but she didn't have to use it for everything.
Still. Sheba was short, and with all the species wandering the market place, there was no guarantee she would be seen. Maybe I should stand up instead. Sheba nodded to herself as she lifted herself on the fountain's edge. She placed her hands on her hips and looked around. It took her a second to realize that standing up on the fountain's ledge did nothing but lift her up maybe a few inches from the ground. She pouted and crunched her mind to find something that would get Solomon's attention. Granted, she wasn't sure if the leader of the resistance was even here. The option to just call for him was also plausible, but that was too embarrassing. She didn't need the entire base knowing that she was on a date with Solomon.
An hour passed and Sheba felt her legs grow weary from standing. She sighed and crossed her arms. Maybe Solomon forgot about talking to me this morning. He is a busy person…
From the crowd, a young human boy was running with a bag of goodies. He looked back, as if he was trying to run away from something. Sheba looked up last minute and saw an old woman running after the boy, waving a stick towards him. She didn't have enough time to avoid the boy running into her, and Sheba fell into the fountain with a loud splash. The crowd gasped, and when Sheba resurfaced, the boy was spluttering apologies.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean–"
"You!" The old woman grabbed the boy's ear and twisted it painfully to the side. The boy cried out as he was forcefully dragged out of the fountain. "Do you have any respect for your elderly?"
"You don't get it, I was just–"
"Shut it!"
Sheba gently took the old woman's hand. "Please let this boy go. I'll pay back what he stole."
"Ah!" The woman jumped back, startled to see a dripping wet Sheba. "T-Thank you, Lady Sheba, but things are a little different…"
"It can't be that different, right?" Sheba smiled before turning back to the fountain. Potatoes floated and drifted towards the center. "I'm sorry for what happened. I'll go and get the potatoes for you."
"Lady Sheba, you don't have to."
Without another word, Sheba jumped back into the fountain and began bringing the potatoes closer to her. The white sack floated towards the edge, so she waded back and returned the potatoes back inside. When Sheba pulled herself out of the water, the boy's ear had been freed from the iron grip. She handed the boy the sack.
"I'm sorry they got wet. But I hope you can make use of them somehow."
The boy nodded sheepishly. "Th-Thank you." He hurried away, probably embarrassed that he had created such a ruckus.
"I'll make sure to pay you back soon, ma'am." Sheba smiled. "Can you show me your stall?"
"Sheba."
Sheba stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Solomon approach her. She opened her mouth to say something but Solomon was in front of her in two strides. He looked down.
"What happened?" He whispered.
"I– Oh!" Sheba's face turned bright red as she tried to cover herself up. She was soaking wet, and no doubt the white fabric was showing through. Sheba hadn't even thought about that when she was helping that boy, but with Solomon standing in front of her, she was on full, self-conscious alert. "I was helping someone. No big deal."
Sheba turned to find the old woman, but she had disappeared. Damn it, she must've ran away when Solomon arrived.
Solomon reached down, and she thought he would touch her chin again like last night. However, he placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her close. He smelled like a freshly bloomed flower from the gardens.
"You can tell me when we get back to the compound." He looked around, watching as the crowd quietly dispersed to give privacy. Solomon's grip tightened on Sheba's shoulder, like he was protecting her from curious stares. "I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier."
"Y-You don't have to be sorry. I'm glad you came, though."
Solomon didn't say anything as his hand moved from her shoulder to her hand. He held onto her and led her back to the compound in silence. Sheba was certain he wasn't mad at her, but she wondered if he was mad at himself. When she looked down, she noticed an array of multicolored flowers on his other hand. In the middle was a single pink flower with three layered petals. Sheba smiled.
"The flowers are pretty."
"They're for you."
Sheba was taken aback at how upfront he was. No jokes, no sarcasm, no rude comment. She blinked and waited for something to follow, but Solomon was quick to take her back to the safety of the compound without saying a word. When they arrived, Solomon handed her off to Arba.
Arba's eyes widened when she saw Sheba. "What happened?"
"A boy was running away from one of the vendors and he accidentally bumped into me at the fountain. But it's okay, I'm fine." Sheba said.
Solomon crossed his arms and kept his gaze at the wall. Arba and Sheba looked at him, expecting some kind of response. Solomon blinked and looked at the two. A heartbeat later, Solomon handed Sheba the flowers.
"I'll be right back. Arba, can you..?"
Arba nodded in understanding towards Solomon.
"Wait," Sheba stepped towards Solomon. "Where are you going?"
"You said you were going to pay back that woman? If I remember right, you have no money."
"I– Wait!" Sheba frowned and stomped her foot. "You don't have to pay her back for me! I can do it–"
"Like I said, you're broke." Solomon placed his hand on top of Sheba's head. "I'll finish taking care of the matter for you, and then I'll be back. I promise."
Solomon didn't give Sheba time to retort. He walked past her and made his way back to the market. Sheba looked down at the flowers and pressed them against her chest as she watched Solomon disappear from her sight.