"You did not know this girl. What were you thinking, bringing her home in the middle of the night? What will society say?" his grandfather asked Aiden as he was staring into the fire. The girl that he just saved had been awake before his grandmother asked her to sleep again.
She was sleeping now but Aiden felt restless.
He has been thinking about the way that she fell from her horse and how he had come to her aid before anything. Aiden gripped the mantelpiece before his grandfather sighed.
"Will you take responsibility if anyone asks who she was?" he asked. Aiden knew what his grandfather was trying to say. After all, the villagers loved to gossip around, especially about him. He turned to look at his grandfather before Aiden was looking at the sleeping young woman. She might not be older than he was, maybe a year or two younger. He sighed.
"Yes, I will be taking responsibility if they wanted to ask about her," Aiden said without any remorse before his grandmother was standing up. They turned to look at her before she was smiling at him.
"I think what you did was brave, Aiden. Who knows what will claim her if you left her there. Poor girl," she said before his grandfather snorted. His wife slapped his arm before she was mumbling something at him. His grandfather scowled.
Aiden hid his smile before his grandparents excused themselves to get some sleep. He did not get out of the room for it was his bedroom that the girl has claimed his bed. He took his seat in front of the fireplace before he rubbed his face.
"What will I tell everyone?" he asked himself as he was looking at the firewood, wondering if he did the right thing after all.
*****
I was dreaming that I was back in the castle, dealing with the state affairs and what the lords of Higher Court demanded of me.
An engagement to the foreign prince.
A wedding.
My coronation.
The royal heir.
It was overwhelming as I was trashing out in my sleep. I don't know what to say any more for I was suffocating in this dream that something or someone was holding me down, shaking me to get out of those nightmares.
"Hey, hey! Wake up, Miss," the voice called to me before I was opening my eyes so suddenly that I was looking at the emerald orbs that belonged to a handsome face. I was turning around to look where I was before I was pushing him away.
Good thing I did not unleash my strength on him or the handsome boy would be hitting the walls by now.
I scooped back to the edge of the walls as I was gripping at the covers. I was holding them to my chin as my heart was beating fast. I don't know what I will do if this boy will hurt me but I tried to calm down before he was smiling at me.
Charmingly, I might add.
"Easy now. You're safe. You're just having a nightmare," he said before I was looking around. I was turning my head to think about the thing that had happened last night.
I escaped the castle, took a horse, something spooked it and I fell before I gave it to the darkness. I felt I was being carried and I saw the shadowy figure that came to my aid. Perhaps this boy was my aid after all.
"Where am I?" I asked him as my voice was hoarse. I was parched and there was nothing that can drown it down. The boy seemed to know what I wanted before he was pouring some water from the pitcher and he was giving the glass to me.
"Here, drink this. you might feel better," he said as I took it and drained it in seconds. He poured some more and I drank more until I was breathing hard and I can sense my surroundings better. I was looking around the small room before I saw the fireplace and some chairs in front of it. The cot was small enough for one person and I was sweating a lot.
And I was in a flimsy nightgown.
I pulled the covers to my chin before the boy was clearing his throat. Clearly, he was averting his eyes from my flimsy nightgown as a show of respect for the fairer sex.
I think I might like him a little.
"My name is Aiden and you're in my house. I saw you fell from your horse and you're hurt. So, I brought you to my grandparents before it got infected and worse," Aiden said before I was gulping. He was smiling at me and I think he did not know who I was.
Or what I was, in that sense.
"Arabella, nice to meet you," I said before Aiden smiled at me. It was nothing for it was just a smile but something kicked inside me as I was looking at his white pearly tooth.
"Well, nice to meet you, Arabella." He said as he took my glass and put it on the night table beside the bed. I was taking slower breaths now before Aiden turned his green orbs on me.
"So, would you tell me why are you in the forest in the middle of the night? I thought women were not supposed to be playing in the forest," he said as he was leaning against the night table with his hips. He crossed his hands in front of his chest before I was looking at his handsome face.
