Chapter Three: Decision
If someone had told me that my life would have changed after meeting the princess, I wouldn't believe at all.
I run my thumb across my lips, watching the Princes eat her soup as though it was the first time she ate something. Tears well up in her eyes, but she tried hard to not cry in front of me. I look down at my hand and sigh.
'Well, I wasn't expecting this.' I stood up and handed her the piece of bread, she glanced at me and blinks innocently at me. I averted my eyes from her.
Sitting back down, Snow moves next to me and wags her tail. I run my fingers through her fur, finally the princess finished her soup and bread. Standing up I took the bowl and place it on the small wooden table next to my bed.
"Thank you, you must think I'm crazy and uneducated" she whispers to me. I blinked blankly at her.
'You must have gone through something horrible, is normal.' I clenched my hand, remembering the days I use to cry for my family death.
"Not my business," I coldly told her, not able to tell her my thoughts. For a reason her cheeks flare up, I move a bit forward.
'Her face lights up when she blushes. Is interesting.' again Snow jumps out of the princess lap and goes up to me. I pet her again and purrs.
"Snow doesn't like strangers. Wow, this is the first." The princess voice stretched, catching my attention. I turned to stare at her.
'I gather that much. You took good care of this old dog.' for a reason my heart felt heavy for this. She licked her plump lips, causing me to slightly stare at it, shaking my thoughts out, I look down at Snow, trying to get rid of what happens the night before when I touched her lips.
'She is weird.'
"Noll, bring Mai down stairs take her to use the outhouse, and prepare her a hot bath," Madoka orders me. I barely made a sigh and stood up and headed out. Then I heard a painful moan. I stop in my tracks and turned to see the Princess adjusting herself.
'I should help her, but in doing so she moves forward. Turning around I started to walk down.
"You're a quiet one," she nervously stated. Stopping in my tracks and turned to face her, not sure why, though. Our eyes lock.
'I don't like to speak, but you sure talk a lot.' I wanted to tell her.
Turning back around I headed down the stairs.
While the princess moves rapidly towards Lin, I move towards the door and headed out to get some fresh water from the well. Rapidly moving, I took a hold of the bucket and lower it down. Finally finishing my responsibility. I walked back to the cottage and place the full bucket down. Entering the room, it seems like no one took notice that I was gone.
When entering the room, I spot the princess becoming tenser and tenser.
"Not everything is painted, as they say," I heard her murmured under her breath. I have no idea what they are talking about, but for a reason I didn't like this at all.
"What was that?" Madoka asks since she didn't catch what she said.
"Oh, I ran away because..." she paused in hesitation. Without thinking it myself, I move towards her and grasp her small wrist. For a reason, the touch of her skin causes me to feel odd.
"Noll?" Lin asks, surprised by my actions. I never, ever touched a girl like this before. Pulling the princess away, I didn't take notice that I was hurting her.
"Are you barbaric? Why did you have to pull me like that?" she hissed under her breath when I let go of her wrist. She takes it and rubs it gently.
'Sorry. I don't know how to handle a girl.' for a reason I felt embarrassed. I turned to face her, without a word of sorry, I pointed at the outhouse as an excuse.
"The outhouse," I whispered to her, not daring to stare at her eyes, I lower my gaze to stare at her small feet. Frowning at her, I kept feeling worse.
'Okay, I'm not sure how to handle this.' frowning I shook my head and glance up at the blue sky.
"Whatever, thanks, " she seems frustrated. I mentally groaned. With guilt, I started to follow the Princess, but that made her stop in her tracks turning to face me.
"Are you going to follow me?" she snaps.
"Don't know if the princess knows how to use an outhouse," I bitterly spat back at her. For a reason, I mentally wince at my own cold words, but what causes me to feel even worse is the painful expression she gave me.
"Of course I do. I have…." she stops her words, as though she just remembers something painful. I move my head, arching a brow.
'Did that woman do something more to her?'
"I don't have to explain myself to you. Don't call me princess," she hissed again through her small teeth. For a reason, her expression causes me to chuckle, but disguised it as to cross my arms and followed her towards the outhouse never the less.
'I'm still trying to make a decision."
…..
I leaned against the wall, hearing the Princess take her bath, while Madoka and Lin walk down the small path.
Without thinking, I gently open the door, and peeked in, to see the princess bareback, as she takes a hold of the green dress that Madoka let her borrow.
'She smaller than I thought.' I licked my lips, trying to keep my eyes up. She places the dress on. Turning back around, I sigh, looking up at the afternoon sky.
'Why did I just do that?" I rub my head, feeling my cheeks burn.
About an hour later everyone sat on the living room, looking at the princess. Snow sat on her lap while I kept my eyes on her.
The first question she asks is what rumors have we heard from the Queen, Madoka, and Lin explains that they have met the queen once. I, on the other hand, had very vivid dreams of how to kill her.
"I only met the queen once, many years ago. Nice woman. I heard many rumors, she's very kind, and that she'll step out of her way to help those indeed. As well," Madoka stops looking at her husband in hesitation.
"What?" the princess insisted.
"It just rumors, but you were wild, you only spend it on balls, and court gentlemen."
"Do you believe those rumors?" all I can see is the pure shock in her eyes. I fist my hands, not liking this at all.