If someone from the Higher court would be asking that question to me, I would be furious. But when Aiden asked me that, all I wanted to do was to tell him the truth.
Or partial truth of why I was doing there anyway.
"I was trying to get to the village. I heard that I can buy some of my stuff there for a cheaper price,"
I don't know if I bought my fabric there would be cheaper but hey, you got to do what you got to do when you're being asked.
"I see. But do you have to get through the forest? There is a perfect cobbled road that you get on," Aiden asked me before he was arching his eyebrow at me. I flushed, knowing that he might think I was not what I was saying to him. I cleared my throat as I was trying to control my heartbeat.
"I don't want my maid to be following me around. You know how that is," I said as I was tucking my hair behind my ear. I turned to look at Aiden but his expression told me that he did not get it at all or he did not understand the concept of a maid escorting me to buy in the market.
"I see, so you're one of those guys," he said before he was walking away from me, moving toward the door as if to leave the room.
"What do you mean 'one of those guys'? Was that a bad thing?" I asked him before Aiden turned to look at me. No more charming smile graced his lips for he was looking at me as if I was a stranger.
Maybe I was for we just got to know minutes ago.
"There will be some clothes and water for you to freshen up. Afterward, you can have breakfast in the kitchen but it might not up to your standard," he said before he left me, closing the door after him. I blinked my eyes before I was flipping the covers away as I was feeling sweaty and dirty all over my body.
"What's wrong with him anyway," I mumbled before I moved to the basin to clean up and need to get out of here before my cousin or anyone that I knew will be searching for me.
*****
Afterward, I was making my way to the bedroom door. I was hesitating but I heard some laughter that tugged on my curiosity. I turned the knob and pulled the door before my nose was hit by the fresh bread and something else that I cannot place yet.
I walked out of the room barefoot, knowing that my boots were not in the room before I was making my way to the kitchen. The house was small but cozy. There was a living room, a fireplace in there before I was standing under the archway that was leading to the kitchen. Aiden was laughing at something that old woman, his grandmother I presume, before I stood there awkwardly, afraid to burst their bubble. The old woman saw me before she was calling after me. Aiden turned to me and his laughter was gone.
"Good morning, dear. I hope you have a good night's sleep?" the old woman said before I was nodding, taking a seat next to her, facing Aiden before he stood up.
"I have to go now. Who knows what will my boss tell me if I am late again," he said before I was looking at his retreating figure. I gulped before the old woman was pouring some tea into the cup for me.
"Here, this will calm your nerves a bit," she said before I smiled and thanked him. I was looking at the pastry and the bread that was spread out on the table before the old woman asked me to eat.
"Aiden told me that you wanted to get something in the market before you were falling from your horse, is that correct?" she asked me before I was nodding at her.
"Yes, I wanted to explore by myself. That's why I was hiding in the forest, not wanting to let anyone know that I was coming here," I said as I was reaching for a slice of bread. The old woman nodded before I was nibbling on them.
"Aiden told me that you're one of them," she said casually before I stopped eating and turned to look at her. she smiled.
"What's 'one of them' mean? I know Aiden told me earlier but he did not explain to me," I said before the old woman was patting my hands.
"Well, you know. The high breed of the gentry. The ones with money and all that. He just not fond of them that's all. Probably why he can't stand to be in the same room with you," the old woman said as I was sipping on my tea.
"So, Aiden was—"
"He has some traumatic experience with them. But you don't have to worry. I can sense that he might not act like it but he likes you," the old woman said before I felt my cheeks heated.
"Ma'am—"
"Please, call me Nana and finish your breakfast. I am sure you wanted to visit the market tonight, yes?" Nana said before I was nodding eagerly at me. She smiled but something about that smile that I don't trust or sensing that tonight will be going to be a night that I cannot forget for the rest of my life.