'She bedding men? She doesn't look the type, hell she doesn't look the type.' that irks me to no end.
"Well, not really, since we never got the chance to see you in person. Is a just a rumor, now that we have met you. We can tell that you're a very educated and humble person. Who in the right mind cleans a stranger's house? Nothing the less, the next heir of the lands," Madoka expressed herself trying to ease the princess worried look.
"I thought it was the right thing to do. I ran away because." The princess paused again.
'Cause?' I pushed into my head.
"The hutsman wanted to kill me, so I ran away from the castle," She told us. For a reason, my whole body went still.
'So the queen wants her dead afterall.' I thought not liking this at all.
"I knew something was off, no king will leave their child out in the open, even if they ran away." Madoka murmurs. I saw the princess nod at her words.
About a few minutes convincing us that the huntsman won't be after her, and that she can clean and do things around the house and that her nana thought her. I move forward and stare at her proudly.
'She desperate.'
"Is that so, I can see you are good at cleaning and not shy to use the outhouse. You're a very brilliant young woman. How about your future husband?" This time, no emotions pass the princess' eyes.
"Don't worry about it. I'll cross that bridge when I have to." is her cold answer. I actually smirk at her words.
'I hope you never cross that bridge.' I blinked, not sure why I just said that.
"We won't pressure you anymore; now about us." Madoka clears her throat,
"These are my two boys. Lin and Oliver. Lin use to be my childhood friend. We lived as neighbors in the town of the northern lands. After we got married, about eight years ago, we decided to live here. More tranquility. As for my God-son. He's an orphan. We took him in when he was fourteen. He doesn't talk much and he's very good at doing the tasks and mining.I do wish for him to find himself a good woman to marry off, but he seems to not like girls. He tries to ignore them. It is a shame. He's very good looking and many girls tried hard to court him, but nothing. Either way, please ask him for anything. He is very good following orders." Madoka finished our introduction.
She suddenly looks up at me and our gaze locked. For a reason, I felt trapped in her gaze, and my heart started to pound hard against my ribs.
'Wonder how would she call me? Noll or Oliver. I think Noll will fit her more than Oliver.'
I can tell her chest is raising unevenly. Not sure how to feel about that, but for a reason I liked it. Her brown eyes landed on my scar.
'Little mouse are you curious about my scar?' she shakes her head and turns towards Madoka and Lin.
"Thank you once again for everything." she bows on them.
Madoka moves closer to the princess, but her body goes rigid and I can see her flinch as though she was ready to get hit.
'Not again.' Madoka doesn't take notice and place her hand on her shoulder.
"Huh?" Madoka asks, confused by her actions, and the princess stands up.
"I'll start working right now," she told Madoka. Madoka nods oddly and turns to face Lin, as to say,
'What just happen?' Lin shrugs at her while Snow barks at the princess.
"Go she looks lost." Lin pester me. I blinked at him.
"No."
"Noll, stop being stubborn and follow her. She is scared." This time, Madoka hissed at me. I rolled my eyes at them.
"You own me one." I simply said. Both of them just ignored me and I walk behind the princess. She doesn't take notice. Her eyes wander around our place. She looks fascinated by it. A small house really. She goes up to the door and open it. I can hear her gasp. I stood right behind her.
'That was my reaction when I first saw this many years ago.' I mentally told her.
"Mines." I guess if she is looking beyond the woods. I move a bit closer to her. I have been around girls before, but for a reason this felt right. She turns around and glance up, I didn't dare move an inch more.
"Oh, the mines, where you and Lin work at?" she guessed. I nodded at her.
'She's quick on her feet.' I liked that, but then a sudden anger filled my heart. She shouldn't be here, she should be in the castle I should not be talking to a higher class.
I bend closer to her. I can feel her soft breath on me. Her eyes widen frighten by my moves, and she steps back only to have the door block her off.
'I really should hate you, little mouse.'
"I'm watching you." I rasp out in a deep voice to scare her. For a reason, her reaction wasn't the one I was expecting. She actually shivered, and that didn't help me at all.
"You don't have to watch me. I'm perfectly fine by myself," she tells me. That irritated me for some odd reason.
'No, you're not. Last night you asked me to help you. I will use you to get my revenge and I will hate you.' I told myself, without thinking it, I slam both of my hands flat on the door trapping her. I lower myself to her level. Her eyes lock with mine.
'Bad choice Noll, bad move.' I can feel my heart thump harder and harder from her closeness. I couldn't look away from her eyes once again. Then for a reason I smirked, because, beyond this, I like this somewhere in me like this closeness of her small body next to mine.
"What do you want from me? I haven't done anything to you, please let me be," her voice quivers. Without thinking, I grasp her small chin. I felt her small body tremble again.
I leaned forward and whispered.
"You just became my interest," I whispered to her ear, the princess' eyes widen in pure shock while I move away and walked away.
With each step, I press my hand on my chest.
Turning around, she is looking at me with shock, so I smirked at her and turned around, heading for the woods….
I chuckled, but for a reason I stop in my tracks and look up at the sky as my own words rushed into me.
'Well, that is my decision, and sure as hell I will get what I want."
Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the long update.
A disclaimer; I don't own anything.
